EPCOT Old and New Experiences - Orlando Live 2023

One of the things we have been trying to do this year at Walt Disney World is to have some new Experiences. Walt Disney World is not just limited to theme park rides; guests can try many different experiences. Most of these experiences, however, do come with an added charge which can soon add up. Today we visited EPCOT, and we visited some old and new experiences.

Space 220 Lounge and Restaurant is something we experienced for the first time last year. The idea is guests board an elevator to space and dine in a restaurant 220 miles above Earth. The concept sounds odd but is unbelievably well delivered. Space 220 is one of the hardest reservations to get at Walt Disney World.

The food in the lounge is very good, but also very expensive. However, the views out to space are the real attraction. The main restaurant is expensive, but the lounge serves more reasonably priced smaller plates and snacks. Getting a reservation for the lounge is often more difficult than the restaurant, but it is a great way to experience Space 220 at a more reasonable price.

Our new experience today was the “Behind the Seeds Tour” in the Land Pavilion. This tour has been around for a number of years and allows you to explore the various greenhouses in the Land Pavilion. The Land Pavilion is an innovation center for the use of Hydroponics. Hydroponics is the use of mineral-based water to grow plants instead of soil.

I have been confused by the Land Pavilion for a number of years. Ever since I first visited Walt Disney World, they have been discussing this as the future of farming, but it does not seem to develop. However, I was assured by our guide today that Hydroponics is getting used increasingly around the world to develop innovative farming.

Having looked around since our tour Hydroponics has certainly been successful in some areas, but the commercial viability of large farms still appears to be open to debate. I will complete a full review of the tour in the next couple of weeks.