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Beloved Disney World Ride Risks Major Retheme, End of an Era Approaches

A large crowd of people walk down a wide path in a park or festival setting. Traditional architectural structures with ornate roofs line the walkway, and the sky is partly cloudy.
Credit: Inside the Magic

Walt Disney World Resort guests report some major issues with EPCOT’s Living with the Land attraction. The slow-moving boat ride takes guests through the Disney park’s active greenhouse, where cast members grow some of the food served throughout the Central Florida Disney Resort’s restaurants!

Living with the Land–then known as Listen to the Land–opened alongside EPCOT in 1982. The original Disney Park ride has always lived inside The Land Pavilion, which formerly resided in Future World but is now part of EPCOT’s World Nature neighborhood.

Guests stuck on Living with the Land.

Credit: u/TheLastGunslinger, Reddit

During its decades of operation, Living with the Land has experienced some chaos. Three years ago, a Disney Park guest went viral for climbing out of their boat and trying to eat one of the cucumbers growing in the greenhouse. Months later, a brawl broke out in the ride’s queue.

Now, some Walt Disney World Resort guests say Living with the Land’s greenhouse is causing chaos. Reddit user u/infrared_hologram recently noticed the greenhouse roof leaking during a storm.

“The greenhouse roof over Living with the Land sure is leaky,” they wrote. “… It’s pouring rain outside, and OMG are there a lot of leaks in the greenhouse roof! All sections from the first sandy area to the lab at the end had water coming in from multiple areas.”

The leakage even impacted riders.

Hidden Mickey lettuce design in Living with the Land attraction

Credit: Disney Dining

“Some places had so much water pouring in that we got splashed on the boat,” the Disney Park guest continued. “I’m sure the roof is still structurally sound but it’s very unnerving to see so much water coming in. I hope Disney is working on fixing it soon…”

Other Walt Disney World Resort guests noticed the problem, too. Some worried that the issues could shut Living with the Land down.

“We were shocked at how much water and how many spots it was coming in at in August,” u/EmotionalFollowing72 wrote. “Like concerning amount of spots.”

Living with the Land in EPCOT

Credit: Brittany DiCologero, Inside the Magic

Still, some Disney Parks fans suggested the leaky roof wasn’t as problematic as the guests were making it out to be. From u/ScarHand69:

“My guess. A lot of the seals between the glass and metal framing of the structure are toast. Typically there will be some kind of rubber seal or sealant. None of that stuff lasts forever and is part of ongoing maintenance on large commercial buildings with glass facades.

Since the area underneath the greenhouse is an ‘outdoor’ area Disney doesn’t really care about the leaks. There’s also a boat ride going through them so they’re not really concerned about the increased humidity or they already have systems in place to deal with it.

Figment is a different type of glass structure, but everything underneath it is ‘indoor’ so it’s not as leaky. Disney maintains that building more meticulously…because they have to.

So my final guess is that Disney doesn’t fix the leaky roof because they don’t need to.”

A group of people ride in green, covered tram cars through a greenhouse at a Disney attraction. The foreground shows the backs of two guests, one wearing a blue and white striped shirt and another in a yellow baseball cap. The greenhouse contains various plants and is well-lit.

Credit: Steph Lee

“As a major fan of LWTL (it’s my favorite attraction), I loved getting a new experience on Living with the Land while riding it during the past hurricane,” u/trustme_imadoct0r replied. “10/10 would recommend riding it during heavy rains.”

Fans of Living with the Land should check out the Behind the Seeds Tour, an add-on experience that takes guests on a walking (and tasting!) tour through the iconic greenhouse.

Have you noticed maintenance issues on any Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios rides? Share your experience with us in the comments. 

About Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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