I happened to be at Disneyland when they were setting up the test platform for the new submarine ride which at the time we did not actually know what it was going to be ends up being Finding Nemo of course. This is the test platform.
Inside the test platform
There is Neptune sub which was going to be the test sub
Scuba divers setting up equipment.
Here's allot of the special effects stored in boxes ready to be installed inside the test platform. Including black lights.
Lagoon construction
After a 9-year closure and an upgrade rumored to cost over 70 million dollars the much missed Subs returned in 2007 as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.Nemo's genial characters were chosen over a theme based on the 2001 Disney movie Atlantis the Lost Empire.The fleet now runs on electricity not diesel fuel. The speed stays under 1.4 miles per hour for ride time of about 15 minutes and the volume of water in the lagoon has dropped by about 3 million gallons.The new story involves little Nemo, Dory, Crush, a beautiful coral reef made of 30 tons of recycled glass hundred twenty-six sea creatures 10,000 artificial plants a dazzling erupting volcano an Australian narrator who mentions the old attractions mermaid and sea serpent.
The satisfying voyage immediately drew colossal crowds proving that yesterday can thrive today in Tomorrowland.At the attraction's entrance, guests enter the Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation (NEMO) research center. Three seagulls, perched on a nearby buoy, cry out ##"Mine! Mine! Mine!"## every minute. Guests board one of NEMO's eight research submarines and set out in search of an active underwater volcano. Through their portholes, guests see a spectacular underwater environment. One of the first things guests see is Darla, the evil fish-killing niece of the dentist in Finding Nemo, free diving amid the coral, holding a plastic bag with fish she has captured.As the journey continues, guests see a giant sea bass swimming through a seaweed forest. The submarines then enter the ruins of an ancient civilization, which are being explored by the dentist scuba diver P. Sherman from Finding Nemo. Among the ruins lies a gigantic tiki head, embedded in the ocean floor. The subs then enter a coral reef with many bright reflective colors.Giant clams slowly open and close as the submarines pass. The captain commands the sub to dive much deeper to avoid a surface storm ahead.
At this point the "sub" travels through a waterfall and enters the hidden ride building, where guests find themselves moving through what appear as underwater caverns. The captain announces that, due to an amazing new marine technology called "sonar hydrophones" an homage to the original attraction, they can actually hear the fish talk.
The subs pass through a dark cavern where huge eels lunge toward the submarine and lobsters are fighting. The subs pass Nemo characters Marlin and Dory as they discover that Nemo has gotten lost again.Farther along the reef, guests encounter Mr. Ray and his class swimming through the coral looking for Nemo as well.The Captain announces that the sub is approaching open water, and Crush, Squirt, and the other green turtles characters appear to enter the East Australian Current.The sub then exits the current and enters a spooky graveyard of sunken ships, where Marlin and Dory continue their search for Nemo.Bruce, Anchor and Chum swim inside a sunken submarine surrounded by World War II mines. The submarine "hits" a mine, causing it to shake and temporarily lose power. As the sub goes dark, Marlin and Dory are surrounded by small glowing spots, which turn out to be phosphorescent dots on a huge deep-sea anglerfish. After Marlin and Dory escape the monster, they make their way through a forest of jellyfish.
The submarine reaches the active deep-sea volcano. The Tank Gang chants as lava flows down the volcano's sides.Marlin finally finds Nemo and has a joyful reunion. The volcano erupts just as the sub escapes and returns to the reef.The fish gather and celebrate finding Nemo once again. The names of the subs are: Argonaut Explorer Mariner Nautilus Neptune Scout Seafarer and Voyager. Dive to new depths of excitement as Nemo and his friends from the Disney Pixar film "Finding Nemo" make a splash at Disneyland Park. Submarines will once again be submerged in the sparkling waters of the Tomorrowland Lagoon where you become an undersea explorer, discovering colorful reefs, ancient ruins, and an erupting volcano! Plus, you'll come face-to-face with Dory, Marlin, Bruce the Shark and other characters. Walt Disney Imagineering's Research & Development team was toying around with an aquarium and found a way to have Nemo magically appear to swim through it. Rich with inspiration, the staffers did what they could, and wound up using the great idea for the reimagined Submarine Voyage
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