While Discoveryland is the representation of the inventions from a few centuries ago, Les Mystères du Nautilus is an attraction that features the Nautilus, one of the many inventions once imagined.
Ode to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Nautilus represents Captain Nemo’s submersible, imagined by Jules Vernes in the book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
But it is above all a tribute to the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, produced by the Disney studios, with sets specifically recreated for Disneyland Paris, with the help of Tom Sherman, an expert in the subject. He has drawn over 250 drawings to help to detail the Nautilus in the best possible way.
A visit of Captain Nemo’s submersible
In this attraction, it is possible to visit six rooms of the submersible:
- The ballast compartment and the treasure of Nemo
- The captain’s room and bathroom
- The map room and its many nautical maps, including the island of Vulcania
- The diving chamber and its scaphanders
- The large living room where you can find works and other details. There is a window through which you can see the famous giant squid
- The engine room
A funny detail concerns the organ in Captain Nemo’s Grand Salon: the Imagineers were inspired by the organ in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, which is actually the organ used in the film (see above).
Initially, Les Mystères du Nautilus had to be inside Discovery Mountain (the project before Space Mountain), as well as Star Tours, the Discoveryland station and a restaurant dedicated to the theme.