inabluefunk
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Fri September 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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None
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I came across DiveQuest on an Internet search when doing research for our Disney trip. My husband and younger daughter are both certified scuba divers so I asked them if they wanted to do this. The answer was YES! We live in NY so they don't get the opportunty to do dives like this one. I made the reservation at least 2 months before our trip. The cost is $175 but I paid $148.75 each with our AAA discount. Just a hint - they did not ask for my membership number or check my card when we got there.
They had a 4:30 dive reservation for Tuesday, August 25. They met outside the park at guest services at 4:15 and got a tour of the entire water filtration system. After they got to the Living Seas, they had a general orientation meeting. They were told about the feeding schedule for the shark, that they shouldn't touch the fish but if they touch you it's okay, that they're now Cast Members and should behave accordingly, and information about how the dive would proceed.
They headed to the locker room to change into their suits. My husband and daughter brought their own masks based on recommendations I read on AllEars.net. Each person was given a locker for their stuff. Around 5:15, they paraded through the Living Seas pavillion and headed to the circular stairs, where my older daughter and I had been waiting. They went upstairs and by 5:30 everyone had entered the water. There were about 18 guests plus the dive master and videographer in the water. There were several people waiting to see their family members diving but the viewing area became even more crowded when the divers entered the aquarium. The other visitors saw the divers and became really excited and interested.
For the first 20 minutes of the dive, the divers were supposed to follow the group. They all had to swim through an opening in the "coral" so that the videographer could tape them. Then, after that, they were free to do whatever they wanted. My daughter and husband swam over to the windows at the Living Seas Restaurant to wave to the diners. Their dive master said that people make their dinner reservations for the same time as DiveQuest just to be able to see the divers. My daughter had fun waving to everyone. She even did some flips and twists to entertain the crowd.
If a diver saw family members outside the glass, they could alert the videographer and he would come over to tape the divers and family members together. When my husband and daughter spotted us, they pulled the videographer over. One little girl on our side of the glass was so excited that he was video recording that she pushed in front of us to be in the shot! She had no idea what was really going on. Finally her mother realized what was happening and pulled her out of the shot but it was too late. We bought the DVD of the dive and the girl is in front of us, waving at my husband and daughter!
Just before our vacation, we bought a new digital camera, knowing that we wanted to take movies at Disney. We bought a Panasonic Lumix Z3 which has HD video and the ability to zoom during movie mode. The video I took through the glass came out great with this camera. My husband wasn't planning on buying the DVD from Disney because he figured we'd have our own video. I ended up talking him into buying the DVD because I thought it would be a nice memento. I'm not sure if it was worth the $30 but, hey, it's a vacation souvenir!
The total dive time was 40 minutes. After they got out of the water, they went back to the locker room a different way so that visitors wouldn't have to see them all wet. Towels, shampoo, and soap were provided. They got a chance to see the video of the dive and purchase it if they wanted. They also got DiveQuest T-shirts, pins, and a sticker for their dive logs.
This dive was the highlight of the trip for my husband and daughter.
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IScrapbook
Registered: January 2009
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Thu January 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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Explanations for meeting location
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Other then being told to meet at the Living Seas vs. Outside the park/turn-styles at guest relations, we had no problems. My husband had a great time and learned a lot about the aquatic life and little known facts behind the tanks. He enjoyed entertaining the guests at the Coral Reef restaurant during the dive, but that's his goofy personality. It is something that he will do everytime we go back.
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Sylvie1971
Registered: October 2008
Location: Ottawa Ontario
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Sat October 4, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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all the sealife
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Cons:
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water was cold!
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Had a chance to do this dive for Birthday September 26.We met at the Guest Relations booth where they took you behind Epcot to look at their water and filtration area. We then went in and sat down to sign the usual documents before diving and then we went to the changing area to fit in our wetsuits. Of course we were told prior that we were on " stage" so all actions had to be
" appropiate", etc. The first 20 minutes we were to follow the dive master and fool around for the camera, but after that, we were on our own!
It was my first salt water dive ever ( where I'm from it's all fresh water, currents, etc) so it was the easiest and exciting dive I've ever done! I was so close to sea turtles, rays, sharks, etc. It was really an awseome dive. It was also so much fun to wave at the patrons in the restaurant and the kids on the observation deck.
And, all the proceeds go to the Wildlife Conservation Fund so it was a good reason to do this dive. I would love to do it again if I'm in the area.
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cj9200
Registered: April 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed April 30, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Interaction with guests
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Cons:
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It isn't the keys
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Have to agree with a lot in the previous reviews. Bring your own mask, forget the snorkel, they will not let you use it. Leave the jewelry at home because unless it is "a wedding ring that is so tight it won't come off" you have to remove it. They even gave my daughter a special hair band to tie her hair back (its biodegradable).
The dive itself is good, not great. We have the good fortune to live in South Florida and the keys are just a drive away. The diving there is some of the best in the world. To compare, the Aquarium is darker and the fish are not as colorful. The plus is that you guaranteed to see most of the big finds (turtles, sharks, rays) at one time unlike out in the real world where what you see is more random.
The coolest thing in our opinion was guest interaction. Right before you go out, "on stage" they remind you that you are a Cast Member, so smile and act accordingly. Once you step out, people start gawking and taking pictures. Christmas Eve was the second time we tried this and after the swim around with the Divemaster, we headed right to the windows.
