Submarine Voyage
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| Submarine Voyage | |
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| Attraction Poster | |
| Disneyland | |
| Land | Tomorrowland |
| Designer | WED Enterprises |
| Attraction type | Submarine ride |
| Theme | Undersea voyage based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
| Opening date | June 6, 1959 |
| Closing date | September 9, 1998 |
| Vehicle type | Submarines |
| Vehicle capacity | 38 |
| Ticket Required | "E' |
| Replaced by | Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (2007) |
| Sponsored by | General Dynamics |
The Submarine Voyage was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Inspired by the 1954 Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, it opened on June 6, 1959 as the Submarine Voyage (one of the first rides to require an E ticket). Part of a major expansion of Tomorrowland, which also included the Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster, an expanded version of Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, and the Motor Boat Cruise, the attraction was originally planned to feature glass-bottom boats. It closed on September 9, 1998, with then-Disneyland president Paul Pressler promising that a new attraction would open in 2003 (purportedly based on Disney’s 2001 animated feature Atlantis: The Lost Empire, a box-office failure); it never did. The attraction will reopen in 2007 with a Finding Nemo theme, and will be called the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
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[edit] The attraction
As initially conceived, the Submarine Voyage was to feature live fish and other sea creatures, though the idea proved to be unfeasible. In the summers of 1965–1967, female cast members dressed in mermaid suits could be seen sunning themselves and performing synchronized swimming and underwater stunts for about four hours each day. A major portion of the ride simulated the voyage under the Arctic Ocean's polar ice cap undertaken by the attack submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571) on August 3, 1958.
[edit] The vehicles
The hulls (eight in all) for "one of the world's largest peacetime fleets of submarines" were fabricated at Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California, then trucked to the "Disneyland Naval Yard" in Anaheim for outfitting under the direction of retired Admiral Joseph Fowler. Technical data and advice regarding the design were provided by General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division, builder of the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered submarines. The vessels were painted in two-tone military gray until 1986, when the attraction was remodeled and the exterior color was changed to bright yellow.
The vessels were not actual submarines as they did not submerge, but were in fact boats wherein the 38-passenger seating area was positioned below the water level. Portholes along the sides allowed guests to view the many underwater sights. Above the seating area was the conning tower, where the operator stood and controlled the sub's speed. The "diving" effect was made by bubble screens and using the waterfalls at the entrance to the caves that led the submarines into the cleverly-disguised show building. Atop the building, which still remains, are the majority of the Autopia tracks, some monorail tracks, trees and the currently empty Rocket Rods/PeopleMover track.
[edit] Original nuclear submarine names (1959–1986)
- 301 Nautilus
- 302 Seawolf
- 303 Skate
- 304 Skipjack
- 305 Triton
- 306 George Washington
- 307 Patrick Henry
- 308 Ethan Allen
[edit] Exploration submarine names (1987–1998)
- 301 Nautilus
- 302 Neptune, formerly Seawolf
- 303 Sea Star, formerly Skate
- 304 Explorer, formerly Skipjack
- 305 Seeker, formerly Triton
- 306 Argonaut, formerly George Washington
- 307 Triton, formerly Patrick Henry
- 308 Sea Wolf, formerly Ethan Allen
[edit] Auctioning
In a recent auction at Disneyland, several pieces of the original attraction's scenery were sold, such as the sea serpent, the shark fighting with the octopus on a rock and two fighting lobsters. They were cleared out to make room for new scenery for the updated Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
[edit] Similar attractions
The first offspring of this attraction was the Jules Verne themed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The attraction was given a Nautilus theme and a narration by Pete Renoudet, doing a very good James Mason/Captain Nemo impression. The attraction was closed in 1994 for a "rehabilitation" period, but never reopened. The attraction was cost-prohibitive to maintain and rehabilitate annually. Also, the lagoon leaked.
A similar voyage attraction is now at the Tokyo DisneySea in Japan, using the same Nautilus theme from Florida, except instead of boats in water, it is a dark ride through a show building, in enclosed suspended cars ("mini-subs"). There was a walk-through of the film at Disneyland in the 1950s, but it has since closed. However, a new version appeared in Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris, known as Les Mystères du Nautilus, a walkthrough attraction through a full size replica of the Nautilus with squid.
[edit] See also
- List of past Disneyland attractions
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- The Seas With Nemo And Friends
[edit] References
- (1979) Disneyland: The First Quarter Century. Walt Disney Productions. ISBN 0-528-04006-5.
- Yesterland
