- [Narrator] Be sure to stay tuned
to the end for a bonus anamatronic clip.
(upbeat music)
With the "Five Nights at Freddy," movie coming soon,
I figured it was time
for another animatronics video
and for the fourth year in a row, we're going to take a look
at the wonderful world of submerged animatronics.
So as voted on by the fans,
here are 10 of the scariest submerged animatronics ever.
Number 10, the pirates on Los Piratas
at Belgium's Bellewaerde.
"Pirates of the Caribbean," is perhaps the most
famous dark ride out there.
In addition to inspiring a hit series
of films that progressively got worse with each entry,
the ride itself is among Disney's most iconic attractions.
Wanting to replicate the ride's success,
several European parks opened their own pirate-themed
boat rides over the years,
some of which arguably lifted scenes directly
from the Disney attraction.
While some of these rides are still in operation,
many have sadly closed down.
One of these defunct experiences is Los Piratas
at Belgium's Bellewaerde.
With a ride system built
by German manufacturer, Mack Rides,
this attraction first opened in 1991.
Unlike the Disney attraction, this ride is based
on a real historical event.
Based on the Spanish
colonization of the Americas in the 1600s,
this ride follows a group of pirates
as they attempt to claim the Mayan's treasure.
Along the way, guests came across several Animatronics.
Though they weren't on the level of Disney,
the technology was still pretty impressive in its own right
and two of these Animatronics qualify for this list.
One of them is a pirate that rises above the surface
and spits up water, and another one is a pirate
that attempts to climb out of the water only to be clonked
on the head by a broom.
As with other underwater animatronics, the idea
of moving submerged mechanics is enough to send chills
down any submechanophobic's spine.
You can even see what looks like a wire
or a compressed air hose.
Honestly, I'm not sure.
Admittedly, this is a fairly
tame pair of animatronics for those who don't have
submechanophobia, but we're just getting things started.
Number nine, the hippos on Jungle Cruise
at various Disney parks.
Just like Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is yet
another famous Disney ride.
Whether you're at Disneyland or Disney World,
you're in for a relaxing, pun filled ride experience
with mock wildlife.
This ride has several iconic moments.
Who could forget the bathing pool
of the Indian elephants, the irate rhinoceros or...
- [Crowd] The backside of water.
- [Narrator] This ride is most well known
for its animatronic animals.
Originally, Walt Disney himself wanted to use real animals
on the ride, but the idea was rejected
since real animals tend to sleep during the day.
As a result, the ride experience uses animatronics
to simulate an aquatic safari.
Some of these figures are even in the water itself.
These animatronics alone are enough to generate
some serious submechanophobia but by far the most
iconic ones are the hippopotamuses.
True to reality, these hippos are extremely dangerous
and they can be found next to a decimated tour boat.
These creatures serve
as the rides antagonists, attempting to attack the boat
and among submechanophobics, they're the most frightening,
rising from the water with big gaping mouths.
Under the surface, a mechanism raises and lowers the hippos
and the thought of being trapped underneath can serve
as instant nightmare fuel.
Just add water.
As if hippos in real life weren't terrifying enough,
these robotic hippos are frightening in their own right.
Number eight, the pirate skeleton
at Florida's Magic Kingdom.
In addition to Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean,
the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland has plenty
of fun things to do.
One of the lesser discussed things to do is
an interactive scavenger hunt, named A Pirate's Adventure.
Near the entrance to Adventureland from Frontierland,
there is a small shack where you can start the game.
Here, you'll pick up a map and a small card.
Using the map, you go
around the park looking for various symbols.
Once you find a symbol, you can just scan the card
and the next clue will be revealed.
Various props and effects are used
and each map leads to its own treasure.
Right now, there are four maps, but usually there are five.
The fifth map involves searching
for a square shaped jewel.
On this hunt, the final clue leads
to a scene where a pirate skeleton rises
from the water holding the jewel.
As of right now, this figure is out of order
but normally , the figure is found right next
to the Swiss family treehouse
and the Jungle Cruise's entrance.
It's grimy appearance and the fact
that it's a skeleton definitely qualifies it
for the list and it's well concealed
by bubbling water before it surfaces
so you really can't tell how deep the water is either.
As simple as its movement is,
this is another figure you wouldn't want to be
in the water with, but overall, it's a pretty awesome figure
and hopefully, it will return soon.
Number seven, the giant crocodile
on Treno Delle Miniere at Luneur Park.
As of today, Luneur Park is the oldest operating
Italian amusement park.
Located in the capitol city of Rome,
this park has a rich history, including several
forgotten attractions.
One of these rides is a heavily themed rollercoaster
named Treno Delle Miniere, or mine train in English.
Built by Italian manufacturer, Pinfari,
this coaster featured extensive rock work
and a large scale anamatronic.
The photos and video of it are rare.
It was indeed a fascinating specimen.
