Questions about Dive Quest at Epcot

[hssman]

Hi All,

We're going to Disney for the first time the week of May 8th. We're going to celebrate my daughter's 4th b-day & my husband and I will also have our 7 month old daughter and my mom in tow.

Since he is an avid diver, we figured he would do the dive quest and also feel that my daughter would get a kick out of seeing daddy in the fish tank. He already has a reservation for 4:30. He was told that the whole experience would be 3 hours. Now, I know that the dive is only about 40 minutes or so and they seem to have about that amount of time for prep as well. Where is the extra time going to? The reason I ask is because I'd like to make a priority seating for us to all have dinner together somewhere else at Epcot, and I was really hoping that he wouldn't be tied up there until 7:30.

I know they make a DVD and they show it after the dive, but can't he just shower and leave when the dive is complete? He'd rather eat with us than sit around and watch video of the dive he just did.

Anyone have any insight into this?

Thanks!

Chris

 

[Krispe]

As far as the extra time goes: They first meet infront of the Epcot gates off to the side. They allow a few extra minutes for some late "stragglers" to get there for check in. You go through a cast member entrance into Epcot (really cool) You get to see all the pumps, etc for the aquarium. Then you are briefed on the dive go over saftey points, etc (this is done in a backstage Dive Quest room). Then they give you time to change. To actually get from the backstage area to the dive area you walk into the Living Seas, that was cool too cause you feel like you are part of the magic....there are other vacationers taking photos of you as you sorta parade through the Living Seas into the stairway that will take you to the dive area. The dive itself is wonderful, I'm an avid diver myself but I never thought an aquarium dive could be so cool. And it's not cool cause of the fish and stuff, but cool cause you are really part of the magic. I found myself glued infront of the windows waving at guests and being goofy as I did summersaults and flips in the water. The kids on the other side of the glass were getting the biggest thrill outta it! Anyway once the dive is over you go back, shower, change and then debriefed (done in the backstage room). Alot of the extra time is the predive stuff. When I did did my dive it was on 12/31/03 New Years Eve, we also had a reservation for dinner at 7:30pm. Our dinner was in Morrocco. Once my dive was over the rest of our party went straight to the resturaunt incase I lagged alittle from getting ready. Once I was done I ran to the rental lockers, checked in my wetstuff and shower stuff and booked it all the way to dinner. I arrived only about 7 minutes late and I must say being New Years Eve it was crowded all the way from the Living Seas to Morrocco. You guys shouldn't have that problem.

Oh one other thing during the debriefing if you didn't want the DVD you were free to cut out and not wait or watch if you didn't want to. I just had the DVD delivered to the resort I was staying at on property.

I really hope this helps! It will be a dive to remember!!

 

[Disneylovers]

Krispe gave you all the info from the diver's point of view. Here's the view from the supportive spouse. DH has done Dive Quest on four different trips. Our girls have really enjoyed seeing dad in the tank. It's about 5:30 when the diver's get into the tank, and they're in there for about a half an hour. The camera man will go with the diver to find the family, and there is some interaction with the family captured on the DVD. After one of the dives, we were invited to go up and view the video with DH and the rest of the group, which was cool. The showering can be time consuming, if you have slow pokes tying up the showers. I would suggest getting walkie talkies and keeping in touch (we did that on our last trip, the girls and I walked over to Mission Space to check out the time, and when DH called to say he was out, we told him to hurry over) or use your cell phones, but figure it will be around 7:30 p.m before he's done. Hope this helps

 

[hssman]

Thanks for all the info - it really helped and we are all looking forward to this part of the trip!