Exploring Disney Sea Part 2: Port Discovery, Mysterious Island, and Mermaid Lagoon

Aquatopia in Port Discovery at Disney Sea.

Port Discovery

Next on our list comes Port Discovery! Attractions include Aquatopia, DisneySea Electric Railway, and Nemo and Friends SeaRider (formerly Storm Rider).

Aquatopia is kind of like Autopia at Disneyland in California, only you don't get to direct the motion of the "cars". These fun aqua-vehicles seat two and will spin you around the attraction up close to water jets, a waterfall, and even a whirlpool!

Aquatopia will spin you round!

Watch out for the waterfall!

You might get sucked in to this whirlpool!

It's a fun ride, but you may end up dizzy by the end. My friends and I had fun taking each other's pictures when we passed by each other; you don't know which course your "aqua-vehicle" will take, which is part of the fun!

In front of Aquatopia was one of several markers like these spread around the park in honor of the 15 Year Anniversary. They look really cool, and even cooler when they light up! Unfortunately you had to buy a special Mickey wand for about $30 and wave it in front of the sensors to make it light up. Luckily plenty of other people at the park had them so we could watch when someone used theirs. They look even better at night!

One of the many special landmarks around the park in honor of the 15th anniversary.

One of the other locations lit up at night.

Next is Storm Rider, which I really liked, but it's now replaced by the new Nemo and Friends Sea Rider. Unfortunately the last time I went it was still under construction, so I can't give you my experience of the ride! However, Storm Rider was fun; basically a weather related Star Tours ride.

Storm Rider attraction

Inside you'll be debriefed by one of the uniformed staff on the terrible storm brewing, and you're supposed to fire a laser into the center of to deactivate it.

You can also get on the Disney Sea Electric Railway from here – Sea feels a lot bigger than Land, so it's worth it to save on precious foot energy!

Mysterious Island

Finally, what we've all been waiting for since I introduced the iconic volcano: the Mysterious Island, home to two rides: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

But first, we'll be taking a little trip though Fortress Explorations.

Mysterious Island ahead!

You can see a cool pirate ship moored here.

Thar be pirates, argh.

Head this way to the Mysterious Island!

Fortress Explorations

This castle area is called "Fortress Explorations". You can take on the Leonardo Challenge, a walk-through interactive attraction where you can learn about the "Golden Age of Exploration" such as the study of planets and the earth's rotation. You can also grab a bite to eat and stake out a viewing spot for the night show.

You'll find interesting architecture and inventions here.

Magellan's is a great place to eat! See the thing above it? That's one of Leonardo DaVinci's many inventions, a flying machine.

Magellan's restaurant.

Almost there! Keep going.

Getting excited now!

We made it! It's a bit of a trek to get in here, but it's worth it! This is a great shot of Disney Sea, so make sure to pause and snap some good photos.

The Mysterious Island really delivers!

As you can see, the Mysterious Island is pretty darn cool! The walkway goes in a circle around the water taking you around to the different attractions.

Views around the Mysterious Island.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ahead.

See the green structure on the left? Down there lies 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a submarine ride based on the Jules Verne novel. A friend of ours who's a painter for Disney actually worked on the props for this ride!

Everything looks so authentic and detailed!

Is it real...?

Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of the most popular rides here, but be warned – there's a long, steep drop at the very end! It starts off nice and easy winding around lots of colored lights, and then at the end it surprises you with that endless drop. It's deceptive because the drop part is hidden behind part of the volcano. Needless to say, not going on that again.

You can see a cool contraption from the book jutting out of the mountain over the ride entrance.

Crowd heading toward Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Somebody did a bad job of parking.

You can also hop a ride around the park and get some delicious Chinese food here.

Line up for a cool ride!

Here's another of those commemorative landmarks! They're each unique from the others, so you'll probably want to find them all.

This one has a distinct nautical feel to it!

Watch it light up at night!

A beautiful green beacon to those lost at sea! Or 20,000 leagues under it.

Mermaid Lagoon

The colorful turrets of King Triton's castle.

Onto my all-time favorite place in the park: Mermaid Lagoon! There are a lot of kiddie rides here: Ariel's Playground, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Scuttle's Scooters, Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster, Blowfish Balloon Race, The Whirlpool – but I love it simply for how it seems to magically transport you "under da sea"! The decorations are so beautiful. I love all the shells and pearls! Disney really knows how to deliver in this area!

Pearly pinks, yellows, and soft blues and greens make this a treat for the eyes!

The detail is stunning! All the colors, shells, and stones.

Stop and admire the details!

Each piece is carefully hand-crafted! 

You can find little fish and shells in each unique piece!

 Make sure you get a selfie here if you're a mermaid lover!

Best way to make all your female friends jealous.

You'll also find a statue of the Little Mermaid like the real one in Copenhagen. You can see her pal Flounder looking up at her!

Make sure to take your picture with Ariel!

As mentioned above, the rides are aimed at younger riders like Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster.

Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster.

But the real fun – where you'll really be part of Ariel's world! – happens underground! Get a quick photo with King Triton first (our painter friend also worked on these!)

King Triton is looking good!

You can see down into Ariel's grotto below!

Ariel's Grotto

One of Triton's subjects welcomes you to his kingdom.

Make your way down the winding path and you'll be greeted by this sign.

Another photo op!

Welcome to Triton's Kingdom! It's pretty dark in here but it's fun to see all the different colored lights. There are fish, seaweed, corral, and shells everywhere!

Bright colors light up Ariel's world!

You'll really feel like you're underwater!

Younger children will enjoy rides like Blowfish Balloon Race.

Blowfish Balloon Race

The Whirlpool

Even the ceiling is painted to make you feel like you're under water!

The human world feels so far away!

The jellyfish are mesmerizing!

Bright orange jellyfish.

There's all sorts of undersea life to greet you, too!

Dolphins and a manta ray greet you.

An octopus friend.

It's fun to sit down and eat at the restaurant, too! (More details on food later!)

Sebastian's Calypso Kitchen ahead.

It's a fun place to eat!

Here you can explore Ariel's Playground, featuring different scenes from the movie such as the shipwreck, Ariel's grotto, and Ursula's lair.

Map of Ariel's Playground.

Come face-to-face with Ursula yourself! Just don't make any contracts!

It won't cost much, just you're voice!

Fans will love Ariel's grotto, but it may take a little exploring to find it! You can pose next to your handsome prince, or a statue of him at least.

You're charming prince awaits!

There are other details scattered around that Ariel would have collected from shipwrecks like books, thingamabobs, and dinglehoppers.

Ariel loves books!

Must have come from a shipwreck.

Treasure! Is it full of jewels or rusty forks?

Last but not least, make sure to visit the gift shop for special Little Mermaid merchandise! This mural in the shop is my favorite!

Kiss da Girl Fashions

Lastly, you can even watch a Little Mermaid live performance in Mermaid Lagoon Theater! Sadly I've never been able to get in due to long lines...Someone let me know what it's like if you can get in.

Stay with me, cause we've only explored half the park! (And don't forget to check out Part 1 if you haven't yet!) Ahead: Lost River Delta, Arabian Coast, Entertainment, and more!