Updates to the Seas Pavilion

[Horizons1]

Hasn't the gift shop always been there? Or at least it was there before the Nemo takeover of the pavilion?

I don’t believe so.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I don’t believe so.

I just re-watched Martin's vid and it looks like there was a small gift shop in the middle of the lower level?

 

[Horizons1]

I just re-watched Martin's vid and it looks like there was a small gift shop in the middle of the lower level?

Then it is entirely possible I maybe just might be possibly entirely incorrect.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I've said it before, but the Seas was the best pavilion at Epcot. That doesn't mean it was the best attraction -- Spaceship Earth, Horizons, and Imagination were probably all ahead of it for me, which also shows how absolutely stacked EPCOT was with incredible attractions -- but as an overall unified pavilion it was just tremendously good. Everything complemented everything else, from the entrance on into one consistent, coherent vision.

The real "magic" of EPCOT Center was that each pavilion was it's own world to explore, but The Living Seas felt the most complete.

Wonders of Life and The Land, for example, had multiple attractions, but while there was variety to them, there wasn't as strong a connective tissue between say, Body Wars and Cranium Command, or Listen to the Land and Kitchen Kaberet.

The Living Seas was more consistent visually and tonally. And having live animals and experts to talk with made the Sea Base concept more believable, because it was a real research centre.

Also dining was and is still a major component of the experience, something most Future World pavilions didn't have.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Was the primary reason for mothballing the Sea Cabs in 2001 to save on operating costs? I can't imagine saving that much money by closing such a short ride.

 

[marni1971]

Are you able to say where it would have gone

Would that virtual tank have gone where the old Turtle Talk screen is? It's not doing anything worthwhile right now, so it would be cool if they would've given it some new life.

It would have been a new extension to the building.

Was the primary reason for mothballing the Sea Cabs in 2001 to save on operating costs?

Yes.

 

[ppete1975]

My 2 boys have loved Epcot since they were 7 and 2 1/2...I feel bad for parents who think there's nothing for kids to do there.

i was 8 and 10 the first 2 times i went 83 and 85. And epcot blew away magic kingdom in my mind i loved it (no internet, and there was alot of nasa stuff helped, but it was just awe inspiring), world showcase bored me though.. although i liked the double decker buses and wasnt scared of the odd costumed characters walking around. (btw there was no living seas yet then)

 

[ppete1975]

I’ve watched @marni1971 tribute video 3 times today and wish we could get something even close to this back. There’s just so much to do and see in the original version. The nemo version feels lifeless in comparison. I was only able to do Seas a couple times before nemo ruined it.

no disrespect to @marni1971 (hes amazing) but if you want to get really sad about what was, and the hope for what it would mean....

 

[ImperfectPixie]

i was 8 and 10 the first 2 times i went 83 and 85. And epcot blew away magic kingdom in my mind i loved it (no internet, and there was alot of nasa stuff helped, but it was just awe inspiring), world showcase bored me though.. although i liked the double decker buses and wasnt scared of the odd costumed characters walking around. (btw there was no living seas yet then)

I saw it the first time in 1985, too...I was 15. It blew me away.

 

[trainplane3]

i was 8 and 10 the first 2 times i went 83 and 85. And epcot blew away magic kingdom in my mind i loved it (no internet, and there was alot of nasa stuff helped, but it was just awe inspiring), world showcase bored me though.. although i liked the double decker buses and wasnt scared of the odd costumed characters walking around. (btw there was no living seas yet then)

First trip in 97(?) at the age of 4 or 5. Originally it was MK, Epcot, MGM, and MK. After our Epcot day it quickly became MK, Epcot, MGM, Epcot. Sure the MK was cool with characters and the mountains but Epcot felt like the future. The presentation of the Seas was incredible. You enter into a museum of sea exploration, get a preshow and then a movie. "We welcome you to Sea Base Alpha", the chord strike, and then the radio comms start.

From the moment you exited the Hydrolators into the sea base to when you exited them outside the pavilion, they made you feel like you were under the ocean in a experimental lab. The entire presentation of it could be compared to RotR but from the 80's (and no thrilling ride).

 

[marni1971]

i was 8 and 10 the first 2 times i went 83 and 85. And epcot blew away magic kingdom in my mind i loved it (no internet, and there was alot of nasa stuff helped, but it was just awe inspiring), world showcase bored me though.. although i liked the double decker buses and wasnt scared of the odd costumed characters walking around. (btw there was no living seas yet then)

I steadfastly didn’t want to leave Futureworld and go to Showcase in 1987. Five minutes of being inside the Mexico pavilions eternal nighttime interior with an erupting volcano on the horizon and boats sailing past a restaurant changed my mind.

