Parkgoers visiting The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion in Epcot were treated to an appearance by a scuba-diving Mickey Mouse. He wore diving equipment and a black-and-yellow swimsuit, and swam through an aquarium tank to interact with fans.
A post shared by Disney Food Blog (@disneyfoodblog)
The Disney Food Blog shared videos of the occasion on Instagram. In the clips, Mickey Mouse is seen waving to parkgoers and high-fiving some through the glass. Another diver is also seen in the tank.
The distanced meet-and-greet is the closest Disney fans have been able to get to Mickey Mouse since the theme park implemented COVID-19 safety protocols last year. The theme park's standard character interactions, which include everything from photo opportunities to hugs, have been halted since early 2020.
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This isn't the first time Mickey Mouse has taken a swim at Disney World. In 2015, the theme park posted a promotional video on its YouTube page that advertised the Epcot DiveQuest attraction. It featured a scuba-diving Mickey in the clip.
Though it's not open at the time of writing, the swimming experience usually lets parkgoers scuba dive for 40 minutes inside the 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium at The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion.
Mickey Mouse isn't guaranteed to swim alongside you, but he occasionally makes underwater appearances at the attraction and Epcot's Coral Reef restaurant.
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