Going to Disney World - Would like to do some diving on the side!

[rozen]

Ill be going to Disney with my family from May 25th to June 1st. I will only be at Disney for a few days so I would also like to get some diving in. I did my open water in Egypt in August and have not dived since. I would not mind completing my advanced diver - would this be a good idea? I do not have any gear - will this be a problem? Lastly.. if anyone could recommend a place for lessons close to Maingate Lakeside Resort in Kissimmee that would be much appreciated. I will have a rental car so I can drive a little but not too far as I am not the greatest driver! Thanks! :)

[sportxlh]

Here's some links with ideas: these threads were started by folks visting Disney as well.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/414884-disney-world-side-diving.html#post6274470

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/414756-location-idea.html

Every diver is different, but I waited until I had about 100 dives before I did my AOW. I just wanted more experience before I took another class. I know others have done their AOW with far less OW dives though: one of my main dive buddies did his with about 50 dives under his belt.

Almost all the dive shops on the east coast of Florida will rent gear: at the dive in the Disney Epcot aquarium, you are required to use thier gear.

[Mark Derail]

Other than springs - and the aquarium at Epcot - not much diving-wise within a 2-3 hour drive from the Disney area.

For Epcot - around 175$ pp, wait until you've used up your Disney day passes, because the dive tour is some 4 hours. It doesn't cost an entrance fee to do the aquarium dive, they pick you up at the gate and return you there.

Then go have dinner at Downtown Disney @ Planet Hollywood.
(get a "pass" from your hotel - ask the Concierge - for Planet Hollywood, allows you to skip the line)

My idea of a fun dive @ Disney.

Get a "ardoise" with a pencil - so you can write messages to the kids on the other side of the glass. They won't know that you are NOT staff members - use this to your advantage. Play Tic Tac Toe, Hangman.

You might influence a whole new generation of future Scuba divers !!!

[doctormike]

My idea of a fun dive @ Disney.

Get a "ardoise" with a pencil - so you can write messages to the kids on the other side of the glass. They won't know that you are NOT staff members - use this to your advantage. Play Tic Tac Toe, Hangman.

You might influence a whole new generation of future Scuba divers !!!

Don't forget patty-cake! OK, it's not Truk Lagoon, but if you have little kids (or just like them), the interaction with the children on the other side of the glass is a lot of fun...

M

[Mark Derail]

Take a breath, remove reg, and mouth "Elephant shoes" to the kids...Patty-cake is a good one too.

I'd LOVE to see one of us divers with a GoPro video of such an interaction.

Ask the kids where the door to get out is.

Where the bathroom is.

I'm looking for SpongeBob, did you see him?

[diversteve]

My brother-in-law does that everytime they go there - his kids got a thrill out of seeing Dad diving. Have someone film you from the outside.

Epcot DiveQuest | Walt Disney World Resort (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/epcot-dive-quest/)

[Mark Derail]

Wow, right on the front page pic, the girl is resting her hands directly on coral !

Way to go Disney! Promote "touching"....sheesh.

[BluewaterSail]

Wow, right on the front page pic, the girl is resting her hands directly on coral !

Way to go Disney! Promote "touching"....sheesh.


I just did the Epcot aquarium dive a couple of weeks ago. Really was fun playing with the children on the other side of the windows. Probably the most giggly fun I ever had on a dive.

Don't worry about the coral, its all plastic. Since most of the participants in this program have less than perfect trim and control, there would be no coral left pretty soon if it was real.

It was also pretty cool being inches from a shark, who I knew was so well fed that tasting me would not be an appetizing thought for him.

Plastic coral touching aside, they do also have some conservation efforts going there, like nurturing manatees back to health that have been hurt by boat props. Really interesting tour of the facility is included in the cost of the aquarium dive.

[doctormike]

I'd LOVE to see one of us divers with a GoPro video of such an interaction.



Can't do that, for two reasons:

1) You can only bring in a prescription mask, everything else is their gear to prevent contamination.

2) If you could, no one would buy their video!

[Mark Derail]

Good points about the gear - it would require an accomplice on the "air" side of the glass.

So Rozen - please exploit our ideas !!!

A video on the air side would grant us the exclamations the kids will say, awfully cute.

[Wolfie]

Wow, right on the front page pic, the girl is resting her hands directly on coral !

Way to go Disney! Promote "touching"....sheesh.

My first reaction as well. Even if it's plastic the act of touching (more like leaning) should not be promoted on the home screen.

[robandliza]

Back to the point of the thread

I would recommend you drive to Clearwater (1.5 hrs drive from where you are) and dive with Welcome To Dive Clearwater! (http://www.diveclearwater.net/)
The diving is not as spectacular as the Atlantic but it is pretty easy with no current to speak of

I have been a few times and really enjoyed. It ticks the boxes for the family too, even if it is an early start. I would leave Kissimmee at 6 to go to the 7.30 meet...parking is right by the boat over the road from the beach. My wife and kids would go to a local cafe for breakfast and brush up then spend the day on the beach until I joined them at about 1pm after my dives. Spend rest of the day on the beach, have a bite to eat then back home by 9 for a sleep before hitting the parks again the next day