The pavilion logo (top), a throwback to the original 1982 pavilion logo, introduced in 2019 for Epcot signage, and the logotype used since the mid-2000s
The Land is a pavilion located in the World Nature neighborhood of Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The pavilion is dedicated to human interaction with the Earth, focusing on agriculture, conservation, and travel. It opened on October 1, 1982, as part of the Phase I features for the grand opening of what was then known as EPCOT Center. It explores how humans can both use the land for their benefit, and how they can also destroy it. Future Technology in better preserving the land is also explored in the pavilion, along with a focus on the celebration of the land itself.
The 24 hectare (2.5 million square foot)[1] facility features four attractions; Soarin',Living with the Land, Harvest Theater (including Awesome Planet), and Behind the Seeds Tour.
History
The Land PavilionPlants Growing in the greenhouse, as seen from Living with the Land.
While "The Land" pavilion has existed since 1982, it has gone through three significant phases. The pavilion's first incarnation involved a ten-year sponsorship under Kraft Foods Inc. from 1982–1990. Kraft General Foods, Inc. from 1990–1992. Kraft played a vital role in co-financing the everyday functions of the attractions, restaurants, and shops inside the pavilion. The pavilion's interior and exterior design featured earth tone colors and exotic plant life.
Kraft General Foods, Inc. withdrew its sponsorship on September 26, 1992,
In November 24, 1992, plans were made to update and modernize the overall tone of EPCOT Center, including a major refurbishment of "The Land" pavilion. with Nestlé taking Kraft's place officially on January 1, 1993.[2] Co-financed by Nestlé and the Walt Disney World Resort, a gradual refurbishment of the pavilion began on September 27, 1993.
The pavilion itself was cosmetically freshened. While some of the original design elements remained, the addition of more vibrant colors and fabrics to the various restaurants and shops gave the pavilion a more modern and refreshed look. The names of certain shops, restaurants, and attractions also changed during this time. The pavilion's main attraction, Listen to the Land, which took guests on connected boats through various exhibits within the pavilion, reopened mostly unchanged as Living with the Land on December 10, 1993.
The Kitchen Kabaret Revue, another of the pavilion's original attractions featuring an Audio-Animatronics presentation about nutrition, closed on January 3, 1994. It was replaced with a new show titled Food Rocks, which featured some of the elements from the original show with an updated presentation intended to be more modern and appealing to younger audiences.
Symbiosis, the last of "The Land"'s three original attractions, was closed on January 1, 1995. This attraction, which was a cinematic presentation that discussed both the positive and negative aspects of human relationship with the land, eventually reopened as Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, a new film featuring characters from The Lion King. Like the Food Rocks show, this new attraction recycled some of the elements of its predecessor, and was intended to be another refreshed and modernized feature of "The Land" that would better appeal to younger audiences.
In 2003, Nestlé renewed its sponsorship of "The Land"; however, it was under agreement that Nestlé would oversee its own refurbishment to both the interior and exterior of the conservatory-style pavilion. Between 2004 and 2005, the pavilion underwent its second major refurbishment. It received a new color scheme featuring a vibrant selection of white, yellow, and green. New foliage was added to complement the existing greenery. The walkways and stroller parking to the pavilion's entrance were redefined and widened. All of the carpeting in the pavilion was replaced, and the main food court was completely redesigned. The pavilion's signage was updated, incorporating the new color scheme, new typography, and a modernized logotype. The pavilion's original dedication plaque remained unchanged.
The most significant change to "The Land" during its 2004–2005 refurbishment was the closure and entire demolition of Food Rocks, which initially occurred on January 3, 2004. Taking its place would be Soarin', a major attraction that was originally designed and built for Disney California Adventure Park. Simulating the experience of hang gliding over various landscapes, Soarin's massive movie screens and ride mechanics required the construction of a large physical addition to the pavilion itself. Both Soarin' at Epcot and Lights, Motors, Action!: Extreme Stunt Show at Disney's Hollywood Studios opened to guests on May 5, 2005, coinciding with the start of Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth Campaign.[3] "The Land" officially reopened that same day. While "The Land" as a pavilion has somewhat changed, its purpose has not, and it remains a positive and serious experience featuring elements from all three of its phases, allowing today's guests to experience all that "The Land" has to offer.
