Originally appeared in The Oakland Tribune, June 17, 2007
By Kari Hulac, STAFF WRITER
Caption:
ANAHEIM - WHEN DISNEYLAND'S submarine journey to see "reptilian patriarchs of the deep" was shut down nine years ago, it was the end of an era.
This 1959 E-ticket (the best of the best) ride, representing the latest in visual and sound effects, had become campy — dubbed "fish on strings" by many a Disney exec. Ride attendance was down in the late 1990s, and it was time for something fresh, keeping true to Walt Disney's mantra that "Disneyland will never be completed."
Yet reworking such a key attraction proved easier said than done. It took a white-and-orange fish courtesy of Emeryville's Pixar to give Disney's Imagineers (attraction designers) the inspiration they needed. And earlier this week, the original subs — now electrically powered and bright yellow — were back in action as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
Disney never wanted his park to become a museum, but the lagoon, where diesel subs built for him by General Dynamics chugged around in the spirit of the 1954 movie "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," had become just that.
Tony Baxter was 8 years old and among one of the first to ride those subs on opening day, June 6, 1959.
He said the alien experience of going underwater made such an impression on him that he went to work at Disneyland — scooping ice cream at first, then becoming a sub captain and later, after studying art, design architecture and theater in college, ending up in his current role of Imagineer in charge of the Nemo project.
He was there the day the old ride was closed, on Sept. 7, 1998.
"I was very teary," he said. "I vowed I would see it reopen."
At the official opening day ceremony on Monday, he saw his vision come to life, surrounded by a crowd of Disney and Pixar top brass and press from around the world. Jelly fish props jiggled in the sky as a live band performed tunes such as "Yellow Submarine," and performers in diving suits danced in flippers.
"It's surreal," he said.
Once again the ride features all the latest Disney magic — new computer animation technology and a travelingsound system to show a three-dimensional story through each rider's porthole. Guests see and hear a slightly different show, depending where they sit, but all riders will see the characters the same number of times during the trip.
Disney is saying it's one of the most technologically complex attractions ever built for a Disney theme park.
The ride's creators made a full-scale simulator and 3-D virtual reality program so Pixar animators in Emeryville could test the ride remotely with Disney designers in Southern California.
To get sturdy water-proof colors that match those so vibrant on the big screen in the film, Imagineers came up with their own paint using more than 30 tons of recycled glass to create more than 40 custom colors with catchy names including Toast, Swamp, Danger Red, Split Pea and Burning Coal.
The effect is classy and stunningly beautiful — a world away from the dingy, faded look the sub ride had in its later years.
During a late afternoon media preview ride, shafts of sunlight pierced the lagoon's surface, illuminating the reef's oranges and reds and purples as if it were a real underwater scene.
While the ride offers a fantasy version of a real Australian coral reef, said Kathy Mangum, executive producer and vice president of Disney Imagineering, coral animation experts from Pixar worked with Disney to recreate the reef seen in the movie.
Riders peer through the portholes watching just about every "Nemo" character talk, swim and frolic — some with the original voices from the movie, such as Barry Humphries (Bruce). An original soundtrack inspired by the film score was composed by Ed Kalnins.
Viewers even get a glimpse of an animatronic version of evil dentist niece Darla. Those who pay attention can see some features from the original ride, such as those giant clams, moray eels and stone icons from the lost city. The starfish-covered wall that starts the ride off is also quite familiar, and there are still bubbles covering the portholes to simulate submersion.
The sub captain has been updated to speak with a genuine Australian accent in a nod to the Sydney setting of the movie.
The ride, now longer at about 12 minutes, still won't sit well with park guests sensitive to being stuck in dark enclosed spaces or who are disabled (The hatches and spiral staircases of the original 52-foot submarines couldn't be retrofitted to accommodate wheelchairs). But those unable to board can watch from a special viewing area underneath the monorail track near the sub dock via a high-definition porthole cam.
With some of the story taking place in total darkness with sirens sounding, red lights flashing and explosions booming, the ride might be too scary for children younger than 3.
But the 3-year-old we took on a preview of the ride came through relatively unscathed, happily quoting "Light, please," the rest of the day to anyone within earshot. (In the film and on the ride, a fierce-looking, deep water angler with its own light source and LOTS of big teeth tussles with Nemo and Dory.)
A 5-year-old we rode with closed her eyes during some of the scary scenes but said, "I want to do that again," as soon as she stepped off the boarding dock.
Disney execs are hoping that adult park guests' nostalgic desire to return to the ride of their childhood will keep the park thriving, calling it key to Disneyland's health.
"This is one of the most highly awaited (ride remodels) by guests and us," said Disney Imagineering executive vice president and senior creative executive Tom Fitzgerald at a media roundtable interview after Monday's grand opening ceremony.