Updates to the Seas Pavilion

[Coaster Lover]

Take out the Nemo ride, build onto the building itself several stories and have a dedicated Horizons Hotel.

Could you imagine the room rates that they could charge for an "underwater hotel" where the rooms look out into a giant aquarium? It would be crazy!

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Could you imagine the room rates that they could charge for an "underwater hotel" where the rooms look out into a giant aquarium? It would be crazy!

That would be awesome! ... and put me in sooo much more debt

 

[msteel]

Could you imagine the room rates that they could charge for an "underwater hotel" where the rooms look out into a giant aquarium? It would be crazy!

Or just appear to look out onto one - via the recently discussed hotel room entertainment patent and screens....
Pick your own ride ending---err--hotel room.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Remember Nemo was done on a shoestring (and had to fight for what it got).

Without it the pavilion may not be here today. I’d like to hope the overlay was a means to an end, a temporary theme that kept the pavilion open until something better comes along.

Temporary. Right?

Except now it's one of the "oldest" pavilions without an update in Future World.

 

[englanddg]

When I was there, the aquarium part of seas was quite busy. This on a fairly low crowd day at Epcot. Apparently people (myself included) do like an acquarium at a theme park.

That's interesting. I haven't seen it busy (not like it was in the 90s, for comparison) in a very long time. Certainly nothing like I see at the GA Aquarium (which I go to).

Very glad to hear!

How did the tanks look? It's been a while for me, and they were about halfway through a refresh of the reefwork, so I haven't seen it since then.

As I said though, good news!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Phase one is underway now (TLC). The more ambitious phase two was scheduled for xxxxish but looks to be on hold.

I feel like I've been reading the same post about Epcot for over 10 years now.

Not calling you a liar, just a general sentiment

 

[englanddg]

I feel like I've been reading the same post about Epcot for over 10 years now.

Not calling you a liar, just a general sentiment

I'd imagine deciding what to do with the third largest aquarium in the world causes all sorts of mind boggling issues...especially, as I noted earlier, that the underlying design is very much 70s...large tanks. It limits the exhibits, the water handling and tank maintenance was less considered, etc...

There's a good documentary on the GA Aquarium which showed how they really flipped the table on how older aquariums (like even the vaunted Monterey Bay, though lessons were tested there) were designed. Dubai copied a lot of that, just larger. And, now you have smaller aquariums that are even turning profits (Chattanooga, iirc, is one).

But, in the end, when you are intent on pleasing a Universal/Six Rides Thrill Ride demographic, academic adventures...well, boggle the mind.

As an EPCOT purist, though, I think the educational aspects of EPCOT are worth far more than short termed focus groups can reflect properly.

 

[englanddg]

This isn't the video I was thinking of (can't find it, it was contemporary to the time)...but, pretty close.

Give you an idea how much goes on behind the scenes to make something like that pavilion actually work...it's a LOT.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I'd imagine deciding what to do with the third largest aquarium in the world causes all sorts of mind boggling issues...especially, as I noted earlier, that the underlying design is very much 70s...large tanks.

That and said aquarium is also the major selling point of a very popular restaurant.

 

[englanddg]

That and said aquarium is also the major selling point of a very popular restaurant.

Yes. Though, the views from that, aren't as impressive as they were. Again, very 70s. But, the issue with it is...you can't just "close it".

The Shark Reef restaurant at Sea World Orlando is far more impressive with their display.

They are about even in terms of food.

 

[gustaftp]

The TLC mentioned, was certainly noticeable to me when I visited The Seas (w/ Nemo & Friends) this past Tuesday (4.24). The main tank was especially clear, and there appeared to be a greater variety of fish in said tank. Dolphins were back, after what a keeper said was a 6 month move to an off stage home, to accommodate work that would have bothered them. The whole pavilion seemed much more alive. A few omnimover observations.....Angler was still stationary, and the pop out shark, wasn't popping. All the screens appeared to be functioning. I spent the better part of an hour in the place. More than triple what I have in recent years.

We were there on the same day, and I concur. The pavilion seemed more alive than I remember it. My adult sister, in particular, enjoyed herself in there. The angler in stationary mode looks awful.

