As Disney vacation people, we often look for extra special things to add to our trip that we simply can’t do anywhere else. And after our amazing Wild Africa Trek Tour at Animal Kingdom, we started looking at Disney Park Tours in a whole new light. Offering a unique behind the scenes experience at Walt Disney World, tours come in all shapes, sizes and price points. So, on our recent visit to Epcot Park, we decided to add the Behind the Seeds Tour to our Disney Day Itinerary. Super budget friendly, this tour brings you behind the scenes at Epcot’s Living with the Land ride to a fully functioning greenhouse and science center. Here are all the details, and whether or not we think you should add this tour to your next visit.
If you’ve ever been to The Land building at EPCOT Park, chances are you’ve ridden Living with the Land. You know the one. This little boat ride brings you through the ecosystems we have here on the planet and talks about agriculture. It’s bright and plant-filled, and all about growing things. But did you know that you can get even more up close and personal with the plants that make up the planet?
The Behind the Seeds Tour is a guided tour by a Disney cast member, that lets you in on little secrets about how Disney gets all that food on the table in their restaurants and festival booths. So, if you’re looking for an Enchanting Extra to make your Disney trip extra special, this one is great for the whole family. Here’s everything to know about this fun tour behind the scenes at EPCOT.
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Living with the Land at EPCOT
The Land Pavilion is located in the World Nature Neighborhood of EPCOT park. It is home to the restaurant Sunshine Seasons and one of our favorite character dining restaurants, Garden Grill. This building also houses the Awesome Planet show and two rides. Soarin’, one of the most popular rides at EPCOT lives here. And so does Living With The Land. Living With The Land is a favorite of many guests and could be considered edutainment, since the ride offers both fun and some learning opportunities. These learning opportunities are presented in a living laboratory, and that’s where the Behind The Seeds Tour comes in! The living laboratory is where the tour takes place. Which is pretty cool, because you can see the ride operating while you’re behind the scenes!
Behind the Seeds Tour Details
During this tour, you get a close-up look at the four labs that make up The Land. A knowledgeable tour guide will lead you through the facility, explaining the techniques and methods used there. Basically, you’ll get insider access to the living lab. And learn all about their mission! We were fascinated to learn that The Land strives to 95% waste free, and they actually surpass that, being 99.3% waste free! Your tour guide will also teach you about pest control, what they do with everything they grow there, and how they are constantly researching. You may even have a chance to feed the fish! This tour goes by pretty quickly, but we found it interesting, educational, and fun all at the same time.
What do you learn on the Behind the Seeds Tour?
During this Disney World Tour, you learn not only about Disney’s vast food production setup, but also that most of the fresh foods at Disney festivals and in the restaurants, come from this greenhouse! Everything from hydroponic greens to hanging tomatoes to Mickey-shaped pumpkins is all part of the tour. And as part of the Aquaculture efforts, you also learn about the fish, shrimp, and other sea life here that are part of Disney’s effort to “grow” their own food.
How Long is the Behind the Seeds Tour at EPCOT?
The Behind the Seeds Tour is a one-hour special tour. Plan to check in at least 15 minutes ahead of time.
What Times are the Behind the Seeds Tour Offered?
Morning: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM
Afternoon: 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM
Is the Behind The Seeds Tour good for kids?
For older children, yes, the Behind the Seeds Tour is a nice addition to any Disney trip. We think curious minds will love this tour. And if you’re a homeschool family, this is a great lesson for the day. And even brings up topics that can later be explored and expanded upon at home. If you have younger children, however, they won’t be as thrilled as grown ups about plants, smelling spices, or seeing where the Street Corn Festival at Food and Wine comes from.
- Guests must be at least 3 years of age to participate in this tour.
- Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Behind The Seeds Tour Booking
You can book Behind The Seeds fully online! You can even apply any discounts you may have online. You can also call (407)939-5277 to book if you’d prefer but online is really much easier. Walk up times are sometimes also available, which makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule. You can always ride The Land, and check the Behind The Seeds counter afterwards to see if they have any openings available for that day. The counter is located right next to the ride exit.
Do I need a Reservation for the Behind the Seeds Tour?
Most of the time, no. You can simply head to the Behind the Seeds Tour desk, and see if any room is available in the next tour, which runs a few times per day. However, if you know this is a MUST DO for your trip, then like all of the enchanting extras collection, this tour can be booked at midnight, 60 days before the start of your vacation. And it’s best to get a reservation if you have a Disney Day Itinerary you’re sticking to.
