Disney's Epcot - The Living Seas

If you can't bear the thought of tearing your self away from Disney World for a day to visit SeaWorld in Orlando, then there is an alternative on property.  The Living Seas is a great educational alternative to SeaWorld, right in the heart of Epcot. You won't find performing dolphins and you definitely won't get splashed by a killer whale but you will get the opportunity to view a variety of sea creatures in one of the largest inland marine environments in the world. 

Spaceship Earth - Epcot

The main aquarium is over 203 feet in diameter. Spaceship Earth, at 160 feet in diameter (pictured above), can easily fit within the aquarium. The main aquarium is home to over 3,500 sea creatures, representing 65 different species that can be found in Caribbean reef systems. 

To start your journey into The Living Seas jump onto a clam and take a ride on The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The ride will take you into Nemo's World where inevitably Nemo goes missing and you spend the next few minutes looking for him with his friends - the animated sequence finishes with what looks like the animated stars from Finding Nemo inside the huge 5.7 million gallon aquarium as they sing "Big Blue World", and you get a ringside view of the aquarium inhabitants.

Exiting the ride is just the beginning - huge viewing windows, 8 inches thick give you breathtaking views into the aquariums where you can see sharks, dolphins, huge rays and sea turtles.

 Smaller aquariums focus on educational messages.

Lots of  'Nemos '

The Coral Reef Restaurant is also located on the side of the massive aquarium, giving you the opportunity to eat seafood whilst you look into the big blue aquarium at all the fish staring back at you. Disney gives you a picture guide so that you can identify each of the fish, and some non-seafood menu items, making you feel just that little less guilty about enjoying lunch!

 

Coral Reef Restaurant - where you can dine with your food.

 As I stated at the beginning - this is not SeaWorld, so the circus razzmatazz is not evident here. Like everything at Disney's Epcot Future World, the focus is on education with a touch of entertainment and that is refreshing in the land of theme parks.