Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage makes a big splash

In the film Finding Nemo, the little clown fish creates quite a stir after he informs his new tank friends he's from the ocean.

"Ah, the big blue. What's it like?" he's asked.

"Big and blue," Nemo replies.

Describing the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland is not that simple. Even after riding it during a media preview June 10, I'm still not sure how they make it work.

But it does work on many levels, beginning with the revamped subs themselves.

If you ever rode the old submarine voyage, christened in 1959, you're familiar with the general ride. But while this literally may be the Nautilus of your childhood, the view out the porthole is unlike anything you've seen before.

The animated characters from Nemo swim seamlessly into the regular underwater features of the lagoon. Each of the 40 passengers has his own window to the action, complete with great sound and some fresh air.

The ride begins with references to the old voyage, dormant for the past decade while park execs waged a battle akin to Red October over the future of the attraction. Little Mermaid -- no. Atlantis -- no.

Nemo provided the perfect match for the 14-minute ride. Not only are the characters amazing, the dialogue works for adults, too. Dory, the forgetful blue tang, enjoys an underwater volcano by announcing, "Look, a hot tub."

Some of the jokes from the movie are also passed along as you traverse a coral reef and shark-infested waters before it is inferred you are swallowed by a whale.

On opening day, 19-year-old Jordyn Mailer and her boyfriend waited three hours to ride.

"It was so cool," Mailer said afterward.

Yeah, but three hours cool?

"Maybe an hour and a half," she answered.

The sub ride isn't for everyone. Guests in wheelchairs or who don't want to go into the sub can watch a live video feed of what guests on the sub see from a separate room.

You have to descend a very steep spiral staircase to get on board. If you have claustrophobia, don't even try.

But one ride on the sub pushed it to the top of my son's all-time favorite list. My 2-year-old daughter, who had to sit in my lap to see out the window, loved the bubbles as we "descended."

Nemo is the major new attraction this summer at Disneyland as part of the Year of a Million Dreams promotion.

Guests in the park are randomly chosen each day to receive prizes. A tap on the shoulder and you could be spending the night in the swingin' Mickey Mouse Penthouse at the Disneyland Hotel. This suite is not to be confused with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel. It's high tech with separate bedrooms and bathrooms for the kids and adults.

You can also win Dream Fastpasses, which let you go to the front of the line at all of the popular rides. And there are new "Dreams Come True" events where you can interact with characters. Disney Princess Fantasy Faire is a chance to dance with Cinderella and Jedi Training Academy lets you duel Darth Vadar.

The other new attraction, which opened in May, is Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island.

Just about all references to Tom and Huck have been replaced by all things pirate. A pirate entertains as you board a "raft" across the Rivers of America in Frontierland.

Once on the island, you can explore caves, search for treasure and even bump into Jack Sparrow.

He took one look at the cast on my left arm and asked wryly: "Bar fight?"

If you hang out anywhere near New Orleans Square you'll see pirates, and quite possibly, get pulled into their act.

But the island itself is a great place for kids to stretch their legs and burn off a little energy.

If you want to check out the new attractions, try to get to the park early. The Nemo ride is not part of the Fastpass system and the ride loads slowly.

Two rafts move simultaneously to and from Pirate's Lair, and can hold about 50 people each. You may have to wait several raft rides to get across from either side. Pirate's Lair generally opens about an hour after the park does and closes at dusk.