20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a very important film for Walt Disney and his company. It was the first full-length Disney film released under Buena Vista that, at the time, was Disney’s new in-house film distributor. The film was praised for its technical accomplishments, especially the famous squid scene, winning two Oscars for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. The film inspired Walt Disney to continue his work with studio soundstages, live-action movies, his TV series, and even the theme parks.
When designing Disneyland Paris, Imagineers decided they wanted to have the Nautilus Submarine in Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris’ Disneyland Park. However, when it came time to design and build the attraction, Harper Goff, who originally designed the submarine, was unavailable due to sickness. Imagineers soon turned to his friend Tom Scherman, a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea expert, to make a real-life walkthrough submarine attraction. This was Tom’s dream come true, and he designed every inch of the attraction with love and care. Tom worked closely with Tim Delaney, the Discoveryland show-producer, to recreate famous scenes of the film, like the treasure room, Captain Nemo’s bedroom, the map room, and Captain Nemo’s Grand Salon, which houses the famous organ. The Grand Salon also allows Guests to have a close encounter with the famous squid.
Les Mysteres du Nautilus seems to stand out the most among fans of the story even though 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has already made a mark more than once on the Disney theme parks. This attraction is a gem creating a unique atmospheric adventure. Tom has made it possible for fans to explore their favorite scenes of the famous ship.
Today’s Takeaway:
Oceans have layers like Earth’s rock. In the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Captain Nemo travels to different levels of the ocean. Each level of the ocean houses different kinds of fish perfectly suited to survive in that level. Your assignment is to pick a layer of the ocean to explore. See what kinds of fish live there and how they are designed to survive that particular level. Also see what scientists have discovered and ponder the mysteries of the depths that remain.
SCHOOL SUBJECT: Marine Biology, Oceanography
SKILL LEVEL: High School
*Special thanks to our wonderful assistant Tiffany for another awesome article!
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This makes me want to go to Disneyland Paris all the more! I miss the 20, 000 Leagues ride at WDW.
You should go! It seems like a pretty spectacular place!
This makes me want to go to Disneyland Paris all the more! I miss the 20, 000 Leagues ride at WDW.
This makes me want to go to Disneyland Paris all the more! I miss the 20, 000 Leagues ride at WDW.