In Praise of The Land Pavilion
I’m always in awe of my wife when I watch her work each day.
She’s one of those anchor people at a job who creates a cone of excellence around her.


Cinderella Castle
So, all her employees demonstrate excellence as well. It’s a radiating effect that stems from a passion for self-improvement.
For me, The Land pavilion is the Disney equivalent of this sort of daily excellence. It’s the heart and soul of the former Future World.


The Land Pavilion in EPCOT
Even with an evolved EPCOT, The Land remains the place to go at the front of the park when you seek entertainment and/or comfort.
Today, I’d like to speak in praise of The Land pavilion, the iconic EPCOT pavilion.
A Brief History of The Land
The Land pavilion opened with EPCOT in 1982. So, this place is 42-years-old, which admittedly makes it a bit weird to celebrate.
After all, I’ve previously praised the makeover of Mickey’s Toontown and the theming of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.



The Land Pavilion
In reviewing my notes, this thought process has bounced around my brain previously, though.
I also praised Soarin’, the anchor attraction at The Land pavilion.


Soarin’
Hilariously, I’ve been thinking about that ride a lot lately for a different piece you haven’t read yet about Cosm and the future of Disney entertainment.
When The Land opened in 1982, its sponsor, Kraft, took an active role in development.


Photo: Jeff Bergman on Pinterest
That behavior wasn’t unusual in the years leading up to EPCOT’s debut, as sponsors helped bring the park to life.
To its credit, Kraft wasn’t like many of the other ground-floor sponsors, though. These executives had a plan.


Opening day in 1982
Kraft wanted The Land pavilion to be a collaborative space for guests, one consisting of stores and restaurants.
Sadly, Disney lost the Kraft sponsorship in 1993, replacing it with Nestle.


Nestle
This company didn’t have a strong take on The Land other than the old stage was aging and in need of replacement.
So, we lost two opening day attractions, The Kitchen Kabaret Revue and Symbiosis, the latter of which I’ll confess I don’t even remember.
Disney also thankfully upgraded the original Listen to the Land to the vastly superior Living with the Land.
The real change occurred in 2004, right after Nestle renewed its contract.
That’s when Disney added Soarin’, and Soarin’ makes all the difference.
Why The Land?
The arrival of Soarin’ filled the one void in this space throughout its first two decades.
Finally, Disney had an E-ticket attraction to anchor the space.


Soarin’ Around the World
While Disney had added other attractions since then, most recently Awesome Planet, Soarin’ matters most at The Land.
With the introduction of that ride, Soarin’ created a balance that’s thematically appropriate for this facility, which celebrates agriculture.


Living with the Land — Glimmering Greenhouses
You need patience when you plant seeds and watch them grow.
Those words describe the early years of The Land as well, as it was always a remarkable facility.


Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses in EPCOT
Alas, the boring attractions here prevented guests from enjoying the place.
Among the various infotainment pavilions, The Land felt the most like going to school.


Living with the Land
No kid wants that. And parents feel the same way. It’s why they hate parent-teacher conferences.
With Soarin’, Disney added a ride that everyone wanted to experience.


Soarin’
Meanwhile, Living with the Land enhanced the ride experience to remove the Jungle Cruise aspect.
The Cast Members rarely had their hearts in their script, but they couldn’t crack jokes like Skippers had in the 1950s.


The Land in EPCOT
So, that version of the ride didn’t work. The new one is still rather preachy during its first half, but that’s okay!
This part of the ride is visually interesting. And if you don’t enjoy it, the setting is dark enough to take a nap.


Living with the Land
Once you enter The Land’s agricultural facility, the experience levels up dramatically.
Now, you can learn how Disney created many of its tastiest ingredients. They’re created right there at The Land!


Living with the Land
This pavilion is a manufacturing facility disguised as a theme park attraction.
The Genius of The Land
Something I love about The Land is that both floors make sense.
Most guests enter on the second floor, where they have a view of the lobby beneath them and a restaurant in front of them.


The Land Pavilion
That restaurant, Garden Grill, serves several dishes featuring the flavors of The Land.
Even better, the spinning restaurant turns until it displays part of the ride, Living with the Land.


Garden Grill
Eagle-eyed diners can spot the dog, who should look familiar.
That Audio-Animatronic appears eerily similar to the ones at Pirates of the Caribbean and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.


Living with the Land
According to legend, Imagineers used one of Walt Disney’s dogs as inspiration for this design.
To a larger point, there’s something homey and familial about spotting a dog sitting on the family porch.


Living with the Land
That’s The Land in a nutshell. It’s warm and inviting, a place where you always feel welcome to come in and visit.
To drive that point home, there’s a restaurant on the first floor that doubles as the family kitchen.


Sunshine Seasons
I’m from a large family, and I vividly recall my mother’s deft balancing act in keeping all her kids fed.
We were all picky eaters, which turned family meals into a de facto buffet/smorgasbord.


Sunshine Seasons
Sunshine Seasons offers the kind of menu that’s sure to please everyone, even my brothers, sister, and me (the pickiest one).
I know this because I’ve been part of a group of nine who ate lunch here.


Sunshine Seasons menu
Everyone happily found something on the menu, and I will always remember that particular meal as a great one.
That’s how dining with family and friends should feel.
The Land: Modular Perfect
What I admire about The Land is its simple elegance. There’s nothing fancy about this circular building on the inside.
Sure, from the outside, it kinda looks like solar paneling on a volcano, but the interior is quite modular.


The Land Pavilion
You walk from the entrance to the building’s other side. From here, you either watch Awesome Planet, eat at Garden Grill, or head downstairs.
On the bottom floor, you can hang out in the giant seating area at Sunshine Seasons, even when you’re not hungry.


Sunshine Seasons
Before or after that, you can experience one of the two rides here: Soarin’ and Living with the Land.
Soarin’ justifies any visit to The Land pavilion, while Living with the Land works as a relaxing boat ride or some infotainment.


Living with the Land
Even better, the experiences here appeal to people of all ages, no small feat at a theme park.
This was the classic EPCOT hangout spot in the front half of the park long before World Celebration Gardens arrived.


Living with the Land
Like most of you, I’ve spent so much time here yet almost always taken it for granted.
The Land is the EPCOT pavilion that’s always there for you, no matter your mood.


Workers Scale the Roof at The Land Pavilion in EPCOT
We don’t appreciate it enough, and the main reason why I’ve been thinking about it lately is an absurd rumor about its future.
Don’t worry. The Land’s not going anywhere.



The Land Pavilion
This pavilion will continue to provide you with food and entertainment, just like it has for decades now.
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