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Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction in the Tomorrowland area of
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
in
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. It opened on June 11, 2007. Based on the characters and settings of
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's 2003 film ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Lee Unkrich, and produced by Graham Walters, from ...
'', it is a re-theming of the classic Submarine Voyage attraction that operated from 1959 to 1998.


History

The original Submarine Voyage, built in 1959 as part of the new Tomorrowland, was loosely based on the USS ''Nautilus'', the first nuclear-powered submarine, and its voyage to the North Pole in 1958. On July 29, 1998, it was announced that the ride would be closed on September 7, and that it would reopen with a new theme by 2003. On its final day of operation, Imagineer Tony Baxter told then-Disneyland president Paul Pressler, "This is one of the worst days of my life." Baxter was one of many Imagineers who campaigned to bring the attraction back with a new theme. One of the first attempts to resurrect the subs was to create an attraction based on
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
's 2001 animated film '' Atlantis: The Lost Empire.'' A mock-up was built to test the concept; but when the film failed at the box office, those plans were shelved. The next year, an attempt was made to re-theme the attraction on Disney's 2002 animated film ''
Treasure Planet ''Treasure Planet'' is a 2002 American animated science fiction film, science fiction adventure film directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and written by Musker, Clements and Rob Edwards (screenwriter), Rob Edwards. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'', but it too was a commercial failure. A theme based on Disney's 1989 animated film '' The Little Mermaid'' was also briefly considered. During this time, the lagoon remained as scenery. At one point, Disneyland executives considered removing the submarines, feeling they occupied too much of the park's storage space. Imagineering creative chief Marty Sklar hired a naval engineering firm to inspect the subs, and they determined they had 40 to 50 years of life left in them, saving them from destruction. The special effects team at
Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
eventually developed new projection technology; and around the same time, the
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
animated film ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Lee Unkrich, and produced by Graham Walters, from ...
'' was in development, which had potential for a Submarine Voyage re-theme. Matt Ouimet became president of
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
in 2003, and in 2004 there was new activity in the Submarine lagoon. One of the original eight subs was moored at the old Submarine Voyage dock for inspection by Imagineering. Rumors spread over the Internet that an attraction based on ''Finding Nemo'' would replace Submarine Voyage. The subs were tested to see if new animated show scenes could be visible from their portholes. A mock-up of the new technology was created and a presentation was staged for Ouimet. In spite of the enormous price tag, Ouimet was impressed and the ''Finding Nemo'' theme for the Submarine Voyage was green-lighted. It was the first major theme park project for
Bob Iger Robert Alan Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American media executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company. He previously was the president of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and p ...
, who became CEO of
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
in 2005, and the first major project for
John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter ( ; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, a ...
(executive producer of ''Finding Nemo'', and then-chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation) in his role as Principal Creative Advisor for Imagineering. On July 15, 2005, two days before the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was officially announced at the new Turtle Talk with Crush attraction at
Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California ...
by then-
Disney Experiences Disney Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort. Led ...
President Jay Rasulo. For the attraction, the Imagineers used more than 30 tons of recycled crushed glass to "paint" the lagoon's coral and rockwork. They also created more than 40 colors for the lagoon area, such as Yamber (a cross between yam and amber), Mango Mud, Toast, Blue Feint (barely blue), Aqua Jazz, Swamp (dark green/amber), Danger Red, Burning Coal, Split Pea, Earth, Phantom and Peritwinkle. The submarines were also converted from diesel fuel to electric power. In 2008, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage received an award for outstanding achievement from the Themed Entertainment Association. On January 6, 2014, the attraction closed and the lagoon drained for extended refurbishment to make improvements to the rockwork and coral. It reopened on September 27, 2014. Although
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
reopened on April 30, 2021 from its closure due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the attraction remained temporarily closed. It reopened on July 25, 2022. During its closure, the lagoon was drained and the attraction was refurbished with fresh paint, new coral, kelp, and seaweed, and received enhanced special effects and lighting. A figure of Hank from the ''Finding Nemo'' sequel '' Finding Dory'' (2016) was also placed atop a rock in the lagoon.


