Submarine Voyage
Encyclopedia
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
as the Submarine Voyage (one of the first rides to require an E ticket
). Part of a major expansion of Tomorrowland
and Fantasyland
, 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 reopened in June 2007 with a Finding Nemo
theme, and is called the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
.
polar ice cap undertaken by the nuclear submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
on August 3, 1958. During the summers of 1965–1967, female cast members dressed in mermaid
costumes could be seen sun-bathing themselves and performing synchronized swimming and underwater stunts for four hours each day. Disney ended this live mermaid feature in 1967 after several ladies reported health concerns related to the submarines' diesel exhaust fumes and the highly chlorinated water.
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
submarine
s. The vessels were painted in military gray livery until 1986, when the attraction was updated and the exterior color of the submarines was changed to bright yellow.
The vessels were not actual submarines as they did not submerge, but were in fact boats, where inside the 39-passenger seating area was positioned below the water level. Porthole
s 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
. The bubble jets can be seen from outside if one were to look just past the loading dock. Atop the building, which still remains, are the majority of the Autopia
tracks, some monorail
tracks, tree
s and the currently derelict Rocket Rods
/PeopleMover
track.
.
, the shark
fighting with the octopus
on a rock and two fighting lobsters. They were removed from the lagoon prior to the auction so new scenery for the updated Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
could be built into the lagoon.
at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The attraction was given a Nautilus theme and a narration by Peter Renaday
, whose voice was similar to that of actor James Mason
, who portrayed Captain Nemo
in the 1954 Disney film. The attraction was closed in 1994 for a "rehabilitation" period, but never reopened. Management felt that continual maintenance of the attraction was simply too costly. In 2004, ten years after closure, the water was drained and the lagoon area was paved over to create new land for Fantasyland.
A similar voyage attraction now exists 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 Nautilus sets from the 1954 film at Disneyland from 1955 until 1966, when they were destroyed. However, an updated version of the walk-through was built in 1994 in Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris, known as Les Mystères du Nautilus
, along with the construction of Space Mountain. The attraction involves not only an accurate recreation of the Nautilus interiors, but a mock attack from a large animatronic giant squid.
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...
.
The attraction, which featured ride vehicles designed to look like Navy nuclear submarines, opened on June 14, 1959
as the Submarine Voyage (one of the first rides to require an E ticket
E ticket
The phrase E ticket refers to an unusually interesting, thrilling or expensive experience. It derives from the admission ticket system used at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom theme parks before 1982, in which the E ticket admitted the bearer to the newest, most advanced, and/or most popular rides...
). Part of a major expansion of Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland
- 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,...
and Fantasyland
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Magic Kingdom-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world. Each Fantasyland has a castle as well as several gentle rides themed after Disney movies...
, which also included the Matterhorn Bobsleds
Matterhorn Bobsleds
The Matterhorn Bobsleds or the Matterhorn is an attraction composed of two intertwining steel roller coasters, which opened in 1959 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is modeled after the Matterhorn, a mountain in the Swiss Alps...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, an expanded version of Autopia
Autopia
Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track. Versions of Autopia exist at Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, and at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong...
, the Disneyland Monorail
Disneyland Monorail System
The Disneyland Monorail System is an attraction and transportation system at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, USA...
, and the Motor Boat Cruise
Motor Boat Cruise
Motor Boat Cruise was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.- History :Motor Boat Cruise opened in 1957 on the border between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The waterways of the Motor Boat Cruise shared space with other attractions such the Viewliner train and bridges for Junior...
, the attraction was originally planned to feature glass-bottom boats. It closed on September 9, 1998, with then-Disneyland 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...
promising that a new attraction would open in 2003 (purportedly based on Disney’s 2001 animated feature 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...
, a box-office failure); it never did. The attraction reopened in June 2007 with a 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...
theme, and is called the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, which opened on June 11, 2007...
.
