Epcot is undergoing a lot of changes but one ride should be on the replacement list.
Located on “The Land” side of Epcot is The Seas with Nemo and Friends and it may be time for Disney to explore another option for the ride.
The slow-mover continual slide ride takes guests through a magical journey reliving the film Finding Nemo. From the moment you arrive at the start of the line, or the entry, you are greeted with the “Mine! Mine! Mine!” chanting seagulls and the sounds of waves crashing. Once you enter the line queue inside, you are greeted with lighting that give the impressions of being underwater.
You weave your way through the twists and turns as you near your personal transportation vessel. The ride used to be cool. It used to be fun even its simplicity. The animatronics have mostly been replaced with digital layering and video clips. The rolling bubbles of the EAC or Eastern Australian Current, are filled with Crush and his son Squirt but the video has long since worn, like the ride itself.
From start to finish, the ride feels worn but more importantly, the ride as a whole seems to have lost interest from the guests. It is one of the few rides at any Disney World park that rarely has a line over 10 minutes at best and even that 10 minutes is being generous.
Instead, empty lines are often waiting for you. If you can’t get a Fast Pass (when they bring them back) you probably will have no problems finding them for the Nemo ride, because you don’t really need them.
There was a time that this was a cool new addition and the end of the ride is really the best part. The ride takes you to the base of The Living Sea exhibit and some of the characters of the film are superimposed within the aquarium. When you exit the ride you are in The Living Sea acquarium where rays and sea turtles intertwine with fish while a dolphin or two may be in an adjacent tank.
There are manatees and small aquariums throughout that have jelly fish and even a “Turtle Talk” adventure with Crush for the kids.
The last 10 times I have been to Epcot we have made our way over to this area and we have had no wait so this is not something new with low crowds. Even on the busiest days we have been there, there has been no wait.
Frankly, it’s outdated and needs to be replaced but with all the other changes going on Epcot and the high amount of construction, the Nemo ride is going to have to wait, something you don’t have to do if you want to ride it.