Tag Archives: Epcot

Running to the Land

If you’re a Disney World devotee, you likely have a favorite ride-perhaps even a meticulously ranked list, one per park, cross-referenced by time of day and snack proximity. True Disney adults, of course, go further: we have favorite smells (hello, Rome burning!), napping nooks, people-watching perches, and secret fireworks vantage points. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

For reasons I can’t entirely explain, EPCOT has always tugged at me. Maybe it’s the park’s age-just a hair older than I am, thank you very much-or maybe it’s the sense of breathing room. Unlike the sometimes claustrophobic press of the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT’s pavilions and wide walkways feel positively expansive. With an average of over 32,800 visitors a day, that extra elbow room is not just a nicety, it’s a necessity.

After a few years of health challenges, my days of braving the big, fast, and wildly spinning rides are behind me (not that I ever queued up for Mission: SPACE with gusto). Add in the lingering side effects of a stroke, and the fun of thrill rides is replaced by the fun of not needing a nap in the First Aid station.

But one attraction has always been my EPCOT North Star: Living with the Land.

Nestled in The Land pavilion- an architectural marvel of glass and angles since 1982- Living with the Land is a gentle, 15-minute boat ride that glides you through both a classic Disney dark ride and working greenhouses. It’s a hybrid: part animatronic diorama, part science fair, part “please let me live here” greenhouse tour.

The ride begins with a float through recreated biomes: tropical forests, arid deserts, and sweeping prairies, all narrated with a soothing cadence that could lull even the most caffeinated park-goer into a state of Zen. There are 35 audio-animatronics, but the real stars are the living, growing crops and the innovative farming techniques on display.

You’ll see:

  • The Tropics Greenhouse, with rice, sugar cane, and bananas under a 60-foot dome.
  • The Aquacell, where tilapia and catfish swim in tanks, part of Disney’s sustainable aquaculture.
  • The Temperate Greenhouse, showcasing intercropping and specialized irrigation.
  • The Production Greenhouse, where tons of tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce are grown for use right in EPCOT’s restaurants-including the rotating Garden Grill and the quick-service favorite, Sunshine Seasons, both just steps away.
  • The Creative House, where crops dangle from trellises or float in air, suggesting a future where farming might take place on space stations or, at the very least, in your living room.

If you’re craving more, the Behind the Seeds walking tour offers a closer look at these agricultural marvels for a modest fee.

The Land pavilion itself is a microcosm of EPCOT’s mission: education, innovation, and a dash of whimsy. Alongside Living with the Land, you’ll find Soarin’ Around the World-a hang-gliding simulator that’s the pavilion’s most popular draw-and Awesome Planet, a 10-minute film narrated by Ty Burrell that’s equal parts documentary and pep talk for the planet.

And if you need sustenance, Sunshine Seasons is a food court that’s a cut above, with many ingredients harvested mere yards from your tray. For a more leisurely meal, the Garden Grill serves up family-style platters and character hugs, all while the restaurant gently rotates above the Living with the Land ride path.

Living with the Land is rarely more than a walk-on-unless you’ve arrived on a major holiday or during a torrential Florida downpour, in which case, welcome to the club. With a capacity of 1,600 riders per hour (16 boats, 40 guests each), the line moves quickly, and the ride’s nearly 15-minute duration offers a blissful respite from the Florida sun.

EPCOT welcomed nearly 12 million visitors in 2023, and yet, Living with the Land remains a tranquil corner of the park, a place where science, sustainability, and storytelling float along in perfect harmony.

If Disney ever dares to change it, you’ll find me at the entrance, picket sign in hand, ready to defend my favorite boat ride. Until then, you’ll find me in the greenhouse, dreaming of tomatoes and quietly plotting my next nap spot.

Running from the Phoenecians

Ah, dear reader, strap yourself in for a journey through time and space, or at least through the peculiar realm of Disney’s imagination, as we explore the marvel that is Spaceship Earth. This gargantuan golf ball, this colossal cue ball, this spherical spectacle that looms over Epcot like a geometric tumor, has been boggling minds and confusing pigeons since October 1, 1982.

Picture, if you will, a structure so audaciously futuristic that it makes the average UFO look positively pedestrian. This 18-story geodesic dome, wrapped in a dizzying array of 11,324 triangular panels, stands as a testament to human ingenuity, or perhaps to our species’ collective madness. One can’t help but wonder if the designers were inspired by a particularly vigorous game of connect-the-dots.

Now, imagine my wide-eyed wonder as a young lady in 1996, stumbling upon this behemoth for the first time. “Good heavens,” I thought, “has a colossal alien egg landed in Florida?” Little did I know that this extraterrestrial-looking orb housed a ride that would take me on a whirlwind tour of human communication, from prehistoric grunts to the information superhighway, all without the need for a single textbook or a stern librarian’s glare.

