The Disney Nautilus Window

Have you ever done that mental exercise where you pretend your house is on fire and you only have time to grab one item? Well this is that item for me. Yes even before I wake the kids to tell them they are on their own, I would race to save this item. (kidding)

If you were lucky enough to be alive when the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride was open at Walt Disney World (Orlando for those who are confused.) then you may very well have pressed your nose up onto this window as you peered into the forbidden depths of Capt. Nemo's undersea world.

20K was as far as I am concerned the greatest ride ever. It closed as it was simply too expensive and did not carry the number of passengers in a day that the other rides did. Not to mention being on some pretty decent real estate. In 1994 the ride ceased movement and the wonderful Nautilus submarines were taken away forever. But not before someone at Disney decided to take the windows off one and sell them at the Gallery in Down-town Disney, as well as the former Antiques and Collectible shop at the entrance of MGM. Disney only removed the windows from one submarine.

Less then 40 of these were available for sale. I believe the asking price was around $250.00. I have a receipt somewhere. I have not seen one come up for sale in over a decade.

Sometimes I wonder if I perhaps pressed my nose up to this window and looked down below at all the great stuff to see. Either way, this is one Disney Keepsake that will be with me for a long time. 

Now is that the way it happened....or did I hop the fence at the back lot and procured it myself? I forget sometimes.