“Welcome to a voyage of discovery and awareness of the richness, the diversity, and the often surprising nature of living with the land. Our journey begins as dramatic and sudden changes are sweeping over the land. The approaching storm may seem violent and destructive to us, but to nature, it’s a new beginning in the cycle of life.”
Living with the Land is one of the most underappreciated attractions in Disney history. While many perceive it as a preachy dark ride about agriculture, it’s actually something quite different. It’s an integral step in Disney’s noble quest to eradicate world hunger. Let’s go Behind the Ride to learn how Imagineers have constructed a sustainable agricultural production facility as a theme park attraction.
The experience: a boat ride through Agriculture 101
The trick: relaying the entire history of farming in a matter of minutes
Image: DisneySince The Land pavilion opened in Living with the Land in 1982, some version of Living with the Land has anchored the building. At first, its name was Listening to the Land, and that description better describes the first half of the boat ride.
I say first half because Living with the Land is really two attractions in one. Riders begin by entering 40-person boat that sails through several sets. Each of them retells a historical aspect of agriculture, the very thing that has sustained the human race.
Unfortunately, few guests board Living with the Land in search of an agricultural education. To the contrary, some riders view the entire attraction as a welcome 20-minute respite from theme park chaos.
I must acknowledge that the short documentary film that plays across the early sections of Living with the Land isn’t the most exciting story at Epcot. However, Disney clearly cares greatly about it, as demonstrated by the number of revisions over the years to keep it fresh. As recently as the summer of 2019, Imagineers updated scenes to modernize the story.
Image: DisneyOn Living with the Land, guests learn about the circle of life, the one made famous in The Lion King. However, this attraction is nearly 15 years older, demonstrating that the ideas were familiar to Imagineers long before the film. The difference here is that fauna tell the story in The Lion King, which formerly had a presence at The Land pavilion. Florae take center stage in Living with the Land.
A narrator explains the how and why of a plant’s life cycle during the ride. Scenes display how the roots of trees capture needed water. In combination with sunlight, it creates the nutrients that have allowed humanity to thrive and prosper.
Living with the Land demonstrates the importance of rainforests and the oddities of floral survival in arid regions. It’s actually a factual, thorough exploration of the evolution of agriculture, up to and including modern innovations.
The experience: Learning to live with the land, not just listen to it
The trick: Showing the importance of environmentalism in the food chain
Image: DisneyIn 1993, Disney renovated the original attraction and thereby modified its theme ever so slightly. The original Listening to the Land became Living with the Land, and the language is important here.
During the Disney Decade, then-CEO Michael Eisner and his staff stressed the importance of humanity’s relationship with the environment. The best example of this is Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the most recent Disney theme park, which debuted on Earth Day in 1998.
Five years before that, Imagineers covered some of the same territory with this attraction. With the change from Listing to Living, the new version emphasized the importance of green-friendly practices. As spelled out in Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, our planet provides limited resources. When we cycle through all of them, we must create our own.
Image: DisneyThis message permeates through the rest of Living with the Land, starting with the other dark ride sets. Once the attraction shows a farm house, it begins the message that society has sometimes overused natural resources. Then, it discusses ways that humanity has learned to live with the land in a more green-friendly capacity.
The dialogue has changed over the years, but the message is largely the same. The narration provides examples such as composting, natural predators in lieu of pesticides, and natural fertilizers. Each of these is better for the environment than practices such as fertilizers, chemicals, pesticides, and the like. With just a few simple modifications, we’ve found new approaches to living with our natural resources.
The experience: A boat ride through the Living Laboratory
The trick: Several Imagineering agricultural biomes on display
Image: DisneyPresuming that you can stay awake during the first portion of Living with the Land, you unlock the achievement of witnessing the better part of the ride. During the second half, the boat takes you through the Living Laboratory, the place where the (agricultural) magic happens.
In this area, dozens of biomes co-exist in the same habitat, a stunning scientific feat. What’s a biome? It’s a complex community of flora in a specific natural habitat. And here’s where the Living Laboratory shines through as an unimaginable feat of Imagineering. Many of the biomes that reside in the same vicinity have conflicting character traits.
For example, some need high volumes of water for the flora to flourish. Others come from arid regions and require a massive amount of sunlight. Some won’t grow unless they recognize audio cues that are almost silent to the human ear. A few florae even need wind to grow healthy seedlings.
Image: DisneySomehow, Disney manages all of these tricks in the same vicinity. At this greenhouse, agricultural Imagineers recreate all needed weather elements. Attentive riders on Living with the Land will notice sun lamps capable of blasting solar rays onto sun-starved flora.
At times, you may notice audio cues as you float through the laboratory. Disney pipes music through the walls and floors to reassure the florae that need sound to grow healthily. Similarly, gusts of wind and misting water are elements that you may experience during the attraction.
All of them represent remarkable scientific breakthroughs in the field of artificial habitats. And the Living Laboratory is one of the few places on the planet where such wonders are present.
What happens here is no different than the natural habitats at Kilimanjaro Safaris. Sure, it’s more visually exciting to see “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” The impossibilities of the situations are identical, though. At Animal Kingdom, predators and prey reside in close proximity. At Living with the Land, florae whose natural habitats are in direct conflict somehow inhabit the same greenhouse.
The experience: tasting the ingredients that you see on the ride
The trick: creating more than 150 sustainable food ingredients
Image: DisneyWhile you could never count them all unless you worked there, the Living Laboratory hosts more than 150 hydroponically-grown food crops from all sections of the planet. Imagineers have transplanted this many kinds of foods from around the world. Then, cast members have dutifully irrigated and pruned natural habitats for them, allowing the florae to grow in droves.
Eventually, these kinds of food are sustainable enough that Disney has monetized them. These agricultural wonders become the ingredients in meals served at The Land’s restaurants, Garden Grill Restaurant and Sunshine Seasons. Some of the flavors also became components in dishes served at the various Epcot festivals hosted at the park.
Image: DisneyHowever, Disney has larger aspirations with Living with the Land. The scientific work performed here is part of a noble goal. The company seeks to stamp out world hunger by developing agricultural practices that are adaptable across all environments. Feasibly, residents in Antarctica could eat food comprised of ingredients from deserts…without importing them!
Living with the Land is quite possibly the most important agricultural facility in the south. And you can visit anytime simply by purchasing a ticket to Epcot. Of course, those of you who want to learn more about the intricate scientific procedures in progress at Living with the Land shouldn’t stop there.
You should visit the Behind the Seeds Tour, which will allow you to explore otherwise inaccessible parts of the greenhouse. It’s the best way to understand what a remarkable achievement Living with the Land is. I’m confident that out of everything at Epcot, this attraction would be nearest and dearest to Walt Disney’s heart.
