To those who rode the original 20k under the sea at DW, can you share your experience?

[Quietmouse]

As a younger Disney fan I never got to experience 20k under the sea as it was before my time.

All the videos I see seem really cool, and the concept of being submerged underwater with animatronics seem really cool.

Sad it doesn’t still exist as there isn’t an experience like that in Disney world.

But I heard over time the experience became poor for various reasons.

 

[Weather_Lady]

It was a fun attraction and one I absolutely loved as a child, but honestly (and having done the one at Disneyland a few years ago as an adult, which gave me a new and different perspective), it was not designed for modern-sized bodies, or modern-sized expectations. It was a slow and claustrophobic ride, sitting on a tiny fold-down stool that had been built with slim people in mind, with no appreciable elbow or leg room, with your face pressed toward a tiny window. The underwater aspect and the scenes that the window passed by were totally cool and did make you feel transported to another world, but if you've watched decent POV videos, all you're missing is the vibration sensations as the submarine moved: nearly everything else was audio/visual (and if any person in the small vessel had neglected their hygiene, olfactory!).

In my view, had they been able to redesign the vehicles, capacity, and pacing to suit a modern audience, that certainly would have been preferable to its removal, but I can see why the attraction, in its original form, wasn't preserved.

 

[NickMaio]

As a younger Disney fan I never got to experience 20k under the sea as it was before my time.

All the videos I see seem really cool, and the concept of being submerged underwater with animatronics seem really cool.

Sad it doesn’t still exist as there isn’t an experience like that in Disney world.

But I heard over time the experience became poor for various reasons.

It was great.
As a child I actually thought we were going deep.
The octopus scared the hell out of me.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I rode it a handful of times before the age of about 12. I don’t have detailed memories of it but I remember loving the predictable sequence. I guess it gave it the feel of a tradition, the way that you do everything in a certain sequence on holidays, if that makes sense. I can’t even remember what we saw but I remember loving the sense of “Oh, and now the X is coming!!” The only thing that I recall more specifically is the squid, which I also loved and who I thought was an octopus at the time.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It was great.
As a child I actually thought we were going deep.
The octopus scared the hell out of me.

My wife thought we were really going deep as well. At that time they had the small gondolas that went directly over that lagoon where she came to the realization that they didn't really dive below the surface. She was disappointed.

What I thought about it was how original a concept that it was. I mean the windows were below the water line so technically we were as well. The things we saw were obviously as fake as it gets, but it was still fun and in those days left most people awestruck just with the concept. It was an example of a ride copied after a Disney movie. Something that is considered awful these days. But then again, so was Peter Pan, Snow White, Davy Crockett and others.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I just have a faint memories. I remember we did have to wait in a queue, I think uncovered. You had to climb down into the sub. It was cramped in there, you had your own porthole window and you looked out into the water to see the various man made sea creatures and bubbles, all the while the ship captain is talking.

There must be a YouTube out there.

 

[Trueblood]

I first rode it as a teenager, circa 1987, give or take. I remember a handful of things about it:

• The dive illusion was really convincing.
• The "fish" set pieces were static, probably plastic, fish-on-a-stick.
• The "getting crushed by a giant squid" effect was really, really cool.
• I remember seating being tighter and more confined than the much more recent Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Disneyland.

My memory is that it was dated by 1980s standards, but I thought the Nautilus boats looked super cool, and it was a fun time, even if just to make fun of the fish-on-a-stick.

 

[Ben_since_1971]

Rode it in 1972 as a 5 yo. Thought it was so cool to go so far deep underwater.
Rode it again in 1985 as an 18 yo college student. Sooooooo disappointed when I realized we didn't go anywhere close to 'deep'.

 

[KaliSplash]

I liked very much all the submarine talk as the boat moved through the journey.
As to the ride itself., it was much better after it went into the waterfall and into the dark. As you are circling to get to the waterfall, you could see the string/wire whatever holding the fish in place in the sunny part of the ride.

 

[happymom25]

I went on it as a young child. I remember thinking we were really going far under the sea and that the submarine was actually dropping down. I remember feeling scared and nervous…and that my mom felt uneasy, which probably is why I did too. I learned as I grew up that she was claustrophobic. I’m sure that’s why she did not enjoy it.

 

[John park hopper]

I took my son and his friend on it they were about 5 years old I had them convinced they were really deep, and everything was real. They loved it

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I am actually okay they replaced it. It wasn't a bad ride, but like others have said it was built in 1971 and it doesn't take a genius to realize we are a much more obese society since 1971. That plays into it a bit. Finding Nemo at Disneyland is a similar ride to it and I rode it in 2012 and it was cramped for sure. I don't know, maybe something that you liked as a kid but was "meh" about it other times.

 

[Iris]

I have vague memories. As others have said, you were packed in pretty tight. I remember the giant squid.

 

[Coaster Lover]

but I thought the Nautilus boats looked super cool

100% on that aspect! The boats were VERY well done and it was neat seeing them moving around. There was just something nice about that lagoon there too... all the water was peaceful in a way. I think that's why I'd be so in favor of a version of Aquatopia replacing Tomorrowland Speedway... the reincorporation of such an engaging, kinetic body of water.

As far as 20K leagues, if it was still around and they told me they were going to demo it and replace it with TDS's version (which is 100% a dark ride that simulates going underwater but doesn't actually go underwater), I'd be all for it. I like the TDS version significantly more than my nostalgic memories of the MK version.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’m really glad that I’ve gotten to experience the subs at Disneyland. My first trip to Disney world was when the subs were “closed for refurbishment” - I saw them from the skyway though!

My parents were great to let me choose which rides I wanted to experience - they didn’t want me to do anything I was nervous about. That meant at Universal I didn’t ride King Kong - my dad did - I’m sad I missed that one. I also would have loved jaws as a kid but I still got to ride it haha.

 

[threvester]

it smelled

 

[klmall]

While I never rode it (afraid of small enclosed places ) during our trips in the early '90s my husband and son always did. It was beautiful viewing it from the Skyway.

 

[iamgroot61]

I never got to ride 20,000 Leagues. It was gone before my first visit to WDW. I have ridden the submarine ride at DL many times but always wished I could have ridden the original at WDW. Check out this amazing video someone shared (on this site) of the ride in a split-screen view showing you the perspective from both sides of the sub:

 

[gsimpson]

It was a good attraction, it was unique and a tiny bit educational. I was/am sad that it no longer exist. If it still existed today they would have no doubt have had to make some significant upgrades to accommodate the typical "body geometry" of today's guest, when I was in my teens and twenties I could easily get down inside the sub and fit, if I had tried in my thirties I expect I could have made it but would have sworn off the ride at that point, today it would be a laughably bad experience for me and those watching me try. Note: that is NOT a complaint, I understand that through my own lack of effort and/or discipline I have allowed myself to become fat and it is not anyone's problem other than mine. I DO NOT feel a company should be obligated to accommodate my lifestyle choices.

 

[Eric Graham]

I believe I was in diapers or close to it. I remember riding it partially. Was it just me, or do I recall them testing the Finding Nemo Sub ride at the same place where the 20000 leagues waters which was at DW. The ride is now at DL.