Is there a Cancellation Policy for the Behind the Seeds Tour?
Yes, you can cancel. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy. Full price will be charged/forfeited if the Guest cancels within one day or fails to show up for the reservation.
Behind the Seeds Tour Cost
One of the more affordable tours at Walt Disney World, $39- $49 per person, depending on when you visit. And sometimes discounts are available, so it’s always good to check! We were able to save 10% with our Walt Disney World Annual Pass. It’s super easy to book and can be done entirely online.
Do you need an EPCOT Park Ticket to do the Behind the Seeds Tour?
Yes. You must have a valid park ticket to get into EPCOT the day of your tour.
Is Behind the Seeds worth it?
If you love conservation, plants, or Living with the Land, then yes! It’s one of the more affordable tours, making it well worth it. This tour actually tends to be quite popular for how affordable it is. At $39- $49 per person, this is one of the most affordable tours at Walt Disney World.
Behind the Seeds Tour Experience
Once booked you can head to The Land Building at EPCOT and check in at the desk, just the right of the Soarin’ ride. Here you will be ushered back to meet your Tour Guide, and given a headset so you hear the presenter better if needed. Know that the tour groups tend to stay small, about 20 people or less, so you may not need the headset since it’s easy to just gather around the presenter and listen. So what do you learn? While we won’t give the tour away, here are the highlights.
The Mission
By far the biggest thing you’ll learn at the Behind the Seeds Tour is about Disney’s Conservation mission. We love that Disney is consistently trying to being mindful of it’s impact on the planet. And knowing that the greenhouses in the Land building, along with a lot of sustainable farms nearby, help meet the need of the Disney restaurants and Festival booths, makes us feel better about supporting the company. ( We could say the same for Disney Cruise Line too, which is one of the most conservation-focused cruise companies in the world.)
Hydroponics
Leading the charge in soil-less growing, another cool thing you learn on this tour is how Hydroponics can grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that otherwise wouldn’t survive in compromised soil conditions. If you’ve been on the Living with the Land ride, then you’ve likely seen food growing out of PVC tubing, and can learn more about that on this tour. As well as come up with some ideas of your own on how to implement such practices at home.
Aquaculture
Disney uses fish to not only help feed nutrients back to the food it grows, but also as part of its Aquaculture process. As such, you’ll learn all about the new hybrid fish, shrimp, and other ways that Disney’s fish farm is supplying the restaurants with an abundance of sustainable food.
Herbs and Spices
As part of the tour, there will be a little break that allows you to grab water and sit down. Right around this time, you get to learn about a wide range of spices. The most interactive part of the tour, the cast member shares several spices that you can guess and learn more about as you walk along. Everything here smelled fresh and amazing, and again, it could give you some inspiration for your next meal at home.
Hidden Mickeys
Another fun part of this tour is that you can spot all the Hidden Mickey’s you sometimes can see on the ride itself. As Hidden Mickey finders, we are always on the lookout, and on this tour, you can see even more. Everything from Mickey-shaped gourds to Mickey netting in the fish tank are on display, if you keep your eyes peeled.
The Mickey Tree Topiary
As the tour wraps up, you get an up close and personal look at the Mickey Topiary Tree, which you can see from the ride and offers a great photo opportunity. This tree changes a bit throughout the year depending on the growing season, but it’s always a highlight of this tour.
Behind the Seeds Tour Review
So, do we think you should add the Living with the Land Tour to your next trip? If you’re traveling as Disney Adults, or with teens, we’d say yes. A behind the scenes tour at Disney World is always cool, and makes you feel like you have an inside look. As avid Living with the Land fans, we were excited to try this one out and learn more about Disney’s conservation efforts. It also was a great break from the parks and crowds, and as one of the cheapest tours at WDW, felt like something special we could remember from this trip.
Overall, we loved the Behind The Seeds Tour. Our guide was fantastic! It was educational without being boring and the hour for the tour flew by pretty quickly. If you’re looking for something a little extra to add to your Walt Disney World trip, and love The Land ride at EPCOT, we highly recommend giving this one a try. Have you taken this tour before? Let us know what you thought of it, we’d love to hear!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she’s not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she’s seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
