Disney World is known as the Most Magical Place on Earth, but did you know there are ways to make it just a bit more magical?

It’s true, and it’s all thanks to Disney’s special events and tours. These extras may be something you need to budget a little bit more for, but man, can they really elevate your experience. Between Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and even some of the hotels, chances are there’s something for just about everyone. And, for those with a green thumb (or those who are just really into plants and science), there’s one tour that offers you the chance to learn — all while going backstage at a popular EPCOT ride.

If you love Living with the Land in EPCOT, the Behind the Seeds tour might be something you need to add to your Disney World must-do list! Make your way through the backstage areas and lush greenhouses of this unique attraction as you learn just how Disney keeps things green all year long. I recently took the Behind the Seeds tour for the first time — here’s what it was like!

First, I checked in at the Land Pavilion, right next to the exit of Living with the Land. Disney recommends that you ride the Living with the Land attraction before doing the Behind the Seeds tour to enjoy a preview of what you can expect. You’ll want to arrive 15 minutes before the tour starts.

You’ll visit four greenhouses (plus a fish farm) in The Land Pavilion during this one-hour tour, encountering insects, fish, and plants along the way. While visiting our first stop — the Pest Management lab — where we learned about how Disney controls the insects in the greenhouse (spoiler alert: it’s with other insects!), my tour group was given a walkie-talkie-type headset so we could hear our tour guide, Rachel, throughout the greenhouses.

We were then ushered outside to get a view of the Tissue Culture lab. If this looks sort of familiar, that’s because you can actually see the other side of this lab from the ride itself! This is where Disney grows and studios different types of plants while they’re still young.

And, then, we entered our first greenhouse! It was like seeing the world from a totally different angle. As a die-hard Living with the Land fanatic, it was so cool to see the ride and greenhouses up close and from a new perspective. Here, you can see Brussels sprouts growing with a hydroponic method.

Here, we learned about the different growing methods and soil materials Disney uses, including hydroponics, Rockwool, vertical grow systems, and more. The towers pictured below are made from recycled materials and can be used to grow a variety of plants like flowers and vegetables in a compact space.

Check it out! There were even strawberries growing in some of the containers. How perfect does that look?

We also got to sample a type of seedless cucumber that is actually grown in the Land Pavilion! It was on the mild side and was slightly sweet and crunchy. Much of the food grown here is actually used in restaurants all around Disney World. We learned that Disney chefs will actually visit the greenhouses, requesting samples of ingredients to incorporate into their recipes throughout the parks and resorts.

Disney employs quite a few different growing methods in order to be able to grow all types of plants in one environment — no matter where they originated in nature. Here, you can see more vertical growing methods being used. If you look on the left, you can see a tomato “tree” that Disney scientists created by training tomato vines to grow upward.

We moved on to the next greenhouse, where Rachel explained that in this one, sand is used as a growing medium which actually helps with temperature control. In fact, there’s actually five feet of sand if you were to dig all the way down! The vertical growth method is still used here, but what’s interesting is that the huge winter melon canopy you see is actually only made from four small vines.

Tours are offered several times daily, typically beginning at park opening with the last tour available at 4:30PM. You can book yours on the Disney World website! Right now, tours cost between $39 and $45 per person depending on the date you book.

Disney also utilizes Aqua Culture in the Land Pavilion, and we got to check that area out as well. There are shrimp, tilapia, and bass in these tanks that are used to help keep things running smoothly. Wondering about the red light? It actually helps prevent algae growth and buildup in the tanks. We also got to feed some of the fish and it was quite the frenzy!

After the Aqua Culture lab, it was time for my favorite part — the tropical greenhouse! I mean, come on, can you beat that view?!

We got to get up close and personal with many of the plants in this area — being mindful to still not touch anything unless our tour guide told us we could. Here you can see a vanilla plant, which is actually a type of orchid. But, as you can see, this whole greenhouse is just full of lush foliage.

This is where the tour ends, but not before Rachel made sure she answered all of our questions — and she was extremely knowledgeable when doing so. All in all, the Behind the Seeds tour is a really remarkable experience for anyone interested in agriculture, sustainability, science, or getting to go backstage on Disney rides!

If you’re thinking about planning a Disney World trip and are interested in adding a special tour to your vacation, consider giving our friends over at Small World Vacations a shout. They’re certified Disney Travel Agents who can help you plan your trip from start to finish and can even book this tour for you! Not only that, but they can find you some stellar savings and serious deals.

Stay tuned to DFB as we bring you more behind-the-scenes info, food reviews, Disney news, and more!

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Have you ever done a backstage tour at Disney World? Tell us in the comments.

The post I Took a Backstage Tour of a Popular EPCOT Ride. Here’s What It Was Like! first appeared on the disney food blog.