Voyage

At the attraction's entrance, guests enter the institute of Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation (NEMO). Three seagulls, perched on a nearby buoy, cry out "Mine! Mine! Mine!" every few moments. Guests board one of NEMO's eight yellow research
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
s and set out in search of an active underwater volcano. Through their portholes, guests view a colorful underwater environment. One of the first things guests see is Darla, the niece of dentist P. Sherman in ''Finding Nemo'', freediving amid the coral, holding a plastic bag with a fish she has captured. As the journey continues, guests see a giant sea bass swimming through a seaweed forest. The submarines then enter the ruins of an
ancient civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond signed or spoken langua ...
, which are being explored by P. Sherman who is scuba diving. Among the ruins lies two gigantic tiki heads, embedded in the ocean floor. The subs then enter a
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
with many bright reflective colors. Giant clams slowly open and close as the submarines pass. The captain commands the sub to dive much deeper to avoid a surface storm ahead. At this point the submarine travels through a waterfall and enters the hidden ride building, where guests find themselves apparently moving through underwater caverns. The captain announces that, due to advancements in marine technology, they can use "sonar hydrophones" (an homage to the original attraction), to hear the fish talk. The sub passes through a dark cavern where huge eels lunge toward it, and
lobster Lobsters are Malacostraca, malacostracans Decapoda, decapod crustaceans of the family (biology), family Nephropidae or its Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on th ...
s can also be seen. The sub passes Marlin and Dory as they discover that Nemo has gotten lost again. Farther along the reef, guests encounter Mr. Ray and his class swimming through the coral looking for Nemo as well. The first mate announces that the sub is approaching the East Australian Current, and the submarine enters the current along with Nemo, Squirt, Crush and other green sea turtles. The sub then exits the current and enters a graveyard of sunken ships, Jacques and Blenny can both be seen nearby while Marlin and Dory continue their search for Nemo. Bruce and Chum swim inside a sunken submarine surrounded by mines. The submarine "hits" one of the mines, causing all the mines to explode and the sub to shake and temporarily lose power. As the sub goes dark, Marlin and Dory are surrounded by small glowing lights, which turn out to be phosphorescent lights on several huge deep-sea
anglerfish The anglerfish are ray-finned fish in the order Lophiiformes (). Both the order's common name, common and scientific name comes from the characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified dorsal Fish fin#Ray-fins, fin ray acts as a Aggressiv ...
. After they escape the creatures, they make their way through a forest of
jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...
. The submarine reaches the active deep-sea volcano. Gill, Bloat, Gurgle, Bubbles, and Squirt chant as
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
flows down the volcano's sides, while Marlin and Dory reunite with Nemo. The volcano erupts just as the sub escapes and returns to the reef. The fish gather around and celebrate finding Nemo once again. Suddenly, a pod of
humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
s appears, and one of them swallows both Dory and the submarine. Dory swims about trying to understand the whale's vocalizations. After a few moments, the whale shoots the submarine and Dory out through its blowhole. Dory then mistakes the sub for a "big yellow whale" and speaks whale, saying goodbye. The captain tells the first mate not to enter anything that has happened in the ship's log because nobody would believe it. He then says they should bring the sub up to the surface "before we have a run-in with a sea serpent or an encounter with a mermaid" (references to the original attraction, which included mermaids and a sea serpent). Two rock formations can be seen, one shaped like a sea serpent's head, and the other shaped like a mermaid. The sub then surfaces and reenters the harbor, where a pair of king crabs snap at air bubbles coming from a sewage pipe. An instrumental version of " Beyond the Sea" plays as the submarine docks and the captain thanks the passengers for riding.