There was a family with a cute little girl at a table next to the window at the Coral Reef. I waved at her and she shyly waved back. I waved harder, she eventually waved harder. Then I waved both hands, she did too. I shook my whole body and she did the same. When we left, there was a big smile on her face and on the rest of the family. My daughter was approached by a Disney diver who handed her a sign to press against the glass (OK, acrylic). It was a birthday message. When he saw the sign, he jumped up and down and waved. I did not know until after the dive having a message delivered is free to guests dining at the Coral Reef.
It is a cool but expensive. The service is the concierge of diving so that and the uniqueness of the experience, it is worth opening up your wallet. I think what you want to do will depend on the type of diving you normally do. While we did it to interact with the guests, a family that was part of our group was blown away by the sea life. They lived in the midwest so they never swam with a shark before.
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IgoDisney
Registered: April 2008
Location: Manchester NH
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon April 7, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great chance to do a safe family dive with 10ft sharks :)
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Cons:
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Bring your own Mask!
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I found out about this opportunity thanks to Deb's site and got certified with my 12 yr old daughter just for this trip. We had our whole family on the inside of the glass (yes you can hear the tapping on the inside) in the aquarium and did the 30 min dive in a group of about 10 people. We had a blast from start to finish. The tour of the back lot and aquarium behind the scenes was great and a bonus to see just how big the aquarium was. Apparently the Epcot ball fits in the aquarium with enough room to drive a bus around it, and an inch of water from the aquarium would fill an Olympic size pool. The Manatees, dolphins and the rest of the fish are in 3 sections of the aquarium separated by underwater cages so you can go over and see the dolphins’, but can’t really swim with them.
ONE Warning! DO bring your own mask. They only have small and large and obviously that doesn’t work for everyone. The reservations agent told me nothing goes in the water except a prescription mask, so I didn’t bring mine, but paid dearly for following those instructions. I was clearing my mask every 45-60 seconds and the rest of the group had almost all brought their own and the dive master had no problem with them using them.
Overall the greatest day at Disney we’ve ever had and I’m so glad we paid the $35 for the movie they made of us. I wish I’d done more to get more movie time, but my 12 yr old stole the show. I think we’re going to do this each time we go from now on.
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disneymom
Registered: January 2006
Location: Tulsa area
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Sat December 1, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Diving.... Disney style!
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Cons:
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expensive dive
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All three members of our family are certified divers, and we are all Disney addicts and multiple-trip veterans. The opportunity to dive Epcot was a no-brainer for us. The 40 minute dive was wonderful, with a wide array of aquatic life to swim with. Interaction with the public at the observation windows was a lot of fun. We were treated very well by the staff, par for Disney's high standards. The tour portion of Dive Quest prior to the actual dive was fun and informative. The locker room/shower rooms were nice, and good to have post-dive - stocked with shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
All in all it is a great experience for the Disney fan who is a diver!
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K TluvsDW
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 49
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Review Date: Fri February 23, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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DH loved it
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Cons:
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I cannot dive....poor me.
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DH is certified, and he just loved it. He says the whole experience, from start to finish was fantastic in every way. He has done this before in the Caribbean, but he thought this was better-more attentive and peaceful. I wish I could have done this...it sounded like a great time.
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kweaver
Registered: January 2007
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Mon January 29, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great environment for diving
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Cons:
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Wished it lasted longer!
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This tour is so awesome. In only 27 feet of water which is crystal clear, you get to see so much aquatic life, there is too much to list. Your tour starts with check in where your C-Cards are viewed. At that time they are sizing you up for your gear since you are not allowed to bring your own (except for a mask). Then you go inside for a quick briefing and then it is off to the dressing rooms where your wetsuit is waiting. They do an excellent job guessing size and how much weight you will use for the dive. Mine was spot on! Next you get paraded in all your wetsuit glory right through the regular area of The Living Seas and everyone gets to stare at you. A little weird, but hey, when you are a diver the first thing you get over is how fat everyone looks in their wetsuit. When we finally got up to the top of the Living Seas we had to wait for a few minutes. Apparently some guy in the previous group who hadn't been diving in a while ruptured his ear trying to clear it during descent and had to be taken out by stretcher. See... accidents even happen in the best of conditions if the diver isn't prepared! Once we got to the area to get in the water our tanks, weighs, BCDs and SPGs were all there. I didn't like the no octo's on Reg setup but I guess a CESA isn't going to be likely here. Plus the divemaster with the group has backup if necessary. The water was a balmy 75 degrees and was a little nippy in the shorty they give you but you soon warm up. You decend down the line and away you go. At one point they have you swim into a fresh air bell for a photo op and you get to pick up a cannon that used to be in Pirates of the Carribbean ride. The best part, though, is the interaction you get to have with those on the other side of the glass. The kids love it when you pay them attention! There are some huge sea turtles, jewfish, and a sand tiger shark in the tank with you. It was sooo awesome. After the dive you get out and shower. Then you get a certificate and tee shirt as well as the opportunity to watch the video of you dive available for purchase if you want. I was happy to hear that ALL of the money spent on the tour goes back to saving our aquatic wildlife. Also, note that there are many opportunites for discounts. I have AAA but I think if you tell them you are certificed through PADI or have a DAN membership, and also NAUI you get a discount which brings the cost of the dive down to $117. Totally worth the money!! If you are a certified diver and want a chance to dive while at WDW, the Epcot DiveQuest is great! Just remember to bring your C-Card!
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allears
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 574
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Review Date: Tue January 17, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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Looking for more DiveQuest Tour Reviews?
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For reader reviews submitted to AllEarsNet.COM prior to January 2006, visit: http://allearsnet.com/btp/tour_div.htm
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