Ah, Finding Nemo. This is a cute little Pixar film and I'd certainly put it in my Top 6 of Pixar films. But I'm not here to review the film, anyone can do that. Instead, I'll be taking a look at the attractions based on this film that can be found at the various Disney parks. Now like my previous theme park articles, I'll start with the attractions that I've actually seen in person. To start, we are going to Animal Kingdom.
Finding Nemo: The Musical - Animal Kingdom
Finding Nemo: The Musical is a musical adaption of the film and while it may not be of the length of a Broadway show, I do feel that that it is of that quality. I mean the puppets for this show are some of the coolest I've ever seen for any stage show.
The two that truly stand out in my mind have to be though are Mr. Ray and Crush. They are just so big and truly stand out in how wonderful they are.
Something I found amazing while watching this show was that even though I could see puppeteers, my mind didn't see them and instead I just saw the puppets as characters. It was sort of similar to when I saw The Lion King. Now another factor that certainly needs touching on is the music and it's quite good. Most of the songs take their inspiration from different lines throughout the film. Now for the most part, the songs are quite good and the composers actually do have a Disney connection. As you see the composers were Robert Lopez and Kristen-Anderson Lopez who would go on to compose the music for Winnie The Pooh (2011). Now I think the best way to get this across is to share one of their songs with you. And with that, I want to share my favorite song from this show. So I give you Big Blue World
I think this shows that this show perfectly captured the character of Marlin and Nemo but moreso Marlin then Nemo. Now for our next attraction, we're staying in Disney World but we are heading over to EPCOT.
The Seas With Nemo & Friends - EPCOT
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a saltwater aquarium that was formerly The Living Seas. Where guests can watch different sea creatures such as dolphins. Now there are other things to do such as a restaurant, the Coral Reef and a gift shop along with a few different hands on experiences such as DiveQuest. This is where certified divers get the chance to dive in the tank with the animals and the last two times, I went to Disney World, my dad and my great uncle did this and it was so much fun to watch. Now there is also a ride here as well. Also titled, The Seas With Nemo & Friends. You ride in Clams and just watch the characters. Now there really isn't to much of a story here except for that Nemo went missing again but really that is so thin, that you can ignore that aspect and just enjoy the characters. One of the coolest things is at the end of the ride is that the characters are projected onto the glass with the real sea creatures to where it looks as though, they're actually in the tank and we got lucky when I went on this ride because we also scuba divers and it looked like we saw people diving with Nemo.
All in all, this is a really fun ride and it surprised me how much I liked it when I went on it but it easily became one of my favorite rides at EPCOT when I went on it. Also, I should mention that even though this ride opened 2 years before Finding Nemo: The Musical. the imaginners loved that song I included that they decided to add it to the ride and y'know what it fits rather well.
Turtle Talk with Crush - EPCOT/Disney California Adventure/ Tokyo Disney/Hong Kong Disney/Disney Dream
I think this is the only attraction on this list that is in more then one park. Turtle Talk with Crush is one of the most unique attraction experiences, I've ever seen. This is the first of these interactive type attractions that was brought to the parks. There is a live VA actor and digital puppetry done to make the character feel real and Crush mostly interacts with young kids. Now while there is a script, there is also some improv. It was just so much fun to watch and you forget that this is just a character and feels like your talking to the real Crush save for the fact that he's not voiced by Andrew Stanton. I should also mention that Disney put this on their ship, the Disney Dream. Now apparently there are different endings and also keep your eye out because you may catch a Buzz Lightyear toy floating by and also Dory may make an appearance.
Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage - Disneyland
Well, we've come to the first attraction, I've not been on. Reading up on it, it does seem a little fun but a little cheesy in how they work in Nemo. Apparently guest board at the Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation (NEMO). Okay that is a little cheesy but I get what they are doing with that. Then apparently guests enter the sub and Marlin and Dory are looking for Nemo (again!). Geese, you'd think after the events of the film, Nemo wouldn't get lost so much. Now it appears the big thing with this attraction is that similar to the Nemo attraction at EPCOT, you see the characters in different settings but they appear closer and also it seems that other characters who do not appear on the other rides make an appearance such as Darla.
Crush's Coaster -Walt Disney Studios Park
Okay, this is a ride that I so want to come stateside. Right now it can only be found at Walt Disney Studios Park, which is a part of the Disneyland Paris resort. Crush's Coaster is a dark ride that takes place on the film set of Finding Nemo. Whoa, that's meta. And guests enter a soundstage made to look like Sydney Harbour and the first part of the ride takes place at the Great Barrier Reef, where riders meet up with Nemo and Squirt.
Thankfully, Nemo isn't lost this time. The second part of the ride takes on the EAC (East Australian Current) Dude, totally! Sorry had to throw that in there and here is where the ride gets really fun. It involves spiraling and churning which equals dizziness and sign me up for that because I love rides that make you dizzy. Now apparently this ride uses the same projection technology that both The Seas With Nemo & Friends ride and Submarine Voyage use. That's pretty cool and as you can, you cars are shells. Makes sense.
Now also as stated, this takes place on a film set and here is what that looks like and that actually makes sense considering that this ride is located in a section of this park called Toon Studio.
Disney, please bring this over. Crush is the coolest character in this movie and while Turtle Talk is indeed awesome, this seems even awesomer. Okay, Crush is one of my favorite Pixar characters and my favorite Nemo character and I so wish that I had put him on that Disney Dads list. Getting off track, I just wish you would bring this to Disney World because it would be ah-mazing! Okay, maybe I'm going overboard but I so wanna go on this ride and I don't know if I'll ever get to Disneyland Paris to experience it. Honestly, I'm okay with not ever doing Submarine Voyage because that while nice does not compare to how I feel about this. Okay back to earth. Sorry got swept away there but I just find this ride exciting. Okay, now we are heading back to Florida.
Finding Nemo Family Suites - Disney's Art of Animation Resort
Disney's Art of Animation Resort is the newest resort on Walt Disney World property and if you couldn't tell by the title, the theme is animation.There are 4 different wings themed to popular animated films, and they include Cars, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo. I've so wanted to see this resort because it looks so cool. It just seems like it immerses you into the world of Nemo quite well. I mean just look at Mr. Ray. Also Crush is pretty cool as well.
I think the rooms also really get into the spirit of Nemo. Here take a look.
Now I love this and while I'd think these are great. I think we all know, which wing I'd rather stay in. (Hint: it's Cars). Now I should mention that Nemo along with Cars, & Lion King are family suites whereas Mermaid is only standard rooms. Now there is also a courtyard with plenty of places to hang out that take their names from Nemo. Here is the list from the official Art of Animation page for the Finding Nemo Family Suites.
The Big Blue Pool—the largest of the pools at Disney's Art of Animation Resort
The Drop Off—A poolside bar
The Schoolyard, a water play area for the little ones
Squirt's Righteous Reef Playground
Now for the last thing, we are heading back to the Disney Dream
Explorer Pod - Disney's Oceaneer Club (Disney Dream)
The Explorer Pod is one of my themed spaces in the Oceaneer Club on the Disney Dream, where little ones can hang out. It mostly has computers and games. It's one of many themed spaces within this space.
So, there you have it. While not as long as my Toy Story in the Parks article, there is still quite a bit represented through the parks and on the ships.
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