#59 - Living with the Land

Category: Slow Rides
Category Rank: 10

Park: Epcot
Park Rank: 10

One thing that individuals realize pretty quickly is that WDW isn't synonymous with Disney.  That is to say, the World brings with it some unique characteristics that aren't the same as the Disney that we see in movies and cartoons.  While Disney is known for its classic characters (Mickey et al) and its princesses, and recently its Pixar characters, WDW is known for things like "The Technology of Tomorrow".

Number 59 on our list is nostalgic of one of those WDW-specific themes:  Being Environmentally Sound.  Living with the Land is a slow ride tucked away in the Land Pavilion, a place better known for the Soarin' attraction and the Garden Grill restaurant.  The slow ride takes you through some animatronic displays of humanity's past interaction with the land before taking you out into the greenhouse to see new innovative methods for growing crops.  This includes Mickey-shaped pumpkins, hydroponic lettuce, and 9-pound lemons.

Living with the Land is a typical example of one of those "Ho Hum" rides at first glance that you overlook.  In fact, we didn't ride on it until our 3rd visit, as it always lost out to other highly-billed attractions.  It goes to show you have to explore the World to find all of its treasures.  Think of it this way: No other theme park would dare put in an attraction like Living with the Land, let alone have it be a successful attraction for over 30 years.  But WDW does, because there is more to the World than just thrills and excitement.  That gets it onto our list.

Next up is #58, which takes us to our interactives/memorabilia category for a very recognizable but underrated item, something seen at all four parks as well as Downtown Disney.