Submarines

The attraction reuses the eight original 1959 Submarine Voyage through Liquid Space attraction vehicle hulls built at the Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California. Vertical rollers attached at each end of the
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
roll within a submerged guide channel. The original diesel engines were replaced by electric battery-powered propulsion units which are charged at the loading dock by contact-less inductive coils, increasing efficiency and eliminating fuel spills. Guests board through a hatch at either end by crossing hinged loading ramps and descending spiral stairs. Twenty aft-boarding guests are seated facing the
starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...
side and fore-boarding guests are seated facing
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
. Each submarine originally seated 38 guests, but removal of the diesel engines increased seating to 40 spring-loaded
fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
seats. Lap sitting of small children is permitted. 46 on-board flotation devices limit maximum capacity to 45 guests and one
helmsman A helmsman or helm (sometimes driver or steersman) is a person who steering, steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, airship, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fis ...
. When the boarding ramps are raised the hatches are sealed watertight (but not airtight) and mooring lines released. Although their viewports are below water level, the "submarines" do not actually submerge when "diving". Descent and submersion is simulated with bubbles that rise across the viewports when the vehicles pass through compressed air released under the hull and waterfalls. Each viewport blows fresh dehumidified air across its glass to prevent fogging. Each cabin interior has 40 viewports framed with dark blue mesh, and a wavy blue stripe painted across the ceiling. The original subs's exteriors were painted navy gray; the new livery colors are bright yellow above water, a light blue 'boot stripe' at the waterline, and a reflection-reducing matte blue-black below the waterline. The
sail A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...
of each submarine, from which the helmsman operates, has a control console and a board of indicator lights displaying the submarine's status if anything abnormal occurs on the ride's cycle. Cast members are trained how to respond to each abnormality, and are always in contact with other operating positions of the ride. Although the submarine is on a guideway, the helmsman controls its forward and backward movement via a small joystick to regulate these speeds (shown in RPM, in lieu of the actual propeller which moves the boat) which vary in different sections of the ride. Cast members operating the submarines guide them through a series of laser sensors that activate each show scene. Guiding timers and block-lights are placed throughout the ride to help cast members time each scene. The helmsman unlocks the sub's watertight hatches via levers in the sail, each time it returns to dock. Each sail also has a flashlight, checklists for the ride's opening and closing crews, and a radio to communicate with other boats and stations. The queue, docks, subs and scenes were all re-themed to represent the movie's Australian harbor, and the captain and his first mate speak with Australian accents. To accommodate guests with conditions preventing them from boarding the subs, the adjacent ''Marine Observation Outpost'' (M.O.O.) has a high definition LCD screen featuring a version of the show that is similar to the underwater attraction.


''Nemo'' submarine names (2007–)

*107 ''
Nautilus A nautilus (; ) is any of the various species within the cephalopod family Nautilidae. This is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and the suborder Nautilina. It comprises nine living species in two genera, the type genus, ty ...
'' *207 ''Scout'', formerly ''Neptune'', formerly ''Seawolf'' *307 ''Voyager'', formerly ''Sea Star'', formerly ''Skate'' *407 ''Mariner'', formerly ''Explorer'', formerly ''Skipjack'' *507 ''Seafarer'', formerly ''Seeker'', formerly ''Triton'' *607 ''Explorer'', formerly ''Argonaut'', formerly ''George Washington'' *707 ''Neptune'', formerly ''Triton'', formerly ''Patrick Henry'' *807 ''Argonaut'', formerly ''Sea Wolf'', formerly ''Ethan Allen''


See also

* Submarine Voyage * List of Disneyland attractions


References


External links

*
DisneySubmarines.com
* {{coord, 33.8129, N, 117.9172, W, region:US-CA_type:landmark_scale:2000, display=title Amusement rides introduced in 2007 Audio-Animatronic attractions Disneyland Finding Nemo Pixar in amusement parks Tomorrowland (Disney Parks) Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions 2007 establishments in California Submarine attractions