Description And Comments

The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride is based on the story line of the hit Disney/Pixar animated feature Finding Nemo. Here you board a submarine in a loading area situated below the Disneyland Monorail station in Tomorrowland. After a quick lap of the open-air lagoon, the sub passes through a waterfall and inside to follow the general Finding Nemo story. Special effects center around a combination of traditional audio-animatronics and, once you’re inside the dark interior of the building, what appear to be rear-projection screens, underwater, at a distance of 3–10 feet from the sub’s windows. Encased in rock and shipwrecks, the screens are natural looking and allow the animated characters to appear three-dimensionally in the undersea world. Other elements include traveling through a minefield, a sea of jellyfish (very cool), and entering the mouth of a whale. The onboard sound system allows the story to “travel” from front to back of the sub, and the visual experience is different depending on what seat you’re in.

The attraction is well done and rates at or close to four stars for all age groups. You don’t have to be a Nemo fan to be impressed by the scale and effects. It’s not fast-paced but, rather, leisurely in the way that Pirates of the Caribbean is.

A Washington, D.C., reader just shrugged off Finding Nemo:

I really don’t know what the big deal is with Finding Nemo, which I found both a big disappointment and a waste of time. I spent a half hour the night of my second day waiting in line—and far too much time earlier in the day (and my first day) scoping out the line while roaming the park to see when the queue looked least hellish. Having finally sucked it up and endured the wait, I found something that wasn’t nearly as innovative or amusing as Turtle Talk with Crush, which was far more enjoyable. Unless guests have kids under [age] 8 or so that insist on Finding Nemo, I wouldn’t waste my time. See Crush a second time if you feel deprived—or take another spin on the Monsters, Inc. ride (which really is as good as you promised) for some extra Pixar film action.

Touring Tips

The attraction can load at about 900 guests per hour, a shockingly small capacity for a headliner attraction. Further, because the subs do not distribute FASTPASS, it's one of the longest potential waits in Disneyland Park (though it has lost its mega-popularity of earlier years).

If you have access to Morning Magic Hour, the Subs are a great bet to queue up for just as the park officially opens to the onslaught of regular guests. Otherwise, we recommend visiting Nemo before 10 a.m. or later in the evening.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Wait Times

This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage when you visit on a day with a given Disneyland Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Wait Times.

Special Comments

Claustrophobes may not be comfortable with the experience, even though the sub doesn't actually submerge (we saw one 30-ish woman who started hyperventilating before the sub left the dock). Children may be scared of the same thing, or of the encounter with sharks (they keep their distance). The sharks here are a bit less menacing than in the movie too.

The bright-yellow subs, revived from the previous attraction, have been reengineered with electric power to minimize noise and pollution. the subs fit 40 people. It’s not easy to get 40 aboard, however, because the seats are narrow and a few guests take up two. Ideally, large guests should aim to be in one of the four seats at the front or back, but this may be difficult to negotiate. Wheelchair-bound guests or those who can't get down the spiral staircase into the sub can view the experience from a special topside viewing room (seats about six able-bodied persons plus two wheelchairs). With the exception of one small animated effect, the visual is identical (perhaps faster), but despite a large monitor the creatures appear smaller than when viewing them through a real porthole.

Special Needs

Other Attractions in Tomorrowland

Touring Plans with Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

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