Top 10 NIGHTMARE Underwater Animatronics -SUBMECHANOPHOBIA

[@EternalWhispersASMR]

Its not even mainly the uneasy feeling the animatronics evoke, its the thought of falling in with them that scares me the most

[@AdventistPrepper]

yep! instant death!

[@lily5458]

right the thought of it makes me want to cry and throw up LOL

[@bigjefe2]

Exactly

[@WhiteRoses77]

Exactly

[@irishelen9077]

Exactly, I would rather be in water with a live alligator

[@GabeTheGrump]

I'm not afraid of the dark, water, animatronics, ect but one of my worst nightmares is getting stuck on one of these water rides and sinking into the water having to swim my way through the darkness surrounded by these robots. Just this specific combination creeps me out. Even imagining being a worker that has to go in and do maintenance on one of these face-to-face sends chills down my spine. Especially if you're forced to do it in the water without it being drained first or the lights go out in the middle of working and you're stuck in the dark.

[@jaycebowman7173]

People had to go in to the water with Moby Dick to fix him😳😱

[@yvonnejanssen5931]

For me it's the way the robots decay in the water overtime. The paint flaking off, the latex tearing, the metal becoming rusty etc. It makes me feel gross!

[@Dizma_Music]

I didn’t have this fear until reading your very eerie description… xD

[@ivenothumbs]

That's submechanophobia 😂

[@kaitourobin840]

Like back in 2019 or so, when I still had Disney Plus, they had a mini series interviewing different workers with very specific jobs. Example: Train Diver, Candy Maker, Plaster Artist, Seamstress. And, of course, the underwater mechanic. He was originally trained in the US military as a professional scuba driver. And yes, he did all the mechanics at night, in the water, with a flashlight.

[@schagerbaantje]

Fun fact about the Pinocchio monster Fish at Efteling: this is actually based on the original Italian story of Pinocchio. When Disney made the well known Animated movie they changed into a giant whale to make it less scary for kids.

[@nicolebrown622]

My fiancé and passed mother in law are from Belgium and they both talked about Efteling together so often. She left us a bunch of books and music cds of the park. I want to go so bad. Maybe soon

[@NatYourAverageNerd]

I always find this tidbit fascinating because, as an American who grew up with the Disney version, Monstro the Whale continues to be an iconic movie monster from my childhood.

[@Stalemarshmallow]

Yup, it was called the dogfish

[@i-haveseen-things]

@@nicolebrown622 i can go there if my parants want to because i live near it

[@monsterhanna6691]

Kinda ironic considering he still freaks me out to this day. Even as an adult. 😂

[@fastpassfacts]

The mystery of the dragon in Excalibur has indeed been solved: the dragon is, in fact, still there.

[@ThemeParkCrazy]

Yep! I added the arrow after I finished the narration. I didn't recognize the scales at first, but he is there as of now. Thanks for commenting!

[@Stalemarshmallow]

Poor guy. I think about him all the time 🥺

[@IntenseDragonWagon]

I feel like that human-like animatronics underwater are scarier than monster or animal-like animatronics underwater. It reminds me of the ending scene of Friday the 13th

[@Lady_Iris7]

AGREED

[@chumon1992]

Yeah, animals are supposed to be in the water in many cases. Humans...not so much..

[@Unholyfrog32]

Yes. Even near water. I was on a ride with my friend and it was a flume ride and I literally passed out

[@Averyr91]

To me, animals or monsters scare me more. But I guess all of em scare me, it just isn’t as terrifying to me as some underwater sea monster about to drag me down.

[@MissYamIherexxx]

You'd love (or hate) the Jason statue underwater then

[@Scrofar]

You jest, but that carwash animatronic is legitmately horrifying. Thank you for committing to the service of warning us of such a horrible creature, so that we may steer clear of such a presence.

[@burf90]

Not at a theme park and not technically underwater (though the original would have been), but it's the only animatronic that ever actually scared me. I went to one of those museum animatronic shows that popped up after the first Jurassic Park movie was released. This one featured sea creatures and they had a 40 ft long mosasaur (huge mouth, lots of teeth), but it was only about as high as a person and right at eye level. Just as I walked past it's head, the eye looked right at me and it turned it's head toward me, mouth open. Thinking of that still creeps me out to this day. (The mosasaur makes its movie debut in the Jurassic World.)

