Atlantis Aquarium

[ekelly4200]

WE ARE GOING ON THE 4 day Wonder next May and so far plan on doing the Atlantis Aquarium/tour. For those that have been there how is this aquarium? Is it to die for or is it the same as any you can go to in the States? I don't want to waste my time or money if it is not something special. Dd will be 5 and ds 6 and have no interest nor would they be able to handle a tour of the hotel, etc.

 

[JerseyMom]

Hi Dena,

We did the Discover Atlantis tour on our last cruise and it was o.k. They take you down this long hall full of upscale stores, then through the casino, then through the aquarium - about half way through they take you through the gift shop. After the the tour you are free to wander around on your own. I believe the whole tour was no more than 30 minutes. I wanted to do it so I could see the Atlantis. While the aquarium was beautiful, I can't really say it was anything special. I have gotten more out of NJ State Aquarium and the Shedd in Chicago.

Am I glad I went? Yes
Would I do it again? No

BTW, there is a long walk from the water taxi to the hotel. If you decide to go, you might want to consider strollers for the little ones. Otherwise, you might have to carry them part of the way.

Have fun!

 

[llfowl]

WAY BORING!!! What an incredible waste of time and money!

JMHO

 

[cat1239]

We went with our 2 year old (he loved it!). We did it on our own though, much cheaper than the tour and we didn't have to walk since the cab dropped us off at the door. We liked it. I enjoyed seeing the resort - it is beautiful. We spent a little bit of time in the casino and then went through the aquarium. They have a HUGE manta ray, a section where you can touch starfish, a sea horse display, a lobster display, shark display etc.. It is in two sections (we almost missed the second part). I felt it was better than what you would see at Sea World or Epcot, but I haven't been to too many aquariums in the states so I couldn't compare. I probably wouldn't go for just the aquarium, but it was definitly worth it to be able to see Atlantis in addition to the aquarium and everything else. Hope this helps.

Cathy

 

[WDWLVR]

We've done it twice - both times on our own and loved it.

When you do it on your own you can go by taxi which drops you right at the door. In addition you can take your time and see what you want at the pace you want. There is a lot of walking involved and it is nice to be able to take it at your own pace. Be sure and walk around the groupds as well. First they a beautfiul but second there is a lot to see outside as well like pools of stingrays etc.

If you want to see some pictures click on the link to my homepage below and check out our May 12th, 2002 cruise as well as the DVC Member cruise (once you get that main page open click on the Nassau day).

Is it the best aquarium in the world? No
Is it the best attraction in Nassau? In my opinion yes.

 

[EmmasGrammy]

We did the Atlantis tour also last year. I am glad we did it, but probably won't do it again, just because we have seen the place now. It's not the kind of place we would say "Wow I can't wait to go back there!" but I wouldn't mind a vacation there (however I am sure we could never afford it!!) We took the water taxi and it was a good hike to the resort. Definately a stroller for the kids would be helpful. However the tour takes you up and down many stairways so you may want umbrella strollers that are easy to fold up and carry. The aquariums are coll and the tour guides are very informative. We were really more intrested in the resort itself rather than the fish. I think your kids will enjoy the fish & sea life and the hands-on exibits.

If you do take the water taxi be forwarned they take you over to the resort on a fairly nice boat and they pack you in like sardines, BUT for the return trip to the ship you are given a little ticket and told to return to the dock where you were dropped off. When we got back to this dock there were tiny little worn out boats taking the folks back. I was so afraid this boat wasn't going to make it back!! It looked like it had been through a naval battle!! Holes everywhere!! Bench seats that were not attached to the floors so that each time the driver excelled, the whole bench of people were knocked off balance. I was so scared. The driver and his helper thought this was so funny!! Just hold on to the kids or better yet take a cab. (Of course I have heard horror stories about the cabbie too!!)

I would suggest you do give the Atlantis a look over. It is a beautiful resort and worth the price. Then you can decide if you ever want to go back.

 

[bostonlass]

If you have a good aquarium near you then I would suggest to do that instead. Although it was nice to see the stingray pool thingy and the dig, I really think that you get the same effect from the New England Aquarium. The bulk of the tour was looking at the hotel facilities and the walking was plentiful. My kids were exhausted by the middle of it so we ditched the tour and had lunch there. I felt that the tour guide was rushed...we actually enjoyed it at our own pace after lunch more than we did the tour. Just know that you have to pay either way though, whether you do it through Disney or go on your own. If I had it to do over I would have stayed on the ship and enjoyed the pool there instead.

 

[ekelly4200]

Originally posted by bostonlass
If you have a good aquarium near you then I would suggest to do that instead. Although it was nice to see the stingray pool thingy and the dig, I really think that you get the same effect from the New England Aquarium. The bulk of the tour was looking at the hotel facilities and the walking was plentiful. My kids were exhausted by the middle of it so we ditched the tour and had lunch there. I felt that the tour guide was rushed...we actually enjoyed it at our own pace after lunch more than we did the tour. Just know that you have to pay either way though, whether you do it through Disney or go on your own. If I had it to do over I would have stayed on the ship and enjoyed the pool there instead.

Thanks everyone for your responses. We actually have an aquarium here in Ny called Atlantis in Long Island. It had a touch stingray and shark pool. I think we are probably going to skip it on Nassau. We will be hitting the pirate musuem and shops and then enjoying the less filled ship

 

[EmmasGrammy]

ekelly4200, I think you made a good chioce!! Have fun and enjoy the pirate museum.