Submarine ride..Disney drops the ball....

[ZIPBAGS]

I understand they needed to update it and it wasn't handicapped accessable. But, I really thing Disney goofed by not redoing the ride. With today's tech. They could have made a great ride...possible incorporating Bay Lake.

 

[undertheseas]

I agree!

 

[TiggerPiglet]

I agree too. I really miss that ride

 

[grinningghost]

I've been saying this since the day 20K closed. It breaks my heart to look at old WDW photos and see the submarines in the background, knowing they're gone for good.

 

[dbanzai]

I loved the ride and I miss it, but considering all the factors, I can't complain that they closed it.

Besides the ones mentioned, it should be also noted that the subs were gas or diesel powered (not electric like in Verne's masterpiece). They were gas guzzlers, which were absolutely horrible for the environment. Can you imagine how much Disney would be paying now to run those things? Would you be willing to raise ticket prices across the board for one attraction? Or would you be willing to pay an extra buck or two for each ride/rider?

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

20K was a remarkable ride, but unfortunately what made it unique also made it a liability.

I loved it because it was "real" - not that undersea creatures, mermaids and the like were real, LOL, but because you really were underwater (however shallow) and you truly were taking an under-"sea" adventure. All that stuff really was there, under the water with you.

The unfortunate side is the constant maintainance and the difficulty doing it. They had to send divers down there regularly - a huge expense on it's own (divers that could fix animatronics and such - two skills that don't generally go together). (Side note : can you imagine how freaky/cool that must have been? They used to go down at night too...enough to give you nightmares!)

In later years it was closed in the fall seasons for extended periods while the place was drained and the massive amount of work to keep the thing together had to happen. Even before it was left to sit stagnant for a decade, it was already decaying - the show building (where much of the actual ride took place, hidden by rock face) was a mess before they ever even closed the ride.

When they finally did drain the thing one final time last year, the stuff underwater had all but disintergrated. No matter how much they did, it was always delaying the inevitable - underground water tanks with all the complex machinery and show scenes did well lasting in almost 25 years of service (71-94) but there was no way for them to last forever.

One might question why not just do it over, but by the mid-90's this would have been a HUGE expense. We're talking tens of millions of dollars, all to rebuild an attraction that technolgically was dated and would have not been much more interesting had they rebuilt it - there is only so much you can actually do underwater, even in with today's (or the mid-90's) technology.

That said, I do hope that eventually they rebuild a 20K-themed ride at the MK, using the dry-for-wet technology used at Tokyo DisneySea. They have a 20K ride that goes "underwater", but doesn't really - the water effect is actually in the portholes and the show scenes outside the ride "submarine" are actually bone dry. Really simply, picture the portholes as two panes of glass pressed up next to each other, with water and bubbles between the two panes creating the illusion of being underwater. It's quite effective, even if you know what you are looking for.

The revamp of the Subs at Disneyland is going to be different as well - thankfully they decided to put the money into it, and will be using video projection and sealed glass for whatever showpieces are added. It seems as if the infrastructure was more sound at Disneyland - even though the attraction was older.

So I too wish we still had 20K, but am happy to know that we still will have a true under-water attraction at Disneyland. Hopefully a new and improved 20K will make it to WDW someday - I just fear that since the film isn't starring some animated character that they can hawk merchandise for and create sub-par animated half-hour shows about it may be a long wait.

N.E.D.

 

[cjb71870]

WDW passholder for 6 years here. they used to tell us a few years ago that they were gonna try and do an underwater roller coaster in that spot! We heard from a few cast members! We waited and nothing started! And, here we are!

 

[dbanzai]

They decided to revamp DL's subs? I hadn't heard that. Cool!

I don't doubt the DL infrastructure is better. When you look at the pool in its current state in Anaheim, it looks great.

 

[bicker]

It's always disappointing when the reality of real life confronts us when we're just wanting to have a good time! There are a lot of things that would be utterly great, and are technically feasible, but I think the prosperity of the 1990s, when the rule was that "everything that could be purchased should be purchased," is not only over, and isn't coming back, at least not for a long time. I'm really pleased at all the new attractions they've added, just since our last trip a little more than a year ago, but there is no question there are limits to how much they can spend on expanding, without blowing us out of the water with higher admission prices.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

They decided to revamp DL's subs? I hadn't heard that. Cool!

Here's one article about it, but you will find others :

http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al071205c.htm

This gives a very brief idea of what they are doing. I've heard on one hand that the show will remain much the same, but adding Nemo and pals to this mix, but then again I've heard the opposite. We've got a year and a half at least to wonder. (Opens in 2007)

I don't doubt the DL infrastructure is better. When you look at the pool in its current state in Anaheim, it looks great.

