Any SCUBA Divers dived in the Living Seas???

[floaton]

I just got my C-Card this last weekend and I've seen that you can dive in the Living Seas aquarium in EPCOT. I am taking a family vacation next summer and would love to get some details such as price and other factors such as, how long you get to dive, and if we need to bring our own mask, fins, ect.

Besides that I would love to hear some stories from others that have gotten the opertunity to do this dive.

Thanks again,
Floaton

 

[LErin26]

I did this last September and it was a great experience. I don't recall the exact price, but I did get a discount for being PADI certified. I want to say around $120. DiveQuest supplied everything although you are allowed to bring your own mask if you wish. The staff was so professional but very funny and easygoing at the same time. The total dive time was around 45 minutes. I think I had more fun waving to people at the Coral Reef then looking at the fish! If your family wants to watch you dive, they tell them when to be back and where to stand to see you. My boyfriend was able to take a few blurry pics of me. At the end the show you a video of your dive which you can purchase for about $25. You also get a certificate and they will stamp your dive log if you wish. While I don't have a lot of dives under my belt, this one is in the top 5!

 

[lila]

I dove at the Living Seas in February and had a great time. Like the PP, I got a discount - but mine was using AAA. I paid $119. The DVD was $35, and I did purchase that also. They let you view the DVD before you decide if you want to buy. I did bring my own mask. Everything else, down to the elastic band for my hair was Disney's. Everything was included in the fee, except the DVD. So the fee includes all your equipment, the dive itself, a backstage tour, a tshirt, the certificate, beverages and a pin. I think the entire experience took almost 3 hours.

The tank is about 25 ft deep, can accomodate all of spaceship earth with 10 feet left over, and I believe the dive was about 40 minutes. It does not include the area where the dolphins are, although you can see them through the bars. Definitely have friends and family watch - I was the only one in my session who had guests outside the tank with me, and it was SO much fun. They got to be on the video too. Disney takes you on a backstage tour, and then you go to the locker rooms and change. You parade through the pavillion in your wetsuit in order to go up to the accesspoint for the tank (which is HUGE). Everything is all set up for you, so you just slip into your gear and then descend with the instructor. They took you on a tour around the tank, to the dive bell, where you pose for the video, and then after you are pretty much free to explore. After, you go back through the pavillion, dripping wet, to the locker area where you shower and then back to meet your dive group to watch the DVD and have a beverage. I had a great time and would highly recommend it. Great animal life, and very unique experience with the guests.

I went on my own, and had a good time. Everyone else there was diving with someone else. My 2 criticisms are (1) Disney really didn't faciliate hooking me up with a buddy, and we got into the water so quickly that I didn't have time to do it either. (2) The locks in the locker rooms did not function well, and the Disney folks lost the key to the locker room keys, forcing us to wait in our cold wetsuits for about 10 minutes. The key situation can definitely be improved.

One other note, you do not need park admission to get into the program, and they will let you stay at Epcot free after. They have multiple slots a day, including some that are purchased by local dive shops and not available to the public, so it doesn't matter what time slot you pick. I picked a later slot in the hopes I would get a longer dive, but there was a dive shop group I was unaware of after me.

 

[floaton]

Thank you both for the great info about the dive im so ready for my turn to be able to take the dive myself!

Thanks again,
Floaton

 

[mstutler31]

We went in Feb. Last year. We had a ball. Our dive lasted 62 min. They had problems with the DVD so they sent us one free in the mail. I wouldn't have bought it for $35. But it was cool! We took our masks but this Sept I'm going alone not taking anything of my own w/ me. They all had nice Scuba Pro Gear when we were there. It was great, gotta watch out for the Sergent Majors (mean Little Fish) and the turtles, My husband was swimming along and one was coming down from getting air and he almost landed on top of my husbands back. He was glad His buddy (me ) was watching out for him! Anyway they keep a pretty close eye on everyone. Even if your family doesn't go you can still mess w/ the people eating. they love it. Have fun! It is worth it!

 

[DisneyMarathon]

I have done the DiveQuest several times. In addition to the discounts that have been mentioned, you can also get some discounts if you are Annual passholder, Disney credit card holder, etc.

http://www.epcotdivequest.com/

 

[disneygirl_wdw]

I have done this twice. Once when I was 17 and then again a few weeks ago. It is a lot of fun. They are really nice. The second time we got a tour of the entire facilities, I didn't remember that from the first time. I would recommend bringing your own mask. My friend went on the AquaSeas tour, pretty sure they are the same masks, and they had problems with it fitting properly. I always bring my own and stick it in a backpack since it's not that heavy. Our dive in April lasted about 45min. We went in April on a class trip and it was some of the students first saltwater dive. This was a good introduction for them and were able to relax a little when they went into the ocean a few days later. It was my first saltwater dive when I was 17. Also the bottom is shells, so there is not stir-up if you kick the bottom. The gear they supply is also nice. They got me into the split fins. It was a lot of fun and I would do it again. Make sure your family is there to watch, they will put you and them in the video. Also, be sure to bring your log book. They have a special sticker page and stamp for it. After you will get a shirt and a certificate. The shirt always is a good conversation piece.

 

[Capt_BJ]

ditto the above

I did it several years ago - and thinking it is about time for a replay. Kids were small when I got the dive as a present. They had a hoot watching thru the glass....if there is a line at the entr' family just tells a cast member what's up and they were escorted straight in to watch.

Lots of solos in my group, we buddy'd up quickly ... depends on the dynamics of the group just like any dive trip.

best dive I every did? no .... but very unique!

In the 'brief' they told us that for the duration we were 'Disney employees' and we either played by their rules or didn't play at all .... rumor was that in the first days of the 'dive experience' there was a case of "flashing" the diners good story anyway....