[@aczme12]

Is there a video of this? I wanna see it!

[@burf90]

@@aczme12 I haven't found a video and I know I didn't take one at the time. But those animatronic dinosaurs aren't cheap, so that thing is probably still horrifying people somewhere in the world. I did find an image that's pretty close to the one I remember, except the modern one is more colorful. Just do a Google search for "kawah dinosaur", then when you get to the site, search for "mosasaurus". That second picture is pretty darn close to what I saw, except it was right on the floor and I was about 3 feet from it when it moved. You can see the scale from the people in the photo.

[@aczme12]

@@burf90 Will do!

[@knightofarkronia9968]

At least it isn’t on a track!

[@burf90]

@@knightofarkronia9968 Yeah, it was plenty creepy as it was. I'd have been even less happy if it was chasing me.

[@christianortiz-v1l]

I rode Jaws when I was little & I was PETRIFIED by the shark animatronic.

[@absoluteterror9098]

Same, I still can't believe a guy actually fell into the water with it.

[@AZampardi]

There's something about an animatronic bear at a Disney park casual singing about a gruesome, gory scene that you just have to applaud. Blood on the saddle, indeed.

[@OlivierJujubesPunctuel]

12:23 fun fact monstro was firte designed to be green and more creepy but parents found the design to scary so they chanched it (Sorry for mistakes i am Dutch so some words are hard to write)

[@octosquid48]

Don't feel ashamed, English is a complete mess of several different languages anyway -a fellow English speaker

[@fairybarflettuce9549]

If you look up the dragon from Excalibur, you can see some pretty interesting pictures and videos of it abandoned under the bridge. Great vid as always!

[@emmadrinksbleach3246]

there’s a full length video of an exploration!!

[@kylele23]

I don’t know why, the idea of being underwater with something that cannot stop its path or slow down, while you are slow and swimming, is just super creepy to me. It’s something that will never happen especially with how shallow that water with animatronics usually is, but it somehow still spooks me. Jaws spooked me because it comes so close.

[@SilhouetteValentine]

I don’t think you’ve lost control of your life. Going to a car wash multiple times a week with your camera out to get footage of terrifying animatronics seems like the picture of a life under control to me. Love, the person who would 100% do the same

[@athenasasmr7472]

I have severe submechanipobia and yet I still watch these videos, haha they cause nightmares but they are still interesting to me 😵‍💫

[@yugioht42]

The dragon from Excalibur does have footage of its current state. The dragon is in very rough condition and is pretty much rusted to nothing. It’s waterproof skin is in rags. It’s pretty much rotting away. The desert heat can either preserve or destroy and well it’s destroying the dragon. The footage is from a urban explorer who heard rumors of the dragon and sought it out. He had to sneak past security and found the dragon in a machine shop as the water did it no favors. Yeah that gate held a machine shop. Unfortunately it’s where the dragon is staying as Excalibur does not want to deal with the dragon at all and refuses to sell or display it.

[@coltonandjen]

One of my favorite series, it seems no matter how many videos on animatronics I watch, there's always something I don't know about featured here

[@Z-Man-lz]

I love submechanaphobia countdowns too, Submerged animatronics are my favorite!

[@Ikwigsjoyful]

I think I might have the opposite problem to submechanophobia - I generally found these creatures to be kind of cute (especially that shot of the hippos out of the water - the ear wiggles were adorable!). And I felt so sad for the poor animatronics just left to rot when their rides closed. The car wash guys were pretty scary though, and they would definitely make me jump if I didn't know they were there; thank you for washing your car so many times just to get footage of them for this video! Your high degree of dedication is very much appreciated!

[@bruceaskew2107]

Us fans really appreciate the car wash footage bro , your dedication is truly valued

[@LuchoPz]

I love the concept of making animatronics that go in the water. The ones in the Jurassic Park River Adventure are my favorite. Keep up the amazing videos!

[@Lady_Iris7]

"I think its because ive lost control of my life." Was hilarious. But tbh i do appreciate the car wash animatronics being put on this list. I didnt know they existed!

