Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Encyclopedia
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California
, which opened on June 11, 2007. Based on the characters and settings of the 2003 Disney/Pixar film, Finding Nemo
, the attraction is a re-theming of the classic Submarine Voyage thru Liquid Space
attraction, which closed in 1998.
in 1959, and closed on September 9, 1998. At that time, Disneyland's president, Paul Pressler
, promised the press and Disneyland fans that the attraction would re-open with a new theme by 2003. One of the first attempts to resurrect the subs was banked on the success of the 2001 Disney animated film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire
. However, when Atlantis flopped at the box office, an "Atlantis" themed photo spot was placed in front of the lagoon and plans of re-theming the based on the film were shelved.
However, the attraction remained untouched. Later, the entire lagoon became a scenic viewpoint. The submarines were stored inside the show building without maintenance. Pressler left, and the attraction's announced 2003 return date passed without action. When Matt Ouimet
became the President of Disneyland Resort in 2003, there was new activity in the Submarine Lagoon. Neptune, one of the original eight submarines in the fleet, was moored at the old Submarine Voyage station dock for inspection by Walt Disney Imagineering in 2004.
The submarines were being tested to see if new animated show scenes would be visible from the portholes. Rumors spread quickly over the Internet, saying that an attraction based on the Disney/Pixar animated film Finding Nemo was going to finally replace Submarine Voyage. After months of speculation, 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's California Adventure
by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
President Jay Rasulo
. The attraction was a huge success with fans when it opened, queue line times for boarding stretched to nearly four hours.
In 2010, line times still fell around 45 minutes. However, this is expected to change as Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
will most likely cannibalize it's ridership, giving way to shorter lines.
. Through their portholes, guests view a spectacular underwater environment. One of the first things guests see is Darla, the evil fish
-killing niece of the dentist
in Finding Nemo, freediving amid the coral, holding a bag with a fish in it.
As the journey continues on, the visitor then sees a giant sea bass
swimming through a forest of seaweed
. The submarines later enter the ruins of an ancient civilization, being explored by the dentist scuba diver
P. Sherman, who's in Finding Nemo. Among the stone ruins lies a gigantic tiki
head embedded in the ocean floor. The scene soon changes as the subs are immersed in the setting of a coral reef
in bright colors of orange, aqua, green, crimson, maize, and more. Giant clam
s slowly open and close their mouths as the submarines pass. The captain commands the sub to dive much deeper to avoid a surface storm ahead.
Shortly after passing into the caverns, the captain announces that due to amazing new marine technology called "sonar hydrophones", they can actually hear the fish talk (an homage to the original attraction). The subs then pass through a dark cavern where huge eel
s lunge toward the submarine and lobsters are fighting. The subs pass Marlin and Dory as they discover Nemo has become lost once again. Further along the reef, the guests come across Mr. Ray
and his class swimming through the coral looking for Nemo as well. The captain says they are approaching open water and the subs pass Crush, Squirt, and the other green turtles and enter the East Australian Current
.
The subs then exit the current and enter a spooky graveyard of sunken ship
s where Marlin and Dory continue their search for Nemo. Bruce, Anchor, and Chum swim inside a sunken U-Boat
surrounded by World War II
mines
. The submarines hit one, shaking the sub and causing it to temporarily lose power. The sub goes dark and Marlin and Dory are suddenly surrounded by small glowing spots. Suddenly, a huge deep-sea anglerfish
appears. After Marlin and Dory escape the monster, they go through a forest of jellyfish
.
The submarine reaches the active deep-sea volcano. As lava
flows down the edge of the volcano, the Tank Gang chant then Marlin
finally finds Nemo in a joyful reunion. The volcano erupts just as the subs escape and return to the coral reef
. The fish gather and celebrate finding Nemo once again. Suddenly, a pod of humpback whale
s appear and one of them swallows both Dory and the submarine. As Dory swims about trying to speak whale, the whale shoots the submarine out through its blowhole. The sub captain tells the first mate and the passengers not to mention anything because "nobody would probably believe them anyway".
