Originally Posted By oc_dean With the dwindling number of omnimover attractions ... I'm thrilled this is being resurrected ... and glad I have no memory of any visit to see this dead. That's just sad. But that's the way Disney loves to operate in the last 10+ years ... by abandoning closed rides indifinitely!
Originally Posted By AuroraRose anyone remember when they used to use the dive pod in the middle of the sea base and have divers enter the tank there after a little "discussion" with guests??? ahh the good old days when EPCOT was actually educational as well as fun.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> anyone remember when they used to use the dive pod in the middle of the sea base and have divers enter the tank there after a little "discussion" with guests??? << I've seen them still do this, and in the last month or so. So it's still alive. I don't know how often they do such a thing though.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 when we were there waiting for Crush, they used the diving tank and they had a small show and interaction with the diver to learn how diving works -- my oldest 12 and her cousins 7 and 4 loved it !
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I'm with you Mark. Although great to look at, I found the film to be grossly overrated. But what do I know, I am a great lover of Cars.
Originally Posted By BlueOhanaTerror ^^^Wasn't overwhelmed with NEMO, and not a great fan of CARS. Weird, because I like to drive, and I'm very fond of fish, grilled, fried or baked.
Originally Posted By CTXRover <<ahh the good old days when EPCOT was actually educational as well as fun.>> As has been mentioned above, the diver in the tank is still being done. With the exception of Turtle Talk (which can be educational to an extent as well), everything in the 'new' Seas pavilion is still very educational, but is likely more fun for most kids of all ages. The Nemo and Friends exhibit has great captions and an entire wall of information on fish and the seas. The Bruce's Shark exhibit is full of great information on sharks, an interactive game on sharks and their relationship to the sea in addition to the great photo ops. The Manatee talk and Dolphin talk are still there as is the exibit on the upper deck across from the Manatee exhibit. Whether or not the new ride will be educational is still to be seen. The old sea cab ride didn't provide much education anyway, but at least the ride should be more fun. The problem with the Epcot Center many of us grew up with is the average guest did not find slow moving omnimover rides through 3-d history exhibits to be "fun". Attendance was dropping and Epcot Center was being branded as the "boring" park that only a teacher could love, even if I personally don't believe that. With the changes to the Living Seas thus far, the pavilion has made a drastic turn around from one that was barely populated to a very busy pavilion. With the new ride, I imagine it will only become more popular. The only downside I see is that it might no longer be a relaxing environment for those of us who just liked to rest and watch the fish swim.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I have to admit, I can be critical of things they have done lately ( cough* Poo Playground) - but the Living Seas to me is just excellent now
Originally Posted By Skylardad Let's be realistic, the only thing that is drawing in TLS is "Turtle Talk With Crush". I frequent EPCOT at least 1-2 per week and every time I venture over to TLS the only thing crowded is "Crush". The reason the pavillion seems to have a more crowded feel to it is because the queue line for "Crush" is in the middle of all of the open space of the pavillion, thus giving it that overpopulated feel. I love viewing the sea life in the aquarium. It is a pretty immersive experience (no punn intended). But every time I go up to the viewing area there is but a handul of people here and there. I remember when you had to fight for a space to get a decent view of things. Perhaps the crowds will fill all areas of the pavillion once the ride portion opens. I think the ride is what lets people know there is additional viewing of the aquarium. I'm not so sure people even realize there is a viewing area. Everyone just seems interested in getting into "Crush" and holding their place in line. As far as the pavillion still being educational - sure, it still is. It still retains several of its original exhibits and some interactive touch screen trivia. While the "Bruce" area does offer some neat facts for older kids and adults to read (while we try to keep up with the kids) it really seems more like a small playground with grafitti on it. Personally, the pavillion just seems like Sea Base Alpha with blue paint. I suppose there isn't too much that could be done structurally since the aquarium is a fragile environment to go tearing things apart, but it seems like a pretty lazy Imagineering job. If you're going to re-Imagineer a classic attraction and breathe new life into it, then go all the way with the theme. Instead of painting the old walls blue, maybe make the interior to resemble underwater caves - give the place more of an underwater feel - kind of like the interior of the Voyage of The Little Mermaid theater at DMGM. I have very mixed feeling on the new incarnation of TLS. I am happy to see people return to the pavillion and that WDW is giving it some much needed attention. However, I'm not so sure about the execution of the theme. I am very curious to see the new ride. It sounds like it has possibilities. I hope the rumors of moving "Crush" into theater #2 from the old pre-show are correct and that it will have a true queue line that does not block the flow of traffic. We'll see. For me, the jury is still out on the final product of this attraction.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I have very mixed feeling on the new incarnation of TLS. I am happy to see people return to the pavillion and that WDW is giving it some much needed attention. However, I'm not so sure about the execution of the theme< I know what you are saying, and I mostly like it myself -- but I likeit even more when one only has to look across the park at Wonders of Life for the alternative outcome....
Originally Posted By ChiMike ^ It's not an either-or proposition and I think that's what Skylardad was trying to get at.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 But I believe with the accountants for the parks and profit margins being more important to mgmt than creativity, either - or is the reality whether we like it or not. I wish that wasn't true but 20K ---> Playground tells me it absolutely is
Originally Posted By danyoung I'm still wondering how they're going to handle crowd flow in and out of this pavilion. I'm guessing that going in you'll need to do the Clamobile (Clamnimover?). But then to go out do you just go through those glass doors by the gift shop? The whole concept with the hydrolators was such a great illusion, a feeling that you weren't just in another building, but down deep in Sea Base Alpha. I knew they weren't really going anywhere, but the illusion helped. Now you just walk in and walk out - very uncool.
Originally Posted By ChiMike It's not. The reality is that all sorts of degrees of outcome can occur. Everest is, I think, the better example. The example of why it isn't either-or. Everest is good, but not the BEST. 3 or 4 different issues could have been improved upon, but Everest still is good. WoL does go against this idea, but it is now the exception rather than the rule. I am not speaking towards the idea that places can no longer be mothballed but rather that when Disney decides to work on a project it is no longer top-notch or nothing. There was a time where Disney would mothball something in lieu of funding a top-notch replacement, but that mindset (as faulty as it may have been) has been replaced by an earnest approach in sprucing up and utilizing most areas of the parks. The standards of what makes it into the parks have fallen, so now we get varying degrees of quality. Seas is good but it could be realistically better. I too was very frustrated with 20K and it's replacement, but 20K's replacements is another example in a long line of examples of Disney's new process of quantity over quality. But that doesn't mean everything is either-or. There is more than two ways to do something even with budget hawks. -- I certainly would love to discuss this in more detail and I will, but not until Monday – so don’t think I’m avoiding your response VBDad! I’m busy with the airshow. I just popped in here to see what you guys thought of the promotion.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN I personally can't wait to see those huge CMs wearing them "Clam digger" costume trousers in the pavillion. LOLOLOL!!! Get it? "Clam" digger trousers?? Oh never mind.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<The whole concept with the hydrolators was such a great illusion, a feeling that you weren't just in another building, but down deep in Sea Base Alpha. I knew they weren't really going anywhere, but the illusion helped. Now you just walk in and walk out - very uncool.>> You mean the wonderful glazed glass doors don't transport you to another place? Or help tell a story? I just hate it when you're right!