[@deboralee1623]

"...bits of sail hanging from its mouth..." (6:49-6:51) Narrator, i'm glad you said that, 'cause i thought those shreds of sail were indications the sea serpent was in major disrepair.

[@goodandbadgames2275]

I have got a feeling that I am the only one who found most of these animatronics absolutely awesome or not scary at all. Although I can see why someone might be scared of it. Anyway, amazing video as always

[@ThemeParkCrazy]

Honestly, I'm the same way, although the Russell Speeder's ones are pretty unsettling.

[@goodandbadgames2275]

Same here really, I think they are darn terrifying. Also thanks for the comment, I am a huge fan

[@SilhouetteValentine]

On the flip side of submechanophobia, I find underwater animatronics AWESOME!! I remember Murphy at Excalibur and that was what made me fall in love with animatronics and think the underwater ones in particular were the coolest thing in all of existence. I’m one of those weird freaks who would LOVE to dive in with most of them! (With a few exceptions. Lookin’ at you, freakishly enormous King Kong)

[@blusterthebenevolpede4137]

He's still waiting for his chicken parm. But for real, that one feels very dangerous to be in the water with, I'd imagine it'll grind anything in its path to a pulp just by sliding past it. And that massive dinosaur one at Triassic Park is absolutely horrifying too.

[@sharknadoman1015]

Another awesome Submechanophobia video as always. Keep up the good TPC!!

[@Iguanodon-fb7rs]

The "crocodile" is supposed to be a Tylosaurus, i think. Or at least what people back in the day thought it looked like.

[@anthonymoca4361]

I remember when the Bamboo Chutes' dragon was still in the water- the old one as well. The old one had grimy water marks streaking from its eyes, nose, and (open) mouth. It wasn't a pretty sight, but event after they changed it, it was still an element of the ride I kept in mind when going on the ride.

[@rubyisalwayssleepy8775]

I live in the US, so I never knew about Efteling! Fairy tales were a big part of my childhood, so now I’m looking at their website and am blown away by all the care that seems to be put into their park.

[@-SunshineandRain-]

yayyyyy finally he talked about the dragon at story land! that thing has terrified me for years!!

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Big Al reminds me of my late Uncle Homer. LOL! Monstro @ Efteling is amazing! Knock off Pirates is good too. Who'd a thunk it. AA's in a car wash! Thanks for that footage!

[@captainsarcasm1567]

Honestly the "Pirates Adventure" was really fun when I went. Love the interactive stuff

[@heartbeatzgirl4075]

Of all the things to mention from the Efteling, you failed to mention the one subanimatronic that used toabsolutely terrified me as a kid; it's in Fata Morgana and it's an animatronic of a scary prisoner that is drowning in his cell. It's absolutely horrifying. 😅

[@Mutsel]

So true! I'm 47 years old right now and I still think it's horrifying! 😂 Fata Morgana is my favorite ride in the Efteling. ❤

[@Just_Shifted.]

Yes so true

[@chim-chimney]

That Country Bears clip reminds me of when I went to Disney World years ago and saw it. The crowd seemed kinda bored throughout the show, but the moment Big Al came on, pretty much all the adult men (including my dad) in the audience cheered him on like he was at the Super Bowl

[@PersephineKore]

I really appreciate how you went out of your way to find new attractions for people likr me who has already seen all the popular ones. You're also one of the few youtubers who don't exaggerate or frivolously misinform viewers. New subscriber!!!

[@enchantedemilyn]

So stoked to see Storyland on this list! It was my favorite park growing up and I loved the Bamboo shoots but that dragon was NIGHTMARE FUEL

[@Lighting_Desk]

Merlins dragon was there, and was fairly recently confirmed and filmed in a video. Its in a pretty haunting state.

[@SammyyNico]

i sadly haven’t been up to date with theme park crazy for a few months, but im marathoning the ones i haven’t watched yet lmao

[@RhythmAnimates]

I'm gonna watch the whole series and take a shot everytime he points out that an animatronic is in water

[@FTChomp9980]

Finally another Submechanophobia video! I love this series.

