The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Epcot

 

INTRODUCTION

The Sea Makes Our Planet Unlike Any Other Known To Man!

The Seas with Nemo and Friends slowly evolved from 2004 into the pavillion you see today. The remake has been quite refreshing offering new ways to learn about the sea and breathe life into what was once a tired, old poorly attended Living Seas pavilion.

Located in a corner Future World, to the right of The Land, is the Seas with Nemo and Friends. As you approach you'll see a garden area with eight sculptures of Finding Nemo characters including Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and Gil.

ATTRACTION

In early 2004, the Living Seas pavilion began to transform into what has just been re-launched as "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" featuring exhibits themed to the popular Disney-Pixar movie, Finding Nemo.

Picking up where the motion picture "Finding Nemo" left off, the ride-through attraction in a colorful coral reef setting features technology that causes the stars of the motion picture to magically appear swimming amid the live marine life of a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater environment -- one of the largest such aquariums in the world.

Photos of the re-themed "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" pavilion in Epcot's Future World.

 

The Seas with Nemo and Friends -- Board "clam-mobiles" and meet Mr. Ray and his class on a field trip and soon learn that Nemo has wandered off. The journey in search of Nemo includes familiar characters such as Dory, Bruce, Marlin, Squirt and Crush. These deep-sea friends inhabit a variety of vibrant vignettes, including the actual aquarium containing more than 65 species of marine life. In the musical finale, Nemo is happily reunited with his class and friends. Grand Opening January 2007

Turtle Talk with Crush! -- This is the headliner in the Living Seas. This interactive show debuted in November 2004, and features a computer-animated version of the surfer dude turtle from "Finding Nemo" in 10-minute conversations with visitors. The reviews have been excellent and kids especially love this new attraction! CraigC writes: "Crush is an interactive 3D animation that talks with the audience. He looks at the person he's talking with and really interacts with people. For example, the host will ask a kid his name and Crush will say "Hello, Jimmy." He makes jokes and takes questions from audience. The show lasts about 10 minutes and is very enjoyable." His friend Dory, makes occasional appearances with Crush. More Reader Reports and Turtle Talk with Crush Photos!

 

Bruce's Sub House -- Adjacent to Turtle Talk with Crush, is a new hands-on play area geared to kids. The area features some of the more toothy characters of Finding Nemo (including Anchor and Chum) in shark-themed playsets for crawling on, around and through, as well as an open-jawed replica of Bruce the shark (below left), which you can crawl inside -- it makes for a great photo op for young and old alike. Along with the opportunity to blow off a little steam, kids can learn a few things by lifting the flaps on and reading through the various displays (below right) around the dimly lit room.

 

 

Nemo and Friends! -- Worth a trip for folks of all ages. You can search for Nemo and Marlin (Clownfish), Blue Tangs (Dory), Starfish (Peach), seahorses (Sheldon) and stingrays (Mr. Ray). You can also check out the Can You Find Nemo? habitat, the Great Barrier Reef display, the stingray viewing habitat, Mr. Ray's Lagoon, and my personal favorite, the Jellyfish! This new exhibit is simple and low budget and yet enchanting, all at the same time.
More Nemo and Friends Photos!

Mr. Ray's Lagoon - watch the stingrays swim around as you wait to get into Turtle Talk with Crush.

 

Life Support Systems Exhibit and Undersea Robotics - Climb into an open-backed diver's suit and try to use your hands!

Take the time to explore the model undersea research facility of the future. These exhibits are worth the time. The latest technologies in ocean surveillance and management can be seen in use, including robotic submersibles, space-age diving suits and communications systems used by oceanographic institutes for monitoring the undersea world. There's also a human-powered "Submousible," which was designed by volunteers from Sea Base Alpha and entered in competitions.


Diver crews from Sea Base Alpha conduct experiments on marine mammal intelligence and on water chemistry within this ecosystem. A tethered submersible containing an underwater camera gives guests a diver’s view of ocean activities. 

Large-screen video shows man's attempts to harness the ocean’s resources. Visitors can then walk into a two-story central viewing area, completely surrounded by sea windows that allow them to see the divers  up close, carrying out research with marine mammals -- dolphins and sea lions. 

Restrooms are located on Level One.

Level Two

At the entrance to the Observation Deck is the Duty Roster, which has the schedule of presentations for the day. "Sea Base Alpha is a working marine research center. We invite all guests to observe the daily research activities at the times listed. A member of the Sea Base Alpha team will be in the Observation Deck to explain the work during each scheduled activity."

The Observation Deck provides another perspective of viewing the sea life.

Visit the Manatees on the 2nd level. Meet manatees who have been rescued and are being rehabilitated before being released into the wild. Each manatee eats approximately 50 pounds of food each day. Overhead television monitors show a short video on the manatee.

Ocean Resource Exhibit - an aquaculture exhibit about farming and husbandry of aquatic plants and animals.

Epcot Attractions At A Glance

DINING

The pavilion features a most unique dining experience in the Coral Reef Restaurant. Here you can dine in front of windows 50 feet long and eight feet high, allowing you to view the faux-Caribbean coral reef. The seating is terraced for optimum viewing.

Some of the sealife you might view during your meal includes:  Brown Shark, Cow-nose Ray, Green Sea Turtle, Tarpon, and Grouper. Lunch and Dinner are served at the Coral Reef, which underwent a "face lift" in 1999 and is now beautifully decorated in a variety of blue-shaded tiles. To enter the Coral Reef, exit The Living Seas and walk to the far right of the pavilion.   

