Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section contains information about a planned or expected future amusement ride. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the amusement ride approaches, and more information becomes available. |
 |
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California that is slated to open in Summer 2007. It replaces the Submarine Voyage attraction, which closed in late August/early September of 1998.
Contents |
[edit] History
When Matt Ouimet became the president of Disneyland Resort, many noticed new activity in the lagoon, the former home of Submarine Voyage. Neptune, one of the eight submarines in the fleet, was moored in the old Submarine Voyage station for inspection by Walt Disney Imagineering in 2004. Rumors spread quickly over the Internet about an attraction based on the Disney/Pixar animated film Finding Nemo.
On July 15, 2005, two days before the official 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was officially announced at the new Turtle Talk with Crush attraction at Disney's California Adventure by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts president Jay Rasulo. The submarines had closed years earlier with an announcement that an Atlantis ride would be built.
[edit] The attraction
Although little is known of the finer details of the new ride, a couple of interesting things have leaked. The Yesterland page reported that new technology will be used to create the illusion of an undersea journey: Instead of underwater plastic fish on strings, each porthole will be a small effect box used to project images so that they appear to be moving through the water outside the boat. However, more recent developments have suggested that these 'boxes' will literally be small individual aquarium tanks, that are in fact dry inside, keeping the projection equipment, set pieces, and Audio-Animatronics dry. Because there will be a space between the glass walls of these dry tanks and the submarines, from the rider's perspective, are below the water level, the effect will appear as if the scenes are underwater as the guests look through the water to the scenes in the tanks. The Seagulls who yelp "Mine Mine" in the movie are also planned to appear in the outside queue area as brand new Audio-Animatronics. This has been confirmed after the animatronic seagulls were left out in the lagoon for tests last year. In addition to a brand-new loading station, an area providing wheelchair-bound guests who cannot ride the attraction due to the configuration of the subs (they are grandfathered as they were built before ADA requirements) will be built allowing those who cannot ride to view a video presentation of the experience.
The official Disney press releases reveals a storyline that puts the guests as members of the sub crew. Guests will embark on an expedition to observe an active undersea volcano. But soon after departure, they will be delighted to discover their favorite fish friends getting into the swim of things right alongside their submarine! Nemo and his friends are able to go along for the ride thanks to the new projection technology described above.
With new use of the subs’ vintage "sonar hydrophones," Guests will hear the fish talk with the same personalities and humor established in the film. Guests will get to eavesdrop on the exploits of Dory (Blue Tang fish), Marlin (Clownfish), Crush (Turtle), Bruce (Great White Shark) and the members of the “tank gang,” and most importantly, take part in an ever changing adventure of trying to “find” Nemo throughout the voyage.
Along the way guests catch glimpses of Nemo in a variety of colorful undersea environments while joining Crush, Dory, Bruce and Marlin in the undersea search. There will be several moments when Guests aboard their submarine will be able to see Nemo while the other guests won’t! After surviving a sub-shaking volcanic eruption, the subs dive alongside a breathtakingly beautiful coral reef where Marlin, Nemo and all their friends gather to celebrate finding Nemo at last.
Walt Disney World's Epcot park will receive a sister attraction, The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
[edit] The vehicles
The attraction will use the same submarines used on the old Submarine Voyage. The ride's submarines do not actually submerge; they are boats in which the passenger seating area is below the water level. The ride is also being updated with two seats being added to each submarine, bringing each sub's capacity up to 40 guests. The subs will be repainted yellow above the water, black below the water, with a blue strip dividing the two. The new subs will be known as "Seafarers". The diesel fuel that powered the original subs has been scrapped and the subs will now be electrically powered. The Epcot version will instead use "clamobiles."
[edit] The Original Attraction
Quite a few of the original animatronic figures are planned to reappear for this new attraction. Three were sold at a Disneyland Auction which was held on July 17, 2006 the day of their official 50th Aniversiary. The original cave structures have been extended with all new rockwork. The Atlantis Scene is the only noted show scene torn out. All other scenes including the Graveyard of Lost ships (to reappear as the Hideout of Bruce, Anchor, and Chum), the Underwater Volcano (to reappear with an eruption), and the errie Giant Squid will most likely reappear. Some sites have also released photos showing that some of the animatronics are actually being placed now, including the morray eels which were shown not to be inside the caves. Quite a few other features should also reappear soon.