It's odd, because DL's is older, but I have a feeling it has to do with the climate. Things rot much easier in humid weather - and from the few people I know who've been in the WDW show building in the last 10-15 years, "rot" is the only word they used to describe the smell. "Musty", "icky", and "just plain gross" were used as well, LOL.

I'm really excited about the subs returning to DL - just one more excuse to fly clear across the country.

N.E.D.

 

[dbanzai]

Cool. Thanks!

You are definitely right... DL, here I come... In '07.

 

[SammieG]

am I the only person who gets freaked out at the thought of a ride going under water?!

 

[dbanzai]

If I'm not mistaken, the ride was never totally underwater. The hatch is above the water surface, and where you're sitting is only a couple of feet down.

I never felt I was in a dangerous attraction on this ride, or that there was a threat from being underwater.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

If I'm not mistaken, the ride was never totally underwater. The hatch is above the water surface, and where you're sitting is only a couple of feet down.

I never felt I was in a dangerous attraction on this ride, or that there was a threat from being underwater.

Correct. However, legend tells that the effect was so convincing that a group of navy sub pilots were in it and asked how deep they were, hehe.

So the ride when through the water, but the ride vehicle was never actually fully submersed. It was very creepy in a way, though - which added to the charm.

N.E.D.

 

[THEDISFANS]

Nemo will make a great ride. We love that movie.

 

[civileng68]

While I think that tradition at WDW is great, I just think that 20K was one of those Classics that today's youth really know nothing about.

Im 26 years old and I know and love cinderella, Snow white, Dumbo, etc....on and on and on.

However, I couldn't name one single character from 20K the Movie. I know NOTHING about it and if the ride was there today, even redone in it's current setup to be more technologically advanced, it wouldn't interest me for anything other than the "fun" factor.

I think something Disney has been GENIUS at is making UNexciting rides EXCITING through the use of storyline.

I mean, lets look at it like this...............without the plot and story (not the movie) POTC would really be quite boring. Sure the atmosphere would make it neat but the storyline is a grabber. Even if you are not SURE what the storyline is, it's a grabber just to somewhat get it.

20K doesn't have a great appealing story to today's youth and without simply a high fun factor, even a new update would have done it in.

I think Nemo is today's 20K to my parent's generation. Granted it's a totally different plot, but when dealing with an underwater adventure, todays youth, and even myself know not the 20K but rather the Little Mermaid and Nemo. Oh wait, wasn't a 20K character "Captain Nemo"? Maybe, just maybe I do know SOMETHING bout the 20K movie.

 

[clkelley]

They decided to revamp DL's subs? I hadn't heard that. Cool!

I don't doubt the DL infrastructure is better. When you look at the pool in its current state in Anaheim, it looks great.

The biggest difference between DL Sub Lagoon and WDW Sub Lagoon is that DL is truly just a lagoon in the ground like a regular lake/pool, etc..

WDW Lagoon was a tub on the roof of a building. (Remember, the Magic Kingdom at WDW is actually built on the roof of a building. The service area "the utilidoors" are at ground level)

The utilidoors leaked incessantly underneath the lagoon and the "stuff" in the lagoon needed to be lighter and therefore less sturdy.

(I'm not an engineer or anything, but this is just stuff I've read or heard.)

Carol

 

[Melwood23]

Trying to get caught up on all the diff threads, but it's hard to do as a new member.

But this thread is what makes me kind of sad that I was unable to go to either DL or WDW till I was almost 40 (1st DL visit 1/99, 1st WDW trip 5/2000). Watch diligently all the shows on DL/WDW that showed first on Sunday nights, then on Disney Channel before the teens took over. Would love to have a time travel machine just to go back in time and visit when both parks were newer, and attractions that are no longer. The subs was always one I had wanted to try, and maybe if the new version in DL works out well, maybe a reason to go again

 

[jann1033]

i hated it &only rode it once.... a claustophobic's nightmare...i remember leaning forward as far as i could to see out the "porthole" so it kind of felt like i wasn't locked into a cramped tiny dark space that i thought was underwater( guess i was to nervous...i thought they went down and back came up) so i wouldn't freak, scream ablood curdling yell and climb over everyone's laps to pound on the exit door...Yikes!

 

[Jackie H.]

The hatch is above the water surface, and where you're sitting is only a couple of feet down.

I don't even think you were a couple of feet down! I think the water line was just above the port hole you were looking out of. Why do I think that? Because before Disney closed this ride, they allowed it to die a slow lingering death. I rode it not long before it closed and the water was below the top of the port hole. Yes, out of the top of the window I could see above the water. Kinda took the "magic" out of it.

I reall liked this ride...as I have really like every ride that Disney has closed! I think the "thing" is that they let it sit empty for so very long and didn't put anything in its place. That is where the most disappointment lies for me. I hated they closed Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but they replaced it with a wonderful Pooh ride so we all got past the disappointment - or most of us did anway!