Living With The Land At Epcot: A Complete Guide

Walt Disney had a vision for EPCOT, that it would be an experimental prototype community of tomorrow in Central Florida. Sadly that version of his vision would not come to light, even with Disney building the town of Celebration in 1996. 

One piece of the dream that was EPCOT was to work with corporations and governments from around the world for the betterment of mankind. Yes, it sounds hokey, but the Walt Disney World resort figured out a way to do just that.

Living with the Land is a slow-moving boat ride in the Land Pavillion that takes you through different environments.  You’ll see scenes from the American prairies, a tropical rainforest, and deserts from Africa.

Living with the Land is one of the often overlooked attractions in Epcot. The next time you visit the park and look for another attraction to enjoy when the park’s main rides are busy, it’s a great place to spend some time learning about how food is grown in Epcot

Today I’m going to share with you some hidden facts about Living with the Land so that you can appreciate this ride, even more, the next time you are in Epcot.

Where is Living with the Land Located?

Living with the Land is located in The Land pavilion in Epcot. This area is part of Future World but is in the part that’s now renamed World Nature. 

  • Save

Located at the bottom of the Land pavilion, you will take the escalators or elevators to the bottom floor. This is also where you can ride Soarin Around the World, or get a bite to eat at the Sunshine Season.  

I love eating at the quick-service Sunshine Season, and then taking a ride on Living with the Land. The food is usually a step up from normal theme park foods. You’ll see pasta, chicken, or fresh salads for sale here.

The ride is a dark ride in a slow-moving boat but also features a greenhouse tour of the living greenhouses within the park. The ride focuses on agriculture and new technology that’s used to make growing food more sustainable and efficient. 

While it’s quite an educational ride, you’ll find it’s also entertaining and a great place to unwind during a busy day in the park. Did I forget to mention it’s also in the air condition?

Who Can Ride Living with the Land?

The great thing about Living with the Land is that it’s suitable for everyone in your party. There are no height restrictions or mobility restrictions, so visitors young and old will enjoy Living with the Land. 

Read More: The Guide to Rides in EPCOT

The only thing to keep in mind is that there are some dark scenes and special effects which may scare the youngest children. Only you know how sensitive your child is, but most toddlers will really enjoy seeing all the plants when you enter the greenhouses.

Each boat is covered and contains five rows that seat between three and five guests. Usually, four adults will be added to each row, and each seat has a back for you to relax a little. 

There are a few steps down onto the boat, so keep this in mind if you struggle with getting in and out of ride vehicles. ECV users will need to transfer to a standard wheelchair, but from there, there’s a wheelchair-capable boat that you’ll use. 

There are no health and safety warnings due to how slow-moving this ride is, making it a great option for your whole travel party. If you’re pregnant, have a heart condition, or get motion sickness this is a ride you can do without worry.

Take a Break in Living with the Land

There’s no denying that a day in Epcot can soon wear out everyone in your travel party. On the busiest days, you are no doubt looking for somewhere to cool off and relax after traipsing around the World Showcase. Living with the Land is a great spot to cool off, and it’s well-air-conditioned in the line and ride. 

Carefully swept sand is there to prevent folks from disturbing the growing environment.
  • Save
Carefully swept sand is there to prevent folks from disturbing the growing environment.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

You’ll find that the ride generally doesn’t have more than a 20 to the 30-minute line at any time of the day, and at least the line is pretty cool as well. You’ll appreciate that the ride offers you nearly 15 minutes to sit down and rest your feet, which is much longer than many of the other attractions in the park.

Can you ride Living with the Land pregnant?

Yes, you can ride Living the Land if you’re pregnant. The Land Pavilion is an excellent place to enjoy a cool down from all the excitement in EPCOT, in a quiet, air-conditioned while learning a little bit. 

The sign to the entrance to the Land Pavilion, I love the mosaic look here.
  • Save
The sign to the entrance to the Land Pavilion, I love the mosaic look here.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

Understand the attraction is a water ride, so you will have to step down, and back up – there are rails to help you get up or down into the boat. We highly recommend this ride for all mothers-to-be, especially those that have other children in tow.

You can also enjoy a quick service meal afterward with some of the vegetation that is grown right on the property that you see in the attraction.

The Ride Experience – What Will You See and Learn?

For parents who are looking to make their visit to Epcot a little more educational, this is a great ride to take your kids on. The attraction begins with the dark-ride scenes, which open up to a forest in a serene simulated thunderstorm. 

This shows us how these forces can destroy the land before we enter into a desert, the prairie, and a rainforest. A fun fact about some of the audio animatronics in this segment is that they were originally built for the Western River Expedition.

This was an attraction that was planned for the Magic Kingdom but never came to be.

The second part of Living with the Land enters the Living Laboratory. Here you learn about the future of agriculture, where we see plants grown in various materials and with hydroponics. 

The greenhouses feature a tropics greenhouse with exotic fruits like papaya, dragon fruit, and bananas. You will also see the aquacell, which is a display of fish farming with living fish. 

oranges, lemons, limes, pears, apples, cherries on display in the biosphere dome on the tour on Living with the Land.
  • Save
Oranges, lemons, limes, pears, apples, and cherries are on display in the biosphere dome on the tour on Living with the Land.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

The aquacell is a neat scientific feat as you’ll see catfish, tilapia, sturgeon, and even shrimp on display.  Their waste is recycled as food for growing vegetables hanging like bell peppers. 

Next up is a temperate greenhouse before you enter the string greenhouse. This area showcases vertical growing techniques, which are becoming more popular around the world. 

  • Save
Hybrid Bass swimming around in the tanks at Living with the Land.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

The final greenhouse is the creative greenhouse, which shows off some unusual produce that you may never have seen before.

A Guinness World Record-Holding Tomato Tree

Within the string greenhouse, you’ll find a tomato tree, which has been recognized in the Guinness World Records. Over just 16 months, it produced more than 32,000 tomatoes, which made it both the largest and most productive tomato plant worldwide. 

In this area, you also see some fun Mickey Mouse-shaped plants, which kids will love seeing on their journey.

NASA Hydroponic Growing Units

The final greenhouse is the creative greenhouse, which showcases some unusual experiments. One we particularly enjoy seeing is the NASA hydroponic growing units. These were developed for use on long space journeys, and they are a great example of innovation within agriculture. 

As you leave the ride, you’ll also see the US Department of Agriculture Research Lab, which carries out various experiments as guests drift by.

Behind the Seeds Tour

Behind the Seeds Greenhouse Tour sign located right beside Living with the Land attraction.
  • Save
Behind the Seeds Greenhouse Tour sign is located right beside Living with the Land attraction.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

For anyone who loves Living with the Land or agriculture and gardening in general, you may want to consider the Behind the Seeds tour. This is a one-hour walking tour that takes you directly into the greenhouses on foot. 

You’ll learn about the plants, fish, and insects that live within the attraction. It’s offered multiple times a day and is much cheaper than many of the other tours. I am excited to report its return since the pandemic, and it’s a great option for a last-minute addition to your day at Epcot.

Taste the Produce from Living with the Land in the Parks

Sunshine Seasons is a delicious quick service inside the Land Pavilion.
  • Save
Sunshine Seasons is a delicious quick service inside the Land Pavilion.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

After seeing all of the produce that’s growing in the attraction, you are no doubt wondering where this all goes. The great news is that you can taste some of the freshly grown produce and seafood in Epcot. 

When you dine at Sunshine Seasons or Garden Grill Restaurant, both of which are located in The Land pavilion, you’ll find they use freshly-grown food right from the attraction. It’s a great example of how Disney makes the most of its resources. Playing its part in reducing their food miles.

You can eat at the all-you-care-to-enjoy character buffet at Garden Grill
  • Save
You can eat at the all-you-care-to-enjoy character buffet at Garden Grill

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

Is Living with the Land Included in Genie+?

Yes, if you’ve purchased Genie+ for the day in Epcot, this is one of the attractions you can use your pass for. However, we would only recommend using the lightning lane once you’ve crossed off some of the biggest attractions in the park. 

As we shared earlier, this is the ideal ride for an afternoon break. Once you’ve enjoyed some of the more popular rides, consider getting a pass for Living with the Land in the afternoon. 

You can then have a short break and sit down on the ride before heading off to enjoy everything else on offer in Epcot. 

While I do go to Disney often with my husband, and sometimes solo, there is not single rider line for Living with the Land. Sometimes there is one for Soaring Around the World, but it’s far from consistent.

