20,000 Leagues Attraction, Florida

From 1971 until 1994, an entire fleet of 14 super cool Nautilii (that's more than one Nautilus?) prowled the tropical lagoon at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. This second version of the Submarine Voyage was improved upon in many ways (at the time of its opening it was one of the most expensive attractions ever), and there's no denying that the vehicles themselves had more than a dash of style. Supposedly the subs at Disneyland were going to look like this, but sponsor General Dynamics insisted on contemporary nuclear subs.

Ships at sea often mistook the Nautilus for a sea monster, and it's clear why they did in this first photo. Notice the green "alligator eyes", complete with furrowed brows. Did these light up? The saw-toothed prow was perfectly suited for smashing through the wooden hulls of sailing ships. The waterfall that should be concealing the cave has been turned off for some reason.


Now we can see the entrance marquee, looking appropriately Victorian (or something!), like it had been designed by Gustave Eiffel. The 70' clothing is groovy, plaid pants go with everything, don't they?


This amazing attraction was"temporarily" closed in 1994, and stayed closed until the official announcement of its removal in 1996 (surely due to high operating and maintenance costs). I can only imagine how disappointed many 20K fans were (and continue to be), especially since it was replaced with "Pooh's Playful Spot". Ugh! And it makes me appreciate Disneyland's submarines all the more.