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Question...correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear that Living with the Land used to always have a "tour guide". The first half of the ride would be pre-recorded, but once you got into the greenhouses, wasn't there always a "tour guide" on your boat who would tell you all about what was growing? When I went this May, the entire boat ride was pre-recorded audio. Is that how they do it now? What's up with that?!
1) The first part of the ride was a combination of live & pre-recorded.
2) The recording was started after a brief introduction by a live person.
3) The live person took over, again, after exiting into the agricultural area.
4) Now, it is all pre-recorded (saves manpower).
At first I thought I'd miss the live narrator, but after a couple rides I don't think much is missing. The amount that was added really couldn't be cost justified. Unfortunate, but a reality with the automation available now that wasn't there when the ride was opened.
I thought we would not like the change, but now it allows us to take pics of varied items as we can tune out what the automated voice says.
The only thing that I don't like with the new audio is that everyone on the boat has their own private conversations going on, they doesn't seem to pay attention to what is being said. I wish that they would turn up the audio a little more and maybe just maybe more people would listen.
I agree with you Maui. My video of the ride is full of the people's conversation in front of us "Oh, where is the large lemon?? I can't see it?! Oooh, look at that pumpkin!! Sweetie do you see it?"Quote:
Originally Posted by MauiMouse
Oops...I think I might be in your home video... :blush:Quote:
Originally Posted by brewcrew26
The audio recording is probably exactly what the guide said. If I remember correctly, they never varied on what they said. I think they just put the audio in so they didn't have to pay someone to say the same thing over and over again... that's why disney has all of those engineers working for them. :mickey:
I thought I was going to hate the voice-over. But then I remembered a few times where we Lived with the Land, while the unenthused tour guide wished they Cruised the Jungle.
I remember when the tour guides were on the boats! They wore these horrible polyester baby blue jumpsuits.
I don't mind having a recording. I always feel, with the live people, that they must get so tired of saying the same spiel all day, every day, that they become bored with it and don't feel the magic. And I don't miss the polyester suits either!
I agree with this as well. Additionally, there would be times when if you were riding close enough to the tour guide that you could ask questions. While the tour guides weren't as knowledgeable as the people giving the "behind the seeds" tour they could at least give you some additional insight as to what you were seeing.Quote:
Originally Posted by MauiMouse
As a side note I always thought it was funny that there almost always seemed to be someone on the boat who would ask if the greenhouses at the pavilion provided all the landscaping plants for the entire WDW complex. I thought that was funny!
Just back, and treated my DW to the "Behind the Seeds" tour. I can highly recommend it, and it's really inexpensive. It is interesting (and Im not really all that into plants and gardening) and well done
Whatever which way, I always enjoy this ride. Especially the storm scene and the old country house scene.
I actually really enjoy the ride too. I love the rainforest and the prairies....it's just a cool atmosphere. I can't remember the last time I've ever seen anyone in the greenhouses working away though...maybe I just go at the wrong time....
That is my fav scene as well!! Always have enjoyed this attraction with or without the CM.
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Originally Posted by kbean
The fact that they took out the tour guide and made it all a tour with a pre-recorded voice made this ride a lot duller. Living with the Land was already one of Epcot's notoriously boring attractions (although some parts were interesting), but sometimes you'd get lucky and get a perky energetic CM as your tour guide to liven things up. Now, it's just a robot-like voice touring you through the pavilion which makes this ride more sleep-inducing than it originally was.
Essentially, this was a budget-cut by Disney because I guess they saw that they could save themselves the expense of paying CMs to do the job if they just used a pre-recorded voice...which is understandable, I guess, because I think WDW is understaffed, but still - it ruins the guest experience... :(
cutback.............
but I will still go on it my next trip