 

[trainplane3]

I steadfastly didn’t want to leave Futureworld and go to Showcase in 1987. Five minutes of being inside the Mexico pavilions eternal nighttime interior with an erupting volcano on the horizon and boats sailing past a restaurant changed my mind.

Same. My little brain thought it'd be boring. It didn't sink in until I was shown how I could actually talk to people from those countries and watch the incredible movies.

I was a odd kid though. While I enjoyed rides and coasters, I enjoyed historic places and museums so that could've been why. I mean, asking to go to Gettysburg when I was in 3rd grade was weird to my parents but it was a great time for everyone.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Growing up (Early 2000s... I grew up with WOL, Bill Nye, Food Rocks, and Nemo.. So different nostalgia for me.), I loved EPCOT... Only Future World, American Adventure, and Mexico, though. I absolutely loathed the boringness World Showcase and it's travelogue films. My dad loved the films. As a kid, they were so boring. I still find them extremely boring. Especially since they got rid of Martin Short.

To this day, I still don't really care for any screen based attraction. I have ALWAYS been fascinated with Animatronics. Absolutely loved the robotics side of technology.

 

[DCLcruiser]

Born in the 80s, grew up loving WDW and EPCOT has always been my favorite park. Figment and the dinosaurs in Energy were my favorite characters (even the Exxon Tigers video was fun). Horizons, as a kid, was so cool bc you got to pick a scene to view again at the end.

World Showcase was always lacking a bit, but Mexico is great. Maelstrom trolls scarred the bajezus out of me.

To this day if I see a pale hue of purple light when lit up (I think originally against SSE), I am immediately transported to EPCOT as a kid.

 

[UNCgolf]

I loved everything about EPCOT as a kid. Both Future World and the World Showcase (although I definitely loved Future World more).

I could have gone to WDW for 4 days and happily spent every day at EPCOT. Magic Kingdom paled in comparison.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I just re-watched Martin's vid and it looks like there was a small gift shop in the middle of the lower level?

My recollection was that it was placed on the area just before the hydorlators to bring you up to ground level, which by the way it still is except now it is just the ground level exit. No story line to be found anymore. It is just any other aquarium. They could have easily kept the hydrolators even with the change, but decided to take the story and fun out of it completely. There was no reason to IP that one, the story was doable all by itself. It probably did make it more fun for the kids, but as I recall my kids and their Father, had the best time I ever had in an aquarium.

 

[RSoxNo1]

A virtual water tank.

But it’s neither rumoured or new. It was a pre Covid proposal.

Will there be a Mosasaurus in it?

 

[Mickeynerd17]

My first visit was in 2005, so I grew up with alot of the stuff they're removing today. I did ride the Jeremy Irons SSE but I have zero memory of it (I was 2 at the time). I also grew up with nemo, UoE, 1st and 2nd Innoventions, and the current Spaceship Earth. My personal favorite was Test Track with my least favorite at the time probably being figment because he looked and acted extremely creepy. (The old/bad matinence of the animatronics didn't help.) It wasn't until I was 12 when I realized what figment should have been like that I enjoyed the character.

Never got to experience WoL because we always went in September, and those first 2 years it was closed as "seasonal". Don't actually remember seeing the DNA tower or the sign either.

 

[ppete1975]

My first visit was in 2005, so I grew up with alot of the stuff they're removing today. I did ride the Jeremy Irons SSE but I have zero memory of it (I was 2 at the time). I also grew up with nemo, UoE, 1st and 2nd Innoventions, and the current Spaceship Earth. My personal favorite was Test Track with my least favorite at the time probably being figment because he looked and acted extremely creepy. (The old/bad matinence of the animatronics didn't help.) It wasn't until I was 12 when I realized what figment should have been like that I enjoyed the character.

Never got to experience WoL because we always went in September, and those first 2 years it was closed as "seasonal". Don't actually remember seeing the DNA tower or the sign either.

you missed world of motion... which was my favorite ride as a kid

 

[Mickeynerd17]

you missed world of motion... which was my favorite ride as a kid

Yea, all the original pavilions closed just a few years before I existed. I like to say I was a little too late sometimes