Living with the Land at Epcot
Living with the Land is an attraction at Epcot. The ride features slow-moving boats that travel through greenhouses and scenes featuring Earth’s biomes. Narration provided by a speaker system helps educate guests about each environment. The attraction’s entrance is on the lower level of the Land Pavilion at Epcot. It’s a fan-favorite for many. Below, we’ll take a virtual ride with photos and discuss the best times to experience this attraction.
Fun Fact: When this attraction first premiered, a live cast member attended each boat and provided narration during the tour. Now, let’s look at some of the more modern elements.
Below are a few quick reference details for Living with the Land.
| Living with the Land | Epcot |
|---|---|
Location: | The Land Pavilion |
Height Requirement: | None |
Lightning Lane: | Yes (Multi-Pass Tier 2 Category or Premier Pass) |
Early Theme Park Entry: | It’s not on the official list. But it often opens early. |
Extended Evening Hours: | No |
Our Traffic Signal: | Green Light |
Stroller Parking: | Outside the Land Pavilion’s entrance |
Ride Type: | Slow-Moving Boat |
Seats Per Vehicle: | Averages four per row |
Rider Switch: | None |
Good For: | Everyone |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | High Priority |
Perfect For: | Those with a green thumb! |
Special Mention: | During the holidays, there’s a special ride overlay: Glimmering Greenhouses. |
Accessibility: Some of the boats are wheelchair accessible. However, guests must transfer from ECVs to a wheelchair to board.
Living with the Land Review
Living with the Land is located on the lower level of the Land Pavilion. This attraction has two entrances: a Lightning Lane entrance and a standby queue. Unfortunately, this attraction does not have a single rider line. See our list of rides at Disney World that offer single rider lines for more details.
When you enter the Land Pavilion, you are on the second floor. You’ll need to use the stairs, escalators, or elevators to get down to the main level. Living with the Land and Soarin’ Across America are both on the bottom floor.
Typically, the best time to ride Living with the Land is earlier in the morning or after 4:00 p.m., when lines in this area tend to die down a bit. However, it’s essential to know that Living with the Land usually closes earlier than other attractions. On average, the ride closes around 7:00 p.m. So you’ll want to experience the attraction before it closes.
However, there are a few exceptions. For instance, Living with the Land often stays open later during the holiday season, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Due to a special overlay, you’ll probably want to experience this attraction twice during the holidays. So ride it once during the daylight hours and then again after dark. Just don’t be surprised when you find a long line for the Glimmering Greenhouses after dark.
Living with the Land is part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass. However, you won’t need to use one for this attraction in most cases. Since it is a high-capacity attraction, the line tends to move quickly.
Living with the Land is a slow-moving boat ride that journeys through four different ecosystems. You’ll float through representations of a rainforest, prairie, desert, and farm. At the beginning of the attraction, you’ll travel through a simulated thunderstorm. Some of these areas are relatively dark and cool, making this a great attraction to visit during the hotter portions of the day.
One of the most popular scenes before you reach the greenhouses is the farmhouse, where a dog sits on the front porch. As you pass the farmhouse, remember to look up. You’ll see guests dining above at the Garden Grill Restaurant.
You’ll then pass through a small area where you watch a short film. After the film, you’ll approach the Sustainable Agriculture Production and Research Center, AKA the greenhouses. Here are a few photos.
This is where you will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel as your boat approaches the greenhouses. Everything begins to brighten up at this point.
Living with the Land has several greenhouses. You’ll first travel through the tropical greenhouse, where cacao, bananas, and Dragon Fruit are grown.
Bougainvillea grows wonderfully in the tropical atmosphere. As a result, we often see it incorporated into the landscaping at Walt Disney World.
Depending on what time of year you visit, you’ll see various displays throughout the greenhouses. The various plants vary from season to season. We’ve seen anything from Papaya trees to zen-like gardens with floating water lilies, bamboo shoots, and waterfalls. Here are a few more photos taken in the Tropics greenhouse.
After the tropics, our boat turns into another tunnel. This is where we start to see hydroponic fish tanks. Aquaculture is an important part of how food is produced. These fish farms contain tilapia, catfish, sturgeon, bass, and other fish. There are also a few hidden Mickeys in the aqua cell area.
As we make our way into the temperate greenhouse, we see a sizeable Hidden Mickey.
The next greenhouse typically offers a pergola with a seasonal display. This area is usually where you’ll see sunflowers planted. They grow rapidly. As you float down the little greenhouse river, you’ll see a variety of vegetables growing in unique ways. We see a few tomato trees. Nothing in this area appears to be rooted in the ground. Most of the plants are hanging from overhead, like the snake gourds photographed below.
Every time I ride this attraction, I smile when I hear others sharing their amazement at how things are done here in the greenhouse. It’s always fun to hear people call out common vegetables as if they have never seen them before. But I get it. Oh, look, there’s an eggplant, and check out those pumpkins.
If you look closely, you’ll notice the lettuce below is planted in a pattern so that it creates a hidden Mickey.
Toward the end of the ride, you’ll see a variety of edible flowers and herbs. Many of the restaurants at Epcot use these ingredients in their dishes. So don’t be surprised if you’re perusing a menu and see a special reference to Living with the Land.
At the end of the 15-minute tour, you’ll pass by the Biotechnology Laboratory. Here, you’ll usually see a few cast members at work. I’m pretty sure if I ever had to have a job at Disney World, this would be the place I wanted to end up.
Behind the Seeds Tour
During your greenhouse tour, you might see a few guests walking through with a guide. These guests are taking part in the Behind the Seeds Tour. If you would like to take part in a walking tour, you can stop at the help desk when you exit the attraction. Or you can book the walking tour in advance here on Disney’s website.
During the holidays, a special walking tour is available for the ride’s special overlay. We have a guide with more details about the 2026 Behind the Seeds Glimmering Greenhouse tour on Living with the Land.
The Resorts Gal Spin on Living with the Land
We give Living with the Land the green light. This is my favorite attraction (other than Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) at Epcot. It’s a ride that will make you roll your eyes out of your head for the first couple of minutes. Then, you’ll get it, and you’ll know exactly when you do. Anyone who cares about living things can appreciate the subtle simplicity and beauty of this attraction.
Our Traffic Signals
Green Light: We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move, and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light: We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red-light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Living with the Land is an excellent and relaxing attraction. Don’t miss it! Hopefully, you enjoyed our spin through the greenhouses. For more rides and entertainment offerings in this park, see our Epcot Ride Guide. Check back with Resorts Gal for the latest Disney updates and reviews.
In the Comments
Have you ever ridden Living with the Land at Epcot? What do you think of it? Let us know below in the comments.