The submarine ride

[ReninDetroit]

Someone in another thread mentioned that they knew why it was removed, and that a new version might be coming soon.

Why was it removed, and what is known about the new version? I was too young when it was removed to remember anything about it.

I have fond memories, though!

 

[gumdrops3]

It was 20,00 Leaugues Under the Sea, I think. I can remember going on it in 5th grade. You got the feeling you were going down, due to bubbles being released but really you were near the surface. I can remember seeing the strings attached to the creatures in the water (the sun was shining on the fishing line) The ride is still behind the fence right by where they put in Ariel's Grotto. You can peek back there and still see it. It would be neat if they revamped the whole thing!

 

[bradk]

in disneyland, it was brought back as a finding nemo attraction. i wouldn't expect the same to happen at WDW. the hundred acre wood playground sits on a portion of it. the playground was meant to be temporary, but many things at WDW that have been there for years were initially meant to be temporary, so..

there is a hidden sub inside pooh's tree as a tribute the 20K attraction.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

there is a hidden sub inside pooh's tree as a tribute the 20K attraction.

Oh wow! I didn't know that. We spent so much time in that playground in February. I will have to look for it next year when we return.

 

[bradk]

it's inside the sanders house. smugmug isn't being too cooperative right now and i need to head out but i might be able to post a pic later. it's over one of the doorways. over the other is a hidden mickey.

 

[BankBunny]

DH and I just did the KTTK Tour a couple of weeks ago and part of the reason it was taken out was for safety reasons. You had to walk down steep metal stairs and if someone tripped or lost their balance on the way down they were done for. Also, there was now way for someone in a wheel chair or scooter to really get on the ride. I also don't think it was all to convinient for the Pooh sized guests. There may have been something about the cost to reair or relpace it, but I don't really remember.

 

[SnwflkCts]

Just FYI - a friend sent me this link a couple weeks ago. I've not checked it out but I do believe it said safety and difficulty in maintaining the ride. Anyway ... if truly interested, this might be a fun site.

http://www.20kride.com/

It also shows that hidden "sub" in Pooh's Playful Spot. Scroll to the bottom of these "photos" (from site above)

http://www.20kride.com/photos_after.html

 

[goofyernmost]

It was 20,00 Leaugues Under the Sea, I think. I can remember going on it in 5th grade. You got the feeling you were going down, due to bubbles being released but really you were near the surface. I can remember seeing the strings attached to the creatures in the water (the sun was shining on the fishing line) The ride is still behind the fence right by where they put in Ariel's Grotto. You can peek back there and still see it. It would be neat if they revamped the whole thing!

20K disappeared many years ago, must be about 10 now. It was smelly and cumbersome to load and unload. It required many CM's and became way to expensive considering the limited number of guest that could ride it per hour.

Last year or so, the old lagoon and what was left of the attraction suddenly disappeared as well. A Pooh playground took its place. This happened really fast. My take on it is they had decided to redo the sub ride at Disneyland and knew that once WDW fans heard about it they would be screaming for the East Coast to have a Nemo ride as well. So the entire lagoon and show building became history. It can never be rebuilt from the existing structure because it no longer exists.

I have no inside information regarding this but, in my tiny little mind, it just makes sense and explains everything.

 

[keypooh90]

This was my grandfathers favorite ride ever.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

i wouldn't expect the same to happen at WDW. the hundred acre wood playground sits on a portion of it. the playground was meant to be temporary, but many things at WDW that have been there for years were initially meant to be temporary, so...

I hate to burst bubbles... but the entire lagoon was filled in, the show building was demolished, the subs were dismantled, and all the props in the attraction were either destroyed or sold to collectors.

The removal of 20KLUtS is quite permanent. For it to "come back" would entail rebuilding the entire attraction, and I just don't see that happening. It's entirely possible that the 100 Acre Wood Playground could be removed and a new attraction installed -- there's room on that space for Disney to build TWO Haunted Mansions and another "it's a small world" -- but I highly doubt it would be another "submarine" ride.