The attraction
As initially conceived, the Submarine Voyage was to feature real fish and other sea creatures, though the idea proved to be unfeasible. A major portion of the ride simulated the voyage under the Arctic Ocean'sArctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
polar ice cap undertaken by the nuclear submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...
on August 3, 1958. During the summers of 1965–1967, female cast members dressed in 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"...
costumes could be seen sun-bathing themselves and performing synchronized swimming and underwater stunts for four hours each day. Disney ended this live mermaid feature in 1967 after several ladies reported health concerns related to the submarines' diesel exhaust fumes and the highly chlorinated water.
The vehicles
The hulls (eight in all) for "one of the world's largest peacetime submarine fleets" were fabricated at Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, California, then transported to the "Disneyland Naval Yard" in Anaheim for outfitting under the direction of retired AdmiralAdmiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Joseph Fowler. Technical data and advice regarding the design were provided by General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
' Electric Boat Division, builder of the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered
Nuclear marine propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship by a nuclear reactor. Naval nuclear propulsion is propulsion that specifically refers to naval warships...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. The vessels were painted in military gray livery until 1986, when the attraction was updated and the exterior color of the submarines was changed to bright yellow.
The vessels were not actual submarines as they did not submerge, but were in fact boats, where inside the 39-passenger seating area was positioned below the water level. Porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
s along the sides allowed guests to view the many underwater sights. Above the seating area was the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
, 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
Show building
Show building is the name often given to various enclosed structures at theme parks that contain attractions such as rides or entertainment shows...
. The bubble jets can be seen from outside if one were to look just past the loading dock. Atop the building, which still remains, are the majority of the Autopia
Autopia
Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track. Versions of Autopia exist at Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, and at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong...
tracks, some monorail
Disneyland Monorail System
The Disneyland Monorail System is an attraction and transportation system at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, USA...
tracks, tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and the currently derelict Rocket Rods
Rocket Rods
Rocket Rods was an attraction in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.-The Ride:Opening on May 22, 1998 as part of the New Tomorrowland, this high-speed attraction ran on the former PeopleMover track...
/PeopleMover
PeopleMover
The PeopleMover, sometimes referred to as the WEDWay PeopleMover, was a transport attraction that operated from July 2, 1967 to August 21, 1995 in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Guests boarded small trains that ran on elevated tracks for a "grand circle tour" above Tomorrowland...
track.
Closing and re-opening
On September 6, 1998, the attraction closed and the lagoon stood derelict, filled with water, but otherwise empty. Many rumors went around over the years, saying that a proposed attraction based on the Disney animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire was going to replace Submarine Voyage. Another rumour was that the lagoon was going to be destroyed in a similar fashion to the submarine lagoon of Walt Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. But in 2005, the lagoon was drained and construction began on a new attraction: Finding Nemo Submarine VoyageFinding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, which opened on June 11, 2007...
.
Original nuclear submarine names (1959–1986)
- 301 NautilusUSS Nautilus (SSN-571)USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...
- 302 SeawolfUSS Seawolf (SSN-575)USS Seawolf , a unique submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seawolf, the second nuclear submarine, and the only U.S. submarine built with a liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor....
- 303 SkateUSS Skate (SSN-578)USS Skate , the third submarine of the United States Navy named for the skate, a type of ray, was the lead ship of the Skate class of nuclear submarines...
- 304 SkipjackUSS Skipjack (SSN-585)USS Skipjack , the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after the Skipjack tuna fish....
- 305 TritonUSS Triton (SSRN-586)USS Triton , a United States Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth , doing so in early 1960. Triton accomplished this objective during her shakedown cruise while under the command of Captain Edward L. "Ned" Beach, Jr...
- 306 George WashingtonUSS George Washington (SSBN-598)USS George Washington , the lead ship of her class of nuclear ballistic missile submarines, was the third United States Navy ship of the name, in honor of George Washington , first President of the United States, and the first of that name to be purpose-built as a warship.-Construction and...
- 307 Patrick HenryUSS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599)USS Patrick Henry , named for the American Revolutionary War figure Patrick Henry , was a nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine of the United States Navy...
- 308 Ethan AllenUSS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608)USS Ethan Allen , lead ship of her class, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for American Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen....