Inside this titanium-clad time machine, we’re treated to a parade of narrators that reads like a Who’s Who of distinguished voices. From Walter Cronkite’s reassuring tones to Jeremy Irons’ silky British purr, and now Dame Judi Dench’s regal intonations, it’s as if the history of communication is being whispered to us by a rotating cast of celebrities who’ve somehow found themselves trapped inside a giant ball.

The current iteration, narrated by the inimitable Dame Judi, is a sensory smorgasbord. As we glide through time in our “omnimover” chariots, we’re assaulted by the scent of burning Rome (a curious choice for a family attraction), while interactive screens invite us to ponder our future. It’s all set to a soundtrack so catchy that I often find myself humming it in the shower, much to the confusion of my neighbors.

But here’s the kicker, dear reader: without this plastic fantastic voyage through human achievement, I might not be here, tapping away at my keyboard like a caffeinated chimpanzee. The very existence of this blog, nay, the entire online Disney community, owes a debt to those intrepid Phoenicians and their newfangled “alphabet.”

So when I inevitably collect my “Most Spectacular Epcot Blogger in the Known Universe” award (a category I’m still lobbying to have recognized), I’ll raise my glass not to some deity or Hollywood star, but to those ancient scribes who set us on the path to today’s digital wonderland.

Here’s to you, Phoenicians! May your legacy live on in every tweet, blog post, and wildly inaccurate online review. Without you, we might all still be communicating through a series of elaborate grunts and interpretive dances. And let’s face it, some of us struggle enough with emojis as it is.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon Review

Half Marathon CourseI am super excited, because I have been waiting for almost 2 months now to give you a review of the Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. The reason for the delay is that I have been waiting to get my marathon photos. The CD arrived today, and I am happy to share them with my blog readers.

After a 2 am wake up call, we arrived at Epcot  just before 3. When a race starts at 5:35 am, you have to get going pretty early to be ready to run 13.1 miles. After weaving my way through a very congested pre-race area, I walked the near mile trail to the start line to wait in a corral for another hour. The pre-race process at Disney is very taxing! I finally crossed the start line about 6:05 am, and the congested feeling that had been present all morning continued on the race course.

I have posted a map of the course. From the start of the race, we head straight on Epcot Center Drive, and then proceed on the ramp to World Dr. The course was so congested here that I was ready to scream. The combination of a very full race (27,000+people) and a narrowing course caused me some major problems. While I used the Galloway method to complete the Goofy Challenge over this weekend, I run quite a bit faster than many of the folks I was 725161_1015_0002corralled with. I was walking because I simply couldn’t get by people, not because I wanted to. By mile 5, we were in the Magic Kingdom, where I dropped off my tech shirt to my mom near the castle, and moved along the course.

I finished this race strong, but disappointed and frustrated that I felt stifled by the crowd. My finish time was 2:45:05, which was my goal actually. I was excited and frustrated to think that I could have easily run that race a lot faster had I not been held back by the thick crowd of runners.

The rest of the day was spent sleeping, relaxing and refueling for the big day that was coming. My body felt pretty good for having run 13 miles, but my feet were a bit sore. Mom ordered us Outback, steaks and vegetables for dinner, and we took them back to the resort, sat by the pool and ate. After dinner that evening, I jumped in the hot tub for about 20 minutes to recover a bit. It was all the perfect combination, because the next day went splendidly…

More on the full marathon soon…

 

In the Words of Bruce Buffer…

Here We Go! I am currently sitting in the parking lot at Epcot. It is 3:14 am, and I am so ready to run this half marathon, it’s not even funny! I am so proud if myself for pushing hard enough to make the dream or running the Goofy a reality. When you work so hard for something, it makes the final experience so rewarding. But there are 2 things that are overwhelming me at the moment. The first is actually finishing all 39.9 miles with my body still intact, and the other is what I’m going to do when I get home from this. Training becomes such a huge part of your life, that’s it is super hard to be prepared for what to do next when it is finally finished.

As for now, I am going to go run…

Preparation

advlogoToday was all about preparation. I exchanged some running capris I got for Christmas at the Nike Store. I went to my new favorite store, Road Runner Sports for the first time… ADDICTED!!! Can’t wait to go back and get some new running garb after the Goofy. I bought a new waist pack, some gel blocks and a few packs of recovery drink.

I have an 8 miler tomorrow morning, and then the packing will commence. I have a lot to pull together, but I am excited to get it moving. The hardest part of all this: trying to live on Eastern Standard Time on the west coast. Knowing that I have to get up about 2:00 am EST to get to Epcot to run, I have been preparing myself by going to bed earlier and getting up earlier… like 4:00 am. Tomorrow I am set for 3:30 am. Hoping I can get into the workout room that early and get my run in. I love being in there when no one else is, which is rare.

There are lots of things I want to start with the new year, but I know it is in my best interest to wait until after next weekend. My lifting workout will change. I am also going to do another Advocare 24 Day Challenge, as that has helped me drop a significant amount of weight in the past. I have exactly 79 days until I turn 30, and I am going to look better, feel better, and just be better by the time that gets here.

I will let you know how tomorrow goes… Or let myself know anyway, when I read this sometime in the future.