Dive Quest in Epcot

[mla2177]

Has anyone done this???? What exactly is it and how long? Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[wildbill]

I looked at it but never done it so I can't answer most your questions.

I believe it will take a couple of hours (maybe even 3 hours). You'd have to get suited up, go thru the dive and the rules. You basically get to swim around in a really big aquarium. It's not deep enough to stay down long enough to decompress.

We decided to pass on it-it's pretty expensive (like everything at Disney ) and we didn't want the down time that badly. It is a man made (read-fake) reef. Now it'd be ok to dive with all the fishees but if we want to SCUBA dive we'll go the the Carribean (which we do every fall).

Now if you have never been diving a real reef it may be desireable for you.

YMMV

Bill

 

[bradk]

i'd have to beg to differ a bit. i've never done this and i'm not SCUBA certified (which you need to be for DiveQUEST, but not the Seas Aqua tour), but i feel compelled to say I have read *numerous* reports from people who have logged dozens (if not hundreds) of hours all over the world, and DiveQUEST is consistently in their top 5 / 10 experiences anywhere.

of course if there is a well experienced diver who's done DQ and feels differently, it's good to note that too.

i think the bulk of it has to do with the concentration of species. you're guaranteed in the epcot tank. others love the interaction with the guests.

 

[clownchk]

I did it WAY ack when it first opened (It was SO new they had to MAIL us our t-shirts since they hadn't even finalized the design yet!)

I believe we paid $140 PP (Now it was 10 years ago or so, so that may have gone up)

They only allowed a couple divers at a time go in. Then tour was approx 3 hours TOTAL, but you had to get your dive briefing in, watch an educational DVD and suit up, using all DIsney equiptment (You WERE allowed to use your own mask).

Actualy DIve time was only about 1/2 hour. Yes it was REALLY cool!! I'm not running to do it again, but I did enjoy it!!

It was neat to be in an area with SO many species of fish and sharks and sea turtles! There are little treasures to be found, and I guess watching people eat was kind of weird. And yes, while you do get "up close' encounters witht eh dolphins, we were still asked to stay back from the gated area.

SO yes, it has cool bragging rights, but I wasn't overly impressed.

 

[donna in Oz]

My DH considers this a must every trip ... he'll be doing it for his 5th time next month!

You must be a certified diver; they'll ask for your C card. In total, it generally takes about 3 hours or so. The only piece of personal equipment that you can use is your dive mask and snorkel; everything else is provided. If you bring your Dive Log, you'll get a really cool DiveQuest stamp in your book.

Once the tour begins, the first hour or so will be spent suiting up and getting an informational presentation. You're only in the tank about 45 minutes or so, but DH loves the interaction with the folks eating at the Coral Reef and likes to "hang" upside down in front of the viewing windows to entertain the kids!!

Disney wants you to buy your dive video (I think last time it was about $35); after buying the first one, we discovered that we really don't watch it once we get home. And yes, DiveQuest is a bit on the expensive side, but you can get a 15% discount with your DisneyVisa.

DH is a certified rescue diver; he's been diving in the Bahamas and actually went to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef for his 50th birthday ... but he still makes DiveQuest a "must" on every single WDW trip.

 

[disneycruise05]

I just got back from WDW and my friend and I did DiveQuest last Thursday. It was amazing! Yes, it's on the pricey side, but (contrary to what I thought) all the money goes toward the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.

We did the 4:30 dive (there's also a 5:30 dive), which is what I was told the better one. You meet 15 minutes early outside of the park next to Guest Relations. From there, the group is escorted backstage. After about 45 minutes of touring the Living Seas, you suit up and get ready for the dive. We were marched around inside before the dive so everyone saw us suited up.

We were in the water for about 45 minutes. The feeders are in the tank at 4:30 and get out right before you get in. There were plenty of fish and rays that were expecting me to feed them and came right up to me waiting. You take a short 15-20 minute tour of the tank and then break off and get to do whatever you want. Yes, the fish are amazing and being able to swim next to a 10 foot long shark and a thrill, but what I think was the best part was being able to go interact with guests at Coral Reef and the observation windows.

There is a video recorder in the water with you for about 20 minutes who records the dive. If you have friends or family watching you, the recorder will film you and your friends/family interacting with you. The DVD is $35 and the money also goes to the DWCF.

After the dive, we cleaned up and watched the video with our friends and family. The CM who was in charge (ours was Mike from Ohio...very funny guy!) goes through The Living Seas and collects everyone who knows the divers and takes them backstage. You get a nice t-shirt, certificate, DWCF button, and a stamp in your dive book. If you forget you book, they give you a sticker that you put all your info on that they stamp so you can just stick it in your dive book.

We were out of The Living Seas about 7:15. Mike escorted us to the new Nemo ride and got us to the very front of the line. Not everyone did that...without it, we would have been out at about 7:00. It was an amazing dive and I highly recommend it. There are a few discounts that you can get (if you book with a Disney Visa, if you're military, I think if you're an AP holder). I found out about the discount after I booked on wdwinfo.com and called them back and got my military discount. I saved $21 a person (I think....hmmm....). Anywho...hope this helps!

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

Everyone pretty much covered your questions so I won't go into explaining.

I will say that my dh HAS to do this every trip we go on. He LOVES doing it!!