The Seas with Nemo and Friends
The Sea's With Nemo and Friends is a pavilion in Epcot.
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Pavilion History
The Sea's with Nemo and Friends opened as the Living Seas in 1986. Construction of the pavilion began on October 1, 1983
The Living Seas Presented by United Technologies(1986-1998)
The pavilion was sponsored by United Technologies and built shortly after EPCOT opened. Although the pavilion did not open until 1986, there had been plans for an pavilion based on oceanic study since the park opened in 1982. The Living Seas was designed to look like an underwater research base. When the pavilion opened, it featured the largest saltwater tank in the world (although this title now belongs to the Georgia Aquarium). The exterior of the attraction featured a rocky coastline with the "Living Seas" name prominently displayed. Artificial waves would crash over the rocks every few minutes, adding to the coastline illusion. A mural located behind the shoreline led guests into the pavilion.
When the Living Seas opened, it featured three connected attractions and the Coral Reef Restaurant. Upon entering the queue, guests could see various depictions and artifacts of the history of diving. After reaching it's end, guests watched a preshow which was hosted by Untied Technologies. A male announcer would inform guests about the history of oceanic discovery. Special attention was paid to the tools and equipment that man used to help explore the ocean. After watching the preshow film, the doors below the screen would open allowing guests to enter one of two main theaters (to watch a short film) or move directly into the main attraction.
Inside the theaters guests watch a short film called simply, The Seas. The movie taught guests how the earth changed from a planet made up of volcanoes, to one made up of oceans. The film also featured the popular line (at least among Disney enthusiasts), "And they rained..and rained..and rained .The deluge.". After watching the film, guests would board exit doors which read, "Hydrolators to SeaBase Now Boarding". A Hydrolator (which was really just an elevator) which would take them down to the ocean floor. Although guests were given the illusion that they were descending in the Hydrolator, they really did not go down at all.
After reaching the ocean floor and exiting through the opposite Hydrolator door that they came in, guests would wait through another queue and then board the Seacabs. The Seacabs would take guests into a tunnel, which went directly through a large aquarium. Guests could see 270 degrees of the aquarium as they passed through it. The Seacabs where traveling to Sea Base Alpha, however they would stop so that guests could see the large coral reef aquarium. Over 6,000 fish were housed in the aquarium. Finally, the Seacabs reached Sea Base Alpha, where guests would unload. After exiting the ride vehicle, guests could view various sea exhibits. To exit the pavilion guests would travel through another Hydrolator.
The Living Seas (1998-2003)
In 1998, United Technologies dropped their sponsorship of the Living Seas pavilion. The narration for the Seacab portion of the attraction was changed significantly, and all references to United Technologies was dropped. The Sea Base Alpha exhibits were also updated and modernized. In October of 2001, the Seacab portion of the attraction closed. Although the cabs remained intact, after exiting the Hydrolator, guests now walked directly to Sea Base Alpha. Guests also had the ability to skip the Seas video and walk directly into Sea Base Alpha.
In 1999, the Coral Reef Restaurant was refurbished and given a much newer look.
The Sea's With Nemo & Friends
The Living Sea's began to get a Finding Nemo makeover, shortly after the movie was released. In 2003, Many of the exhibits were repainted, and given a Nemo theme. A Nemo statue was also built just outside of the pavilion, and the merchandise sold in the Sea's gift shop was almost exclusively Finding Nemo related. In 2004, a finding Nemo exhibit was added to Sea Base Alpha called Turtle Talk with Crush. The exhibit is interactive show that allowed guests to talk with Crush himself. The ride was the first use of "digital puppetry" in Walt Disney World, and was an instant hit. Also added to the Sea Alpha Base was a large figure of Bruce the shark. Guests could climb into Bruce's mouth, and get their picture taken.
On August 21, 2005, The Living Seas closed for refurbishment. The pavilion was completely rethemed to tie into Finding Nemo. When part of the pavilion opened in November of 2005, guests noticed that many changes to the pavilion had taken place. Characters were added to both the shoreline facade and the large mural outside of the attraction. Sea Base Alpha was also completely rethemed. Instead of being themed to look like an underwater research center and focusing on scientific exhibits, the base was given a Finding Nemo theme, and featured more cartoonish exhibits. The Hydrolators which guests once exited the pavilion through, were replaced with large glass doors. This allowed guests to enter and exit the pavilion through the gift shop. In 2006, the preshow theater, entrance Hydrolators, holding areas, and Seacabs queue were all removed from the pavilion. A new queue was constructed, and the Seacab track was extended (by 280 feet) and rethemed. The original Theater 1 and the third Hydrolator were replaced by scenes for the new dark ride attraction. The Seacab vehicles were also rethemed and reshaped to look like clams. Three squawking sea gulls who yell "Mine" were also added to the shoreline facade at this time.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends was officially rededicated on January 24, 2007. Five days later Turtle Talk with Crush was moved across the Sea Base and into the former location of Living Sea's second theater where guests could see the original Seas movie. The theater had been unused since 1999, when guests were given the option to bypass the preshow.
The new Sea's with Nemo attraction, takes guests on a dark ride through the pavilion. The queue for the attraction was repainted dark blue and teal. Guests now board their "Clamobiles" and travel through scenes depicting characters from Finding Nemo. The scenes are projected on the aquarium's (which were used in the original Living Seas) creating the illusion that Nemo and his friends are swimming with the real fish. The dark ride still concludes with guests stopping inside the massive aquarium.
