August 1955 – August 1966
LOCATION
Tomorrowland – The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Exhibit sat toward the rear of Tomorrowland, roughly where the Starcade and gift shop sit today. Guests could reach the exhibit by following the main path from Main Street USA, or by taking the Skyway from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland.
BACKGROUND
When Disneyland first opened in 1955, Tomorrowland was the least-prepared land. Most of the attractions ready on Opening Day were never meant to be permanent fixtures in the park, and many were installed only weeks before park opening to fill up space. Imagineers needed more exhibits in the back section of Tomorrowland, so they took inspiration from the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The walkthrough exhibit took guests right into the underwater world of the film, and provided a needed change of pace from the almost exclusively space-themed attractions in Tomorrowland.
EXPERIENCE
The exhibit sat in a large circular room, mimicking the experience of walking through a real submarine. Guests began their tour by passing an 11-foot ship model, before entering the various rooms within the submarine. The Wheelhouse, Chart Room, Professor Aronnax’s Cabin, the Salon, Pump Room, Diving Chamber, Fitting Chamber, and Power Supply Room each had unique displays and interactive features detailing the room’s role in the submarine. Along the tour, guests could see kelp, fish, and a giant squid through the porthole windows in each chamber. And finally, guests saw the center of the exhibit, called the “Last Resting Place of the Nautilus”. This display showcased the submarine in its final resting place, embedded in a massive underwater rock formation.
CLOSURE
By the 1960s, Tomorrowland had begun its first of many massive renovation and expansion projects, in an attempt to keep up with constantly changing technology and what the public perceived as “futuristic”. While some attractions survived the overhaul, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was one of the less fortunate. The exhibit closed its doors in 1966, to make way for new, larger rides like Adventure Thru Inner Space.
TRIVIA
The organ inside the exhibit was the very organ used in the film, and is now the organ in the grand ballroom of the Haunted Mansion.
Most of the props and models in the exhibit were actually used during filming.
The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Exhibit was a completely separate attraction from the submarine ride, which had an almost identical name.
One of greatest experiences of my life, touring original ride and seeing giant squid through that porthole. I was ten. Years later I was fortunate enough to purchase a original 4 foot model of Nautilus created by Tom Scherman, utmost authority on the model and ride. I’ve seen lots of models over years and nothing comes close to what I have. It is heirloom which I will treasure always. People of today will never experience what I and others my age were so lucky to experience back then.
I first went through 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea in August 1955. It was based on the movie and I remember part of the promo about the exhibit was that it featured props from the actual movie, which I had seen.
As I recall it, the main attraction for the film and the “ride” was the 70 foot robotic, giant squid which was the one used when making the film, which captured the fish shaped Nautilus and tried to eat it, thinking it was dinner. It was an audio-animatronic squid, which actually was 70 ft long, and gave them problems while filming the movie, but worked well enough. It was the thing I was most interested in seeing, and I remember looking at it through the large round window, as its tentacles moved, while it swam next to the Nautilus, preparing to strike!
I was 9 then, and my brother Ronald, who worked at Disneyland from day one, got tickets for my mom’s birthday: August 25, 1955. Back then, Disneyland was the 8th Wonder of the World.d Everything was new and wonderful.
I was 9 in August 1955 when I first went through this ride (and a few times after during its life in the park). And I saw the movie of course. The Squid was a 70 ft. animatronic creature created for the movie and the tenacles moved but gave the film crews problems (much like the shark did in Jaws). The squid’s tenacles in the ride did move, as it looked like it floated along next to the Nautilus eyeing it for dinner as in the film. For most it was that creature that attracted folks to the ride. Very cool fish!
I was 8 years old in 1959 and actually LOVCED this exhibit. It was so great to walk through it. It was a simplified and scaled down version compared to the 20,000 leagues walkthrough at Disney World … BUT this was the original one, and used actual props and sets from the movie!
So glad you have those memories! I would’ve loved to have seen it 🙂
They need to bring this back! It’s a classic that so many people would LOVE to experience, young and old, newcomers and regulars! I am so upset that it didn’t fit with the “futuristic theme” yet they still have the horoscope rockets bobbing up and down in tomorrowland. This would go well with the whole idea being near the submarines again, or even in California Adventures, where they keep Ariel’s world!
They need more room. What would you tear out to put in the exhibits.
IT WAS AN ” A ” TICKET FROM THE OLD BOOKS WHICH NEVER EXPIRED. WHEN WE WERE KIDS WE WOULD ACT OUT SCENES FROM THE MOVIE. I ALWAYS PLAYED CAPTAIN NEMO BECAUSE I HAD THE BEST JAMES MASON BRITISH ACCENT. THE HAPPY TIMES.
The submarine ride at Disneyland was actually known as the Submarine Voyage (now known as the Finding Nemo ride). The submarine ride at Walt Disney World had almost and identical name as it used submarines modeled after the movie.
They need more cool exhibits like this in the park.
I think so too!