On February 13, 2009, Nestlé pulled out of sponsorship, leaving "The Land" without a sponsor. [citation needed]
"Living with the Land" was closed for a vehicle update from August 2, 2009, to October 2, 2009. This update increased passenger capacity from 36 to 40 guests per vehicle. Newer, more wheelchair-friendly vehicles were also a new addition.[citation needed]
On July 29, 2011, Chiquita signed on as the new sponsor for the ride Living with the Land. However, it is not mentioned in-ride by the narrator (Mike Brassell) nor does it have a VIP lounge in The Land building itself.[4]
Horticulture research
In addition to being an entertainment venue, "The Land" is also a demonstration, production, and research facility. 43,000ft² (0.4 hectares) of the pavilion are dedicated to experimental horticulture techniques in hydroponics, irrigation methods, and integrated pest management.[1]
Services
Entrance to Soarin'
Current attractions
Soarin' Around the World—Take flight on a breezy, airborne adventure as you hang glide above the breathtaking wonders of the world.
Behind the Seeds Tour—For an extra fee, an approximately 1 hour long tour of the research facility that explains what is being researched, and how the research is conducted.
Current dining
The Garden Grill - Family restaurant with a farm house atmosphere, which includes a rotating seated area, offering a view of the dark ride section of Living with the Land. The revolving floor had remained stationary for several months over the spring of 2014, and despite rumours of a permanent stoppage, the floor returned to operation from June 17, 2014.[6]
Breakfast - Breakfast here offers pastries, and combos that include eggs, one choice of bacon or sausage, and a drink.
Current shopping
Soarin' Tour Desk - A desk, located to the left of the entrance to Soarin', where Guests may sign up for the Behind the Seeds Greenhouse Tour, which takes place in the greenhouse section of the Living With The Land attraction. Guests may also purchase Mickey's Mini Gardens, tiny plants produced through tissue culture in nutrient gel and packaged in sterile tubes.
Green Thumb Emporium - A small merchandise area, located across from the Soarin' Tour Desk. A small assortment of Soarin' T-shirts and pins, along with disposable cameras and Mickey's Mini Gardens are available for purchase. Note that this shop has taken on the name of the former, much larger, shop at The Land which occupied the same approximate area.
Former attractions
An older logo for The Land; the current pavilion logo seen at the top of this article is based on this logo, but with thinner lines, adjusted leaves, and a yellow-green coloration.
Food Rocks (March 26, 1994 - January 3, 2004) - An audio-animatronics stage show about nutrition, featuring parodies of classic songs. Replaced with Soarin'.
The Good Turn Restaurant (October 1, 1982 - May 1, 1986) - The original name of the present Garden Grill Restaurant.
The Land Grille Room (May 2, 1986 - November 15, 1993) - The second name given to the present Garden Grill Restaurant.
Farmer's Market (October 1, 1982 - October 25, 1993) - The name of "The Land's" original food court.
The Sunshine Season Food Fair (1994–2004) - The second name given to "The Land's" food court.
Ice Cream - Nestlé Toll House cookies, ice cream, among others.
Potato Store - A variety of potato dishes.
Pasta - A variety of pasta dishes.
Soup/Salad - A variety of soups and salads.
Barbecue - BBQ chicken and beef.
Former shopping
Broccoli & Co. - Original shop alongside Kitchen Kabaret. Sold merchandise of said attraction, including magnets, plush and other souvenirs related to the pavilion.
The Green Thumb Emporium - Second gift shop; small but with a focus on food and gardening.
Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Inspired by an unrealized concept of the same name developed by Walt Disney, the park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center, and was the second of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World. The park spans 305 acres, more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair", Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture.
Soarin', also known as Soarin' Over California, Soarin' Around the World, Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, is a flight motion simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea. It employs a mechanical lift system, a projected presentation on an 80 ft (24 m) concave 180-degree dome screen, and artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight over locations in six of the world's continents. Many consider it the first flying theater.
