Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is a glimpse of what the future may hold for Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks.
The submarine ride coordinates a soundtrack and animated characters in a semi-custom ride. It’s an achievement that leaves a lot of folks asking, “How do they do that?”
Disney has bumped up its efforts to bring technology to its parks, using it to cross-market its movies, rides, characters and retail products.
The idea is to create an endless loop of products designed to appeal to every age group and keep interest in older attractions.
This year, Pirate’s Lair at Tom Sawyer Island and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage are draws at Anaheim’s Disneyland Park. The revamped rides are big on Disney’s cross-over marketing strategy.
They also play into the company’s bid to create “immersive experiences” that put people into Disney stories.
“We want to make our content and experiences more compelling,” Chief Executive Bob Iger said at a recent convention of journalists in Anaheim.
Disneyland’s foray into tech-driven rides started with Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which opened in Tomorrowland in 2005. Buzz Lightyear fans can play along at home against riders via the Internet.
The Nemo ride, three years in the making, uses what Disney Imagineers call a “traveling show system” that employs digital projection techniques.
“It’s one of the most challenging scenarios we’ve had,” said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Submarine Voyage makes use of the most popular characters from the film and creates a new story about yet another adventure with the frisky fish.
“It’s better than before and worth the wait,” said Marty Sklar, a former Disney creative executive who worked with Walt Disney and fought to keep the company from permanently scuttling the subs.
Disney does not disclose spending on individual rides. Others have estimated the cost for Nemo at around $100 million. The investment is part of an effort to incorporate more from Pixar Animation Studios Inc., which Disney bought last year.
The wait for the submarine ride averages a couple of hours, according to park spokesman Bob Tucker.
“That speaks volumes about the value of the attraction,” Tucker said.
The new version of the submarine ride, Disneyland President Ed Grier said, is in the category of the legendary E-ticket rides,the most popular rides at Disneyland in the days before all-inclusive ticketing.
“Along with Pirate’s Lair at Tom Sawyer Island, it enlivens sections of the park that had been somewhat dormant for several years,” he said.
The pirates theme has been a big hit for Disney, with the company’s move to turn the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride into a series of movies that so far has generated more than $2.6 billion.
The ride,opened in 1967,first was designed by Walt Disney as a walk-through wax museum until lighting and audio advances led him to turn it into a ride. It consistently has been one of the most popular rides at Disneyland.
Last year, elements of the “Pirates” movies were added to the ride,well in advance of the third movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
The popularity of pirate movies led Disney Imagineers to look at changes for Tom Sawyer Island,an outpost in the midst of the Rivers of America reached by raft from New Orleans Square. The dated attraction had seen dwindling attendance for several years.
Imagineers found a Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn tale in which they stumble on pirates’ treasures while exploring on the Mississippi River,another sign of Disney’s bid to cross-market. The revamped island also is designed to lure gamers via a promotion with Nintendo Co.
Guests with a Nintendo DS and a copy of the “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” video game can take part in a treasure hunt on the island. Players seek hot spots that enable them to download content through Labor Day.
“It’s reaching the generation (of guests) who grew up with the movie, not the ride,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president, creative development, for Walt Disney Imagineering.
The island, which previously had about 2,000 visitors each day, has been getting as many as 8,000 visitors since the makeover, Grier said.
Disney is looking to draw visitors into other attractions.
In Tomorrowland, the Jedi Academy puts visitors into the “Star Wars” story and gives them a chance to battle Darth Vader.
Grier said the program has bolstered ridership at Tomorrowland’s Star Tours.
“Guests are enthusiastic about the changes,” he said.
At New Orleans square, musicians interact with guests, tossing beads to the crowds,though minus the flashing common at Mardi Gras.
Next year, another interactive ride is set for Disney’s California Adventure: Toy Story Mania in the Paradise Pier section of the park.
The ride features carnival games manned by the “Toy Story 2” characters. Riders, wearing 3-D glasses and seated eight to a car, will shoot color-coded toy cannons at a variety of targets. If the target is a balloon, the cannon will shoot virtual darts. If it’s a piece of ham, the cannon will “toss” eggs.
“If you love Buzz Lightyear, you’ll go crazy over Toy Story,” Fitzgerald said.
