 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea takes you on a voyage that traces the steps of
Jules Verne's reclusive character, Captain Nemo. Although it
borrows elements from previous Disney underwater rides, it is a new
attraction and will be a fresh experience to anyone riding it for the
first time.
The queue area is hard to miss. It is a spiraling staircase that is a
centerpiece of sorts for Mysterious Island. The last part of the queue
is indoors, and while it is themed nicely I personally enjoyed the
outdoor portion of the queue which offers some great views of the
Mysterious Island scenery from a lower perspective.
Disney theme park fans might see the full-scale replica of the Nautilus submarine parked in the middle of Mysterious Island and think this is a submarine ride in the old-style Disney tradition. Not so. You are not riding in the
Nautilus, but rather a mini-sub called the Neptune. These vehicles hold
3 groups of 2 people, one group on each side and one in the front. Unfortunately, the
vehicles are cramped and not very comfortable. The windows are positioned so
that you need to crane your head down to get the best view. The lucky
couple riding in the front of the vehicle have the best vantage point; the side windows are
positioned in such a way that they block some of the sightlines. Also,
once the vehicle door is closed you're in close quarters with 4 other
strangers, and although everyone is looking out the windows, it still felt a
little strange, sort of like if you had a stranger stuck in the same
ride vehicle with you in the Haunted
Mansion.
If you've been on other Disney theme parks' submarine rides, the ride
scenery here will look familiar. Kelp beds, schools of fish, sunken
ships, a giant squid, and finally a trip through the lost city of
Atlantis. The attraction is narrated throughout, although it is
entirely in Japanese.
Because you are (supposedly) deep beneath the ocean's surface, there is little light which makes it tough to see all of the details. The ride designers added a smart little counter for this: a spotlight. Each seating station has a joystick in front of the window, and when you hear a bell ring the spotlight for that station lights up and you can point it in whatever direction you chose using the joystick. This adds to the fun and makes it more enticing to ride multiple time and uncover the details you missed on previous rides.
I mentioned the problems with the ride vehicles, but ironically one of the
cool things about this ride is the interior of the vehicles. They are
finely detailed, and brought to life with animated gauges and sound
effects. In fact, you may spend about as much time looking around the
insides of the vehicles as looking outside.
I have to say that I initially did not care for this attraction but after riding several times it grew on me. Despite the ergonomic problems of the ride vehicles this attraction is beautifully designed, has interesting special effects, and a multitude of small details that make you want to come back and see everything. Wait times for this attraction vary widely, and if the wait time is more than a few minutes I would strongly recommend coming back later in the evening when the lines tend to be much shorter. |