He then says, "We better take her up before we have a run into a sea serpent
or enchant with a mermaid
." (in reference to the prior attraction which featured four mermaids and a gigantic sea serpent.) Soon after he says this, we see two coral formations one shaped like the sea serpent's head the other shaped like a swimming mermaid (hidden mermaid and sea serpent). The submarine then enters the harbor and view a pair of king crab
s snapping at air bubbles atop a sewage pipe. The song "Beyond the Sea
" (instrumental) plays as the captain thanks the passengers for riding. Each voyage lasts approximately 15 minutes.
attraction vehicle hulls built at the Todd Shipyards in San Pedro. Vertical rollers attached at each end of the keel roll within a submerged guide channel. Battery/electric propulsion charged at the loading dock by "no contact" inductive coils while boarding replaced Diesel engines, increasing efficiency and eliminating fuel spills. Guests board through a hatch at either end by crossing hinged loading ramps to spiral stairs. Twenty aft-boarding guests are seated facing the starboard side, and fore-boarding guests seat port. Each submarine originally seated 38 guests, but removal of the diesel engines increased seating to forty fold-down spring-loaded fiberglass seats. Lap sitting of small children is permitted. Forty-six on-board flotation devices limit maximum capacity to 45 guests and 1 skipper. When the boarding ramps are raised the hatches are sealed watertight (but not airtight) and mooring lines released. The "submarines" do not actually submerge when "diving", they are truly just elaborate boats with seating and viewports below water level. Descent and submersion is simulated with bubbles that rise across the viewports when passing compressed air released under the hull and waterfalls. Each viewport blows fresh dehumidified air across the window to prevent fogging. Each submarine cabin interior features forty viewports framed with dark blue mesh and a wavy blue stripe painted across the ceiling. Originally the sub exteriors were painted Navy Grey. The new submarine livery colors are bright yellow above the water, a light blue 'boot stripe' at the waterline divides a reflection-reducing matte blue-black hull below the waterline.
The queue, docks, subs and scenes have all been re-themed to represent the Australian harbor of the movie, and the narrator speaks with an Australian accent.
Marine Observation Outpost - Guests are presented a show on a high definition LCD screen which is similar to the underwater attraction. The alternative guest experience is provided to accommodate guests with phobias and those unable to transfer via the spiral-stairs due to limited physical abilities.
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, which opened on June 11, 2007. Based on the characters and settings of the 2003 Disney/Pixar film, Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
, the attraction is a re-theming of the classic Submarine Voyage thru Liquid Space
Submarine Voyage
The Submarine Voyage thru liquid space was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.The attraction, which featured ride vehicles designed to look like Navy nuclear submarines, opened on June 14, 1959...
attraction, which closed in 1998.
History
The original Submarine Voyage thru Liquid Space attraction was built as part of the "new" TomorrowlandTomorrowland
- Tomorrowland 1955–1967 :The first Tomorrowland opened at Disneyland on July 18, 1955, with only several of its planned attractions open, due to budget cuts. The construction of the park was rushed, so Tomorrowland was the last land to be finished. It became something of a corporate showcase,...
in 1959, and closed on September 9, 1998. At that time, Disneyland's president, Paul Pressler
Paul Pressler
Paul Pressler is an advisor of the New York- and London-based private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Formerly president and CEO of Gap, Inc...
, promised the press and Disneyland fans that the attraction would re-open with a new theme by 2003. One of the first attempts to resurrect the subs was banked on the success of the 2001 Disney animated film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a 2001 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Written by Tab Murphy, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and produced by Don Hahn, it is the first science fiction film in the Disney animated features canon and the 41st overall. The film...
. However, when Atlantis flopped at the box office, an "Atlantis" themed photo spot was placed in front of the lagoon and plans of re-theming the based on the film were shelved.
However, the attraction remained untouched. Later, the entire lagoon became a scenic viewpoint. The submarines were stored inside the show building without maintenance. Pressler left, and the attraction's announced 2003 return date passed without action. When Matt Ouimet
Matt Ouimet
Matt Ouimet is the president of Cedar Fair Entertainment, a publicly-traded company that owns 11 amusement parks in the U.S. and Canada.Cedar Fair's board named him president in June. Ouimet is scheduled to take over as the chief executive officer in 2012, when the current CEO, Richard "Dick"...
became the President of Disneyland Resort in 2003, there was new activity in the Submarine Lagoon. Neptune, one of the original eight submarines in the fleet, was moored at the old Submarine Voyage station dock for inspection by Walt Disney Imagineering in 2004.
The submarines were being tested to see if new animated show scenes would be visible from the portholes. Rumors spread quickly over the Internet, saying that an attraction based on the Disney/Pixar animated film Finding Nemo was going to finally replace Submarine Voyage. After months of speculation, on July 15, 2005, two days before the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland
Happiest Homecoming on Earth
The Happiest Homecoming on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which officially opened on July 17, 1955...
, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was officially announced at the new Turtle Talk with Crush
Turtle Talk with Crush
Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" pavilion at Epcot, and was duplicated at Disney California Adventure in July 2005. The attraction was open in Hong Kong...
attraction at Disney's California Adventure
Disney's California Adventure
Disney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...
by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
President Jay Rasulo
Jay Rasulo
James A. "Jay" Rasulo is the Senior Executive VP and CFO of the The Walt Disney Company. Prior to this, he was chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts from October 2005 until December 2009 when he switched positions with Thomas O. Staggs...
. The attraction was a huge success with fans when it opened, queue line times for boarding stretched to nearly four hours.
In 2010, line times still fell around 45 minutes. However, this is expected to change as Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is an attraction located at Disneyland Park and at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is also set to open at Tokyo Disneyland in Spring 2013. Set in the fictional Star Wars universe, The Adventures Continue updates the two parks' original Star Tours attractions...
will most likely cannibalize it's ridership, giving way to shorter lines.
The Voyage
At the attraction's entrance, guests enter the Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation (NEMO) research center. There are three seagulls perched on a nearby buoy, bellowing out the phrase "Mine! Mine! Mine!" every minute. The guests board one of NEMO's eight research submarines and set out in search of an active underwater volcanoVolcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. Through their portholes, guests view a spectacular underwater environment. One of the first things guests see is Darla, the evil fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
-killing niece of the dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
in Finding Nemo, freediving amid the coral, holding a bag with a fish in it.
As the journey continues on, the visitor then sees a giant sea bass
Giant sea bass
The giant sea bass is a fish native to the northern Pacific Ocean. Despite its conspicuous size and curious nature, relatively little is known about its biology or behavior....
swimming through a forest of seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
. The submarines later enter the ruins of an ancient civilization, being explored by the dentist scuba diver
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
P. Sherman, who's in Finding Nemo. Among the stone ruins lies a gigantic tiki
Tiki
Tiki refers to large wood and stone carvings of humanoid forms in Central Eastern Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Ocean. The term is also used in Māori mythology where Tiki is the first man, created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond – she seduced him...
head embedded in the ocean floor. The scene soon changes as the subs are immersed in the setting of a coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
in bright colors of orange, aqua, green, crimson, maize, and more. Giant clam
Giant clam
The giant clam, Tridacna gigas , is the largest living bivalve mollusc. T. gigas is one of the most endangered clam species. It was mentioned as early as 1825 in scientific reports...
s slowly open and close their mouths as the submarines pass. The captain commands the sub to dive much deeper to avoid a surface storm ahead.
Shortly after passing into the caverns, the captain announces that due to amazing new marine technology called "sonar hydrophones", they can actually hear the fish talk (an homage to the original attraction). The subs then pass through a dark cavern where huge eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s lunge toward the submarine and lobsters are fighting. The subs pass Marlin and Dory as they discover Nemo has become lost once again. Further along the reef, the guests come across Mr. Ray
Rajiformes
Rajiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, flattened cartilaginous fishes related to sharks.Rajiforms are distinguished by the presence of greatly enlarged pectoral fins, which reach as far forward as the sides of the head, with a generally flattened body. The undulatory pectoral fin motion...
and his class swimming through the coral looking for Nemo as well. The captain says they are approaching open water and the subs pass Crush, Squirt, and the other green turtles and enter the East Australian Current
East Australian Current
The East Australian Current is an ocean current that moves warm water in a clockwise fashion down the east coast of Australia. It is the largest ocean current close to the shores of Australia. Its source is the tropical Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia...
.
The subs then exit the current and enter a spooky graveyard of sunken ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s where Marlin and Dory continue their search for Nemo. Bruce, Anchor, and Chum swim inside a sunken U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
surrounded by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. The submarines hit one, shaking the sub and causing it to temporarily lose power. The sub goes dark and Marlin and Dory are suddenly surrounded by small glowing spots. Suddenly, a huge deep-sea anglerfish
Anglerfish
Anglerfishes are members of the teleost order Lophiiformes . They are bony fishes named for their characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the fish's head acts as a lure; this is considered analogous to angling.Some anglerfishes are pelagic , while others are benthic...
appears. After Marlin and Dory escape the monster, they go through a forest of jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
.
