Epcot is a great day out, but for me, one of my favourite parts is in the Land pavilion, mainly because it houses one of my favourite rides – ‘Soarin.’ This pavilion explores how we can use the land for our benefit, but it also highlights the ways we can destroy it too. Future technologies are explored here and the land itself is celebrated.
One of the most interesting and educational places to visit, this huge pavilion covers six acres, and has a fast food court, a unique sit-down restaurant that moves, and three great attractions, including Soarin’. Don’t visit Epcot without taking the relaxing and highly informative boat ride which takes you on a 14 minute journey through Disney’s unique indoor growing area. There are four greenhouses and each one is different, plus the amazing ‘Aquacell.’
We often do this boat tour late in the afternoon when there are fewer queues. You will sit in a boat with bench seats, and the seats at the front will give you the best view. The tour starts with a slow boat ride in the dark, and at one time there was a Cast member to give you a live narration. They have now been replaced by a recording. You sail slowly through a deciduous forest in the middle of a rainstorm, and then on through a tropical rainforest, a desert and the American prairie. Look out for the audio-animatronic figures which were originally created for an attraction which never came to fruition – ‘Western River Expedition.’ Of course there are special effects, including wind, heat and mist. The question is, how do we feed a growing world population whilst not destroying the very earth we live on, and what environmental issues should we take into consideration?
The part I enjoy the most is the tour through the greenhouses and laboratories where we learn about the latest farming techniques, including aquaculture, hydroponics, aeroponics, nutrient film techniques and desert farming. We always find this fascinating, as you see how it is possible to grow crops in the most unlikely of conditions. Plants are grown in a variety of mediums including rockwool, sand, coconut coir and perlite.
The Tropics Greenhouse has a 60ft dome where crops from the tropics are grown, including bananas, peanuts, rice, sugar cane, jackfruit, peach palm, dragon fruit, java apple, vanilla, pineapple papaya and cacao.
The Temperate Greenhouse features such technologies as integrated pest management, sustainable agriculture and specialized irrigation systems, which are designed to increase crop production and decrease waste. Here you can see huge crops such as Atlantic Giant pumpkins, winter melons and Nine Pound Lemon. As well as these giant crops you will see cotton, turnip, sunflowers, millet and beets.
The Production Greenhouse, now known as the String Greenhouse, is where tons of vegetables are grown for the Land’s Garden Grill Restaurant. Innovative high density techniques are used including vertical growing techniques, in which plants are grown on special trellises. These encourage plants to grow in the shape of trees. One of the most amazing plants grown by this method is the tomato tree which produced over 32,000 tomatoes over a 16 month period. Here you will see peppers, lettuce, eggplant, snake gourd, tomatoes and other vegetables. You will even see some amusing cucumbers and pumpkins grown in the shape of Mickey Mouse. They use growing systems which are kind to the environment, and over a year this greenhouse yields over 30 tons of produce.
But the most fascinating green house has to be the ‘Creative Greenhouse’ where plants are grown without soil – some just hang from the ceiling, most are gown via aeroponics, in which a fine mist of nutrients and water is sprayed onto the roots of the plants which dangle in the air. You can also see the hydroponic growing units which were developed by NASA for growing food on long space journeys. Look out for Swiss chard, super-dwarf wheat, rosemary, squash, lettuce, basil, cabbage, marigolds and snapdragons.
Fish are also farmed, and the boat also takes you past through the ‘Aquacell ‘where you will see many high-density tanks as well as low density display tanks and tubes. Some of the fish which are farmed here are used in the Coral Reef Restaurant in the ‘Seas With Nemo and Friends’ pavilion. You will see shrimp, catfish, eels, sturgeon, tilapia, bass and even American alligators.
The plants themselves are labelled to help you recognise them, and it is fascinating to see the innovative ways in which plants can be grown. If you want a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes then you can take a ‘Behind the Seeds’ greenhouse tour. For just $16 for adults and $12 for children, aged 3-9 you can see the latest innovations, taste some of the produce which has been grown, and feed the fish. Although you can make reservations at the tour desk to the left of Soarin’ you can also book up to 90 days in advance by calling 407 939 8687.
This is not something I would recommend if you have young children, but older children would probably find it fascinating. Its also great if you are feeling a little hot and weary!
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