Hi, Robin! I'm so glad you reached out to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Being a former teacher, I know all too well how real-world experiences are the most valuable learning tool. Walt also valued the discovery of knowledge and tried to weave these experiences throughout his original theme park, Disneyland Resort. Following in those revered footsteps, Walt Disney World Resort has been offering educational classes to guests since 1979, and today we have the Disney Youth Education Series, which I'm very passionate about. A few months ago,
I was a lucky participant in these classes, and I'll share some of the insights I learned with you.
The
Youth Education Series (YES for short) is meant for school-age children (ages 5 through 18) to part-take in accredited educational classes held inside one of Walt Disney World's theme parks. Since your son is a marine biology buff, the Exploring Careers in the Marine Sciences YES class would allow him to take the plunge into an exploration of STEM careers at
The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
The catch, as you mentioned, is that these classes are exclusively for groups of ten or more students. I asked about this during my trip, and I learned that several years ago, individuals were allowed to sign up for the classes, but that option is not available at this time. However, I was told by one of the members of the Disney Youth Programs team that occasionally they will work with a particular homeschool group that allows individual participants to join their consortium. I suggest calling Disney Youth Programs at (877) 939-6884 and asking if they can connect you.
If that ends up not being a viable option, I have a few other recommendations for your son. Epcot has a series Seas Adventures Tours that are very popular with guests: the
Aqua Tour,
DiveQuest (must be CUBA-certified), and
Dolphins in Depth. Have your son read the descriptions on the Walt Disney World website, and see if any appeal to him. If you'd like more information, call (407) 939-8687.
I hope you and your son have a
splash-tastic time on your Walt Disney World vacation, Robin! Please stop back if there's anything else we can help you with!
Eean