Nemo's adventure in Epcot might be a little too simple for us
Embark on an adventure with Nemo, Dory, and the gang in a classic and charming dark ride that retells the story of the first movie. Get ready to experience the heart-pounding moment when Nemo goes missing and his father faces a near-heart attack. Spoiler alert: Marlin does find Nemo, and they all live happily ever after, so there's no need to start crying.
The Sea with Nemo can be fun, especially for toddlers. The only problem is that this is a very basic dark ride, which uses very few animatronics/props as your vehicle travels across a long line facing a single direction. You come across different screens with projections that tell the story of the movie, from Nemo going missing to the great white shark Bruce and the turtle Crush.
You get to see almost every character from the movies and enjoy a few songs during the 5 minute ride, including fan favorite In The Big Blue World. It’s a bit of a letdown that you’re faced in a single direction during the whole ride, which limits the amount of effects that can be used and makes the ride feel a bit claustrophobic.
This means that nothing really exciting or new happens around you, also because your vehicle blocks your side views, so you are always looking up front towards a digital screen. Visual effects are limited to projections in front of you and there are basically zero animatronics. It all looks very cute, but also very simple. At least it’s cool that near the end your vehicle passes in front of a real aquarium with real fish, and Nemo and his friends appear in all their digital, cartoonish glory swimming next to them with the help of some clever digital tricks.
The best part is actually when you exit the ride and enter The Sea with Nemo & Friends pavilion. This is a wide area dedicated to oceanic life in all its forms, with beautiful aquariums featuring coral reefs and rare fishes like the dangerous Lion Fish, different specimens of sharks and even some eels.
I don’t think The Sea with Nemo & Friends is bad, I just think there are way better options out there. Almost every dark ride in Disney World offers a little bit more than Nemo, from Frozen Ever After in Epcot to Magic Kingdom’s Journey of the Little Mermaid and even Peter Pan’s Flight. The lack of movement and scenarios really hurts this one, but here is some good news: queue times for Nemo are usually really low, and you shouldn’t wait more than 10 minutes in line for this one.
Will Kids enjoy it?
Toddlers will probably love this ride. It’s colorful and features a lot of songs and projections of expressive creatures, which is always cool for them. It also doesn’t last as long as Spaceship Earth or Living with the Land, which is good for kids that might get a little anxious.
Young guests who are 12 yo+ might feel a little bored here, but the ride doesn’t last that long, so they could give it a try. Just don’t expect anything thrilling or exciting.
