MK question for someone with a long memory

[Marty Joe]

My first visit to WDW was in 1978. There was a ride called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. So much has changed since then (including my memory). Does anyone know where that ride was located. P.S. I was 22 in 78.

 

[LibertyBelle]

That's not hard The ride 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, while no longer in operation is still there...The Lagoon for it anyway. It is/was in Fantasyland across from Winne The pooh and between the Tea Cups and Dumbo The que area for it is now used as a character greeting location (but the lagoon remains untouched...for now)

 

[paras4ri]

Ariel's Grotto uses some of the que area from the old ride. I remember it well.

 

[stemikger]

I remember that ride quite fondly and I loved it. I still can't believe they haven't put something new there???


Last time I went (5 years ago). The que was used to meet some of the characters.

 

[bengalfreak]

Come on guys. While the idea of a 20,000 Leagues attraction was appealing, the reality was the ride was terrible. It was one of the biggest bottlenecks in the park. The sub ride in and of itself was cool, a look through the portals reminded of a very un-Disneyesque concrete drainage ditch though. Oh, and don't forget the subs weren't air conditioned.

 

[alloyd1170]

A few years ago we did a backlot tour ride at MGM and as youre walking around in the beginning, the sub from 20,000 Leagues was there. Is it still there? Also if youre a fan, check out the Disney Store catalog. They came out with replicas of a few things and some other items. Some looked pretty cool!

alison

 

[winniedapooh]

Not only weren't they air conditioned, mine leaked all over me the time I went into it back in 82.....I thought I was gonna die! Hey, that is cool. I don't even recall going on that trip to Disney but funny I remember that.

 

[WDWLVR]

If you want to see one of the subs just book yourself a Disney Cruise. On Disney's private island - Castaway Cay - they have sunk one of the subs in the snorkel lagoon. DH was a big fan so we snorkeled out to see it. Very cool!

 

[AimeeM]

Cant you still see some track from the ride at the bottom of that lagoon??

 

[Shooby doo]

This had to be the worst Disney ride I had ever been on!! Plastic fish!! I can remember looking out the porthole fully expecting real/live fish/sharks etc to be sorely disappointed. It was still going in '92 but had gone by my next visit,have to say that I'm surprised that they never put the lagoon to some other use.
SD

 

[karemore]

Wow, I forgot all about that one!

I hated it, it was too claustrophobic for me!!

I do miss Mr. Toad though......

Karen

 

[Ratpack]

Originally posted by Shooby doo
have to say that I'm surprised that they never put the lagoon to some other use.
SD

That is actually in the works. It will have something to do with the Little Mermaid. They actually looked at doing something with it earlier but found that the water pressure was actually supporting the walls and if they removed the water it would all collapse. I guess now they have reinforced all the areas around it so that they can move forward with the new attraction. Not sure of the time frame, have to look and see if I can find where I read this.

 

[sarahj]

The first time my DH and I went, all he did was talk about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He had been there before and I hadn't. The kids and I were really looking forward to it, until we actually rode it. To this day we tease him about that ride and how awful it was. The plastic fish were the worst!!!

 

[welovedisneyx4]

I got to ride 20,000 Leagues when I went to Disney for the 1st time in 1993 on my Honeymoon and when we came back the next year, it wasn't there. I did like it, thought it was a "neat" ride. I'm just glad I got to ride that, the Skyway, and Mr. Toads Wild Ride before they were all gone.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> mine leaked all over me ...
Not the only Disney ride where you may get wet.

>>> plastic fish were the worst ...
At least the plastic butterflies in Jungle Cruise get a good narration from the boat captain.

Yes, 20,000 Leagues is a "cute" ride as opposed to a "wow" ride, to extrapolate on Corey Sandler's (author of some of the Econoguide tour books) descriptions. But you can see approximately the same thing, but with real fish, at the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[cmarsh01]

as a kid, the submarines seemed larger than life.

 

[Marty Joe]

Since my trip in 78, I didn't go back until 97 (kicking and screaming). The moment I stepped foot in the resort, I was hooked - a born-again Disney nut. I do miss my 20,000 Leagues sub ride though

 

[Stepharoonie!]

The costume department is located directly under 20,000 Leagues. A friend of mine complains all of the time about how Disney won't do anything about the lagoon because if they drained it, the walls would collapse into the costume department.

 

[Tiziminchac]

I liked that ride. But time makes the heart grow fond. Back in the day it was fun. But I was a little kid, it took awhile to figure out we didn't even go under the water. If it was open today I'm sure it would be relegated to the same status as the Indy Speedway. In the 70's I had to ride, now I barely look as I pass by! Anyone one remember the name of Indy Speedway back then? The Grand Prix or something?

 

[Marty Joe]

I also remember a ride, not too far from the Leagues that was in a round building. Inside there was three or four tiers of seating all the way around. The theme of the ride was that you were in a flying saucer. The seats would move/tilt/vibrate and you had lift-off type sound effects.

Wasn't there an old version of Big Thunder Mountain...?