Iconic Figure Vanishes From Popular Disney Attraction, Upsetting Guests

These days, Disney Fanatics are likely to cover their ears and sing a happy little working song (a la Giselle from Enchanted and Disenchanted) when someone mentions changes that have been made to Disney Parks.

Unfortunately, yet another change has been made to a Disney Park attraction recently — and although this Disney experience is further afield than Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort, it features an icon who has now gone missing!

The old-school Disneyland Paris walkthrough attraction called The Nautilus has been closed for so long that it was actually thought to be officially abandoned, but Disney suddenly reopened the exhibit this July.

This reopening was a thrill for many Disneyland Paris Guests, but the good news soon turned sour as Guests started trying the new and supposedly-improved version of the Disneyland Paris attraction.

What Would Captain Nemo Say?

One of Guests’ favorite parts of this 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walkthrough attraction, which is inspired by the movie that’s inspired by the classic Jules Verne novel, was its signature giant squid.

Unfortunately, the giant squid — which was also a staple in this stellar Jules Verne novel from the author of the Percy Jackson series — has vanished from the Nautilus!

There are plenty of new special effects and technological updates to be found in the Nautilus experience, but unfortunately, these new shiny toys have not distracted Guests from the absence of their favorite cephalopod.

Not Even a Proper Goodbye, Written in Squid Ink

“They’ve made a mistake doing this,” Reddit user u/nolimitcosplay complained, declaring that they “loved the squid.”

One Disneyland Paris fan did speak up in Disney’s defense, pointing out that the squid “was looking old and the effect wasn’t that great in the end sadly,” but another Disney fan strongly felt that it was “sad to see another animatronic figure removed, only to be replaced with a screen.”

The giant squid from Disneyland Paris’s Nautilus has been removed 🙁
byu/PanicPixieDreamGirl insubmergedanimatronic

“It is very likely a case of wanting to make the attraction cheaper and easier to maintain. The squid was the most complex effect there, and without it, there isn’t much that can go wrong,” the same Reddit user mused.

Screens Replace Another Animatronic

However, even if screens are less prone to comical malfunctions or bizarre glitches than animatronics are, “screens just do not have the same effect as real sets or animatronics. They just look like screens.”

The Nautilus has been around since 1994, and it was preceded by the Disneyland 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction that used to be found in California.

Have you ever visited Disneyland Paris and tried out this version of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus?