I’m an OG EPCOT lover. I was four years old when the park opened in 1982, and I remember the first time my parents and I visited. Without a doubt, my happy place within the park was The Land Pavilion. Long before Soarin’ was there, The Land gave us classics like Symbiosis and Kitchen Kabaret, a delightful show with talking produce, which may sound crazy but was perfection. Attractions and films within this pavilion have come and gone (I still wonder what happened to my favorite anthropomorphic head of lettuce,) but one classic opening day ride still remains. Living With the Land — which was originally named Listen to the Land — is a fan-favorite boat ride, and perhaps one of the most quintessentially EPCOT things in all of EPCOT.
There’s no better place to take a cool break from the park than Living With the Land. This calming boat ride has been a bit of a cult favorite for four decades and counting. While the ride’s name, corporate sponsors, and narration may have changed over the years, this unique EPCOT attraction remains a comforting go-to for an ardent fan base of Walt Disney World regulars like me.
Some people joke about squeezing in a nap on this ride, since the 15-minute length is unusually long compared to most Disney rides. But savvy park guests budget time for Living With the Land when they need an escape from Orlando’s heat and crowds. Once aboard, you’ll cruise through a relaxing simulated thunderstorm that feels like sound therapy, and pass a classic farmhouse scene that’s so tranquil you’ll forget you’re inside a bustling theme park. Look up and you can catch a glimpse of the Garden Grill, Epcot’s slowly revolving restaurant where guests can dine on park-grown food while meeting characters and watching the boats cruise by below.
This zen-like experience aside, Living With the Land is an educational attraction that dishes out some impressive lessons on sustainable farming and agriculture. Without fast speeds or a height requirement, this ride is the perfect chance for family members of all ages to enjoy something together while also increasing their knowledge of the ideal ways communities across the globe are learning to live in harmony with our bountiful land.
The uniqueness of this educational cruise is that it doesn’t just teach through animatronics or videos. It actually offers guests a sneak peek at EPCOT’s working lab and greenhouse. In here, cast members grow some of the very fruits, vegetables, and fish that guests eat in many of EPCOT’s restaurants, including the Garden Grill above!
While listening to piped-in, recorded commentary by Mike Brassell (who previously voiced the Peoplemover,) your boat will cruise by the actual hydraponics, aquaponics, and fish farm operations that EPCOT uses to grow some of your favorite Disney eats. Labels on the crops let you know where you may find each ingredient throughout EPCOT. EPCOT is known for its food festivals, which are the perfect showcase for the food grown in the Land. In my most recent visit during the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, I ate at the Bramblewood Bites stand and got to enjoy the very Brussels sprouts I saw growing in the ride’s greenhouse!
The Backstage Tour
I’ve been happily riding (and re-riding) Living With the Land on all of my Disney visits since I was four years old. It’s always been a family favorite, and my son affectionately named it “The Fruit and Veggie Ride” in his toddler days (don’t tell him I shared that!) While we love cruising the waters of The Land, I’ve always dreamed of hopping off the boat and walking through the labs and greenhouses like I see the cast members doing. On our most recent vacation, we had the chance to do just that!
Behind the Seeds is a paid backstage tour of Living with the Land for ticketed Walt Disney World guests ages 3 and up. To me, this tour feels like EPCOT’s best-kept secret. A lot of people aren’t even aware that it’s offered, and those who do know may be surprised to learn that tours have been running since the park first opened in 1982. The experience was originally called Tomorrow’s Harvest, then changed to Greenhouse Tours, then in 1996 was given what I think is its punniest name yet — Behind the Seeds.
Each tour is led by a cast member tour guide who generally has some hefty scientific training. Our tour guide, Andy, was incredible. He was a brilliant professional with a background in biology and an impressive array of scientific trivia — as well as jokes! Andy had us laughing throughout the tour, which really helped all the technical information feel a lot less intimidating and more fun for the whole family. There are many qualified guides available for this tour, but I’ve heard some are a bit dry. If you happen to book your tour in person, you may want to request if Andy is available and choose his tour time!