The submarine reaches the active deep-sea volcano. As lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flows down the edge of the volcano, the Tank Gang chant then Marlin
Marlin
Marlin, family Istiophoridae, are fish with an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike...
finally finds Nemo in a joyful reunion. The volcano erupts just as the subs escape and return to the coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
. The fish gather and celebrate finding Nemo once again. Suddenly, a pod of humpback whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
s appear and one of them swallows both Dory and the submarine. As Dory swims about trying to speak whale, the whale shoots the submarine out through its blowhole. The sub captain tells the first mate and the passengers not to mention anything because "nobody would probably believe them anyway".
He then says, "We better take her up before we have a run into a sea serpent
Sea serpent
A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
or enchant with a mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
." (in reference to the prior attraction which featured four mermaids and a gigantic sea serpent.) Soon after he says this, we see two coral formations one shaped like the sea serpent's head the other shaped like a swimming mermaid (hidden mermaid and sea serpent). The submarine then enters the harbor and view a pair of king crab
King crab
King crabs, also called stone crabs, are a superfamily of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus.King...
s snapping at air bubbles atop a sewage pipe. The song "Beyond the Sea
Beyond the Sea (song)
"Beyond the Sea" is a 1946 contemporary pop song with music taken from the song "La Mer" by Charles Trenet and lyrics by Jack Lawrence.Trenet had composed "La Mer" with French lyrics totally different and unrelated to the English language version that Lawrence composed...
" (instrumental) plays as the captain thanks the passengers for riding. Each voyage lasts approximately 15 minutes.
The Submarines
The attraction re-used the eight original Submarine Voyage thru Liquid SpaceSubmarine Voyage
The Submarine Voyage thru liquid space was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.The attraction, which featured ride vehicles designed to look like Navy nuclear submarines, opened on June 14, 1959...
attraction vehicle hulls built at the Todd Shipyards in San Pedro. Vertical rollers attached at each end of the keel roll within a submerged guide channel. Battery/electric propulsion charged at the loading dock by "no contact" inductive coils while boarding replaced Diesel engines, increasing efficiency and eliminating fuel spills. Guests board through a hatch at either end by crossing hinged loading ramps to spiral stairs. Twenty aft-boarding guests are seated facing the starboard side, and fore-boarding guests seat port. Each submarine originally seated 38 guests, but removal of the diesel engines increased seating to forty fold-down spring-loaded fiberglass seats. Lap sitting of small children is permitted. Forty-six on-board flotation devices limit maximum capacity to 45 guests and 1 skipper. When the boarding ramps are raised the hatches are sealed watertight (but not airtight) and mooring lines released. The "submarines" do not actually submerge when "diving", they are truly just elaborate boats with seating and viewports below water level. Descent and submersion is simulated with bubbles that rise across the viewports when passing compressed air released under the hull and waterfalls. Each viewport blows fresh dehumidified air across the window to prevent fogging. Each submarine cabin interior features forty viewports framed with dark blue mesh and a wavy blue stripe painted across the ceiling. Originally the sub exteriors were painted Navy Grey. The new submarine livery colors are bright yellow above the water, a light blue 'boot stripe' at the waterline divides a reflection-reducing matte blue-black hull below the waterline.
The queue, docks, subs and scenes have all been re-themed to represent the Australian harbor of the movie, and the narrator speaks with an Australian accent.
Marine Observation Outpost - Guests are presented a show on a high definition LCD screen which is similar to the underwater attraction. The alternative guest experience is provided to accommodate guests with phobias and those unable to transfer via the spiral-stairs due to limited physical abilities.
Nemo submarine names (2007– )
- 107 NautilusNautilus (1800 submarine)Nautilus, first tested in 1800, is often considered the first practical submarine, though preceded by Cornelius Drebbel's of 1620.-Background:...
- 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
Show Scenes
- Ancient Ruins of Atlantis (Lagoon)
- Coral Reef
- Coral Reef (Mr. Ray's Class)
- Finding Nemo
- EAC (East Australian Current)
- Graveyard of Ships (Shipwreck)
- Mine Field
- Distant Lights
- The Anglerfish
- School of Jellyfish
- The Erupting Volcano
- Transitional Scene
- Coral Reef (Finale)
- The Whale's Mouth
- Hidden Sea Serpent and Mermaid (Tribute to Submarine Voyage)
- Harbor Scene w/ Fighting Crabs (Rear Lagoon)