Riding Living with the Land During the Holidays

If you have a visit planned to Epcot during the holidays, you’ll love seeing the subtle holiday overlay on Living with the Land. This overlay is known as Merry and Bright Nights, and it adds a little festive touch to the ride. 

You’ll find that lights and props are added throughout the ride, and kids will love looking out for these additions during your trip. It’s a really popular addition with locals and one that we believe is well worth visiting.

A Unique Ride Building

The biomes that the ride is housed within are one of the most unique buildings on Disney property. Each of the biomes is adjusted to mimic the climate that they are showcasing, such as the rainforest, prairie, and desert. 

They can be changed to make sure the plants are growing in the ideal conditions, with sound, light, wind, mist, or heat as needed. The team working behind the scenes has full control over the environment, which helps to create the incredible results we see with their plants.

The Missing Narrators

If you visited Epcot many years ago and then went on Living with the Land again today, you’ll notice there are some huge differences. While the name of the attraction used to be Listen to the Land and changed to Living with the Land in 1993, the biggest change is the lack of narrators we see today. 

The ride used to feature a cast member narrating the attraction as you went around. However, in 2006, they were replaced by the voice narration of Mike Brassell. You may recognize this voice from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in the Magic Kingdom. 

Workers setting up a new crop inside the tropical biosphere.
  • Save
Workers setting up a new crop inside the tropical biosphere.

Photo by Bayley Clark for MagicalGuides.com

Sometimes the voiceover is updated to feature new plants, but otherwise, it has remained the same for over a decade now.

A Special Dog

In the farm scene, you’ll notice there’s an audio-animatronic dog. Keen Disney fans may find this dog to be familiar. In fact, this dog also appears in the Carousel of Progress and Pirates of the Caribbean, both of which can be found in the Magic Kingdom. 

The dog was based upon Walt Disney’s dog, which held a special place in his heart. I love these little touches that are added to rides throughout Walt Disney World, and it’s something to keep an eye out for the next time you ride Living with the Land.

There’s so much more to Living with the Land than meets the eye. The next time you are in Epcot, make sure you put some time aside to enjoy a ride on Living with the Land. 

Especially now that we have Genie+ to use, it’s a great way to cool off in the afternoons in Epcot in the summer month. There’s something new to see each time you ride this attraction, particularly during the holiday season when they add new decorations to the scenery. 

Keep your eyes peeled for new experiments and projects that are going on in the biomes, as there’s always something different for kids and adults to enjoy on Living with the Land.

Is Living with the Land in EPCOT ball?

No, Living with the Land is not inside of the EPCOT ball. It’s actually a little ways away from the park. Depending on which entrance you take into EPCOT, depends on how you will get to the Land Pavillion. 

Does Living with the Land have any drops?

If you’re nervous about any drops on the Living with the Land attraction, don’t be. Living with the Land has no drops or fast-moving parts of the ride. Again this ride is perfect for expecting mothers, and other folks that might not be able to ride attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy for example.

Portions of the ride are in a bit of darkness, so beware if you’re traveling with any folks that are nervous around that. However, a well-lit area is never more than just 30 seconds away.

Does anyone still sponsor Living with the Land?

From time to time corporate sponsors will pay to have their logos put on and associated with attractions at Disney World. I mean, if I were Disney I wouldn’t turn down free money for the parks. However, at this time (2023), there is no corporate sponsor for Living with the Land.

In previous years though there were sponsors. Here are the previous sponsors:

  • Kraft (1982-1993) Known as Listen to the Land during these years before getting a new name.
  • Nestle (1993-2007)
  • Chiquita (2011-2020)

So as you can see these sponsorships go on for around 5 years at least. If you’re interested in how much money Disney World makes in a day, check out my article where I go more in-depth.

Is Living with the Land closing?

Some have mentioned that this ride is dated and needs updating. I question that, as I enjoy the ride as it is today.  Sure it’s not an exhilarating roller coaster, but again it’s about setting expectations.

Back in 2021, a guest jumped out of the boat to grab a cucumber. I still don’t understand what gets into guests that do things like that. Disney did close the attraction down for a few days afterward, I’m guessing for correcting the areas the guests messed up.

So no, Living with the Land is not closing or has any scheduled refurbishment planned so far in 2023. Don’t believe everything you read on random Facebook posts.

  • Save
Subscribe to Magical Guides!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Magical Guides straight to your inbox.
Share via
Copy link