Theme parks are a place of fun and excitement for thousands of traveling families every day. Children and adults alike flock to these popular spots for leisure and relaxation and for the most part, that’s what they get—but even a near-perfect vacation can have its scary moments even outside of October! For most, any average day in the park has its fair share of thrills but for others, certain attractions have a scare factor year-round.
Animatronics! Love them or hate them, they’re a staple of modern theme parks in places where the use of real people is limiting or impossible. Utilized as placeholders for beloved mascots and characters, animatronics help bring to life impossible creatures and drive the development of robotics ever forward—some are even waterproof. However, no matter how cute and furry these impressive animatronics are, they’re all still machine underneath—and disturbingly creepy to some people. Especially the waterproof ones. That’s right. Today we’re talking submechanophobia in theme parks.
If you’ve spent time on TikTok or YouTube, you’ve probably heard this term tossed around a time or two by now. For those who are unaware, submechanophobia refers to the fear of large, man-made structures partially or fully submerged in water. For many, the idea of a huge piece of machinery sitting idly, obscured in dark, murky water with all its intricate gears and mechanisms still in place is an unsettling idea — and even more so is the idea of being in the water alongside it! This phobia has grown in popularity in recent years particularly with the help of social media and as it turns out, theme parks are some of the most frequent offenders triggering submechanophobia.
Water rides that heavily feature animatronics have become a staple in theme parks worldwide, following the immense success of the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise, making them prime spots for some serious submechanophobic scenes. Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent examples.
Jurassic Park River Adventure
One of the most famous examples of submechanophobia in theme parks is the hadrosaur from the Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. This animatronic opened with the ride in 1999 and like the others of its kind, has begun to show its age over the years. This hadrosaur’s head emerges from the water alongside the boat and sprays at passing guests, letting you get up close and personal with the waterlogged dinosaur. As creepy as the aged and gradually decaying animatronic is, many submechanophobic people are bothered by what kind of machinery remains obscured under the calm surface of the water that keeps the hadrosaur working after all these years.
Universal
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
This entry on the list might be somewhat more unfamiliar than the others, with the ride operating from 1971 to 1994 and receiving little to no attention since. During its time of operation, this ride took guests deep into the ocean, following the characters and plot of the 1954 Disney adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. There, down in the murky depths, riders would come face to face with a sea serpent with rolling eyes and a goofy cartoony expression. As cute and Disney-fied as the creature was, there is still something unsettling about it. Worse still, when the ride closed in 1994, the sea serpent was left behind to slowly rot and decay over the course of ten years before eventually (and tragically) being destroyed. However, there is a couple pieces of good news from this story—at least one version of the sea serpent remains out there somewhere, purchased by a collector at an auction in 2018.
Video capturing the Sea Serpent from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jungle Cruise
Believe it or not, even Jungle Cruise itself can be an unsettling experience for some people — many of the partially or fully submerged animals make for an uncomfortable float down the river while you think about what would happen if you fell overboard! This beloved attraction takes guests through various sets of animals and explorers, punctuated by the skipper’s sense of humor, but while you enjoy the lighthearted atmosphere on the river, don’t think too hard about what’s floating below.
Themed around a riverboat trip through Asia, Africa, and finally South America, this seems like an enjoyable and leisurely experience for the whole family. However, several of the animals utilized in the sets are partially submerged underwater including a group of hippos that lurch out of the water toward guests. Their wide, gaping mouths slosh water around before sinking back below the surface, with you left to wonder what would happen if you fell in beside them!
Jaws
As if sharks aren’t terrifying enough for some people, Jaws, a ride that currently exists at Universal Studios Japan (with a condensed version featured on the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood) and used to have a place in Universal Studios Orlando, features the titular shark in animatronic form, lunging at boats guests are occupying, resulting in a few thrilling “near-misses” as the large fish swims by. In order for the shark to swim, it required a hefty amount of track and machinery underneath to propel the animatronic alongside the passing boats. When drained, the attraction looked something like this:
So why do we find submerged animatronics so disturbing? Perhaps it’s because our minds are unaccustomed to seeing big mechanical parts in places they don’t usually belong. Or perhaps it’s the fear of the unknown, where our minds supplement frightening ideas of what dangerous machinations could be below the surface, just inches from us as we enjoy a peaceful day at the park.
Whether it’s a fear of danger, fear of the dark and unknown, or a fear of animatronics, the idea submechanophobia has only grown more prominent on social media today. These are only a few of the unsettling submerged animatronics found in popular theme parks, and for the most part these are well-maintained. But for theme parks without as much of a budget to spare, these animatronics become run down and malfunction, making them even creepier to witness rising out of the water. If you’d like to see more, tell us in the comments!
