Those same seas

In 2006, one could argue that the last remaining pavilion in Future World shifted from it original EPCOT Center mandate to a theme more befitting of Epcot when The Living Seas began its transformation to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. With the multitude of changes, EPCOT Center devotees lost not only the identity of Seabase Alpha but also the intricate richness and layers that comprised the facility. Above all of these removals or alterations, there is seemingly no singular greater injustice than the loss of mural that greeted guests of The Living Seas for twenty years.The water’s surface reflecting and breaking apart the light of the setting sun was truly one of the artistic masterpieces of Future World. That said, given the current premise of the pavilion, the current mural has a level of style I would not have expected. Looking at the Finding Nemo photo op mere steps away from the entrance and exit to The Seas, which appeared prior to the murals refurbishment, the characters from the big blue world are appear as faithful reproductions of their film counterparts. The mural presented today utilizes the ocean’s currents as a backdrop, while emphasizes the ranks of oceanic life. While some of these creatures are nondescript fish, the primary focus are the characters of Finding Nemo, presented in a flat, stencil-like effect.

Today's mural of the ocean may not be the sun setting upon a sparkling sea, but the approach of removing the characters from their original form deserves some credit.