Five Reasons Why The Land Pavilion is the Best Part of EPCOT

EPCOT is a pretty neat park at Walt Disney World. With the World Showcase and all the pavilions in Future World (not to mention the exciting changes coming as a part of the Epcot Transformation), it can be hard to pick a favorite spot.

Land Pavilion

We’re going to argue that one pavilion in Future World is a serious contender for the best spot in all of EPCOT. It’s the Land Pavilion!

Let’s take a look at the things that make the Land Pavilion the obvious choice for the best part of EPCOT!

1. The Land Greenhouses

Probably the biggest reason that the Land Pavilion is the best part of EPCOT is the greenhouses inside and around the pavilion. This is where Disney’s agriculture department does a lot of cool growing and plant work!

Living with the Land

You can see a piece of the greenhouses on Living with the Land, a slow-moving boat ride that departs from the first floor of the pavilion. Bonus: It usually has a short wait, and you get to see Mickey-shaped vegetables.

Living With the Land

If the peek you get from Living with the Land isn’t enough, you could always take the Behind the Seeds Tour. This one-hour tour will take you backstage of the four greenhouses and the fish farm to learn more about agricultural science.

Behind the Seeds Tour

The tour departs from the desk near the entrance to Soarin’ Around the World on the first floor of the pavilion. It is currently $29 for adults and $29 for kids. (Price was set to increase in early-June, so these are the updated prices.)

Behind the Seeds Tour

Plus, did you know that the produce from the Land Pavilion actually goes to supply the ingredients in the Garden Grill upstairs? Neat and sustainable!

2. Character Dining

Speaking of the Garden Grill, this spot is a pretty awesome EPCOT restaurant. Sure, there’s another character dining spot (packed with princesses) at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway, but in our opinion, Garden Grill is better.

Farmer Mickey!

First off, it’s one of the few restaurants where you can meet Mickey Mouse. He typically cycles through the restaurant with Pluto, Chip, and Dale, too. Plus, we’ve noticed the characters spend a little more time at each table here than elsewhere. You may even see them twice (or thrice!)! (Note: when Walt Disney World reopens, character dining is expected to be suspended. Click here to see all the changes coming for the reopening in July.)

Garden Grill

Plus, those sustainable ingredients (again, grown right downstairs!) make for some pretty tasty meals. Though it’s still on the pricey side (it’s a character meal after all), you’re getting some bang for your buck. Lunch and dinner feature a trio of meats, sides, and a fresh green salad. Breakfast… well, that’ll stick to your ribs for sure.

Garden Grill Breakfast

The whole restaurant actually spins too which is kind of its claim to fame! Obviously, it’s not quick, but while you eat, the restaurant will rotate you through all the dioramas of Living with the Land so you get an ever-changing view.

3. Original to the Park

EPCOT is in a state of metamorphosis right now, and we are all for it. Still, the Future World that we know so well is really more a piece of the past now.

Sunshine Seasons

The Land is one of the more intact pavilions in Future World. It has not received a character overlay like The Seas, and while its attractions have changed over the years (most notably with the addition of Soarin’ and the new Awesome Planet film), the Land remains focused on its central mission: celebrating the planet, both its natural ecosystems and the work we need to do to protect it.

The Land Map

And overall, we feel this pavilion has retained its original charm — and then some!

4. Tasty Eats and Spacious Seating

We’ve already talked about how yummy the food is up at Garden Grill, but we have to give some love to the food court area on the first level, too.

Sunshine Seasons

Sunshine Seasons is a great place to head if you’re looking for some simple, and sometimes surprisingly delicious, meals or snacks. On top of that, the dessert case here is a hidden treasure with a lot of unbeatable options.

Sunshine Seasons

Even if you’re not hankering for a strawberry shortcake or Asian-style noodles, the food court space also has a significant amount of indoor, air-conditioned seating and a large, nearby restroom. Anyone who’s spent a summer day in Disney World knows how important it is to find a spot to recover and recharge. Sunshine Seasons is a great spot to do that.

5. Soarin’ Around the World

You didn’t think we were going to write a post about The Land and leave out Soarin’, did you? We would never!

Soarin’

Soarin’ Around the World is one of the more popular rides in EPCOT — third in popularity behind Test Track and Frozen Ever After (keep that in mind for those FastPass+ selections!). The sensations and ride system still wow guests, new and old, to this day.

Soarin' Around the World Queue
Soarin’ Around the World entrance queue

Also, it has Smellitizers so that you actually smell some of the locations you’re “flying” over during the ride. We wish we were on Soarin’ right now, honestly.

What’s your favorite part of Epcot? Tell us in the comments!

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2 Replies to “Five Reasons Why The Land Pavilion is the Best Part of EPCOT”

  1. I totally agree with this article…The Land Pavilion is awesome! I like that this pavilion entertains and educates at the same time, which I think is one of the guiding principles of EPCOT. I love the “Living With the Land” boat attraction and seeing all the unique plants in the green houses. I have to add, however, that I really miss the movie “Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable”. Thanks for a nice article on this pavilion in EPCOT!

  2. This pavilion has always had such a distinct aroma that gets me every time. Between sunshine seasons and Garden Grill, to me it’s one of the most familiar and iconic aromas in Disney World. It’s right up there with the Disney Railroad for me.