More news from the land down under: Orange County, California, not Australia. Yesterday’s Orange County Register reported on the soft opening to the media and select annual passholders of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride at Disneyland Park before its grand opening today, June 11. From the sound of it there are now two Disneyland attractions where you ride into a whale’s mouth. From the initial page, follow the link to the “Nemo launches” feature to view some very promising video footage from this new attraction. Also, visit here for the beginning of a more extensive photo tour and our own Animated News sneak peek photo album. UPDATE: The official press release (which also includes information on the pending Toy Story Mania ride) follows:

FROM THE SILVER SCREEN TO DISNEYLAND RESORT: ‘FINDING NEMO’ & ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ FILMS INSPIRE NEW ATTRACTIONS & ENTERTAINMENT DURING DISNEY’S YEAR OF A MILLION DREAMS CELEBRATION

ANAHEIM, Calif. – June 11, 2007   The subs are once again diving and the pirates are even more conniving as Disneyland Resort launches into summer during the Year of a Million Dreams celebration.
 
Disney officials today dedicated Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, the much-anticipated return of a classic attraction with a technological twist that immerses guests into the colorful underwater world of the clownfish Nemo and his friends.
“We’re here today to celebrate a classic Disneyland attraction which, through a brilliant marriage of phenomenal storytelling and innovative technology, has been transformed into a vibrant new experience – one that will no doubt rekindle nostalgic memories for many adults,” said Bob Iger, Disney President & CEO.  He praised the team from Disney/Pixar Animation, adding, “We’ve drawn fresh inspiration from the terrific story that our colleagues at Pixar created for their brilliant landmark animated film, Finding Nemo.”

Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts, noted that Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage continued a legacy of innovation in family entertainment at Disney Parks.

“The return of the Submarine Voyage is a dream-come-true,” Rasulo said.  “How many kids – who have since become parents – have wished to take their own children on this magical voyage of discovery beneath the ocean waters?”
A weekend of festivities surrounded the official launch of the submarines, with dozens of celebrities from the world of film, television and sports experiencing the attraction and the new Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, where the excitement of the summer’s blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, comes to life in a new, immersive entertainment experience.
 
The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Pirate’s Lair attractions are just part of the fun of Disney’s Year of a Million Dreams, a first of its kind celebration of guests’ dreams at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. 

Some of the Year of a Million Dreams fun unveiled during the event included:

• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage:  Officially opening to Disneyland park guests today, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage features extensively enhanced versions of the original 1959 Disneyland submarines in a brand new adventure.

  Submarine voyagers go on an underwater expedition and discover Nemo and his finned friends from the hit Disney?Pixar animated film, Finding Nemo.
  Thanks to cutting-edge imaging technology created by Walt Disney Imagineering, Finding Nemo characters come to life right before guests’ eyes in the brilliantly-colored lagoon.  The submarine vehicles are enhanced in a number of ways, including a conversion from the diesel power of the 1950s to environmentally friendly, fully electric power.

  With new on-board audio, guests hear the sounds and voices of the underwater characters as they move alongside the submarine.  Sounds are synchronized to travel along with the figures using a four-channel, stereophonic sound system. Throughout the voyage, guests can eavesdrop on the exploits of favorite Finding Nemo characters like Dory, Marlin, Crush the turtle, Bruce the shark and, of course, Nemo.

  After experiencing a sub-shaking volcanic eruption, the vessel dives alongside a breathtakingly beautiful coral reef where Marlin, Nemo and all their friends gather to celebrate the successful expedition.

  In addition to the wonder of seeing Nemo and his friends swimming off the 2-D silver screen and into the 3-D lagoon environment, guests are immersed in astonishingly colorful environments. Walt  Disney Imagineering used recycled glass to provide a sparkling deep sea environment that also will last longer under water.
    

• New Immersive Entertainment Experiences: Pirates plunder, princesses reign supreme, Jedi Masters rule and guests catch Wildcat Fever in four new immersive entertainment experiences at Disneyland Resort.  At Disneyland park, adventurers can explore the new Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island while lords and ladies can join the royal court in Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, and Jedi warriors can duel with Darth Vader at the Jedi Training Academy. And at Disney’s California Adventure park, guests of all ages can show their team spirit at the High School Musical Pep Rally.
• Disney Parks Offers New, In-Park Wireless Fun:  Pirates aficionados who are gamers can find a bounty of buccaneer booty thanks to a Disney Parks wireless initiative that brings technology to life like never before.