The current rumor is that "Ariel's Grotto" would be expanded to include "Mermaid Lagoon" from Tokyo DisneySeas -- specifically, Triton's Kingdom, an indoor area containing several small rides aimed at children.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Someone in another thread mentioned that they knew why it was removed, and that a new version might be coming soon.

20,000 leagues was a KO by spreadsheet.

Everything is gone and the lagoon filled in. So I wouldn't expect them back soon if ever. But the subs are back at DLR as of June 11. Every indication is that they will be awesome.

 

[La2kw]

DH and I just did the KTTK Tour a couple of weeks ago and part of the reason it was taken out was for safety reasons. You had to walk down steep metal stairs and if someone tripped or lost their balance on the way down they were done for. Also, there was now way for someone in a wheel chair or scooter to really get on the ride. I also don't think it was all to convinient for the Pooh sized guests. There may have been something about the cost to reair or relpace it, but I don't really remember.

That's quite a spin the tour guide put on it. The stairway was not that large, maybe about 6 1/2 feet down. I doubt if there was much of a safety risk. The mobility issue is correct, but Disneyland is about to reopen their subs and they have made an alternate attraction for the mobility impaired. I think the biggest reason WDW closed it was to save $$. Otherwise, they could have redone it with the same Nemo theme that Disneyland is using.

 

[bradk]

i believe i was misunderstood or incorrectly quoted. i didn't mean to suggest there was any possibility of the subs coming back, i was just saying the playground is just a small portion of the original space and was always meant to be temporary. nothing more than that

 

[disneydance]

I just think that they should reopen it to make people happy i remember the very first dl trip we took our kids on they asolutely LOVED the ride then when we took them back a few years later it was gone and they had so much looked foward to riding it again i just dont get why DL can have it and not WDW

 

[EmptyCinema]

There have been a LOT of rumors about what will be done with the remaining space. It's very large and could easily accomodate more than one ride. One suggestion (by an Imagineer) included a ride featuring Disney villains. Other rumors included a Nemo submarine ride like the one DL is getting.

 

[Mono~rail]

Just FYI - a friend sent me this link a couple weeks ago. I've not checked it out but I do believe it said safety and difficulty in maintaining the ride. Anyway ... if truly interested, this might be a fun site.

http://www.20kride.com/

It also shows that hidden "sub" in Pooh's Playful Spot. Scroll to the bottom of these "photos" (from site above)

http://www.20kride.com/photos_after.html

Thanks for posting these links. Very cool site.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Just FYI - a friend sent me this link a couple weeks ago. I've not checked it out but I do believe it said safety and difficulty in maintaining the ride. Anyway ... if truly interested, this might be a fun site.

http://www.20kride.com/

It also shows that hidden "sub" in Pooh's Playful Spot. Scroll to the bottom of these "photos" (from site above)


http://www.20kride.com/photos_after.html

Great photo site! Thanks for posting that.

 

[huge mickey fan]

I just think that they should reopen it to make people happy i remember the very first dl trip we took our kids on they asolutely LOVED the ride then when we took them back a few years later it was gone and they had so much looked foward to riding it again i just dont get why DL can have it and not WDW

Disneyland has several rides that WDW doesn't. I don't think both parks need to be identical. I am probably in the minority here but does Nemo have to be everywhere? He is already at EPCOT and AK. I say use that space for something new and different. Walt did say "Keep moving Forward"

 

[IluvDonald!]

Great link!

This was my FAVORITE ride of all times - of course I don't remember too much about it - as I was so young at the time.

I loved the beep-beep-beep (probably the sonar sound?) and the feeling of being submerged under the sea.

Sigh - I guess it's official my favorite ride can only be found in the history books.

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[SnwflkCts]

I got a chance to look closer at the photos in the 20K link. The ones where they are draining the lagoon and breaking up all the stuff ... wow -- those were some great shots.

My coworker was lamenting over the ride being gone. He was sad that others he remembers are gone too. I told him it was time to take another trip to WDW and see all the new stuff so he could get over his sadness.