The Living Seas pavillion at Walt Disney World’s Epcot is due to reopen in late October as “The Seas with Nemo and Friends”, turning its old Omnimover ride system (which travels through aquarium tunnels) into a full Finding Nemo adventure with the use of state-of-the-art digital video projection. Digital video projection that will then also be put to use in at least two special scenes of the dark-ride portion of Crush’s Coaster. Infact, the technology will also be used a third time, and much more expansively, in the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland in California, though this isn’t due until Summer 2007. So, months before the new Walt Disney Studios attraction opens, we can get a sneak peek at how successful this much-boasted technology is.

Already, theme park news website Screamscape has posted a few words of encouragement:

Nemo’s Undersea Adventure / The Seas with Nemo & Friends – (9/22/06) Screamscape has heard a little info about the insides of the new Nemo attraction, and so far the word is good. I’m going go try to not give anything away that might spoil it, but if you don’t want to know anything at all, stop right here.
Apparently the queue is quite large for this new ride and has been given a beach theme. As you move forward though the queue area, you will be given the impression that you are moving closer to the water and eventually walking under the water, which will be reinforced by a view of the bottom of a boat attached to the ceiling. This is all before you’ve even boarded the Clammobiles. From here I’ll leave out any details other than to say that the scenery work is apparently really great and the projections from Pixar are also said to be top notch work. The EAC effect is also said to be quite convincing and if there is one downside people could comment on, it’s that the real marine life just are not as impressive looking as their new Pixar counterparts.

We know already that the queue of Crush’s Coaster will be largely outdoors, themed to a dried-up fishing pier with the pier itself providing shelter above, so the statement here that Epcot’s attraction features a “beach” themed queue with “the bottom of a boat attached to the ceiling” suggests more could be crossing over than simply the projections, with the “EAC effect” being another likely candidate for the Paris attraction.

Despite these cross-overs, though, Crush’s Coaster can still be classed as a “turtally” unique attraction for Paris, with a ride system not yet used by Disney and a layout and design arguably like nothing they’ve ever Imagineered before.