When Disney fans discuss their favorite EPCOT rides, you might hear about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. But one of EPCOT’s surprise cult favorites is a serene boat ride through a bunch of greenhouses. I’m referring, of course, to Living with the Land.
Like Impressions de France in World Showcase, Living with the Land is another EPCOT attraction that I found boring as a kid but appreciate as an adult. In recent years, I’ve seen more and more people express their love for this ride. People online love how beautiful, relaxing, and informative Living with the Land is.
So with that in mind, I wanted to delve deeper into this iconic EPCOT ride. Here’s everything you need to know about Living with the Land.
Ride Basics
Living with the Land is a 15-minute indoor boat ride that explores agriculture and our connection to the land. You can find it inside the Land Pavilion in World Nature. When you enter the pavilion, head downstairs to access the ride.
Unless the lines are very long, you don’t need Lightning Lane for Living with the Land. Although lines can be longer during peak times, the wait time typically falls between 10-30 minutes.
Living with the Land is on the same floor as the popular Soarin’ ride, so many guests like to hop from one to the other. I’ve done the same myself. The rides are so close together, it makes sense to just knock them out.
Accessibility
Living with the Land is slow-moving, suitable for all ages, and wheelchair accessible. Disney offers audio descriptions for guests with visual impairments and handheld captioning for those with hearing impairments.
Ride History
Living with the Land debuted with EPCOT in 1982.
It was originally supposed to be a suspended dark ride called Blueprints of Nature. In that ride, a character called the Landkeeper would take you on a hot-air balloon journey through the four seasons and various greenhouse biomes.
But that concept turned into a boat ride, and the Landkeeper became the Dreamfinder in the original Journey to Imagination ride.
Living with the Land was known as “Listen to the Land” until the ‘90s. For many years, a live Cast Member narrated the ride while an annoyingly catchy folk song played in the background. (I’m old enough to remember this and even have my dad’s grainy VHS tape to prove it.)
Living with the Land has had a few facelifts over the years, including a new opening scene. A recorded voiceover replaced the live Cast Member spiel in 2006. (You may recognize the voice from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.)
Fun fact: The buffalo and prairie dog animatronics were originally made for a proposed Magic Kingdom ride called Western River Expedition. But Disney decided to build Pirates of the Caribbean instead and gave the animatronics a new home in Living with the Land.
What to Expect
When you get to the loading platform, you’ll board a canopy boat that fits four people per row. You’ll have to step down into the boat, so if you need a hand, just ask one of the Cast Members.
Living with the Land is split into two parts: a dark ride and a greenhouse tour.
Part 1: Dark Ride
The first part of the ride takes you through rainforest, desert, and prairie scenes. The narration talks about the forces shaping the land and how agriculture has impacted the environment.
TIP: Watch for a couple of Easter eggs in the farmhouse scene. The number on the mailbox is 82, the same year EPCOT opened. And the animatronic dog resembles the dogs in Carousel of Progress and Pirates of the Caribbean—all supposedly modeled after Walt Disney’s own dog.
Part 2: Greenhouse Tour
The second part of the ride takes you through four greenhouses:
- Tropics Greenhouse, featuring tropical plants such as bananas and papayas
- Temperate Greenhouse, featuring plants such as pumpkins and beets
- String Greenhouse, where the plants grow vertically on trellises
- Creative Greenhouse, where Disney uses innovative growing techniques such as hydroponics
TIP: Look out for hidden Mickeys, such as Mickey-shaped pumpkins, during this part of the ride.
In addition, you’ll get to see the Aquacell fish farm, where bass, tilapia, and other fish swim in large tanks. You’ll also get to see the Biotechnology Lab, where scientists perform crop research.
The ride also houses an Integrated Pest Management Lab, which raises helpful insects such as ladybugs. You won’t see this lab during the ride, but you can check it out on the Behind the Seeds Tour (more on that later).
The greenhouses aren’t just for show. Food grown at Living with the Land is used in EPCOT restaurants such as Sunshine Seasons, the Garden Grill Restaurant, and the Coral Reef Restaurant, as well as the EPCOT festivals. In America, we don’t often get to see where our food comes from, so Living with the Land offers a fascinating experience.
Holiday Overlay
During the holiday season, guests can experience the Glimmering Greenhouses holiday overlay at Living with the Land.
A few years back, Disney began adding Christmas lights and holiday decorations to the greenhouse part of the ride. The festive decor includes Christmas lights wrapped around tree trunks and twinkling among the plants, a light tunnel, and a snow family surrounded by presents.
Many Disney fans love Glimmering Greenhouses and look forward to it every year. So if you visit EPCOT during the International Festival of the Holidays, be sure to ride Living with the Land at night to witness the full display.
Garden Grill Restaurant
If you’re dining at the Garden Grill Restaurant on the floor above, you can look down into Living with the Land.
The restaurant rotates, providing a glimpse of the ride’s first scenes. You can even look into the bedroom on the second floor of the farmhouse—a view you won’t get while on the ride.
Behind the Seeds Tour
If you’re interested in going behind the scenes of Living with the Land, check out the Behind the Seeds tour.
This 1-hour walking tour gives you a closer look at the ride’s greenhouses and fisheries. You can learn all about the crops and plant-growing techniques used in the attraction.
You can sign up for the Behind the Seeds Tour online or at the desk located to the left of Soarin’. The tour costs $39-$45 per person. If you visit during the holidays, you can take the tour at night during the Glimmering Greenhouses event.
Conclusion – Living With The Land: Diving Into the Classic EPCOT Ride
In my opinion, Living with the Land is one of the best rides at EPCOT. It feels true to the park’s original spirit while offering an experience that’s accessible to all.
One common complaint I hear about EPCOT is that the park is losing its focus on celebrating science and culture and is instead getting swallowed up by intellectual property—for example, turning Universe of Energy into a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, or Maelstrom into Frozen.
And while one can argue that the older rides needed a refresh, there’s something special about the park’s earlier vision.
The thing is, any theme park can create rides. But EPCOT went above and beyond by crafting experiences that not only entertain but also educate. Living with the Land exemplifies that. It’s a simple ride but feels charmingly old-school.
It’s also nice to have a ride that everyone can enjoy. You don’t have to worry about height requirements, child swap, or health conditions here.
Living with the Land provides a relaxing escape where you can enjoy nature, no matter your age or physical abilities. It’s an underrated EPCOT classic.