I loved 20K as much as the next person. But if you think about it, it was very dated and must have been a bear to keep up with on maintenance.
Couple of points (and please don't get me wrong, I loved 20K and would love to go on it again on my next visit but sadly can't).
1. Even as a young child, waiting in line, you could see that the subs didn't really go under water. Yes, once inside the sub, the effects (to a child) looked cool. But, if you got close to your portal window, and looked straight up, you could always see the waterline a few feet above your head. But, it was part of the Disney magic . . .
2. On my last ride (1994?) the alge on the walls was horrific. I couldn't believe that Disney would let the little starfish and seahorse (and whatever else was there) hanging on the walls become so covered in the stuff that you could barely see them. Once we got into the "warehouse" things become dramatically cleaner -- guess it was because they were out of the direct line of the Florida sun.
3. The smell in the subs. Does anyone else remember this? On a hot day, stuck in a little sardine can with little or no air conditioning -- ugh -- stinky, stinky, stinky.
Just my 2 cents . . .
Michele
