COULD the Submarines be brought back?

[kitnrose]

Just thinking it over while looking at pics from long ago trips ... As a small child I loved the subs and the pictures brough back lots of great memories. If I'm correct, the sub pool is sitting empty and the subs are sun-drying out in a backwoods storage area. Could they be brought back, perhaps with a Nemo/Ariel/Atlantis them? Would it just be too expensive and campy? Looking back... those eels, sea monsters, and mermaids were pretty unconvincing, even for a five-year-old. And those subs must have been murder for adults to get in and out of. Still... it seems a shame to let such a unique ride go while filling the parks with not-so-novel rides.

 

[wdwguide]

I am sure it's possible, but it would probably take a lot of money to restore the lagoon and the subs back to a servicable condition - especially if the rumors about structural problems with the lagoon are correct. Considering that a much more realistic experience can now be created in the form of a cheap stationary simulator, I doubt that they will ever bring back the subs as we knew them.

I am sure they will do something with this area eventually - they do not want to indefinitely pay for all the water, filtration, paint, and other maintenance it takes just to have a pretty reflecting pool when they could be building retail space or even a park expansion there instead.

 

[d-r]

well...anything COULD be done, I guess, but a lot of things WON'T be done because it isn't worth it.

The bottom line is no one really knows.

If it is disneyland you are talking about, the speculation is that it COULD be done. The thinking is that the subs are parked in the show building and could be fixed up and used.

If it is disneyworld that you are talking about, the speculation is that it could NOT be done, most of the subs are buried, one is sunk as snorkal scenary at castaway key. Of course they COULD re-dot he wdw sub ride, with a new theme and new ride vehicles, maybe something like the ones in TDS, but WOULD they?

I wish they would put something in that lagoon.

DR

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by d-r

I wish they would put something in that lagoon.

DR

I thought that it was almost impossible to do anything with the lagoon until they fixed the structural problems underneath. Which would take some major bucks. Its been how long now 8 years or so? Must be hard to get a sponser.

 

[d-r]

I thought the whole story was that they couldn't DRAIN the lagoon, or the utilidors would crash in. So couldn't they put something else in the lagoon? Or is the story that it is so bad that nothing can go there?

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by d-r
I thought the whole story was that they couldn't DRAIN the lagoon, or the utilidors would crash in. So couldn't they put something else in the lagoon? Or is the story that it is so bad that nothing can go there?

I thought it was...
Both. The water table is so hign in Flordia they would need to basically re-do the pool(lagoon) with modern technolgy. I also thought that they found major problems with the structure and the utildors becuase they had drained the lagoon before without too much thought to what would happen. Therefore there is no easily solution. They can't use it as is and they can't fix it easily.

 

[KNWVIKING]

I would really like to understand how a utilidor wall is strong enough to prevent a couple million gallons of water from busting in can't support the "roof" above it without that same water.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

Because of the nature of land in Florida, the "underground" Utilidors are actually the ground floor of the building. Then they dumped the sand from digging Seven Seas Lagoon all over the top of it and built most of the Magic Kingdom on that. As you walk from Fantasyland to Liberty Square, past the old Skyway building, the path goes abruptly downhill: this is at one limit of that buried ground floor.

Another limit of that ground floor is one wall of the 20,000 Leagues lagoon.

You can kind of think of the Utilidor wall as a book, at this point. There are pressures from the lagoon holding things one direction, pressures from everything that's been built atop that ground floor pushing the other way. Pull away of those pressures, and like removing a book-end, you risk the whole thing falling the other way.

I don't think anyone is _positive_ that's what will happen if they drain the lagoon, but I think there have been enough smaller cave-ins that the experts think it's a real possibility.

Of course, if you throw enough money at it, even if the problem was the worst case scenario, something could be done. I think the fact that such prime real estate has lain so relatively unused for so long gives a hint at just how expensive fixing 20,000 Leagues is going to be.

It's unlikely the old subs from either location will ever be used as a ride, again. Too much maintenance, too little capacity, too slow to load.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by thedscoop
...there is nothing which prevents the lagoon from being drained. How do I know? Well, two things. I was told that by someone at Disney and, most persuasively to me at least, I saw it drained after hours several years ago.

..yes I've seen the pictures of it drained so I know it happened.

I thought the story was ...that when they drained it they discovered all of the problems and nobody knows for sure what will happen if they put the subs back in or if they just tried to drain it completely and put a new attraction in its place. Either way it was going to take some major money and we know that Disney is not in the habit of just dropping money around lately. Maybe if they could make a bad movie out of the project then we see something done.

Clearly from it sitting idle this long scoop its not an easy fix.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

The problems they had when they drained it before are precisely the reason it's scary to drain it again.

'Scoop, if the physics isn't the issue, what is so problematic about filling this enormous hole? Is a photo op the best thing WDW can come with as a use for this real estate?

Oh, sure, it beats DinoRama, but still...

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Walt's Frozen Head
Is a photo op the best thing WDW can come with as a use for this real estate?

Oh, sure, it beats DinoRama, but still...

Classic and so true.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by thedscoop
Money. Plain and simple.

MK's attendance continues to be strong so it won't get the capital investment until the other more attendance problematic parks do.

Well you could have fooled me by the cutback in hours and open attractions.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

'Scoop,

Well, I guess some things never change around here: I try to explain some of the real financial challenges Disney faces in bringing new attractions, and you come in here with the same tired "Disney won't build anything until they absolutely have to" refrain.

You people who just bash all of Disney's decisions as "cheap, cheap, cheap" every chance you get are so monotonous...

This post 100% winky-free.

 

[EUROPA]

According to to Mouse Planet ...it is Disneyland that has the leak problem and DW was just a cost issue to keep it running.


http://www.mouseplanet.com/david/subs.htm

I also found this...

http://www.perry.com/disney/subs/TimesJuly3098.html

Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday it will retire one of Disneyland's oldest rides, the venerable fleet of yellow submarines that have taken millions of passengers on underwater journeys, without ever fully submerging the vessels.
The 39-year-old Submarine Voyage will close following the Labor Day weekend, to make way for a new, snazzier attraction that will debut in 2003.
It may be months before the company decides exactly what it will install at the submarines' Tomorrowland location, said spokesman Ray Gomez. One option involves using Atlantis as a theme, he said.

 

[roymccoy]

It's interesting to read those quotes from Disney when the subs were originally closed and to see how they REALLY knew that there wasn't going to be a replacement for the subs but they acted as if they were looking at many high dollar options. I also liked the way they used the public as a reason that it was closing, saying that the public wanted a new ride. Can you IMAGINE Walt Disney doing something like that? The people running (ruining?) Disney now are a bunch of corporate hacks who could just as easy be working for Microsoft or The GAP. There's no imagination left...just corporate BS.

Thanks for those links.

Roy

 

[*Robin*]

I was going to pop on here to ask this same question.

I just got 20,000 Leagues today, and thought with Nemo as well as Atlantis 2 there might be a REASON to reopen SOMETHING there.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by roymccoy
The people running (ruining?) Disney now are a bunch of corporate hacks who could just as easy be working for Microsoft or The GAP. There's no imagination left...just corporate BS.

Thanks for those links.

Roy

This we agree on.

 

[USFFan8814]

I would LOVE it if they brought this back! Of course, they could fix it up and have a new ride theme(Atlantis/Finding Nemo)

 

[airlarry!]

I'll bet insiders would tell us that there has been no shortage of innovative ideas to go in the submarine spot, including attractions both themed to current or past movies, and nouveau idea attractions.

The shortage is in the fundage not in the ideas. Come on, Cou$in Mike, loosen those purse strings and fix this big green hole in the park.