Driving Them Wild at Disneyland

Disneyland is the newest test track for April Fools pranksters at Road & Track magazine.

The April edition features a comprehensive road test of the hottest vehicle in the Anaheim fleet--the faux four-wheel-drives that carry Disneyland guests through the Indiana Jones Adventure ride.

With tongue firmly in cheek, the gearheads at R&T; tested the all-terrain vehicle under some unusual road conditions--in this case, a collapsing, snake-filled temple cursed by an evil, boulder-tossing deity name Mara.

Although the Indy cars won high marks for front-seat legroom (“cozy but ample”) and the stereo system (“an excellent orchestral score composed by John Williams”), R&T; was disappointed by the handling (“teetering on disaster”) and interior noise (“gasps, screams”). Still, the R&T; crew was impressed at the diverse road surfaces the troop transports were able to handle, including a shaky suspension bridge, a flight of stairs, cobblestones, boulders and crevices.

“We all gained a great deal of respect for the Indiana Jones Adventure Troop Transport,” wrote road tester Dennis Simanaitis. “It’s a vehicle that’s admirably suited to its unique mission. . . . And there’s certainly nothing Mickey Mouse about it.”

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Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com.