The Submarine Voyage was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The attraction featured vehicles designed to resemble submarines. It first opened on June 14, 1959, as one of the first rides to require an E ticket. It was part of a major expansion of Tomorrowland, which included the Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster, an expanded version of Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, and the Motor Boat Cruise. The Submarine Voyage closed on September 8, 1998. At that time, it was reported that the attraction would reopen with a new theme by 2003, but that did not occur. The attraction ultimately reopened in June 2007 themed to Pixar's 2003 film Finding Nemo, and now operates as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
Attraction
As initially conceived, the Submarine Voyage was to feature real fish and other sea creatures, though the idea proved to be unfeasible. A major portion of the ride simulated the voyage under the Arctic Ocean's polar ice cap undertaken by the nuclear submarine USS Nautilus on August 3, 1958.
Ride The submarines followed a 1,365 ft (416 m) long guide rail through the following sections of the ride:
Getting under way As the guest enters the submarine, taped narrations play that help create an illusion that the guest is actually getting ready to submerge in a submarine. The Captain gives the order to clear the bridge and secure hatches and vents. When the last guest boards, the dock operators raise the ramps and secure the hatches. As the submarine leaves the dock, the Captain gives the "all ahead one-third" order.
Diving and lagoon As the submarine leaves the dock, it dives below the surface to view the undersea life of a tropical lagoon. The diving effect is accomplished by a dense curtain of small bubbles rushing towards the surface on a slight angle, giving the feeling that the submarine is moving forward and down. Guests can view seaweed, coral reefs, rock formations, and mysterious caves. Some of the specific oceanic creatures on the voyage were:
common octopus battling a shark sea turtle ocean sunfish barracuda battling lobsters battling crabs grouper giant clam moray eel
Graveyard of Lost Ships After a quiet cruise through the lagoon, the navigation room receives word of a surface storm ahead. The submarine begins a dive, which takes it to 250 feet, a point safely below the violence of the turbulent hurricane. The submarine passes through the wreckage of other ships that have not fared so well. Ships from many periods of history lie barnacle-covered and decayed, including Greek, Roman, and Viking ships. Great White Sharks guard a treasure chest in the hold of a Venetian galley. Nearby, deep-sea divers work to carry other treasures to the surface.
North Pole Sonar detects a polar ice cap ahead, and the diving officer takes the ship deeper in order to clear the ice. The submarine travels directly beneath the North Pole. This is a recreation of the historic voyage of USS Nautilus when it left Hawaii on July 22, 1958, and set its course for the North Pole.
The Bottom of the Sea After passing beyond the polar region, the submarine journeys to deeper waters where sunlight has never penetrated. Strange creatures can be sighted, including a giant squid and creatures that can change color at will.
Mermaids Mermaids can now be seen. The Captain does not believe it at first and asks for the air pressure to be checked, but it is in fine working condition. The Captain thinks the mermaids are a hallucination and asks if it is possible that they are real, but then dismisses it.
Lost Continent of Atlantis The submarine continues and enters an area which the Captain believed to be the lost continent of Atlantis. There is some volcanic activity in this area, but the submarine travels safely between teetering columns.
Sea Serpent As the submarine safely leaves the area of volcanic disturbance, a sea serpent is sighted. The Captain calls the crew to man their battle stations and stand by for action. He then becomes convinced that he has been at sea too long when the comical cross-eyed sea serpent appears.
Return to the surface As the submarine reaches the surface, preparations are made for entering port. When all lines are secured, the "All ashore" is given and guests depart the submarine.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
