In just a few weeks, Disney’s Finding Dory will hit screens nationwide and once again, the beloved blue tang and her aquatic friends will capture the hearts and minds of Disney fans across the globe.
As a voracious Disney-lover and avid scuba diver, I am a BIG fan of Dory, Nemo, Mr. Ray and Peach the Starfish. The artists at Pixar captured aquatic life so beautifully in the film: viewers can’t help but be drawn in by the realism, light, and color of the characters and settings.
Divers, as a whole, tend to love Finding Nemo. Many of the scenes feel and look real — my husband and I found ourselves ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the seascapes.
It is a movie experience that captures the emotion and magic of what it is like to scuba dive.
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Fun Nemo Fact: Pixar Studios required that its lead animators become scuba certified in order to inform their art. The backstory on the Finding Nemo DVD outlines this prerequisite: in order to draw the reef and wildlife realistically, artists needed to see it first-hand and get up close and personal.
As Finding Nemo fans, we were naturally drawn to Epcot DiveQuest; a backstage, underwater experience that involves scuba diving in one of the world’s most spectacular locations.
Epcot‘s The Seas with Nemo and Friends is home to a 5.7 million gallon saltwater aquarium (enough water to fill Spaceship Earth and then some). Fans of the film who are certified divers can spend 3-hours on a tour of the facilities, including a backstage visit with the resident manatees and dolphins, and a fun, 40-minute dive.
Here’s what you can expect of the experience:
Nemo is just the tip of the iceberg:
The quantity of wildlife that you see in one short span on the DiveQuest is excellent. Spotted, eagle and sting rays swim alongside sea turtles, grouper, nurse sharks and sand sharks (just to name a few). Unless you dive on an actual reef, it is tough to see this diverse a concentration of animals.
A note on the sharks: Yes, they are big and you can get pretty close to them. The dive masters advise you to use your common sense. ALL of the sea life is “No Touch” as it is in the wild. The dive masters explain that the sharks are fed frequently with a mechanical arm, so that they do not associate food with humans.
In fact, they are fed more frequently than they are in the wild to help reduce any food aggression. We have dived at Epcot twice and never had (nor heard of) any issues with the sharks.
In fact, we believe that DiveQuest is a great way to get introduced to these amazing and vital creatures.
The wildlife outside the tank is just as much fun as the wildlife inside the tank.
The maximum depth is around 30 feet and affords divers lots of room and time to see the full tank, as well as interact with resort guests.
People smile and wave at the divers. There are 56 giant windows and divers are instructed that, “Once they enter the water, they are part of the Disney Cast.” Divers become part of the show and are encouraged to interact with guests both in The Seas common areas and at the Coral Reef Restaurant.
Many of the people on our tour (including us) said “Guest interaction was my favorite part!” We loved seeing our daughters and waving to them. We practiced our signing skills and had fun blowing pretend kisses to them.
The dive is great for newbies and family groups.
You can’t get lost. There is no current. Visibility is 100%. There are 3 dive masters and 1 underwater photographer. The water is approximately 75 degrees and is de-light-ful (especially for this Maine diver who regularly swims in 60 degree water in the summer).
The Disney Team does EVERYTHING for you. No need to bring your own gear; no connecting your tank to your BCD vest. They set everything perfectly. The equipment is modern, clean and well maintained. In fact, the Disney team expressly requests that you don’t bring any of your own gear in order to protect the wildlife and water systems. The one exception to this rule is if you wear a prescription eye mask.
They size you up, literally.
You will meet your fellow divers and the check-in team at Guest Services, just to the right of the main entrance of Epcot. The Disney team asks for your Scuba Certification ID (NAUI & PADI certifications are accepted) and shoe size.
Magically you are escorted backstage where you view the huge filtration tanks behind The Seas with Nemo and Friends building. Guests enter the building and climb a flight of stairs to meet in a lounge area complete with water, hot chocolate and plenty of seating. The tour guide leads you through the itinerary, and then, it is off the locker rooms.
The lockers are outfitted with your name. Inside you find your wetsuit, booties and special marine-friendly hair ties if you need to keep your hair back. All jewelry must be removed and your are provided a key to lock up your belongings.
A note on the wetsuit: While you were back at guest relations, one of the Cast Members walked around and “sized” up everyone in the group. No need to “tell them” your size. They are so skilled that they nail it on the head every time. They do this to be discreet so that people do not need to share their clothing size in public.
It feels pretty darn cool.
Once your are outfitted, you walk across the main room of the aquarium and up the stairs located at the hub in the center of the main viewing room. Guests look at you with the, “I wonder what cool thing THOSE people are doing?” gaze. Typically, we grin and wave as our excitement builds.
Once you enter the backstage of the aquarium, you will see that one-third is partitioned off, as guests do not dive with the dolphins. Dolphins tend to get playful with people and other sea life. Every time we have gone, the dive master has told the story of how one of the dolphins liked to play frisbee with a sea turtle.
It was not so much fun for the little sea turtle.
The dive masters line you up and you are assigned a tank with proper-fitting fins. The dive master gives instructions on how to enter the water and how to swim by the cameraman to get on the souvenir video. They also review the safety instructions and off you go.
The Hidden Mickeys.
There are a TON of hidden Mickeys that ONLY the divers will ever see. It is an elite club. Once you descend into the tank, the main Mickey acts as your meeting point with the dive crew. Once you begin to explore, the “mouse” head shows up in everything from the coral formations to the rocks on the bottom of the tank.
While you are hunting for Mickeys, you may come across a shark’s tooth or two. You are free to keep the teeth as a souvenir.
Conservation.
Proceeds from the dive go to Disney’s conservation and education efforts. 10% of all fees are given directly to marine projects such as rebuilding the corals off the coast of southern Florida and protecting the manatees in the Florida Everglades.
A sense of accomplishment:
After the dive, guests are lead back to the locker rooms to warm up and dry off. Hot showers and hair dryers are in abundance. Guests meet back in the lounge to look at the video made from their dive and are offered the chance to purchase a DVD. The crew helps you fill out your dive log and you are given a special NAUI pass card, log sticker and tee-shirt commemorating the dive.
The camaraderie and conversation about the wildlife cap off the amazing adventure.
DiveQuest runs from Tuesday-Saturday at Epcot‘s The Seas with Nemo and Friends at the Walt Disney World Resort. The tours start at 4:30pm and 5:30pm with a 3-hour run-time. A park pass is not required to take the tour, but is required if you want to enter the parks after the tour concludes. Current rates can be found here. Discounts are given to DVC, Annual Passholders, and PADI & NAUI certified divers. Call 407-WDW-TOUR (407-939-8687) for more information and to book a tour.
(Photos and video courtesy of Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons from her December 2015 Disney DiveQuest Tour ©Disney.)
Have you ever been on DiveQuest or any of the Aquatic Seas Tours at Epcot? Share your experiences here! We would love to hear your feedback!
Kristin is a food writer and social media manager in the great State of Maine. When she is not seeking out the next-best-thing-she-ever-ate, she is busy planning for her runDisney vacations and cooking with her family. She can be found at @kafcooks.
The post Scuba Diving at Epcot DiveQuest: A deep-sea backstage tour of Disney’s “The Seas with Nemo and Friends.” appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.