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20,000 Leagues...
- Thread starter Dragonman
- Start date
Gelatoni
Well-Known Member
That, along with the DLP one, aren't from WDW.
yedliW
Well-Known Member
We spent a day at MK and a day at EPCOT center in early 85 or 86.. I was 10 or 11 at the time and it would be 25+ years before I made it back to the parks.. but 20k was one of the things I remember from the trip.. I was disappointed that it was gone when we went back for the first time a few years ago.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
I will forever hold a very specific (and somewhat silly) grudge against Disney for not only removing this ride from MK but HOW they did it. First by lying that it was even closed for good (just for "refurbishment"), then letting it rot for 10 years, then passing up the oportunity to modernize it while DLR was bringing back their subs, and then replacing it with a temporary Pooh playground before even starting to build a real replacement.
What a mess. And no Disney ride will ever look as cool from the outside.
What a mess. And no Disney ride will ever look as cool from the outside.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
You are right, it did stand dormant for a long time and it was very interesting that just before they announced that they were redoing the DL sub ride they finally drained the lagoon, leveled the building, etc., so that no amount of pressure from the fan base would enable them to do the same thing to WDW's sub ride. The pooh playground was there long before that final decision was made, but, all of a sudden, after sitting there vacant for almost a decade, it became essential to make sure it reclaimed it as dry land. I hope Disney didn't think that they were fooling anybody about how that came down.
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BigRedDad
Well-Known Member
There is a massive difference between people now and those of us that grew up in the 70s (or earlier). Watching the movie was great back then. Getting to ride in the Nautilus was great. Tried getting my DD to watch the movie and she said it was boring (meaning old and not as cool as new movies). It was not a cheap to upkeep the ride and it was an extremely slow mover (passengers per hour). I miss the ride but it would not be as appealing simply because of technology changes.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't think people are that much different except in the patience level and that would be the ultimate downfall. Everyone is in such a hurry to get through life, that they cannot stand any type of wait. They need immediate gratification. The concept was and is still cool. The feeling of actually riding in a submarine (although not submerged, it did feel that way) was the key. The fact that the views were all fake had very little impact on anyone. I rode it in the early 80's as an adult. I never saw the movie and found it wasn't necessary, it was just a fun, unique ride that literally seemed to immerse you in the scenery and the story. It was known at the time as suspension of disbelief! One either can do that or they can't, there is no middle of the road. It can be enjoyed even by the most aware of reality by just enjoying the entertainment. The answer is within ourselves.
PurpleDragon
Well-Known Member
While the ride was great for its time, it did not age well. I rode it way back in the 80's as a kid when it was still running regularly and again in the early 90's as a teenage before they shut it down. The effects seemed cheap and outdated and the props were cheesy at best, the last time I rode it it felt more like a dark ride from a state fair than something imagined by Disney. I guess if they had refurbed it and updated the underwater props and improved/modernized the subs and access to them, it might have been okay.
But as it was, the ride was a nightmare to get on and off, the subs were hot and cramped, and there was no possibility of handicapped access(you had to climb down into the subs via a ladder). Those things alone merited its closure, this ride always had a line, not because it was popular, but because it took so long to load and unload each sub. In this day and age with Disney management constantly being concerned about guest capacity and looking for more people eaters, 20,000 leagues was anything but.
Was it a great nostalgic ride? Yes. Would it be a good ride if it was still around today? No way! I mean I loved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, it was my favorite ride in WDW when it was around, but I knew it was nothing but a basic carnival dark ride with cardboard cutouts. The ride closed not too long after 20,000 leagues and while I was mad at first, I knew the quality of the ride was subpar compared to newer attractions and wouldn't hold up much longer anyway had the left it open. The decision to close this ride and many others like it, ultimately made way for the great rides and attractions we have today, in this case 20,000 closed and made way for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train.
But as it was, the ride was a nightmare to get on and off, the subs were hot and cramped, and there was no possibility of handicapped access(you had to climb down into the subs via a ladder). Those things alone merited its closure, this ride always had a line, not because it was popular, but because it took so long to load and unload each sub. In this day and age with Disney management constantly being concerned about guest capacity and looking for more people eaters, 20,000 leagues was anything but.
Was it a great nostalgic ride? Yes. Would it be a good ride if it was still around today? No way! I mean I loved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, it was my favorite ride in WDW when it was around, but I knew it was nothing but a basic carnival dark ride with cardboard cutouts. The ride closed not too long after 20,000 leagues and while I was mad at first, I knew the quality of the ride was subpar compared to newer attractions and wouldn't hold up much longer anyway had the left it open. The decision to close this ride and many others like it, ultimately made way for the great rides and attractions we have today, in this case 20,000 closed and made way for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
I'm really grateful to have gotten to ride this thing when I was a kid. It was right up my alley back then and I still feel like Fantasyland is missing something without it- having 20k in the land certainly changed the tone of the land and steered it away from being all shot l about princesses, pixies, and plush.
I've ridden Nemo at Disneyland since then and the tone, obviously, is completely different. There was something about the 20k experience that was simultaneously foreboding yet serene. You don't normally get that mood in an amusement ride. The flooded Cambodian temple section of Jungle Cruise comes close.
I've ridden Nemo at Disneyland since then and the tone, obviously, is completely different. There was something about the 20k experience that was simultaneously foreboding yet serene. You don't normally get that mood in an amusement ride. The flooded Cambodian temple section of Jungle Cruise comes close.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
There are new Captain Nemo movies coming out in the next few years. One would hope that it makes a comeback in some form. Maybe like the DisneySea version.
mebucko
Well-Known Member
Hello Nautilus fans!
I remember taking my family on this wonderful experience. Sitting on the cramped and crowded benches, we were seated next to a Japanese family. The kids of both our families were enthralled, with huge smiles on all faces. The dad looked at me and said, with a happy face, "All children are the same!"
Walt was SO right!
Ch-Ears,
Bill
PurpleDragon
Well-Known Member
I'm sure I've said it many times before, but thank you for all the work you've done on all your tribute videos. I watch them quite often when I need my Disney fix.
Thank you.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
There were exit catwalks along the tops of the subs in the parts of the show scene building and the subs had a limited ability to push and tow each other to workable unloading areas.
http://www.20kride.com/interviews_bass.html
