Finding Nemo in the Living Seas
Written: Mar 04 '05 (Updated Oct 14 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great for hot days, rarely crowded, Finding Nemo update is an improvement
Cons: Not really that many fish, boring movie, nothing too spectacular here
The Bottom Line: This is a nice place to spend an hour, and children will like the 'Finding Nemo' attractions, but there is nothing too impressive here.
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| chelledun's Full Review: The Living Seas Pavilion |
Last weekend was our family's first visit to the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot Center in about three years. There were some improvements, such as the general sprucing up of the attraction to include popular characters from Finding Nemo. However, sadly, one of my favorite parts of the attraction had been a three minute ride in cars on a conveyer-belt through the aquariums. This ride offered better views than can be seen from above the aquariums, but was no longer offered. The following is a review of the attractions currently offered at this attraction.
Briefing Room
Upon entering the pavilion, guests have the option of entering a theater for a brief movie called The Seas. This movie lasts less than ten minutes and focuses on exploration of the seas. The movie is sadly dated, and even its underwater shots are very unspectacular. This is too bad, because undersea discoveries could be a fascinating topic for a beautiful film to put the guest in the mood. Perhaps Disney will update this to match the rest of the attraction. Because the film is dull and a bit loud, I recommend that those with small children bypass this part of the attraction and proceed immediately to the hydrolators.
Hydrolators
The 'Hydrolators' are elevators that are intended to take guests to the bottom of the ocean for exploration. These elevators simulate downward movement through bubbles rising out the side windows, but actually don't move. The opposite door opens to release guests to Seabase Alpha. Although this is a cute concept, sometimes the hydrolators can be annoying because they get crowded after the film. If you hang back a big and wait for the second batch, you will have a lot more space.
Sea Base Alpha
This is the main area of the attraction. It features an open center with attractions surrounding it, on two floors. Escalators and elevators take guests between the two floors. It doesn't matter what order you tour the various attractions in, so move according to avoid crowds.
The following are some of the available attractions when we visited.
Bruce's Sub House
This is one of the new areas themed on Finding Nemo, based on the shark in the movie. The area is geared toward young children. There are several shark themed activities kids can play with and climb on. This is a good place to take photos. We enjoyed the wooden shark who made menacing noises a guest stuck his or her hand in its mouth.
Nemo and Friends Area
This portion of the attraction features a series of aquarium tubes, each showcasing an animal from the movie. These include seahorses, jellyfish, stingrays, and, of course, clown fish. The decor is bright and cheerful, a definite improvement from the displays before the update.
Turtle Talk
This was our favorite of the updates. Guests are ushered into a small theater at set times for a show featuring "Crush" from Finding Nemo. Crush is a cute turtle who loves to surf and talks like a surfer. Although he is animated, however, Crush can actually respond to the questions asked by the audience, and will speak directly to children. From our visit it seemed that Crush could see people in the front row the best. If you have a small child who would like to interact with Crush, try to position him or her at the front of the theater, and help them come up with a question to ask the turtle in advance. The humor is appropriate for children and still entertaining for adults.
Observation Areas
From both the first and second levels, guests can view the exhibits sea animals. Huge aquariums are full of fish, dolphins, and even small sharks. The best places to view these animals seem to be from the second floor, down the long corridor. These exhibits are ok, but do not really compare to a major aquarium or Sea World in terms of variety and quantity of undersea life.
One of the most popular features is the manatees, who are adorable and very affectionate with each other. Throughout the day visitors can watch the keepers feed these animals lettuce and answer guest questions. Ask a staff member when the next feeding is if you are interested in seeing this.
Other Exhibits
There are also examples of antique diving equipment and some places where children can try on an underwater suit.
Dining
The Coral Reef restaurant allows diners to view under sea life while eating. This restaurant is fairly popular, so advance reservations are recommended. It specializes in sea food, of course, and also has a children's menu.
Gifts
There is a small cart and a surrounding area to purchase gifts. We found this area to be busier during this visit than previous ones, probably because the focus has been changed to Finding Nemo merchandise. However, much of the same merchandise is available elsewhere in larger gift stores.
Overall...
The much-needed sprucing up and theming does add to the atmosphere of this attraction. However, it is still not one of the more exciting areas of Epcot. The focus seems now to be even less on the actual fish and undersea mammals and instead on the Nemo attractions. The introductory film definitely needs updating. This pavilion is rarely crowded, and is a good place to go when the whether is hot to spend an hour. However, as aquariums go, it will not knock your socks off.
*Planning a trip to WDW? These other reviews might be helpful...
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Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Families
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