I think it’s a wonderful thing, when Disney takes out a beloved attraction, they create a memorial to that attraction somewhere else in the park. One of my favorite ways this is done is in the pet cemetery, near the exit of the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom. There is a a grave marker of J. Thaddeus. The marker is all the way in the back left of the small cemetery, and pays homage to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that closed in 1998.
One of the most beloved attractions of all time was, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Submarine Voyage. The ride resided in Fantasyland from 1971 till 1994. Although the attraction was a fan favorite, it was very costly to run and the amount of guests that could enjoy the ride hourly was very low for the amount of space it took up. Some of the subs remained in the lagoon and dock until 1996 when they officially closed the attraction. The majority of the subs ended up in the WDW Landfill. A few of the subs where sent down to Castaway Cay, another was placed in the Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios. Last I knew, the fibreglass top of one Nautilus subs resided behind Soarin’ in Epcot with one of the Jungle Cruise boats.
The lagoon remained as a scenic viewpoint and was renamed to “Ariel’s Grotto”, complete with a King Triton spouting statue until 2004. It was then the water was drained and the sets and infrastructure were demolished. Pooh’s Playful Spot was built where the attraction formerly stood and operated between 2005 and 2010 before making way for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as part of the Fantasyland Expansion.
Now in the que line for the Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid attraction, the Imagineers paid homage to 20,000 Leagues with what appears to be a fossil of one of the subs in the rock
But there is another nod to the classic attraction in Fantasyland. If you head over to Prince Eric’s Village, look for a familiar figure in the cartographer shop’s weather vane.
I think this is a very cool nod to a classic attraction. What are some of the things you see around property that is a reminder of attractions of the past?
As co-owner and co-creator of The Main Street Mouse.Working in a technical support position for 18 years, it was time for a change.As the Webmaster and Project Planner, I spend most of my time researching everything from the latest Disney News, technology advances and of course keeping up on all the Marvel news that comes out.I never considered myself a writer but I’ve come to like blogging and sharing news with all.I feel blessed everyday that I get to spend my days working with my best friend and love of my life while we continue to grow and expand what started as a hobby all those years ago.
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