The escalators need to be fixed. And someone left a light on in the core of the Seabase viewing area, revealing a dusty spiral staircase is inside of what I had always just assumed was a huge air vent.

When I was there, the aquarium part of seas was quite busy. This on a fairly low crowd day at Epcot. Apparently people (myself included) do like an acquarium at a theme park.

I disagree. There were lots of people there when I visited. My favorite perch to eat lunch is in Seabase, watching the fish go by. It is relaxing and peaceful. Not only is it enjoyable to watch the fish, it is nice and cool in there on a hot day.

Not everyone is spoiled with nice aquariums they can visit anytime.

Even with the Nemo characters, this pavilion still is at its core a piece of what EPCOT really is about.

 

[Kman101]

We were there on the same day, and I concur. The pavilion seemed more alive than I remember it. My adult sister, in particular, enjoyed herself in there. The angler in stationary mode looks awful.

The escalators need to be fixed. And someone left a light on in the core of the Seabase viewing area, revealing a dusty spiral staircase is inside of what I had always just assumed was a huge air vent.



I disagree. There were lots of people there when I visited. My favorite perch to eat lunch is in Seabase, watching the fish go by. It is relaxing and peaceful. Not only is it enjoyable to watch the fish, it is nice and cool in there on a hot day.

Not everyone is spoiled with nice aquariums they can visit anytime.

Even with the Nemo characters, this pavilion still is at its core a piece of what EPCOT really is about.

I noticed the upstairs was fairly well attended when I was there exploring it last year. I hadn't in a long time so it was nice. It wasn't overly busy in the parks but the crowd inside was healthy enough, it wasn't dead.

 

[marni1971]

The escalators need to be fixed. And someone left a light on in the core of the Seabase viewing area, revealing a dusty spiral staircase is inside of what I had always just assumed was a huge air vent..

Potentially there was a DiveQuest going on. That’s an access / egress point for it.

 

[CHOX]

My biggest problem with Nemo is the way it was executed... Why re-tell the movie over again, I have already seen the movie!

Why not put in right in the scene with Nemo and Ray and instead have them take us on a journey to sea base alpha while teaching us about marine life in the process! ...

I've said again and again, these moving re-telling rides are garbage... Put us as active participants in an original story.

The ride is even more of a disappointment if you’ve been on the Nemo Submarine Voyage, which is an even bigger disappointment for who rode (or even just have seen a video) of the original and 20K.

Maybe they’ll turn it into a Namor Ride.

 

[MinnieM123]

No one wants to go to a theme park, in 2018, to look at fish.

I do. Although I preferred the pre-2006 version (The Living Seas), I still enjoy the pavilion. It may not be the first attraction I go to when I visit EPCOT, but I think it's still an enjoyable experience.

 

[mikejs78]

I disagree. There were lots of people there when I visited. My favorite perch to eat lunch is in Seabase, watching the fish go by. It is relaxing and peaceful. Not only is it enjoyable to watch the fish, it is nice and cool in there on a hot day.

Not quite sure what you disagree with, I think we are saying the same thing. I'm saying that I was at Epcot on a relatively quiet day, and the Seas exhibit area had a lot of activity. It seems to be a popular spot.

 

[FigmentJedi]

The ride is even more of a disappointment if you’ve been on the Nemo Submarine Voyage, which is an even bigger disappointment for who rode (or even just have seen a video) of the original and 20K.

Maybe they’ll turn it into a Namor Ride.

Namor is trapped by Universal in more ways then one. Falling under the various character families aside, Universal has been sitting on in-perpetuity film rights much like they have with solo Hulk movies.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Potentially there was a DiveQuest going on. That’s an access / egress point for it.

This is where we walked in for the Aqua Seas Tour. I was shocked. Had no clue there were stairs located there.

 

[gustaftp]

Not quite sure what you disagree with, I think we are saying the same thing. I'm saying that I was at Epcot on a relatively quiet day, and the Seas exhibit area had a lot of activity. It seems to be a popular spot.

Sorry, the multi quote got messed up. I was disagreeing with was the poster saying that no one wants to see fish in a theme park.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Sorry, the multi quote got messed up. I was disagreeing with was the poster saying that no one wants to see fish in a theme park.

I do!

If it's on a plate.