EURODISNEY FRANCE
Jules
Verne was French. So it’s only natural
that the French people would have a warm place in their hearts for 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea. Voyez! Les Mysteres Du Nautilus! Entrez, mes amis!
The
entrance sign.
Dominating the approach to Les Mysteries is this
nearly full-scale waterline replica of the NAUTILUS, seemingly afloat in a
man-made lagoon.
Inside the exhibit building (not actually in the sub itself)
are recreations of the interior NAUTILUS sets.
The organ shown here is the original used in the movie, later seen in
Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION, and then flown to France especially for this
display. (Does a ghostly image of
Captain Nemo seem to come and go in the mirror, or do your eyes deceive you?)
Entering
the Salon display.
And perhaps taking a cue from the original 20,000 Leagues
Exhibit in Disneyland, beyond the salon window of this NAUTILUS, visitors
encounter the monstrous giant squid. C’est
un grand calmar, non?
One of my favorite parts of the sub was the dive
chamber. In France, they have combined
that display with the equipment locker, and we see Nemo’s diving gear staged
alongside that of a crewman, ready for use.
A closeup
of the NEMO and DIVER helmets.
Captain
Nemo’s quarters.
The
Chartroom.
Of course,
the star of the show is the giant scale waterline NAUTILUS replica. Very authentic looking.
In this scene we see the lagoon drained for
maintenance. Here, we become aware that
the NAUTILUS is not really a fish of steel, but actually a construction of
concrete.
A close view of the high-and-dry NAUTILUS reveals its true
nature, and lays bare the surrounding floodlamps and air lines which add to the
visual effect when the submarine is immersed.
Just add
water, Et voyez! Les Sous-marine
Nautilus!
A
whimsical postcard from Disneyland Paris.