SeaBase Aquarium

SeaBase Aquarium: attraction at EPCOT, Walt Disney World — live wait times, operating status, and planning data on MouseHub.

Wait time history

Historical wait patterns for SeaBase Aquarium accrete daily as MouseHub records waits every 15 minutes. Charts appear here once enough history exists.

Visitor sentiment

4.6· 42 Google ratings

The MouseHub take

SeaBase Aquarium is the walk-through half of the Seas pavilion at EPCOT, a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater habitat you circle on two levels. Sea turtles, reef fish, rays, and sharks swim past the glass, and Disney calls it one of the largest man-made ocean environments on the planet. The pavilion opened as The Living Seas on January 15, 1986, when guests rode hydrolators down to an exhibit floor named Seabase Alpha. Clam-mobiles arrived in 2006 with The Seas with Nemo & Friends and unload here, though you can skip that line and walk in from the pavilion floor. Hard surfaces carry sound, so the lower level gets loud once a crowd builds.

It fits best in the middle of a hot afternoon, when the air conditioning counts for as much as the fish do. Families with young children get the most out of it: Bruce's Shark World sits on Level 1, the manatees have their own rehabilitation area, and nobody in the group is too short to come in. Guests chasing headliner attractions will pass through fast and wonder what the fuss was about.

At a glance

Best for
Families with young children who need an indoor stop that still feels like an attraction
Skip if
Guests with one park day who want to spend it on rides and headliners
Ride type
Walk-through aquarium exhibit on two levels
Intensity
Low. Dim viewing rooms and loud crowd noise, no motion and nothing to board.

The good

  • The air conditioning earns its keep
    The whole route sits indoors. Visitors treat this pavilion as the place they go when the afternoon heat wins.
  • Level 2 puts you inside the tank
    The undersea viewing area is a circular, window-lined room in the middle of the aquarium. Marine life passes on nearly every side of you.
  • Any Height, so nobody sits this one out
    Disney lists the attraction as Any Height. Infants, toddlers, and grandparents walk the same route together.
  • You can see the fish without riding
    Reviewers describe walking in from the pavilion floor rather than queuing for the clam-mobiles. The tanks are open either way.
  • Sharks, rays, and turtles share one habitat
    Sea turtles, reef fish, rays, and sharks all swim the 5.7-million-gallon tank. A single pane of glass tends to hold more than people expect.
  • Bruce's Shark World gives kids a stop
    The Finding Nemo interactive exhibit on Level 1 has quizzes and a photo op inside Bruce's open jaws.

The bad

  • Voices carry in here
    Sound bounces off the glass and the hard floors. The lower level turns into a wall of noise at peak times.
  • Your eyes need a minute to adjust
    You walk in from full Florida sun to near-dark viewing areas. Visitors report missing steps and bumping into people until their vision catches up.
  • Strollers pile up on the lower level
    Parked strollers narrow the walkways, and pushing your own through the bottleneck takes patience.
  • Some interactive exhibits have stopped working
    Dark screens and sticking buttons around Bruce's Shark World come up regularly in reviews. Heavy use shows.
  • Lunch smells drift out to the tanks
    Coral Reef Restaurant looks into the same aquarium, and the cooking reaches the viewing areas.

Veteran tips

  • Walk in instead of riding
    Head for the pavilion floor rather than the clam-mobile queue if the animals are what you came for. You lose nothing but the ride.
  • Go straight up to Level 2
    The circular room in the middle of the aquarium is the best sightline in the building. Start there and work back down.
  • Ask about fish feedings when you arrive
    Animal care experts feed and train rays, sea turtles, and fish on Level 2. Times vary by day, so ask a Cast Member at The Seas.
  • Look for the manatees on both levels
    Injured manatees rest and recover at the Manatee Rehabilitation Center, which has viewing on Level 1 and Level 2.
  • Wheelchair and ECV users stay put
    Disney lists the attraction as May Remain in Wheelchair/ECV, so nobody has to leave their device.
  • Save it for the hottest part of the day
    The route never goes outside. Park it in the middle of an afternoon you would otherwise spend in the sun.
  • Those divers in the tank are guests
    Certified scuba divers can book EPCOT Seas Adventures - DiveQuest and swim with over 2,000 sea animals inside the aquarium.

MouseHub editorial, written from visitor reports and official Disney sources. Last reviewed .

Sources