The area next to the lagoon was rethemed to Ariel’s Grotto, an area where guests could meet Ariel and see other small details from The Little Mermaid. Initially when the attraction closed, the submarines were removed and the lagoon remained.

While it was not the least popular attraction in the Magic Kingdom, its popularity had dwindled since new rides were added, and problems arose over the years with the lagoon’s seal causing small leaks around the ride’s foundation. When then-CEO Michael Eisner was revamping many areas of Walt Disney World in the 1990s, it became clear that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was one attraction that needed to go. As Walt Disney World expanded, it became increasingly difficult to justify attractions that took up such a large amount of space unless there was a worthwhile reason for doing so, in terms of guest satisfaction and operational costs. Unfortunately, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea closed in 1994 for a number of reasons. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is now built on the site. Compared to other attractions in the Magic Kingdom at the time, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea could not be missed, so guests wandering through Fantasyland were instantly intrigued by it. In 1971, the area occupied by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea amounted to about one quarter of the total space in Fantasyland. Guests were thankfully impressed by not only the physicality of the attraction appearing to dive underwater, but also with the size of the attraction and the attention to detail. Just two weeks later, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea opened after the rest of the park on Octo. Due to a number of unforeseen challenges in creating the lagoon and getting the submarines to properly function along the track, this E-Ticket did not open with the rest of the park. With the deadline of Octoset for the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, Imagineers, along with a large team of contractors and construction workers, had their work cut out for them.

He envisioned the new ride to be similar in concept to the Disneyland version, but with more space, Walt believed Imagineers could achieve an even greater level of detail in creating a totally immersive experience for guests. Seeing the success of the Submarine Voyage in Disneyland, a sister attraction was high on Walt Disney’s list for his Florida project. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in the Magic Kingdom

10000 leagues under the sea