[@JXstudios61]

The jaws carrot tooth always scared me because of creepy he looks some people say it’s Goofy and yeah it does look a little silly but sometimes at night or afternoon he looks super creepy I’m glad they changed him hes new look makes him look more like a shark

[@heartsiies]

i’m just horrified of animatronics in general. i have this thought that one is going to fall on me (i’ve been scared of that since i was a child) and i am just so nervous around them lol

[@marsb7]

The Russell Speeder Car Wash man was the beginning of my submechanophobia. I still refuse to use that car wash as an adult 😂

[@mushroomking8039]

The skeleton animatronic from the Pirate's Adventure game particularly creeps me out because I've been going to WDW for years and never knew it was there. Thinking about how it was there, hiding, the whole time is creepy! EDIT: same goes for the crocodile animatronic in Italy minus me going there all the time. Thinking of an abandoned animatronic just... lurking is creepy, submerged or not. ... but next time I go I should go play the game... I never did it cuz I kinda assumed it was for really little kids or something

[@B4T48]

Just imagine being in dirty water, trying to swim out and then, you see an man-made creature, swimming to you, moving it's mechanic jaws, making a metal sounds. Fear of my whole life.

[@nintendoswitch2927]

13:4 the Efteling Monstro was actually created by a man who worked at the Efteling but traveled to Paris where he helped by creating the hyperspacemountain.

[@DamienXavier1828]

I live in Iowa, right on the border of Iowa and Nebraska. I go to Russel speeders every week to wash the car. Those statues are so freaky. Russel looks just happy…but the girl (whom I call Russette) is horrifying. Seeing her gives me chills everytime. These car washes are great tho. 10/10 video

[@scootwinch]

So…I had completely repressed that goddamn Bamboo Chutes dragon at Story Land. Now I know exactly where my submechanophobia originated! Thanks, Theme Park Crazy!

[@Colaholiker]

If it wasn't for this channel, I wouldn't even know that submechanophobia is a thing... 😅

[@kayc_x3]

Omg I am so glad to hear that Country Bear Jamboree is getting some love!! It’s always been one of my favorites. Maybe they’ll bring back the Christmas show one day!!

[@Just_Shifted.]

That Monstro thing at Efteling also has a horrible smell of Fish

[@sadgirl7321]

4:44 the old withered look gives it a nice charm to the skeleton acting like it’s got a personality

[@sophiec1528]

When I was a teen I nearly fell out the back of the Bamboo Chute ride vehicle because my grandfather insisted on being in the front seat and during the ascent the weight distribution was way off. I had to dig my hands and legs into the side of the vehicle to prevent my falling onto the conveyer belt underneath (the ride does not have restraints). I have never had such an experience on any other log flume. It sounds dramatic but I swear it happened like this.

[@DeathMetalDerf]

I don't understand submechanophobia. I definitely don't have it, and they never scared me as a kid except for the Jaws and King Kong rides at Universal Studios, and the reason those scared me had more to do with the close proximity to fire on King Kong, and the smell of burning fuel bothered me on Jaws. I wasn't at all scared by the animatronics themselves.

[@red10909]

thats the concept of phobias, they are irrational fears, like theres people that are scared of bugs, but not all bugs are dangerous, same thing with submechanophobia

[@JulieCaptivatedinFl]

The jungle Cruise native "dancers" draped in original boat fabric before it was changed...They chant " We Love Disco., We Love Disco. " We were told this during a Keys to the Kingdom Tour. You go underground WD World, Orlando and learn secrets.

[@gregoryrogers8224]

Me : Has submechaniphobia Also me: oh boy another submechaniphobia vid

[@Sarah-vo2qu]

I love that I didn’t know about any of the animatronics in this video! And while the ones at the car wash are a stretch, they’re ones that wouldn’t be covered by most theme park-oriented videos, so they were a really cool inclusion!

[@matthewflora5362]

What is it about animatronics in water that feels so wrong? There's the fact that metal and electricity are notoriously anti-water, which makes them feel extra-unnatural. There's the fact that robots are, by definition, unnatural, and so do not occur naturally in nature, giving them an Uncanny Valley effect when you see them in or under the water. And then there's the fact that so many of them are based on predators. Though, let's face it: running across an animatronic robot human underwater isn't much better.