What You’ll See
Behind the Seeds offers guests a one-hour opportunity to walk through The Land’s four greenhouses, fish farm, and even certain backstage areas that evoke some real VIP vibes. Pro tip: this is Disney’s only backstage tour that allows photography and video, so feel free to snap all the plant selfies you like!
The view from the sandy opposite side of the boat was something any EPCOT superfan will appreciate.
We also got to sample delicious cucumbers that were grown in the greenhouse. Andy told us that at The Land, Disney experiments with growing crops into different shapes. They’ve even been known to grow some cucumbers that slice into a hidden Mickey!
The tour was full of interesting new experiences and learning opportunities for both kids and adults. Andy explained all the extensive measures Disney goes to ensuring that The Land is a zero-waste facility. We also learned about plants we’ve never been exposed to. We were able to touch “Stanley,” a pet plant of sorts at The Land that closes its leaves when anyone touches them or makes a loud noise!
What a treat it was for me to get right up-close to all the beautiful greenhouse plants I had seen from the boat for so many years! The vertical farming techniques at The Land are my favorite.
I even got to see the iconic Mickey-shaped lettuce crops from the right side! I was always curious if EPCOT uses everything that is grown here, so I asked Andy. He explained that while a lot of the food is used in the park, some of what we saw was only for research or display — or ended up on his desk for lunch!
If you’ve been on the ride, you’ll certainly recognize the fish farm — the colorful tunnel in the ride that looks like it’s glowing in neon lights.
In addition to seeing those well-known areas up-close, this tour also allows you to go truly behind the scenes. We walked backstage through cast member-only doors to reach the labs, where we learned about the pest control system at The Land.
Andy explained that The Land raises its own pest control agents (like ladybugs) in a lab so they can be used around the crops. They also study the habits of several pests, such as the patterns formed by a bug on this leaf below.
Towards the end of the tour, you’ll spend some time in the center of the greenhouse. Here we were able to work with the other members of our tour to test our spice knowledge, and Andy also gave us all the chance to pose for a special photo in this unique area.
Know Before You G(r)ow
If you’ve never been on the ride, you’ll definitely want to check it out before booking a Behind the Seeds tour. If you’re a seasoned pro, I recommend hopping on the ride right after your tour so you can appreciate what you just saw from the opposite side of the walking path!
Behind the Seeds tour prices range from about $40 to $50 per person and can be purchased on the Walt Disney World website or in person at the tour desk on the first floor of The Land Pavilion, to the right of Soarin’. Keep in mind there’s a chance that same-day tours may be sold out. We purchased our tickets in advance to ensure we got in the day we were going to EPCOT. When booking in advance, be sure to plan your day around the tour. There are usually seven tours a day, with the earliest around 10:30am and the latest around 4:30pm. You’ll need to check in at the tour desk 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time. You should plan to be in The Land pavilion for two hours, plus account for time walking there from wherever you are in the park.
A Must-Do
My favorite thing in EPCOT isn’t some shiny new roller coaster or a hot-ticket character ride. It’s the blissful 15 minutes I get to sit back, relax, and breathe in the scents of a classic Disney water ride. Living With the Land evokes so much nostalgia for me, and it’s one attraction I cannot miss during any of my Walt Disney World visits.
Being able to peek behind the “seeds” during this tour gave me a new appreciation for how much care and attention goes into this important pavilion. Whether you’re an ardent fan of the ride or just a casual rider, this tour is sure to give you newfound respect for how much work goes into this environmentally-conscious facility. The company and cast members have made a noble effort to promoting sustainable agriculture practices, which is something we could all benefit from learning about.
I highly recommend this educational experience on your next trip to EPCOT. It’s a great way to enhance your visit with something truly unique, and it gives a fresh perspective to a classic ride. You never know what you’ll learn when you take a peek Behind the Seeds.
What Lara Wrote 