This large crocodile ran on a track in a pool of water.
As the train passed by it, the croc would rise
above the surface and startle guests on board.
Though I wasn't able to find footage of it fully functional,
the size and scale
of this animatronic are easily worth noting
and there's no doubt
that it gave local children nightmares at some point.
Sadly, the ride closed in 2008
after Provincial officials closed the park
due to safety concerns.
While the park later reopened in 2016,
the coaster sat abandoned.
You can actually see the old animatronic
on Google Earth from a previous scan, but sadly,
no photos of it abandoned are known to exist.
A truly mysterious entry to this list.
Number six, the sea serpent
on Alibaba's Palace at Wallabi Belgium.
Yep, another Belgian Animatronic has made this list
and just like the other ones, this one can also be found
on an indoor boat ride. Though no longer an operation,
this boat ride took guests
through several set pieces inspired
by Middle Eastern folklore.
Specifically, the scenes were based on
"One Thousand and One Nights."
These scenes were brought to life
with a number of animatronic figures
but only one was able to make this list.
At one point, you'll come
across a scene depicting a sea monster attacking a boat.
Its large teeth, huge tongue
and bits of sail hanging from its mouth
made this a rather intimidating figure
and the fact that he was partially submerged
in water makes him a grade A candidate for this list.
Unfortunately, the ride would shut down
in 2012 and completely drained.
All of the scenery was eventually removed
in 2019 to make way
for the Popcorn Revenge trackless dark ride.
The sea monster is often forgotten about
and media of it is also pretty rare.
So if you have any memories of this anamatronic,
feel free to comment them down below.
Like what you see so far?
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If we can get to 400,000 subscribers by the end of the year,
I'll do a video on the world's steepest roller coasters.
Number five, the dragon
at Las Vegas Nevada's Excalibur Hotel.
The early 90s were a time known
as the family friendly era for Las Vegas.
This era saw the opening of several hotels
and exhibits, which focused on family entertainment.
At the time, the city was experiencing rapid growth
with many families moving there.
However, many of these attractions failed
and faded into obscurity.
Though the Excalibur Hotel remains a solid family
destination on the strip,
it once had another one of these family attractions.
First debuting with the hotel
in 1993 was a live show named "Merlin and the Dragon."
Set in the moat surrounding the castle,
this show started off with an enormous animatronic dragon.
This dragon was situated on a track
and had the ability to breathe fire.
While the figure was undeniably awesome, as all dragons are,
it was said to be a maintenance migraine.
Just like the currently decimated "Maleficent,"
anamatronic at Disneyland, this dragon was also
nicknamed Murphy.
Murphy's law states
that anything that can go wrong will go wrong
and that was certainly the case with this dragon.
Despite these technical issues, though, this show ran
for over a decade before closing sometime around 2004.
Interestingly enough, many of the show's elements
still remain in place today.
Though the mote has been drained,
Merlin's hut remains on the property.
Moreover, you can see the track that the dragon ran on
if you look closely.
Most notably, the dragon is still said to be
under the walkway sitting abandoned.
Number four, the dragon
on Bamboo Chutes at New Hampshire's Storyland.
That's two dragons in a row here.
Located in Glen, New Hampshire.
Storyland is a theme park targeted
towards families with small children.
In terms of theming,
there's certainly a lot of it with elaborately
designed attractions and a colorful atmosphere.
Some consider it to be one
of the best family theme parks out there.
There's also a Chinese themed log flume named Bamboo Chutes.
Awhile back, this attraction featured a submerged
dragon animation that sprayed water.
In the 90s, this figure was pretty unsettling.
There's something about the eyes that gives the
dragon an unnerving appearance
though the vintage look
of the video doesn't really help either.
Later on, the eyes were changed
and while I personally find him adorable,
many park fans said they were terrified of him as children.
Eventually, the dragon was moved to dry land,
most likely to make maintenance easier.
Number three, Carrot Tooth from the studio tour
at California's Universal Studios Hollywood.
For almost half a century,
Universal's famous studio tour has featured a segment based
on Steven Spielberg's "Jaws."
Today, this part of the tour features
a shark animatronic that rises
from the water and appears to defy gravity
by popping a wheelie with his tail fin.
Many submechanophobics already find the unsettling
but originally, the design was a lot more
nightmare inducing.
Upon the construction of this segment,
Universal officials requested
that the shark should have big teeth
like the one on the "Jaws," movie poster.
The result was a surreal animatronic
with giant white teeth shaped like carrots.
Guests at the time found this animatronic to
be goofy looking, but to be honest, the fact that it
doesn't resemble a real shark makes it much more unnerving.
The cartoonishness of how frightening it is
gives it a what the hell is that thing
vibe to it that doesn't exist with the animatronic today.
