The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened on June 11,2007. The attraction was originally the Submarine Voyage. The original opened on June 14, 1959 and closed on September 9, 1998. The ride is rumored to not reopen after a 8 month refurbishment.

The ride features a low capacity, 800 people per hour, so the extended queue to the left of the marque is used often.

Guest stop before they are split into groups. There are three docks, one on the left and two on

the right. 

The door on the right is the entrance to the M.O.O., Marine Observation Outpost. There is a large screen that plays a video of the ride for those who have a hard time maneuvering the sub’s tight staircase. 

The attraction starts out with a “descent” into the lagoon. You’ll travel in the Australian Current,

a shipwreek, a field of anglerfish, and into a whale.

The first indoor scene of the new ride takes place this new extended show bulding. 

The waterfall shown here at the ride’s exit from the show building is original from 1959. 

The Mark VII monorail and submarines created beautiful photos.

The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was scheduled to close for a 8 month refurbishment on January 5, 2014. The ride broke down on the afternoon of January 4. Disney decided to keep the ride the closed for the rest of the day and not reopen the attraction. Cast Members learned that they wouldn’t  be working on the on the day before the refurbishment just as the park opened. Some of the ride’s outdoor effects were working throughout the day as the submarines were docked. 

The track in the middle guides the submarine and the one on the top carries a frame that carries power for the 8 submarines. 

The bubbles that hid the attraction’s infrastructure were turned off.

A few weeks later wood was stacked up underneath each submarine so they won’t tip over when her ride is drained.

You can see the red buoy and some anglerfish removed as they floated in the lagoon. Most of the ride’s sets are behind sheets of plexiglass. They use these “Dryboxes” so they can save water and perform maintenance on those sets without draining the ride. I ‘ll dive into more detail about those dry boxes when I complete my model. 

This wooden bridge was built as a safety precaution. If you look closely, you can see the OSHA logo stamped on it. 

This section of scaffolding is just a staircase to cross over the track. 

Here is my video of the attraction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IAiOAa_1L4

 

Rumors state the ride will not reopen because of many reasons: high operating cost, low capacity, and the desire for a Star Wars themed attraction to take over the lagoon.

Personally, I’m not sure if the ride will reopen. Many points lead to both sides. No matter what, this refurbishment is obviously a way to save the operating cost.

I’m currently documenting this ride in one of the best ways, a model. For updates on my model connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.