Favourite Disney Rides - 20000 Leagues under the Sea

August 09, 2017

20, 000 Leagues under the Sea Submarine Ride

Continuing on with the theme of favourite rides, and in no particular order (as they are all favourites), I thought this week I would talk about the 20 000 Leagues under the Sea ride at DisneySea Tokyo. DisneySea is such an immersive theme park, and has the reputation as being one of the best, if not the best theme park in the world. The 20, 000 Leagues under the Sea ride is totally unique in Disney Parks, as most of the rides in DisneySea are. If you have been to DisneySea - a trip down memory lane awaits you below. Feel free to agree/disagree in comments.

Ride: 20, 000 Leagues under the Sea
Location: DisneySea (Tokyo)

This ride is amazingly detailed. You need to board the submarine at the lowest level which involves a long trail spiraling downwards following railings. The area seems enormous with some great views. The ride is based on the old 1954 movie by the same name. I did not know this at the time, but the movie back in 1954 was actually produced by Walt Disney himself.

Each submarine holds about 6 people but it’s a little claustrophobic if you are susceptible. I did notice that there were emergency phones in the mini submarines. The best view is if you sit at the front. There is lots of detail inside the submarines to look at, it kind of looks like a real submarine. Each rider also has a spotlight that they can shine on the exterior scenes outside the submarine, which makes the ride more fun. Upon multiple rides, you can pick up more details that you missed the first time. Also, another surprising fact is, although you board a submarine, the ride itself actually does not go under water at all and is only an illusion!

As the ride begins, you head off on an adventure to find the lost city of Atlantis, where you see fish, kelp and undersea creatures (bizarre alien like creatures, presumably, the lost people of Atlantis). A giant squid also attacks your submarine and there are special lighting effects associated with this.

It is a really cool ride and enjoyed by all our party. The ride is narrated in Japanese, but this isn’t a problem as the view itself is self-explanatory what is going on. The Atlantis creatures are truly bizarre to see and the giant squid adds a bit of excitement to the ride.