What ever happened to.......

J

joeytomatoes

Member
Original Poster
1- Does anyone know whatever happened to the cars from the sky-ride?? I know it was closed in early 80s I believe because it was a ride that was closed a lot due to wind and a cast member got killed working on the ride and it was getting harder to get replacement parts as the original company that made the system closed.. In Disney storage somewhere ??? just thought it would be pretty cool to be able to purchase one to use for something.. not sure for what but for something..

2- the submarines that were used for 20,000 leagues under the sea. What a shame that was closed.. that was an "e" ticket ride that was closed and filled in to put up a meet and great that you could put anywhere. Or, do like they used to and have the characters pop up walking around the park. I think it was better then, to get surprised to see a character etc. anyway, they closed 20,000 leagues to make a meet and great which is a complete waste of space and took away a great attraction.. anyone know what ever happened to the subs?? dismantled? storage??? just curious
 
R W B

R W B

Well-Known Member
Pulled from 20k Leagues Wikipedia page,

"Though the attraction was a guest favourite and remained popular throughout its existence, it was expensive to maintain, as well as having a low hourly loading capacity for an attraction of its size and expense. It was closed on September 5, 1994, without advance notice, for what was outwardly termed a temporary maintenance period, but in 1996 the closure was officially made permanent.

Post-closure, several vehicles were left stationary in the lagoon and by the dock, before the entire fleet was eventually pulled from the attraction in 1996. The submarines were regularly moved around to different locations in Walt Disney World backstage for several years, until eventually being stripped and buried in a landfill in 2004. Three of the vehicles were saved from the fleet's demise. Two were shipped to be sunk in the snorkelling lagoon at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Here, the two submarines were placed in various areas of the snorkelling lagoon and covered with cargo netting to help sealife and microbial corrosion cling to them. As of 2008, only one of those two Nautilus submarines still exists, but both its wheelhouse and dorsal fin have been destroyed by hurricane weather. The third submarine sits in a lot behind Disney's Hollywood Studios. It can be seen in the "bone-yard" section of the Backlot Tours next to some props from Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean. The submarine is in a fair condition, with no damage visible to those who pass by. The fibreglass top of one Nautilus sub now resides behind Soarin' in Epcot, along with an old Jungle Cruise boat."
 
Robin Of Loxley

Robin Of Loxley

Well-Known Member
R W B said:
Post-closure, several vehicles were left stationary in the lagoon and by the dock, before the entire fleet was eventually pulled from the attraction in 1996. The submarines were regularly moved around to different locations in Walt Disney World backstage for several years, until eventually being stripped and buried in a landfill in 2004. Three of the vehicles were saved from the fleet's demise. Two were shipped to be sunk in the snorkelling lagoon at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Here, the two submarines were placed in various areas of the snorkelling lagoon and covered with cargo netting to help sealife and microbial corrosion cling to them. As of 2008, only one of those two Nautilus submarines still exists, but both its wheelhouse and dorsal fin have been destroyed by hurricane weather. The third submarine sits in a lot behind Disney's Hollywood Studios. It can be seen in the "bone-yard" section of the Backlot Tours next to some props from Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean. The submarine is in a fair condition, with no damage visible to those who pass by. The fibreglass top of one Nautilus sub now resides behind Soarin' in Epcot, along with an old Jungle Cruise boat."
Click to expand...
Isn't there a sub that floats in the Mysterious Island lagoon of Tokyo DisneySea? Or was that sub built specifically for that park, and not a transplant from WDW?
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Robin Of Loxley said:
Isn't there a sub that floats in the Mysterious Island lagoon of Tokyo DisneySea? Or was that sub built specifically for that park, and not a transplant from WDW?
Click to expand...
Built for the park.

There's been some discussion about the real original amount of subs, but one was kept backstage and last seen at Epcot, one (or two) went to Castaway Key, and the rest went to the north west landfill:

image.jpg
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Did anyone else start singing in their head "What ever happened to Randolph Scott" by the Statler Brothers in their head after seeing the title of this thread? I'm probably the only wacko that did. lol
 
KLeigh

KLeigh

Well-Known Member
The Skyway closed in 1999 to "make way for new and exciting attractions" in the MK. However it has also been reported that it was closed due to economic reasons, and safety concerns for guests (meaning teens spitting/throwing objects onto unsuspecting guests below). While it is true that a custodial cast member was accidentally killed (after hours I believe) cleaning a narrow platform, this did not play a factor in closing/removing the attraction.

Personally, I have no idea what happened to the cars - but since the MK's version was the last to close of the three, we can assume they weren't sent off as replacement parts to the other Disney parks. If they weren't sent to another theme park, then my best guess is that they went the way of the 20k Subs.
 
R W B

R W B

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Built for the park.

There's been some discussion about the real original amount of subs, but one was kept backstage and last seen at Epcot, one (or two) went to Castaway Key, and the rest went to the north west landfill:

View attachment 46748
Click to expand...
Your one of the most knowledgable members here so Ill ask you, Why does Disney World bury old ride parts?
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
R W B said:
Your one of the most knowledgable members here so Ill ask you, Why does Disney World bury old ride parts?
Click to expand...

Because they have land out the wazoo and hauling and landfill costs money. Dig a hole, put it in, cover it up, and walk away whistling.

IF you are asking why do they bury them, as opposed to just leaving they lay around, I suspect that they don't want to deal with the constant hordes of suovineer hunters that would be sneaking in and taking parts. Look what happend to the wand when it was taken down.

-dave
 
EOD K9

EOD K9

Well-Known Member
If I remember, in a later overhead shot you can see the sail of one of the subs sticking out of the landfill. I can also personally vouch for the fact there is at least one sub at Castaway Cay.
 

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