How Imagineers fought Disneyland execs to save an ancient ride. And won.

The gleaming blue lagoon holds 9 million gallons of water, populated with vibrantly colored sea life and vivid yellow submarines that glide under a churning waterfall beneath the Disneyland Monorail. The ride offers a gentle, relaxing submarine voyage with an optional hidden route and has faced intense debate and preservation efforts by Imagineers. Guests board a research submarine operated by the N.E.M.O. institute to search for the missing clownfish Nemo while viewing ruins, scuba divers and Pixar characters through portholes. The attraction averages about a 30-minute wait and uses the original submarines installed in 1959, linking it to early park history and inspirations like 20,000 Leagues and the USS Nautilus.

The allure is undeniable: The gleaming blue lagoon, sparkling in the sunshine, holds 9 million gallons of water, with vibrantly colored sea life just below the surface. Vivid yellow submarines glide across, halfway submerged, disappearing into a yawning cave covered by a churning waterfall. Above, the Disneyland Monorail glides overhead into the Tomorrowland station. It's one of the park's most gentle and relaxing rides, especially if you choose the hidden way to experience it.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an underwater boat ride that puts guests onto a research submarine operated by the "Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation Institute," or N.E.M.O., to find the little missing clown fish from Pixar's 2003 film "Finding Nemo." Along the way, through the portholes of the sub, riders see the ruins of ancient civilizations, scuba divers and characters from the movie - including Marlin, Dory and, of course, Nemo himself.

The ride is perennially popular. According to Thrill Data, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage has an average wait time of about 30 minutes, well below the park's most popular rides but solidly in the center of the rankings. It's also one of the park's oldest and most historic attractions, using the same submarine boats installed in 1959 for a ride called Submarine Voyage.

Read at SFGATE