Exploration submarine names (1987–1998)
- 301 NautilusNautilus (1800 submarine)Nautilus, first tested in 1800, is often considered the first practical submarine, though preceded by Cornelius Drebbel's of 1620.-Background:...
- 302 NeptunePoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, formerly Seawolf - 303 Sea StarSea starStarfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea...
, formerly Skate - 304 ExplorerSub Marine ExplorerThe Sub Marine Explorer is a submersible built between 1863 and 1866 by Julius H. Kroehl and Ariel Patterson in Brooklyn, New York for the Pacific Pearl Company. It was hand powered and had an interconnected system of a high-pressure air chamber or compartment, a pressurized working chamber for...
, formerly Skipjack - 305 Seeker, formerly Triton
- 306 ArgonautArgonaut (submarine)The Argonaut was a class of submarines built by engineer Simon Lake. When used without clarification generally refers to the second built and larger one launched in 1897 at Baltimore. She was long, cigar shaped and built of steel. She had a gas engine and propeller, dynamo, searchlight, and pumps...
, formerly George Washington - 307 TritonTriton (mollusk)Triton is the common name given to a number of very large sea snails, predatory marine gastropods in the genus Charonia. The name "triton" is also often applied as part of the common name, to other, much smaller sea snails of other genera within the same family, Ranellidae.Tritons are named after...
, formerly Patrick Henry - 308 Sea WolfUSS H-1 (SS-28)USS H-1 , the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy, was originally named Seawolf, making her the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for the seawolf....
, formerly Ethan Allen
Auctioning
In 2005, an auction took place at the Disneyland Resort, where several pieces of the original attraction's scenery were sold, such as the sea serpentSea 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...
, the shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
fighting with the octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
on a rock and two fighting lobsters. They were removed from the lagoon prior to the auction so new scenery for the updated Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, which opened on June 11, 2007...
could be built into the lagoon.
Similar attractions
The successor of this attraction was the Jules Verne themed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage was an attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort from 1971 through 1994.- The Submarine Voyage :...
at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The attraction was given a Nautilus theme and a narration by Peter Renaday
Peter Renaday
Peter Renaday is an American voice actor.-Film:*The Aristocats as the truck driver*Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost as Mr.McKnight-TV series:*Angel as The Beast's Master...
, whose voice was similar to that of actor James Mason
James Mason
James Neville Mason was an English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason remained a powerful figure in the industry throughout his career and was nominated for three Academy Awards as well as three Golden Globes .- Early life :Mason was born in Huddersfield, in the...
, who portrayed Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
in the 1954 Disney film. The attraction was closed in 1994 for a "rehabilitation" period, but never reopened. Management felt that continual maintenance of the attraction was simply too costly. In 2004, ten years after closure, the water was drained and the lagoon area was paved over to create new land for Fantasyland.
A similar voyage attraction now exists at the Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo DisneySea
is a 176-acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in...
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 Nautilus sets from the 1954 film at Disneyland from 1955 until 1966, when they were destroyed. However, an updated version of the walk-through was built in 1994 in Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris, known as Les Mystères du Nautilus
Les Mystères du Nautilus
Les Mystères du Nautilus is a walkthrough attraction at Disneyland Paris in France. It is an updated version of the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walkthrough attraction that was at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA in the early 1950s, based upon the film of the same name.This attraction takes guests...
, along with the construction of Space Mountain. The attraction involves not only an accurate recreation of the Nautilus interiors, but a mock attack from a large animatronic giant squid.
In popular culture
- When Soviet Premier Nikita KhrushchevNikita KhrushchevNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
was denied permission to go to Disneyland in 1959, Walt Disney was reportedly upset, as he wanted to introduce Khrushchev to one of the largest submarine forces in the world. - In the sing along songs video Disneyland Fun, during "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", the "Argonaut" was briefly seen.
See also
- List of past Disneyland attractions
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage was an attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort from 1971 through 1994.- The Submarine Voyage :...
- Finding Nemo Submarine VoyageFinding Nemo Submarine VoyageFinding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, which opened on June 11, 2007...
- The Seas With Nemo And Friends