  Created in partnership with Disney Interactive Studios for Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts, guests with a Nintendo DSâ„¢ and a copy of the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Nintendo DS video game can download content only found in Disney Parks in Southern California and Florida.  At Disneyland, half the fun is discovering “hotspot” locations in New Orleans Square (hint: as every pirate knows, X marks the spot) for downloads that unlock new content, such as unlimited health and “savvy” as well as fun extras and additional costumes. This special content is only available in the parks through Labor Day Weekend 2007.

• Purchasing Disneyland Resort Theme Park Tickets Now More Convenient Than Ever: “Disney’s eTicket” is the newest option for guests purchasing tickets to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks.  Officially launched April 30, 2007, Disney’s eTicket offers guests the ease and convenience of purchasing their tickets online – 24 hours, seven days a week – and printing them in advance at www.disneyland.com/eticket.  Once at the theme park, guests with Disney’s eTickets can go directly to the park entrance without waiting at ticket windows.

The Dreams Never End:  What’s Next?

In addition to lifting the curtain off of some of the newest attractions and experiences at Disneyland Resort, Disney officials also gave a sneak-peek of exciting things to come, including:

• Toy Story Mania Sweeps Disney’s California Adventure:  Coming in 2008, Disney’s California Adventure guests will be transformed into Toy Story “maniacs” when their favorite Disney?Pixar pals take them inside a fun-filled adventure in a new immersive attraction, Toy Story Mania.  Celebrating the Disney?Pixar hit films Toy Story and Toy Story II, Toy Story Mania will take the interactive ride-game experience to exciting new heights. High-tech yet rooted in classic midway games of skill, Toy Story Mania will immerse guests into the “Toy Sto
  ry” world as never before. Donning 3-D glasses, guests shrink to the size of a toy and hop into fanciful ride vehicles that travel and twist along a colorful midway-themed route.  Upon arrival at each game booth, they will take aim for animated targets using their own special on-board “toy cannon.” As guests score points, they will be cheered on by favorite Toy Story friends including Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Bo Peep and the Little Green Men.
• Disney Cruise Line Returns to West Coast in 2008:  Disney Cruise Line announced it will return to the West Coast for the summer of 2008 to once again offer its highly popular seven-night Mexican Riviera sailings aboard the Disney Magic. Beginning May 25, 2008, the Disney Magic is scheduled to sail 12 consecutive seven-night cruise vacations from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.  Guests booking a Mexican Riviera cruise can combine the enchantment of a Disney Cruise Line vacation with the fun and excitement of Disneyland Resort by booking a two-night pre- or post-stay at one of Disney’s three Anaheim resort hotels.

About Disney Parks’ Year of a Million Dreams

Highlighted this summer by the Grand Opening of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disneyland Resort features a full lineup of immersive character encounters and other “Dreams-Come-True” experiences. Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida are making literally millions of dreams, large and small, come true for eligible guests. Many money-can’t-buy experiences—from exclusive Dream FASTPASSES for popular Disney attractions to around-the-world vacations or a stay in the special Mickey Mouse Penthouse at the Disneyland Hotel—will be awarded at random. There are opportunities for guests to meet and play with Disney Princesses at Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, join a band of pirates at Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, duel with Darth Vader at Jedi Training Academy, or show some school spirit in the High School Musical Pep Rally.
For more information about new attractions, the Year of a Million Dreams, and vacations at Disneyland Resort, guests may visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or visit local travel agents.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win in the Disney Dreams Giveaway. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open only to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico & U.K.   Void elsewhere and where prohibited. Giveaway runs October 1, 2006 – December 31, 2007 (mail-in entries postmarked starting September 18, 2006 & received by January 14, 2008 on a 3.5×5 postcard with complete name, address, daytime phone#, birth date and proper postage sent to PO Box 8629, Elmhurst, IL 60126 USA). U.K. residents only mail to 483 Green Lanes, London N13 4BS. Penthouse stay will be awarded most days starting December 1, 2006, will likely be awarded early in the day and will be for a stay that night. Approximate retail value of Mickey Mouse Penthouse Stay US $572. Prizes range in value from US $3.83 to US $83,701.       All prize awards are subject to verification. Odds of winning on a given day depend on the number of eligible participants at a selected location or within the mail-in entry pool for the time or date (as applicable) selected. Subject to official rules at www.DisneyParks.com/rules. Sponsor: Magic Kingdom Productions, Inc., PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.

For residents of Canada, a mathematical skill-testing question must be correctly answered to win any prize.

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