Background music in the Coral Reef is original compositions by Russell Brower.

Additional Note for Parents -- Coral Reef might also be a place to consider bringing your children. The full wall aquarium is entertainment in itself, and there's a nice children's menu, as well. Please be considerate of those dining close to the aquarium and try not to crowd them while they dine.

Full Dining Review of Coral Reef
Epcot Restaurants At A Glance
Menus From Around the World
Vegetarian and Other Special Diets

ENTERTAINMENT

There is no live "entertainment" per se in the Living Seas, aside from the aquatic life.

For more information on Epcot Live Entertainment, visit Steve Soares WDW Entertainment Website.

TOURING TIPS

Tour the Seas with Nemo & Friends when you have time to spend inside; you will miss the experience if you rush through the pavilion.

Turtle Talk with Crush is a VERY popular attraction. The theatre is very small. Expect VERY LONG waits! Go early in the day or just before the last show.

Watch the manatees at feeding time from the upper level.  Also, be sure to watch the short film of the birth of a manatee at the Living Seas.

Kids will enjoy the Undersea Robotics area on Level One where they can get into a diver's suit and try to use their hands.

If you catch a glimpse of the Sea Turtle, you are very lucky!

Great photos ops outside the pavilion in the Finding Nemo Sculpture area (at right). Also, Nemo and a Living Coral make live appearances during the day (check your times guide).

Three special tours are offered at the Living Seas for an additional fee, DiveQuest, Epcot Seas Aqua Tour and Dolphins in Depth.

Assistive Listening Devices from Guest Services Can Be Used Here.

Reflective Captioning Available for the Pre-Descent Briefing Theatre

KIDS AND CHARACTERS

Kids love the Living Seas and especially Turtle Talk with Crush! Children should sit on the floor in the front of the theatre.

While waiting for Turtle Talk with Crush, be sure to take Mr. Ray's POP Quiz!

The large Nemo and Friends sculpture outside the pavillion makes a great photo op.

Nemo and the Living Coral make appearances outside the pavillion near the Finding Nemo Sculpture.

Epcot Characters At A Glance
Character Meet and Greet FAQ!

SHOPPING

Sea Base Alpha - Aquatic gifts including dolphin themed items.   This shop has one of the best selections of pavilion specific logo merchandise in all of Epcot!  You can find Living Seas T-Shirts, hats, refrigerator magnets, pins, postcards, keychains and more.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion measures 203 feet in diameter, 27 feet deep and contains 5.7 million gallons of salt water.

The Aquarium is so large that Spaceship Earth (160 feet in diameter) would fit inside with room to spare.

There are more than 70 varieties of fish and other marine animals, with a total of over 8,000 inhabitants. 

The Seas holds 5.7 million gallons of man-made sea water; a standard swimming pool holds 20,000 gallons of water.  One inch of water from the surface here can fill a standard swimming pool.

The acrylic windows into the restaurant have very little distortion or magnification of the marine life and objects.

The window panels in the 2nd level observation deck measure 8 feet by 24 feet and weigh 9,000 pounds each.  They range in thickness from 6 to 8 inches. 

Nearly two tons of food is produced each week for the inhabitants of the Seas. The dolphins dine on herring and capelin, the West Indian manatees eat lettuce, carrots, sprouts and fruit. Animal nutritionists at The Seas manufacture the coral out of dental plaster, mixing in ground fish and other food in the process. Divers place about a dozen of these out each day, and the parrotfish and other coral crunchers eat them up. 

The pavilion uses a reverse-flow filtration system.  This process forces impurities in the water to the top, where they flow out with skimmed water.  The water is fed into the filter system, then returns to the main environment through the ocean floor.  Between these two points is an extensive cleaning system. 

The Pavilion was added to Epcot in 1986 and originally sponsored by United Technologies. It took 22 months to construct the pavilion. 

As Michael Eisner began the January 1986 Grand Opening of the Seas, Diver Mickey Mouse was joined by Diver Frank Wells to help cut the ribbon.

The pavilion was originally designed with the guidance of an advisory board of experts in oceanography and related fields. The centerpiece of this attraction is the world's largest saltwater aquarium tank, which is 203 feet in diameter and 27 feet deep. Within the tank is a complete man-made coral reef inhabited by sharks, tropical fish, rays and dolphins, all exotic and colorful forms of life that normally colonize Caribbean reefs. 

Until late October 2001, you would have entered 2-passenger Seacab vehicles for a three-minute voyage along the ocean floor, through tunnels, past the entire coral reef seen through six-inch thick crystal-clear windows. However, this part of the attraction is now closed indefinitely. You exit the Hydrolators into the Gift Shop and should walk into the Sea Base Alpha area (2 floors).

The background music playing outside the pavilion is the original Epcot music. Songs include: "The Seas" Music by Patrick Gleason, "Atlas of the Living World" Music by Richard Bellis, "Suited for the Sea" Music by Ralph Ferrara, "Nitrogen Boogie" Music by George Wilkins Lyrics by Scott Hennesy Vocals by B.J. Ward.

From 2004-2005, the Living Seas underwent a slow rehab bringing it back to life. The overall theme is now tied into the animated feature "Finding Nemo"!

Prior to the October 2006 reopening:

Prior to the 2004-2005 Rehab: