Some Call This Disney World Ride “Boring”, But I’m a Disney Mom and I Think You Need to Ride it At Least Once

Walt Disney World is full of a large variety of rides and attractions. Across the four theme parks, you’ll find stage shows, dark rides, game-style rides, motion simulators, spinner rides, rollercoasters, boat rides, thrill rides, and more. Even with thrilling options such as these, guests also find some of the simpler rides at the parks to be just as enjoyable.

One EPCOT ride, in particular, is sometime labeled as a “boring ride” by some, yet it’s beloved by many. What is it about this mellow ride that’s captured the heart of so many Disney Adults? Keep reading to see why so many Disney park goers thoroughly enjoy this not-so-exciting ride.

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Here's Why Those Critics Are Wrong About This Disney World Ride

The ride we are talking about is Living with the Land at EPCOT!

For those who aren’t familiar with the ride, let’s first do a quick overview. Living With the Land is a slow-moving boat ride that’s located in the Land Pavilion at EPCOT. The ride is made up of different experiences that are grouped together to make one 15-minute educational experience.

As guests are taken through the ride, they learn about what they’re seeing through the words of a pre-recorded narration. The purpose of the ride is to educate guests on how our agricultural methods have changed over time to create the most sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly practices.

Living With the Land begins with a classic Disney dark ride feel, taking guests through a number of sets. These sets, which replicate a tropical rainforest, desert, and prairie, give guests a close-up view of natural environments. These are physical sets that are brought to life with props and animatronics. This first portion of the ride shows guests how we have changed our farming methods over the years in order to increase production while simultaneously decreasing our harm to the Earth’s natural environments.

As the ride continues to the second portion, guests are taken to the “Living Laboratory”. Here, guests can see the product of Disney’s sustainability efforts. During this section, guests are taken through working greenhouses, where they get a firsthand view of innovative growing techniques. The boat also makes its way through an aquatic portion, where the practice of aquaculture is on display. Also, while not taken directly through this portion, guests get a glimpse at the Biotechnology Lab, where studies take place.

Throwback to Classic EPCOT Rides

One thing that stands out to Disney Adults about Living With the Land is that it’s one of the few rides remaining at the park that has a classic EPCOT feel. When EPCOT first opened, all of the rides and attractions had an educational core with an entertaining quality. That can’t be said about every attraction at EPCOT today.

While some of the rides at the park today still have education at their core, there are others that do not. Rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Frozen Ever After are simply at EPCOT for entertainment purposes, with their popular IPs drawing a large number of guests into the park.

Even though all of those rides are extremely fun, and some of my personal favorites, old-school Disney will always be something that many Disney Adults hold near and dear, and that’s exactly what Living With the Land is.

You Can Eat the Food From the Attraction

Something that’s unique about Living With the Land is that it not only showcases agricultural movements, but the by-products of these practices are actually used within the park. Two dining locations in the Land Pavilion – Garden Grill Restaurant and Sunshine Seasons – use produce and fish that come directly from the attraction.

Speaking of Garden Grill, while you dine at this slowly rotating restaurant, you’ll be able to enjoy views of the Living With the Land attraction. The phrase “farm-to-table” is a perfect way to describe the connection between this attraction and restaurant.

In addition to Garden Grill Restaurant and Sunshine Seasons, products from Living With the Land can also be seen during the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. The edible flowers that are served on things such as the popular Violet Lemonades are sourced from Living With the Land. We have also enjoyed the produce from the Land at the Flying Fish restaurant, which is one of our favorite best Disney World restaurants.

Fun Holiday Overlay

One of the best times to visit Walt Disney World is during the holidays. Besides the beautiful decorations that can be seen all over the property, multiple rides are garnished with a special holiday overlay. Living With the Land is one of these rides. After this overlay is applied, the ride is referred to as Living With the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses. This stands out as one of the highlights of EPCOT at Christmas.

During this time, guests can enjoy the same great educational boat ride, but with a holiday twist. Lights, ornaments, and other decor are placed throughout the ride, giving it a cheerful, festive feel.

It's a Great Place to Rest

While a lot of Disney Adults truly love Living With the Land for what it has to offer, others enjoy it simply because it’s a great place to rest.

I personally am one of the adults who actually enjoys this ride. However, I can’t argue with the fact that it is a great place to rest your legs. With a 15-minute, smooth sailing boat ride in the air conditioning, I can’t blame those who happen to nod off during the experience.

Children May Find it Slow

As we’ve discussed, there are multiple reasons why adults enjoy this ride. Children, on the other hand, may not be as impressed. Let’s face it, when kids visit Disney World, they most likely aren’t interested in getting an education. They’re out of school, at the Most Magical Place on Earth, and they’re trying to have a good time… not learn about farming. Understandably, some kids may find the ride more boring.

That being said, I regularly visit Walt Disney World with my two children, and I’ve never had an issue with them on this ride. Even though they’re not as excited as they are when they see Elsa, Olaf, and Sven on Frozen Ever After, they sit through the attraction with little to no complaints. If anything, I feel like they take it in as an opportunity to relax out of the hot, Florida sun.

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As a Disney Mom, I recommend taking your family on this ride at least once. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the attraction even though your kids may not be overly thrilled with it. Odds are, even if they tune out the educational parts, they’ll perk up once you make your way into the greenhouses, and even more so once you get to the fish.

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