Changes

Although The Living Seas was originally planned as an opening day pavilion for EPCOT Center, the pavilion did not open until 1986 <ref name= "martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?tag=the-living-seas-pavilion </ref>. Part of this delay was the fact that both the design and tone of The Living Seas changed drastically during this time. The original concepts for the pavilion were more fantasy based then scientific.According to the 1977 Walt Disney Productions Annual Report, with one of the early ideas for an attraction within the pavilion allowing guests to “Board the clipper ship ‘Spirit of Mankind’ to sail through moments of peril and triumph with seven legendary mariners, the great explorers who charted the seas for civilization”<ref name= "Hill"> http://jimhillmedia. com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2006/06/06/2772.aspx?PageIndex=1 </ref> By 1980 it was apparent that the pavilion would not be opening with the rest of Epcot Center in 1982. Instead, Disney originally planned to open the pavilion in 1983. In the 1980 book Walt Disney's Epcot Center, the Seas pavilion is described: {{Quotation| "Visitors to The Seas pavilion will explore the wonders of the aquatic frontier through two major presentations. First, "The World of the Sea," a ride-thru experience presenting various ocean environments; and second, "Sea Base Alpha," a futuristic undersea research station complete with a 5,000,000-gallon tank supporting a living coral reef community." <ref name= "intercot"> http://www.intercot.com/edc/LivingSeas/lsconstr.html </ref>}} Another early concept would have begun with guests entering The Living Seas and seeing a preshow where the Greek god Poseidon would calm a raging storm. After the preshow, Poseidon would have narrated guests on their dark ride adventure<ref name= "Martin"/>.. This dark ride would have been a fully immersive experience, with shark attacks, shipwrecks, and various special effects adding to the excitement<ref name= "Martin"/>. Guests would eventually enter the pavilion’s 200 ft. tank at the rides conclusion. Following the dark ride, guests would have arrived at Sea Base Alpha- an underwater research facility<ref name= "Martin"/>.. According to the 1982 book EPCOT Center: Creating the World of Tomorrow, while in The Living Seas ride guests would see:

Due to this change in tone as well as logistical issues, construction on The Living Seas was pushed back. By 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. Before construction, began however, the layout of the Living Seas was altered. This was either due to a change in tone or the unwillingness of of the pavilions sponsor, United Technologies, to fund the elaborate pavilion<ref name= "Martin"/>. Instead of the elaborate extensive dark ride that would have led guests to Sea Base Alpha, a preshow video and short trip through the aquarium were instead installed<ref name= "Martin"/>.. The pavilion was now designed to with essentially be in two parts: the large Coral Reef tank, and Sea Base Alpha, where guests could look at the future of underwater researchref name= "Martin"/>. 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 <ref name= "Martin"/>.