Today marks a major milestone at EPCOT. The Seas with Nemo & Friends is celebrating 40 years, tracing its roots back to one of the park’s most ambitious and influential pavilions: The Living Seas.
Opened on January 15, 1986, The Living Seas was never meant to be just an aquarium. It was a statement of purpose for EPCOT Center, blending science, education, and immersive storytelling into an experience that invited guests to explore the ocean in a way few places ever had.
The Living Seas: An EPCOT Original
When The Living Seas debuted, it was a technological and creative marvel. Guests entered SeaBase Alpha via hydrolators, simulating a descent beneath the ocean surface into a futuristic undersea research facility. Inside waited a saltwater environment holding roughly 5.7 million gallons of water, making it the largest indoor aquarium in the world at the time.
The pavilion pushed boundaries in aquarium design. Reverse‑flow filtration systems, curved acrylic viewing windows, and a closed‑loop water system set new standards that influenced aquariums worldwide. EPCOT wasn’t just showcasing marine life—it was showcasing innovation.
A look inside with Regis (1985)
During the 1985 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, Regis Philbin took a break from his Main Street USA correspondence to head to EPCOT Center. EPCOT Center was preparing to open the latest Future World Pavilion, The Living Seas. Regis takes us on a tour of the latest Walt Disney World attraction.
A Moment in Disney Television History
Disney celebrated the opening of The Living Seas with a primetime television special in January 1986, hosted by John Ritter. The broadcast gave viewers a behind‑the‑scenes look at the pavilion’s design, engineering, and mission, blending entertainment with real‑world science.
The Living Seas also appeared during the 1985 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, when Regis offered viewers an early preview of the soon‑to‑open pavilion. Both moments captured EPCOT’s original promise: education delivered with Disney storytelling.
From The Living Seas to The Seas with Nemo & Friends
In the early 2000s, Disney began evolving the pavilion to better connect with younger audiences. Turtle Talk with Crush arrived in 2004, followed by a full reimagining in 2007 that introduced Pixar’s Finding Nemo characters.
The result was The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a gentle omnimover attraction that layered animated storytelling directly into the real aquarium environment. Rather than replacing the science, Disney used characters to draw guests deeper into it.
SeaBase Aquarium Today
At the heart of the pavilion remains SeaBase Aquarium. Home to more than 2,000 animals across roughly 90 species, it is still one of the largest aquariums in North America. Sharks, sea turtles, rays, manatees, and tropical fish coexist in a living environment that continues to serve both guests and researchers.
This Clip from “A Day at Epcot 1991” highlights the origins of “The Living Seas.”
Beyond exhibits, The Seas plays an active role in conservation. Disney participates in manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts and has helped rehabilitate and release dozens of manatees and hundreds of sea turtles back into the wild.
What Could Be Next for The Seas
While Disney has not announced specific changes, the future of The Seas is likely to build on its strengths rather than replace them. EPCOT’s recent transformations emphasize storytelling layered onto existing icons, not wholesale removals.
Possible next steps could include updated interactive exhibits, refreshed storytelling elements, or deeper visibility into Disney’s ongoing conservation work. Any future evolution will almost certainly continue to honor The Living Seas legacy—education first, supported by innovation and emotional connection.
A Legacy That Still Runs Deep
Forty years later, The Living Seas remains one of EPCOT’s most important foundations. What began as an engineering marvel has grown into a bridge between entertainment, education, and real‑world impact.
From hydrolators and SeaBase Alpha to Nemo, Crush, and hands‑on conservation, this pavilion continues to reflect EPCOT’s original spirit. At 40 years strong, The Seas isn’t just celebrating its past—it’s still shaping how guests connect with the ocean today.
