Disneyland Submarines Set Sail Again, New Additions Join Beloved Ride

ANAHEIM, CA — The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage has relaunched with some new adventures and characters from the beloved Pixar films, Disneyland Resort announced this week.

The attraction first opened with the Finding Nemo theme in 2007 and hasn't been updated much. While seagulls chant "Mine! Mine! Mine!" from above the waterline, guests now have a clear view of an annoyed Cephalopod from the Finding Dory film: Hank. The addition of the bright orange Cephalopod is just part of the fun afforded to all returning theme park guests this summer and beyond. Below the water, Disney Imagineers have been hard at work refreshing and adding new touches to this favorite ride.

According to Disneyland Resort Project Manager Jibram Martinez, the attraction doesn't go under refurbishment so often and all who worked on it took every opportunity to make the ride more immersive, more colorful and engaging for the audiences they love to delight.

"This will be a great There's been a ton of collaboration between the Disneyland Resort, Imagineers and Pixar," according to Producer and Walt Disney Imagineer Michelle Hobbs in a recent video release. "Most notably with the addition of Hank."

Art Director Michael Dobrzycki described adding Hank, the seven-legged octopus (or septopus), to the project.

"Hank is our curmudgeonly but lovable septopus over here, within earshot of the seagulls," Dobrzycki said. "He's positioned in a rather inconvenient position, across the lagoon earshot of the seagulls calling 'mine! mine!' and really kind of driving him nuts."

Along with above-the-water improvements come the additions that bring the attraction to life beneath the waves. Walt Disney Imagineering's Principal Artisan Color Design/Paint's Jim Crouch discussed how that will look to guests peering through portholes.

"We studied the Finding Nemo movies a lot," Crouch said. "We wanted to add more vibrant coral, really beautiful colors, and that's what we pushed for."

The project added 3,000 new pieces of coral and 12,000 lineal feet of seaweed—almost two miles of seaweed— bringing more color, lighting, and special effects.

As with most Disneyland Resort renovations, a homage to history is an important part of the project. Disneyland Resort's Lead Ager/Grainer Nancy Hayes discussed the importance of the submarine ride to the park's story.

"We got to work in the Finding Nemo project when there was no water in the lagoon, of all the people who have touched this project since it was first opened," Hayes said.

Guests can now ride the under-the-sea adventure and see the hard work of all the workers who brought it back bigger, brighter, and better than ever, according to Hobbs.

"Walt Disney, himself, was here when the ride first opened, so it has a long Imagineering legacy," Hobbs said. "I can't wait to come here with our team to show them all of the things they have been working toward."