Epcot Sea Adventures Aqua Tour

[mekay1012]

I think I'm going to book this for my dh and my 11 year old dd. I would love to hear reviews from people that have done it before. I apologize if I'm posting this in the wrong section.

 

[hardlabor]

We did this 10 years ago so my review may be outdated but WE LOVED IT! Well worth the money and we still talk about it today!!!

 

[Lancer]

I think I'm going to book this for my dh and my 11 year old dd. I would love to hear reviews from people that have done it before. I apologize if I'm posting this in the wrong section.

Like the pp, I took this about 10 years ago also. One fair warning though. If they do do this, they risk catching the bug, and by that, I mean the scuba diving bug where they will want to get certified and you will have to go Caribbean and south pacific trips for years to come. Oh the horror! I know because that is what happened to me. With in the year that I took the aqua seas tour, I became certified and one of the first dives I took afterwards was back in the living seas aquarium. Since then I have done it several times. The best of both worlds, Disney and a dive trip all in one.

That being said, my review would also be dated but for lack of other reviews, here is what you can expect. All equipment is provided including a shorty wetsuit, but you must bring a bathing suit too. They have lockers, locks, towels and soap/shampoo for a shower afterwards. They take you to the top of the aquarium where there is a shallow platform where you can stand and gear up. They take you through the onstage viewing area to a central enclosed stair case. This provides one photo opportunity for a waiting family member. I'm not sure put you should also be able to get some photos from the viewing area of them in the water also. Basically what they will be doing is floating and swimming along the surface looking down(like snorkeling) while breathing through a scuba regulator and wear a vest that keeps you floating. Absolutely no experience is necessary, they will show you everything. It may seem strange for them to breath that way at first and may breath very fast but with in 5 minutes tit will be second nature to them. You can not dive down, but you can duck under, like a duck, if you want. You can go around 3/4 of the way around the donut shaped aquarium. The other part is reserved reserved for the dolphins and you are not allowed near gate separating them. The tank is about 82 degrees and 26 or so feet deep so you can clearly see all the way to the bottom. You can get close to many of the inhabitants but are not allowed to touch them or initiate contact, taunt them etc. Of course, if a turtle comes up and it wants to brush up along side of you, thats fine. Your small light weight tank has plenty of air for the experience(forget how much actual water time there is) and they have people in the water to watch and help if needed. There are a hundred or more different varieties of fish, turtles etc. including reef sharks. No need to be worried about those. They typically stay close to the bottom, are well fed, have seen hundreds of divers at their level and are not interested in bothering you.

All in all this is a great unique experience. Our tour included a behind the scenes look at the aquarium, a picture at the top of the aquarium and a t-shirt. Also, you can bring your own prescription mask if you have one, but are not allowed to take cameras in the water.

Hope this helps!

 

[mekay1012]

Like the pp, I took this about 10 years ago also. One fair warning though. If they do do this, they risk catching the bug, and by that, I mean the scuba diving bug where they will want to get certified and you will have to go Caribbean and south pacific trips for years to come. Oh the horror! I know because that is what happened to me. With in the year that I took the aqua seas tour, I became certified and one of the first dives I took afterwards was back in the living seas aquarium. Since then I have done it several times. The best of both worlds, Disney and a dive trip all in one.

That being said, my review would also be dated but for lack of other reviews, here is what you can expect. All equipment is provided including a shorty wetsuit, but you must bring a bathing suit too. They have lockers, locks, towels and soap/shampoo for a shower afterwards. They take you to the top of the aquarium where there is a shallow platform where you can stand and gear up. They take you through the onstage viewing area to a central enclosed stair case. This provides one photo opportunity for a waiting family member. I'm not sure put you should also be able to get some photos from the viewing area of them in the water also. Basically what they will be doing is floating and swimming along the surface looking down(like snorkeling) while breathing through a scuba regulator and wear a vest that keeps you floating. Absolutely no experience is necessary, they will show you everything. It may seem strange for them to breath that way at first and may breath very fast but with in 5 minutes tit will be second nature to them. You can not dive down, but you can duck under, like a duck, if you want. You can go around 3/4 of the way around the donut shaped aquarium. The other part is reserved reserved for the dolphins and you are not allowed near gate separating them. The tank is about 82 degrees and 26 or so feet deep so you can clearly see all the way to the bottom. You can get close to many of the inhabitants but are not allowed to touch them or initiate contact, taunt them etc. Of course, if a turtle comes up and it wants to brush up along side of you, thats fine. Your small light weight tank has plenty of air for the experience(forget how much actual water time there is) and they have people in the water to watch and help if needed. There are a hundred or more different varieties of fish, turtles etc. including reef sharks. No need to be worried about those. They typically stay close to the bottom, are well fed, have seen hundreds of divers at their level and are not interested in bothering you.

All in all this is a great unique experience. Our tour included a behind the scenes look at the aquarium, a picture at the top of the aquarium and a t-shirt. Also, you can bring your own prescription mask if you have one, but are not allowed to take cameras in the water.

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much for your review! My dh has always loved scuba diving, but unfortunately, doesn't have a lot of opportunity to go. Unfortunately, my dd had an ear surgery a few years ago and scuba diving is not recommended. She will have to be happy with snorkeling. I think this will be a fun father/daughter experience! She is super excited about the opportunity. It's a Father's Day gift for my dh, so he does not know.

 

[gingerfeathers]

I did this about 8 years ago and it was amazing. I highly recommend. If it weren't so dang expensive I'd do it more often!

 

[Hannah S.]

My husband, myself, and our DD11 are going to do this in July! I'm a bit nervous, but they are so looking forward to it!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I did this about 5 years ago with 2 friends. We were in our 60s and it was fun! It was especially nice to see folks in the Coral Reef restaurant.

 

[mekay1012]

For those of you that have done it, do you know if family is able to see you while your in the tank? I will be staying with my 3 year old and I'm trying to decide if we want to hang out at the aquarium or if we will just go find something else to do.

 

[Lancer]

For those of you that have done it, do you know if family is able to see you while your in the tank? I will be staying with my 3 year old and I'm trying to decide if we want to hang out at the aquarium or if we will just go find something else to do.

I have not watched other groups in the water, but I would say yes. What viewing guests cant see is a small overhang above the windows so if the swimmers are close to the windows you may not see them as well though. But further out should be no problem. Tell them to try and duck their upper body under the water as much as possible so that you can see them better(they cant dive completely under). Also, they will be allowed to go 3/4 of the way around the donut shape of the aquarium(the other 1/4 is where the dolphins stay) so you may or may not be able to follow them all the way around. In the viewing area there is a cylinder shape area in the middle. That is hidden stairway to the top of the aquarium. When the group leaves the locker rooms, they will walk "on stage" in their wetsuits to the viewing area and up those stairs. It is another photo op for viewing family.

 

[distherapy]

We did this maybe two years ago and LOVED it. It is one of my most favorite things we have ever done, and not just at Disney. It was so fun to wave at people eating. The animals were great and just an overall amazing experience.