Les Mystères du Nautilus attraction at Disneyland Paris was recently updated (with mixed reactions from fans), so we wondered what Disney Imagineers who worked on the project had to say about it.
Photos courtesy of Disneyland Paris Resort
The Nautilus submarine was featured in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea written by French novelist Jules Verne, and in 1954, Walt Disney adapted Verne’s epic adventure for the big screen. The Disney movie featured the iconic Nautilus design by Disney artist Harper Goff that eventually made its way to Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris as Les Mystères du Nautilus, a walk-through attraction that allows guests to enter Captain Nemo’s ship and “discover some surprising seafaring secrets.”
Here’s a Q&A with Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Show Producer Louise Doré and WDI Principal Illusion Integrator Daniel Joseph, who discussed the attraction’s recent changes and updates.
WDI Show Producer Louise DoréWDI Principal Illusion Integrator Daniel Joseph
What was it like to work on the Nautilus?
Joseph: As a kid, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was one of my favorite movies. At the time, the former Submarine Voyage attraction at Walt Disney World was always something I looked forward to, and when I visited Disneyland Paris for the first time, I was really excited because the first attraction I wanted to see was Les Mystères du Nautilus. It’s so unique to the resort, and it lived up to the expectation.
Doré: Everybody knows the story of Captain Nemo (even though I must admit that when the project started, I hadn’t seen the Disney adaptation). Of course, now I have, and even though [the attraction] is still very based on the classic Disney movie, we’ve introduced a new story, celebrating the wonders of marine life in our oceans.
What was your role on this project?
Joseph: Within the Illusion Development Group here at Imagineering, my role starts with thinking about how to make something as magical and realistic as possible without actually doing that. And so, for the Nautilus, we discussed the show and how to “plus” the Grand Salon Scene with new technology and techniques that weren’t available when the attraction first opened 30 years ago.
We brainstormed and came up with a technique that has a 3D look inspired by one of our oldest tricks at the company: the multiplane camera. We did some tests and mock-ups and proved that when we looked through the oculus, we could achieve the illusion of a very deep, mysterious, and distant underwater vista.
Doré: As show producer, my role was to support this new project with all the different teams. We started almost two years ago, first by searching reference footage of underwater wonders. On the technical side, we changed the show control, the lighting to LED technology, and upgraded all the special effects.
There was also a complete refurbishment of all our props and accessories throughout the attraction by our Disneyland Paris Central Shop teams. For example, the organ was entirely refurbished based on the real prop from the movie. There was also a great deal of work done on the iris itself to ensure fast and fluid opening and closing to match our new show.
Did You Know? The original pipe organ from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” is located in the ballroom of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort
What guests will be able to enjoy on board?
Doré: Our guests are going to experience the wonders of the oceans while learning some fun facts about the marine world. To deliver that message, we recorded a new soundtrack specially orchestrated for the attraction as well as a new narration written by our show writers. It was an exciting project for me, I learned a lot, and I hope our guests will find the attraction equally wonderful.
Joseph: We wanted to tell a conservation story that would be more relevant today to our guests, and so now, as Louise mentioned, new encounters are happening in the Grand Salon. The cool thing was that with that project, we worked with our animal program at Epcot – marine biologists, animal keepers – all kinds of talented and amazing people we have within the Walt Disney Company who work every day with marine life. Having these scientific resources helped give the sense of realism to the Nautilus attraction that wasn’t possible before. I’m hoping the new show will live up to the classic and guests will continue to fall in love with this attraction.
Check out our videos below of the original and new versions of Mystères du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris. Which one do you prefer?
Original Mystères du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris:
Les Mystères du Nautilus walkthrough in Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris
New Mystères du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris:
Les Mysteres Du Nautilus Full Walk-through - Discoveryland - Disneyland Paris 2023 (After Refurb)