After the release of "Jaws 2,"
the animatronic was changed, losing its carrot teeth
in favor of a more realistic looking mouth
and though it may not be horrific as it once was,
it still remains an iconic section of the tram tour.
Number two, the robots
at Russell Speeder's Carwash chain.
Yes, I am in fact desperate enough
for new submerged animatronics to include that
I featured ones at a carwash.
You may not have heard of these animatronics before
but if you live in Nebraska, New York or Connecticut,
you may have been to a Russell Speeders.
This chain of car washes not only offers
unlimited monthly washes
for less than $40, but they also feature an exclusive line
of patented robotic figures.
These robots feature moving heads and arms,
spraying your vehicle
with pre-wash before the soap cycle.
They may not be fully submerged, but they do get pretty wet.
As for the design,
do I even need to explain why these faces are horrifying?
Just look at them.
You'd expect to see these grinning plastic mugs
on a horror movie poster.
Just imagine seeing one of these in a back alley at night
and keep in mind that I washed my car multiple times
in one week to get this footage.
This required me to get that monthly pass
and the people who work there probably think I'm insane
for washing my car so many times in one week.
You may be thinking, why on earth
would you buy an unlimited car wash pass
for the sake of making a video
about robots with water on them?
Well, maybe I've just lost control of my life.
Number one, Monstro at the Netherlands Efteling.
Efteling is without a doubt
one of the world's most acclaimed theme parks.
This park is deemed to fairy tales
with plenty of whimsical fantasy attractions.
In addition to some excellent roller coasters
and dark rides, there's also the Fairytale Forest
walkthrough attraction.
This attraction, described as a living picture book,
features set pieces based
on a number of fairy tales.
Such stories include "Hansel and Gretel,"
"Tom Thumb" and "Pinocchio."
Remember the scene in the Disney movie where
Pinocchio was swallowed by a giant whale?
Well, here, the whale is replaced
with what looks like a massive carnivorous goldfish.
This extremely detailed fish sits in the water
and is able to move his mouth and eyes.
Just think about how many kids got nightmares
about falling in and being eaten by this guy.
Perhaps the creepiest part
about him is the Pinocchio animatronic that appears inside
of his mouth.
Consider that a nightmare booster.
In all honesty though,
despite the voters declaring him the scariest of the list,
I personally find this animatronic more awesome than scary.
Efteling did an outstanding job with Monstro's design
and they've certainly earned their glowing reputation.
Think about how much time
and effort went into getting this animatronic
and the others on this list to work.
Engineering an animatronic is already impressive enough
but to get one working in water is an even more
arduous task, and for that,
you really have to give the engineers
and designers major credit.
Now for the bonus clip.
Recently, I visited the Magic Kingdom to get some footage
that you saw for the Jungle Cruise segment.
While I was there,
I visited the Country Bear Jamboree for the hell of it.
The audience there was super into the show
and to my surprise, they cheered Big Al
like he had just won the Super Bowl or something.
(audience cheers and applauds)
Clearly he has a major fan base.
Now it's time for the comment shout out program.
This is where I take five random comments
from my previous video and read them out.
These comments come from my video
on the top 10 tallest drop towers.
Fox on a Rollercoaster says "Voltrum is close
to me, very close.
I experienced a lot of Funtime and Intimin towers.
I can agree that this drop is very, very intense.
For whatever reason,
it's a lot more intense than Highlander.
To be honest, the most intense I've ridden.
The open restraints help a lot here.
I've ridden this tower close to 70 times now
and the ejector airtime is still amazing
and feels like a camelback on Expedition Geforce.
One very important record holder has to
be mentioned here as well, Hangover.
It's the tallest portable gyro drop tower
with 85 meters or 190 feet, made by Funtime.
Side note, I somehow think
that the standard sitting towers are more intense when
it comes to airtime compared to the ones
with tilting seats."
Mahemarlo says, "I once built a death park
in RCT3 with a ride named "Apollo 13."
It was a drop tower that launched people at max speed
and I built it at the smallest height possible.
Yeah, you can guess all the damages I caused in my park."
Tyler Glander says, "As always,
a great video that you have uploaded.
Keep it up."
Thanks, Tyler.
James Keating says, "My baby daughter
and I love watching your videos.
She especially likes your theme music.
I can't wait until she's tall enough to ride with us.
Thank you again for another great video
and keep up with the good work."
Thanks, James and Travel The Caribbean 2009 says,
"I've always loved drop towers.
Whenever me and my family goes to Kings Island,
I've always done the drop tower.
This has been an excellent video,
perfectly narrated and great shots of the drop tower.
Thanks for the video," and thank you for the comment.
Thank you all so much
and if you wanna support me on Patreon,
you can do so once again at the link in the description.
Thanks for watching everyone.
Feel free to like, share and subscribe.
If you wanna follow me on social media,
you can check out the links I put in the description.
This is Theme Park Crazy, and I'll see you all next time.
(upbeat music)