20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (What Happened)

[goofyernmost]

If memory serves me correctly, 20K has been closed at WDW for about 8 years.

Cost vs. Draw was certainly a factor in the closing but the real problem was that the subs were aging, they were operated by diesel power which was noisy, smelly and getting increasingly more expensive by the 90's. They only held around 38 people and even though the loading and unloading was relatively smooth it was understandable slow. Not a lot different than Jungle Cruise but slow none the less.

It was a fun ride and, to say the least, interesting but it was also very, very low tech. It was laughable to see brightly colored plastic fish clearly fastened in place with wires. Most of the effects were done by either slightly shaking the subs and directing air bubbles up in front of the port holes. In spite of that it was still well done and certainly unique.

It is very real to believe that it is possible to replace it with a slightly different "sub" type attraction. I have no way of knowing how much something like that would cost but the facility that housed the ride is just sitting there presumable rotting away. That in my opinion is a real shame.

Incidentially, it has been reported that just recently the remaining subs were sent to their grave, cut up and salvaged or buried. Either way they appear to be no more.

 

[tbear]

...and of course, as with all things...take this with as many grains of salt as you wish when it comes to "what happened"...only those in charge know for sure.

There is(or was) a costume area directly under the 20,000 leagues area, and it was noticed that some of the costumes had experienced water damage...upon further inspection...it was then discovered that the wall had deteriorated, and the water from the lagoon had started leaking into this room.
They fixed the problem as best they could, and decided then and there that it (20,000 leagues) had to be closed for a major rehab.

When they inspected the ride structure, it was discovered the damage was made from years of the vibrations made from the tracks the subs rode on.
As sha-lyn said, the thought was to drain the lagoon, but when they did research(or maybe even made the attempt) the walls of the lagoon were found to be so bad that the whole lagoon area would collapse.
This would cause MAJOR problems, because this would not only affect the immediate area, but also the utlidors underneath(in other words...FLOOD!!!!!!!!
So....instead of taking any chances, the attraction would then be closed...better to have one less ride than say, having to close MK for a good period of time.
Now...as I say, this is what I have read from rumor boards and the like...I take no responsibility in wether the above is accurate, but, when examined...it does make alot of sense....the idea that the lagoon could leak into a room below COULD happen(if you have ever chanced upon a map of the first floor plans of MK(which is the utilidor area) you will see that directly below 20,000 lgs. is a room....that vibrations could create a leak or pressure cracks in walls...yup, could happen.
The question as to if the ride will ever re-open or come back....personally, I dont believe it will ever happen.
As far as the area that ONCE WAS 20,000 leagues is concerned having anything placed there, only time will tell.
If the above IS TRUE..then, it will take some major planning, an overhaul which could possibly close Fantasy Land(or maybe even ALL of MK...could you imagine the outcry over that decision??LOL)and the impact upon Disney itself...well, lets say that it could be a very bad thing altogether.
I do remember a discussion about all of this I have written and the impact and how Disney would have to do this that and the other thing...I also remember rumors about the mythical "new mountain" in Fantasy land being placed here(this rumor of a new mountain has shifted to AK....read the rumor boards and M. Eisners slip up to the press about the reality of that(yup..its true..a new ride in AK..OMG!!!!!)
So...what happened to 20,000 leagues???Is it because of low capacity and long waits??If that were the case, then they would have closed Indy Speedway a long time ago
Is it because of leaks and impending doom to Fantasy Land?Not sure.
Will it all be told one day...maybe...but....it does make for some interesting speculation...doesnt it?

Again..I take no responsibility over any rumor...just fun to think about(and takes a whole lot of typing to get out as well

 

[tbear]

....I have heard that if you go scuba diving at castaway cay, disneys own island...you can actually see a sub or some subs from the attraction in the lagoon put there for interest(in other words, something cool to see)...dont know about the validity of that either..if anyone has done that, and seen it, it would be great to hear if that true!!

 

[sue Z]

they did that to make a reef !
It has been done with many other items too over time the subs and other itmes that are sunk become artifical reefs attracting various types of sea life

 

[tbear]

....like I said...you never know when those strange but trues are reality!!!thanks for posting !!!