Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

“Land ho!” The Nautilus makes its way through the streets of Tampa on the way to Magic Kingdom Park.   All photos copyright The Walt Disney Company. All photos via the ' A Timeline of Fantasyland ' site.

Okay, so I read a rumor online that one of the 20k ride Nautilus subs was "dry docked" behind The Land pavilion in Epcot. I chuckled and thought that was just silly, wouldn't it be behind The Living Seas? At least that makes sense. But I was curious and had to know for myself, not being a Cast Member or a Florida resident I needed either a WDW insider or a satellite photo. I chose satellite photo, surfed over to Google Maps, typed in the address and here is what I discovered... Now, do my eyes deceive me or is that indeed the shape of one of our beloved ride vehicles? You can compare the outline of the image in the photo to these blueprints... I do not know how long ago this image was shot, could be a year or more old at this point. So, number one: Is it still there? Number two: Why is it there? And number three: How am I going to get back there to take photos of it for myself?! Anybody up for a road trip?

Fantasyland WDW - a History - part 1 of 3 from Martins Videos on Vimeo . It`s a Small World original version 1971-2003 multi camera and source audio, plus a look at the rehab Skyway to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland day and night - multi camera with lots of points of interest from days gone by (16:03) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - the attractions history and demise, multi camera ride thru and remastered soundtrack.

Another good day on eBay and we have some more amateur shots of the 20k ride, I've also included three Disney press photos of the ride under construction, so enjoy! The first two photos were shot in 1974. This photo was taken in 1985 from the Skyway ride. Here's an overhead shot of the ride, you can see the layout of the track for the subs to follow and the building that housed the dark portion of the ride. Its interesting to note that this building shares a very similar footprint to the one that was contructed for the Ariel/Little Mermaid ride in the Fantasyland expansion. Check it out HERE . Here an Imagineer is applying gold leaf to one of the underwater sculpture pieces. Interior work on one of the Nautilus submarines.

I only rode this ride a handful of times, on one visit to WDW, in the late '70's. But the skill of Disney's Imagineers, the magic of the Disney film and the Victorian steampunk sci-fi of Jules Verne has left a lasting impression. I am (almost) heart broken that Maddy will never get to experience the mysteries of the deep or the thrill of a giant squid attack for herself, good thing we have the movie for her to watch! Anyway, I made a couple of purchases on eBay this week and picked up some great vintage photos of Walt Disney World. Among them are a Disney publicity shot of the 20k lagoon and one of the Nautilus subs... I love the crew members in costume walking her deck, as if preparing to set sail from Vulcania! These next pix are by the gentleman I purchased the photos from - Bill Cotter. check out his website for more great vintage photos on sale: World's Fair Photos And here are some aerial views, shot during helicopter tours of the Magic Kingdom (I've highlight...

In Rediscovering [Walt] Disney: Part 1 I included two images from Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. One of the Nautilus submarine from the 20k ride and another of the "Banjo Kings" on Main Street USA. What I didn't mention is that these two pix are actually postcards that we picked up on our trip in '78. I did post them on my facebook page along with the others from '78 and 1991. So now I am going to post them here for your enjoyment, and under each card is the description from the back of the card. Click on the postcard to see a larger version. "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" - Mysterious sunken worlds and strange deep sea creatures lie ahead for guests joining Captain Nemo aboard the submarine Nautilus, for a voyage 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. "Cinderella Castle" - Beautiful Cinderella Castle, with spires reaching to the sky, marks the gateway to the happiest land of them all... FANTASYLAND "The Country Bear Jamboree...