Horizons was a dark ride attraction at Epcot, a theme park at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. Located on the eastern side of the Future World section of Epcot, the attraction used Disney's Omnimover system, but unlike most omnimover systems, it was suspended from a track above, which took guests past show scenes depicting visions of the future. It is believed to be the sequel to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, an attraction in Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Horizons was the only attraction in Future World to showcase all of Epcot's "Future World" elements: communication, energy, transportation, anatomy, along with humankind's relationship to the sea, and the land.
World of Motion, presented by General Motors, was the former occupant of the transportation pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort. It was an opening day attraction at EPCOT Center in 1982 and it closed in 1996 to make way for Test Track, a new thrill ride through a GM testing facility.
The Wonders of Life pavilion was an attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was devoted to health care, focusing on the human body, physical fitness, medicine and nutrition. Attractions included Body Wars and Cranium Command. It is located inside a golden colored dome between Mission: SPACE and Wonders of Xandar. It opened on October 19, 1989, and closed on January 1, 2007. From 2007 to 2018, the Pavilion acted as EPCOT's Festival Center, before becoming a construction site in March 2019 in preparation for the upcoming Play! Pavilion to replace it.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a pavilion located in the World Nature section of Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The pavilion is themed as an oceanic exploration base called SeaBase Alpha, with several exhibits devoted to oceanic study. The building includes an aquarium and its attached dark ride attraction, a talk show-type attraction called Turtle Talk with Crush, and the Coral Reef Restaurant. With 5.7 million US gallons of tank volume, the pavilion is also the second-largest aquarium in the U.S. and the sixth-largest in the world.
Living with the Land is a slow-moving boat ride consisting of a dark ride and greenhouse tour located within The Land, a pavilion at World Nature at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The focus of the ride is on agriculture, especially new technology to make agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
Mission: Space is a space exploration-themed pavilion and attached centrifugal motion simulator attraction located in the World Discovery section of Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. The attraction simulates what an astronaut might experience aboard a spacecraft on a mission to Mars, from the higher g-force of liftoff, to the speculative hypersleep. The pavilion also includes the Mission Space: Cargo Bay gift shop, the Advanced Training Lab interactive play area and Space 220 Restaurant.
Food Rocks was an attraction at Epcot's The Land pavilion presented by Nestlé in the Walt Disney World Resort. The attraction, a musical stage show, with audio-animatronic figures, opened in March 26, 1994.
The Germany Pavilion is a German-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. Its location is between the China and Italy pavilions.
The Morocco Pavilion is a Moroccan-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. It was the first expansion pavilion to be added to World Showcase, opening on September 7, 1984.
The France Pavilion is a French-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. Its location is between the Morocco and United Kingdom pavilions.
The Japan Pavilion is a Japanese-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. Its location is between The American Adventure and Morocco pavilions.
The Mexico Pavilion is a Mexican-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase within Epcot at the Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. It is located next to the Norway pavilion.
The American Adventure is the host pavilion of the World Showcase within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States. It is also the name of the Colonial American-themed pavilion's main attraction, an Audio-Animatronics stage show of American history. It is located between the Italy and Japan pavilions.
Kitchen Kabaret was a 13-minute audio-animatronic show at Epcot, Walt Disney World Resort, United States located in The Land pavilion. Kitchen Kabaret was present on EPCOT's opening day, October 1, 1982.
George Wilkins is an American soundtrack composer who has created several noteworthy scores and songs for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival is a food and drink festival that takes place each spring in Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The festival includes a number of themed kiosks, each featuring food and beverages from a particular aspect of California cuisine. Other offerings include wine and beer tastings, seminars, and cooking demonstrations. This event was inspired by the similar but much larger Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, also known as Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, is a motion-based trackless 3D dark ride, based on the 2007 Disney-Pixar animated film Ratatouille, located at Disneyland Paris's Walt Disney Studios Park in France and at Walt Disney World's France Pavilion at Epcot.
References
1 2 Fan, Y. Q.; Bell, E.; Etzel, R.; Hammer, B.; Frey, L.; Harmon, T.; Blank, T.; Meeusen, C.; Burn, B.; Schon, M.; Huang, Y.; Petitt, F. (2004). "Food crop culture in The Land greenhouses at Epcot". Acta Horticulturae (abstract). 659 (1): 161–169. doi:10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.659.19.
↑ Nestlé sponsorship, page 35. "Nestlé USA sponsors the Land Pavilion at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. " "Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2006-11-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
