Changes
/* Development and Construction */
Inside of Sea base Alpha, guests could see a "television" system that allowed them to follow various divers’ activities. One camera would be set on the sea floor, the second mounted on a robotic device which followed the diver, and finally, one would be on the diver’s helmet itself. In the research facility, guests would also be able to see a series of exhibits that not only showcased underwater life, but also the future of underwater science. Unlike its successor, the original plans for The Living Seas pavilion’s architecture called for a two story pavilion, with a glass roof. As designs for the pavilion changed, and the entire Living Seas took on a more serious tone, the glass ceiling was replaced by a conventional one.
Due to this change in tone as well as logistical issues, construction on The Living Seas was pushed back. In 1980, plans for The Living Seas called for both an extensive dark ride, titled "The World of the Sea” which would have allowed guests to enter “bubble-like vehicles” to experience various dramatic ocean scenes, and the elaborate Sea Base Alpha. Eventually however, either due to a change in tone, or United Technologies’ (the pavilion’s sponsor) unwillingness to fund the elaborate pavilion, the layout of The Living Seas was altered before construction. Instead of the elaborate dark ride that would have led guests to Sea Base Alpha, a preshow video and short trip through the aquarium were instead installed. The pavilion was now designed to essentially be two parts, the large Coral Reef tank, and Sea Base Alpha- where guests could look at the future of underwater research. After a series of setbacks, construction on The Living Seas began in March of 1984, and the pavilion opened to the public on January 15, 1986.
===The Living Seas Presented By United Technologies (1986-1998)===
When The Living Seas opened, it featured three connected attractions, and the Coral Reef Restaurant. After winding their way through the queue (where guests could see historical artifacts from the history of sea exploration), guests watched a short film called The Seas. This movie, showed how water made life possible on earth, and also how our understanding of the seas have developed. After watching the short film, guests entered the hydrolators, which were elevators that took guests "down" to the ocean floor (although in actuality they did not move anywhere), before they were loaded into their Sea Cabs for the Caribbean Coral Reef Ride. The Caribbean Coral Reef Ride took guests through the ocean's depths (the Coral Reef Tank) in omnimover fashion, to Sea Base Alpha. Once at Sea Base Alpha, guests could explore various interactive exhibits that allowed them to learn about marine life, and the technology that makes underwater research possible. From Sea Base Alpha, guests could also look out into the various tanks. After exploring Sea Base Alpha, guests could enter another set of hydrolators and exit the pavilion.
