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The Land Offers a Triptych
of Attractions
Behind the brightly colored, mosaic façade of The Land
pavilion at Epcot sits non-descript offices where greenhouse
magic takes place. Horticulture and entertainment -- which
some call "horti-tainment" -- blend to create some
of the most visually interesting fruits and vegetables found
under one roof anywhere in the world.
From Mickey Mouse-shaped food and tons of tomatoes to
Cinderella pumpkins and lemons the size of bowling balls, the
Epcot Science team at The Land works night and day to
cultivate produce and other foods on the pavilion's Living
with the Land attraction to give guests something they can't
see anywhere else. Living with the Land, a narrated, 14-minute
boat ride through the farms of yesteryear as well as the
greenhouses of tomorrow, showcases the team's research and
work inside The Land's four greenhouses.
Some of the horticulture highlights:
A world record harvest from a single tomato vine:
Yong Huang, Epcot's manager of agricultural science at The
Land pavilion, is working with a new "tomato tree"
that is currently growing inside the theme park's experimental
greenhouses. The only one of its kind in the United States,
the plant yields thousands of tomatoes at one time from a
single vine. Huang discovered the plant while on vacation in
Beijing, China. After meeting with scientists responsible for
that plant, Huang brought its seeds to Epcot and created a
specialized greenhouse for the fruit to grow. The golf
ball-sized tomatoes are harvested and served at Walt Disney
World Resort.
So far, the massive plant has produced a world-record
harvest of more than 20,000 tomatoes with a total weight of
more than 850 pounds -- and it's still growing! The
record-setting plant can be seen by park guests during the
Living with the Land boat ride.
Mickey Mouse-shaped cucumbers: The Land
Science team developed a special, elongated mold that is
placed around a young cucumber. As it grows, the vegetable
forms the familiar shape of Mickey's silhouette. The cucumbers
are harvested and served atop salads at Walt Disney World
Resort.
Mickey Mouse-shaped watermelons: Building on
the success of the Mickey cucumber, the team created a similar
mold for watermelons. Guests on the Living with the Land
attraction often see the Mickey Mouse-shaped watermelons
growing on the vines inside the greenhouses.
Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkins: Autumn brings
the biggest harvest of pumpkins at The Land, and Mickey
Mouse-shaped pumpkins have quickly become a favorite. The
Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkins --some which weigh nearly 100
pounds -- are harvested and placed inside the greenhouses for
guest viewing. Also featured: the Cinderella pumpkin, named
for the shape it shares with Cinderella's famous coach.
Nine-pound lemons: While they're not Mickey
Mouse shaped, the nine-pound lemons grow to what their
descriptive name implies -- a lemon that weighs nine pounds.
These sour mammoths begin as young, green fruit on trees
inside the greenhouse. As they mature, they take on the
familiar lemony-yellow hue and preserve all of the taste of
smaller variety lemons.
"Cucumber tree": Similar in concept
to the "tomato tree," The Land's "cucumber
tree" has produced more than 800 individual fruits.
That's more than 525 pounds of cucumbers.
Guests on the Living with the Land attraction also see:
The Tropics Greenhouse, growing crops native to
Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the southern United
States. Rice, sugar cane, peanuts, cacao, bananas and a
59-foot peach palm flourish under a 60-foot dome.
The Aquacell, showcasing crops that swim -- fish and
other aquatic life including alligators, catfish, tilapia,
sunshine bass and American eel.
The Temperate Greenhouse, featuring the concepts and
technologies of sustainable agriculture, including
intercropping, integrated pest management and specialized
irrigation systems that reduce waste and increase crop
production.
The Production Greenhouse, where tons of tomatoes,
peppers, lettuce and other vegetables are grown for use in The
Land's Garden Grill Restaurant and other Epcot restaurants.
The Land scientists utilize growing systems that are kinder to
the environment and improve productivity.
The Creative House, showing imaginative ways to grow
crops -- without soil, hanging in the air, even on a space
station. USDA scientists currently are working at The Land to
develop dwarf pear trees for greater production efficiency.
"Behind the Seeds" greenhouse tour: Guests
interested in taking a closer look at the four greenhouses and
fish farm that are part of the Living with the Land attraction
can take the 45-minute "Behind the Seeds" tour. Tour
highlights include tasting produce grown in The Land, taking
an herb and spice challenge, feeding fish at the fish farm,
sprouting seeds to take home and releasing ladybugs.
Cost is $12 for guests ages 10 and over, and $10 for guests
ages 3-9. Same day reservations may be made at the tour desk
on the lower level of The Land or guests may book a tour in
advance by calling 407/WDW-TOUR (407/939-8687).
Soarin': Part of Disney's
Happiest Celebration on Earth
Imagine a breathtaking, wind-in-your-hair flight over the
natural wonders of California -- above towering redwoods,
snow-capped mountains, sun-kissed deserts and rocky
shorelines.
With Soarin', the newest attraction at Epcot, that dream of
free flight becomes reality.
Soarin' -- based on the popular attraction at California's
Disneyland Resort -- comes to Epcot as part of the
"Happiest Celebration on Earth," a salute to 50
years of magic at Disney parks around the world.
The exhilarating aerial adventure immerses guests in a
multi-sensory experience, complete with sights and sounds plus
the caress of warm breezes and the scent of pine forests,
citrus groves and salty seashores. Soarin' is located at The
Land pavilion presented by Nestlé •SA.
"The attraction is perfect for Epcot because of its
spirit of exploration and discovery, and The Land is a natural
fit since the pavilion is about the appreciation of the rich
bounty and awesome beauty of the Earth," said Kathy
Mangum, Walt Disney Imagineering executive producer/vice
president.
Using stunning cinematic artistry and
Imagineering-developed motion-based technology, Soarin'
literally lifts 87 guests at a time 40 feet aloft into an
80-foot projection screen dome. The sensation, however, is
that they have taken off into the skies as their entire field
of vision is filled with panoramic beauty.
To further enhance the Soarin' experience, the film is
projected at high definition, high speed -- 48 frames per
second, twice the speed of normal motion picture film. The
result is a crisp, clear image with extraordinary detail.
Among the many sights on view during the exhilarating
fly-over: the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, Palm Springs,
Yosemite National Park, San Diego and more. Throughout the
flight, guests share the sky with a variety of other aircraft,
such as hang gliders, hot air balloons, helicopters and Navy
jets.
The experience is intensified as guests feel the sweeping
winds and smell the fragrance of orange blossoms, pine trees
and even the seashore all around them. And an orchestral
musical score created by renowned film and television composer
Jerry Goldsmith ("Mulan," "Air Force One,"
"Star Trek: First Contact") heightens the thrill.
Soarin' offers guests a first-of-its-kind experience at
Walt Disney World Resort. While Epcot guests have been able to
blast off like an astronaut on a rocket ride to Mars aboard
Mission: SPACE, they've never before been able to soar with
the eagles.
The "Happiest Celebration on Earth" pays tribute
to 50 years of Disney parks and Walt Disney's dream of
Disneyland, the original park that in 1955 introduced a genre
of family entertainment that now spans the globe and continues
to offer unrivaled attractions on three continents. |