[@StarlightPeach]

I did NOT expect Storyland to make an appearance on a list like this! That dragon was my favorite part of the Bamboo Chutes when I was little; it never even occurred to me that he'd scare people.

[@clouddoodle4132]

I did not know those car washes had animatronics! You learn something every day

[@TheMarionick]

I love it whenever an Efteling thing ends up on the number 1 spot on a foreign countdown. Efteling is my favorite thing in the world and I live in the same country as it.

[@_Veryx_]

THAT SEA SERPENT IS HORRIFYING AND I DONT EVEN HAVE SUBMECHANOPHOBIA

[@laserixx5058]

I absolutely love the car wash animatronic dedication 😂

[@WillLasvegas]

The dragon in las Vegas is in deed still there! Someone got backstage when the mot was drained and went into the area and recorded the falling apart dragon! its a great watch and very scary too, the dragon is massive and looks horrifying! The channel is by Freddy Trap, also Fastpast Facts goes more in depth about the dragon on their channel too.

[@minertitan9890]

The dark open room with just the boat on pirates of the Caribbean scares me with a passion

[@jadedk1tten]

the more self aware humor in this one rly got me lol

[@itzvosje8922]

The Ali baba ride at belgium wasnt inspired on 1001 nights, it was stolen from Efteling Fata Morgana. Efteling was building that ride and someone leaked the whole layout to the park in Belgium. They build the Ali baba ride faster and pretended it was their design, but actually it was a rip-off of the Efteling ride that still operates and is way better quality. When you copy someone do it better not worse lol xD Also Fata Morgana has a nice animatronic for this list: a prisoner who is drowning. They also have some crocodiles on that ride.

[@moiraatkinson]

I can’t get over the animatronics at the car wash 😂. Our car washes in the U.K. are much less exotic. I don’t even know if we have animatronics at theme parks, I’ve only ever seen actors dressing up.

[@dollenrm]

I mean ive never heard of that car wash chain most car washes in the US are probably just as basic as yours. Lots of do it yourself car wash/cleaning station places as well

[@Skur_vr]

The dragon in bamboo shoots got changed and now it’s again pretty terrifying

[@northrailproductions]

Didn’t expect a local park near me to be in this! (Storyland) and yes the dragon scared me when I was younger

[@Christintu]

I love your videos and your little jokes make it more entertaining to watch and learn from the old history from these old parks is really crazy.

[@QDude24]

Ali Baba at Walibi Belgium was actually a ripoff from Fata Morgana at Efteling, rushed to be completed before the aforementioned Efteling ride

[@ThemeParkCrazy]

I admit, it's pretty well done for a rushed knock-off.

[@QDude24]

@@ThemeParkCrazy Some sources mention that Walibi actually had spies at Efteling to steal concept art, but this has never been proven

[@jpskellington6195]

One past memory as a child was the Canyon Water Ride at Great America Gurnee, IL. In the opening years I remember an animatronic snake head within the cave section. I know it was removed within a couple years but I still veared away.

[@yingyangdevious]

Thank you for getting your car washed multiple times for that footage. Those things are HORRIFYING. 😳

[@lindyzuurmond405]

About the fish in the Efteling. As a kid I've been to the Efteling multiple times. And the Pinocchio is not that old, so it didn't give me nightmares because I was not a kid anymore. But I can imagine it being nightmare fuel for a child 😅

[@E6ORE]

I know this is silly, but does anyone else struggle to watch these videos on the pot? Some dumb part of my brain is like "THE ANIMATRONIC IS IN YOUR TOILET WATER!". Lol.

[@Sozitante]

i LOVE that you shows others parks then just disney or universal!

[@talflick]

those russell speeders robots are even worse at night in the winter. nightmare fuel for sure

[@cromulentwords]

Carrot Tooth is honestly one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[@naarahjanemorris3121]

Thanks James for another Informative Video keep up the good work.

