Behind the land tour

[TIGGER17179]

I was trying to think of something we've never done before to surprise my sister, niece and nephew with on our trip in 31days, they've had a hard time lately and I wanted to do something nice and fun.
I've seen this tour but was wondering if it was worth the time. The kids are 17-16 and love disney and they like the ride but wasn't sure what it included.
Has anyone done this?? How long is it and what exactly do you do?

Any other ideas would be appreciated... We are only there for 3 days so I didn't want to take too much time from the parks.

[Pastcastmemberdaughter]

I never been on this tour but everyone I've talked to has really enjoyed it, especially since they took the real castmember off the boats and replaced them with recordings. I'd give it a chance, I'm thinking about trying it out this year as well.

I believe the tours last somewhere around an hour long, so it won't take up a lot of your day. Again someone who has taken the tour will have to give you more information but I think basically what they do is give you a up close and personal view of the greenhouse and explain how and why they grow plants the way they do. I'm not sure but I think I remember hearing from somewhere that you get a special treat at the end of the tour but don't take my word 100% on that one.

Have fun! :mickey:

[ParkMan]

We took the tour back in December.

I seem to recall it was 90 minutes or so - though I have to admit I don't remember how long it ran.

The tour was basically a trip through the facilities. You start in a small room with a short video which leads into a brief discussion. They talk a bit about the history of the pavilion, discuss some of the scientific activities they are involved in, and then go through some of the kinds of issues they deal with that an amateur gardener might not think about (such as pest control).

From there you start touring the interior of the greenhouses. This is very much like the boat tour expect you spend a LOT more time at each station. They walk you through the different kinds of growing apparatus they use. They show you the different plants they grow. They talk about how they care for the plants and what the people that work there do every day.

At one point you also go through the aquaculture area and talk about the fish, alligators, etc...

They did give us at least one (I think there were a few, but can't say for certain) opportunity to try a few small bites of the fruit they grow there.

I'd recommend the tour for anyone who likes gardening and would be interested in spending time walking through a greenhouse talking about plans and how they are grown.

[Figment52]

We're also interested in taking this tour, and had planned on doing so the last few trips, but never quite got there.

In addition to what parkman said, I think you can also release ladybugs in the greenhouse. They're a natural "pesticide" and widely used in organic farming.

[tinkerbell04]

I took the tour a few years ago and really enjoyed it. For some reason I remember it being about 2 hours long, but that may have changed over time. When we finished we were given seeds to plant at home.

[Marilyn Michetti]

DH wants to do this in Dec. I think it's only about $14, and an hour long. He has a hydro-ponic garden that isn't doing very well right now in the Az. heat. Winter is great tho' - nice tomatoes, lettuce, etc., while the rest of the country is snowed in.:snowball: