DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
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In Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs, Guests have a wide array of treats and restaurants to choose from on their Disney vacation.
From quick-service favorites like Dole Whip, Mickey’s Premium Bar, and Churros, to table-service dining locations such as Cinderella’s Royal Table and Space 220, the theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort offer so much delicious variety.
But there’s one little Disney food tidbit that we’re betting you didn’t know, and it all stems from a beloved classic Disney World attraction.
Credit: Disney
One of the most treasured (and often slept-on) attractions at Walt Disney World is EPCOT’s Living with the Land.
The slow-moving boat ride, consisting of both a dark ride and greenhouse tour located within The Land pavilion at Future World (now renamed World Nature) at the EPCOT theme park, focuses on agriculture. The boat ride takes Disney World Guests through an educational tour of the technology used to make agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
The EPCOT icon Living with the Land opened alongside the Park in 1982, when it was originally known as Listen to the Land. It’s been a fan favorite ever since and has been famously serving Guests the crops grown throughout The Land at Walt Disney World restaurants! The official Disney World website describes the ride below:
See firsthand how Walt Disney World horticulturalists are using innovative growing techniques and cross-breeding high-yield crops to help feed a growing planet.
Discover a cornucopia of fruits and veggies from around the world—some modified to jaw-dropping effect. Feast your eyes on edible food crops from around the world. Glimpse hybrid striped bass, tilapia, catfish and freshwater shrimp in our fish farm.
On this eye-opening tour, you’ll be inspired by a hopeful vision of farming’s future.
Credit: Disney
But we all knew that, right? That the food grown in the EPCOT attraction is used in Disney dining locations. Not a big Disney secret or Disney food tip.
Well, what if we told you that that’s not the only way this Disney food is used? Disney’s Animal Kingdom is full of incredible wildlife, from its Kilimanjaro Safaris to its animal walk-throughs.
Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment department, shared an amazing animal fact via his Instagram this week – one that is sure to make Guests smile.
According to Penning, the animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista also eat the array of food grown in EPCOT’s Living with the Land!
Credit: Disney Dining
We knew Disney treats its Disney Park animals well, but knowing that Disney’s Animal Kingdom feeds its wildlife fresh produce from Living with the Land – just as Guests eat at Disney restaurants like Garden Grill – makes the magic even more special.
We’re sure Disney’s animals, however, don’t have to make an advanced dining reservation on the My Disney Experience app or use the Disney Dining Plan to get this delicious Disney food!
Dr. Mark Penning wrote on his social media page:
In The Land Pavilion at EPCOT, Cast Members grow an assortment of food that can be found at restaurants across Walt Disney World Resort. #DidYouKnow some animals get to eat food from The Land, too? Fresh produce like tomatoes, lettuce, melons and more make great additions to their balanced diets.
To learn more about food grown at Walt Disney World Resort, be sure to check out Living with the Land at EPCOT.
Credit: Mark Penning via Instagram
We can’t wait for our next morning Kilimanjaro Safari adventure or exploration of The Seas with Nemo & Friends aquarium to see Cast Members feeding animals with Disney snacks from EPCOT.
There’s always something to be learned at Walt Disney World!