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

I never was afraid of machines underwater, but when I was little I worried about swimming in rivers and lakes in California only because of a big log or a big fish bumping my leg. In the ocean I usually wasn't afraid of anyone or anything. If the water was warm I had no problem with swimming way way way out beyond where the waves would break. I'd swim out there where the jet skis were jamming until I found out swimmers in Hawaii weren't supposed to do that. Odd because my daddy was in Pearl Harbor when the big battleships were being attacked and my dad's ship just barely made it from the harbor before it got bottle-necked. (USS Tangier) But even at the Arizona Memorial, knowing how warm the water was, I never felt creeped out by the sight of her resting on the bottom. It just didn't make me feel anything but pride.

[@poohbear4515]

As a 40 year old, I was born and raised in Nebraska and I NEVER EVER heard of that car wash at all. Glad i didn’t.

[@ShockedPool]

The giant crocodile is a Mosasaur

[@iseetheisland]

I went to efteling last year, and that fish is genuinely incredible. But there's something you failed to mention! The most unnerving part of it is that if you actually watch the inside of its mouth for a bit, Pinocchio moves. He will be sitting down at the bottom on a chair for a bit, then the fish will close its mouth. It opens back up and suddenly he's instead, peeking out like you showed in the video! For me, that detail of making there be movement and life inside the fish is really what makes it so incredibly impressive and, yeah, extra unsettling!

[@lazykatie42069]

ngl I lost it at the car wash animatronics section, that was so funny

[@BluJay722]

I feel bad, he went through the car wash many times to get that footage.

[@spindleclown]

I know this sounds cheesy, but gosh, your videos always make me so happy. I always smile when I see a new upload. Thank you.

[@ThemeParkCrazy]

You're very welcome 🙂

[@eugenia4134]

Funny you should mention FNAF at the beginning, one of the FNAF books is actually titled “Submechanophobia”! If any submechanophobics out there want to freak themselves out with a great short story, give it a read! Fantastic video as always!

[@sunnyquinn3888]

The creepies don't really kick in for me unless the underwater mechs are abandoned and in disrepair. I think at least part of the psychology behind it is the similarities to a decaying corpse.

[@Kait16xo]

Next time I go to the conservatory near me I need to get footage of their submerged whale fountain. If I remember correctly, I don’t **think** it’s an animatronic, but it’s still worth showing

[@BAKED_Z]

I remember I always used to go to moreys piers at wildwood NJ and the log flume ride had a under the boardwalk section and I had nightmares of the huge sea serpent figure lurking under and above the water

[@chumon1992]

Oh my gosh the little fox peeking out of the barrel at efteling. So cuteeeee

[@EftelQuint]

It’s funny you say that, because he is one of the villains in Pinocchio’s story, so he’s not meant to be cute.

[@chumon1992]

@EftelQuint oh thats meant to be honest John? Hahaha yeah I never would have known that as he looks more like Robin hood there haha but tbh the one in the film was adorable too XD

[@EftelQuint]

@@chumon1992 He is. I do indeed see the resemblance to Disney’s Robin Hood.

[@chumon1992]

@EftelQuint hehe still cute tho. I don't think I could ever think of a fox as anything but cute haha

[@TheJFish94]

Could you add the Wildcat at the Washington Country Fair for Rhode Island for the 50 States, 50 Coasters video?

[@RollerCoaster_Central]

Finally a new animatronic video!!!!

[@anj4899]

I've been on the Bamboo Chutes, but I never knew the dragon was an animatronic and not a statue. It must have been out of order when we visited :(

[@savannahpatterson9588]

There was…BLOOD on the saddle. And…BLOOD all around. And a great, big, puddle…of…BLOOD on the ground.

[@gerarddip]

Yeaaaa storyland let’s go nh boiiis!

[@memesaregood4072]

finally after so many years someone is talking about the horrible car wash animatronics

[@MissFanCulture]

Love this video series!

[@Rae0814]

I think Big Al was so popular was because he has this slightly creepy, yet lovable design

[@deboralee1623]

🎶"...An' a great, big puh-puh-puddle of blood on th' grah-ound"🎶

[@le4hx]

"popping a wheelie with his tailfin" 😂😂

[@InspectorGadgetFan2024]

I wasn't actually scared of the submerged hippos when I was at the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland, California. I know. I'm totally a crazy girl.