Wandering the Land
June 10-11, 2007

The attraction's entrance.

The audio-animatronic seagulls in the lagoon shout: "Mine, mine, mine!"

After cruising the lagoon the submarines pass into the interior area where all of the Nemo effects take place.

The queue area is decorated with vegetation that resembles underwater plants and creatures like sea anemones.

Four subs can dock and be loaded at the same time. The subs are loaded from both the front and back hatches.

The staircase down into the sub is steep and narrow.

The submarine's interior - two rows, 20 seats per row. Push the seat down - they fold up automatically upon rising.

Each seat has its own porthole. Adults will have to bend down and lean forward for the full view. Smaller children should sit on a parent's lap.

View out the porthole.

In addition to the computer-generated Nemo characters, the ride includes static figures like Darla, divers, and other fish.

The sub passes by this ancient lost city.

And several giant clams - complete with giant pearls!

To celebrate the Grand Opening, Mickey and Minnie turned out in their nautical best.

As did Daisy and Goofy! (Donald is always appropriately attired.)

Crush the sea turtle thought the whole thing was "Totally awesome, dude!"

There were even some jellyfish "floating" around.

The Grand Opening ceremony featured comments from Disneyland President Ed Grier, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and Jay Rasulo, President of Disney Parks & Resorts, and a song and flipper-footed dance number from Dory and the snorkel gang.

But the ceremony was interrupted when a large whale popped up in the lagoon - can't launch the subs with a big whale there!

After some "whale speak" by Dory and the audience ("Pleeeeeeeeease goooooooooooo aaaa-waaaaaay") the whale is convinced to move along, while overhead the Disneyland monorail, decked out as a Finding Nemo submarine, glides over the lagoon.

The "submarine" monorail and the lagoon.

The whale seems to feel at home in the lagoon!

The Nemo Dream Mobile, a mobile version of the popular "Turtle Talk with Crush" show, was on-hand for part of the weekend. around.

The attraction opened to the public a little after noon - but people started lining up at 5:30 in the morning. Here's the beginning of the line at about 12:45...it stretched all the way around the lagoon past the Matterhorn...

And past the Matterhorn, where it switch-backed under the monorail tracks and down into the Fantasia Gardens seating area...

And up onto the terraced area along Small World way, where it doubled back on itself...

This Cast Member is standing at the entrance to the line, which was at the corner of the Matterhorn and Small World Way - at this point the end of the line was all the way down at small world, and estimated wait time was about 4 hours.

A new attraction means new merchandise!

Keychains and antenna balls.

Nemo popcorn buckets.

And colorful Nemo balloons!