Benjamin D. Esham · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Walt Disney World’s official Behind the Seeds page now lists the holiday walking tour Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses for November 27 through December 30, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. The same page says the regular daytime Behind the Seeds tour keeps running. That is the booking decision for anyone building an EPCOT Festival of the Holidays day around The Land pavilion.
The overlay on the boat ride is a separate, related change. Disney’s Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses attraction page says the sparkling boat version runs those same dates, and that regular Living with the Land will not be available then. If your group cares about the working greenhouse, start with Deep Arrival’s Living with the Land planning guide, then decide whether the paid evening walk is worth a reservation.
- Tour: Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses at The Land pavilion in EPCOT.
- Dates: November 27 through December 30, 2026, per Disney’s tour page.
- Times: 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. nightly.
- Boat overlay: Living with the Land is replaced by Glimmering Greenhouses on those dates.
- Booking: Disney says reserve in advance. BlogMickey reports reservations open September 24.
Official Dates and Nightly Times
Disney’s Behind the Seeds tour page is the load-bearing source for the 2026 holiday walk. It names November 27 through December 30, three evening slots, and a one-hour route through the fish farm and four greenhouses. Guests must be at least 3 years old. Anyone under 18 needs a paying adult. Theme park admission is required and is not in the tour price.
Check-in is 15 minutes before the start, on the lower level of The Land pavilion near the Living with the Land exit. Disney recommends comfortable shoes because the hour is on foot. There is a 24-hour cancellation rule: cancel late or no-show and you lose the full price. Same-day and walk-up slots may exist, but Disney says availability is limited and advance reservations are the plan.
BlogMickey, reporting on September 8, said reservations open September 24 and that 2026 pricing stays at $59 per person. Disney’s Enchanting Extras listing also shows the holiday tour starting from $59. Treat September 24 as the specialist-reported on-sale date until the My Disney Experience calendar actually opens.
Living With the Land Changes for the Holidays
The boat ride and the walking tour share the same greenhouse, not the same ticket. From November 27 to December 30, Disney says Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses is the boat product: a cruise through the greenhouses with holiday lights. Regular Living with the Land is not offered in that window. A family that only wants the lights can ride the boat with park admission. A family that wants the crops, hydroponics talk, and after-dark walk still needs the paid tour.
Disney’s holiday hub lists Holidays at Walt Disney World from November 14 through December 31, and EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays from November 28 through December 30. The tour and boat overlay begin one day before the festival’s listed start. If you are on property November 27, the greenhouse overlay is in the plan even if other festival booths are not. Pair that with Deep Arrival’s Land pavilion explainer so the building’s daytime and evening jobs stay distinct.
The same holiday planning week also includes Candlelight Processional dining packages, which Deep Arrival already mapped for an October 14 booking open. Do not mix those two calendars. Greenhouse tour reservations, if BlogMickey is right, come first on September 24. Candlelight dining is later.
How to Book and What It Costs
Disney tells guests to reserve online or in the My Disney Experience app. It also points to the page that explains when advance reservations can be made, without printing September 24 on the tour page itself. That gap is why the BlogMickey date matters: it is independent reporting, not a substitute for the live booking calendar. On September 24, open the app, search Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses, and take a 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 p.m. slot that still leaves time to reach The Land from World Showcase.
Price is the second gap. Disney’s public tour page does not print a 2026 holiday dollar figure in the extracted text. BlogMickey says $59, and Disney’s extras catalog lists the experience starting from $59. Budget $59 plus tax per person, plus a valid EPCOT ticket. Annual Pass and Disney Visa discounts, if any, will show only in the live reservation flow. Do not count on a discount that the official page does not state.
Park tickets are a separate buy. Use Deep Arrival’s EPCOT tickets guide for one-park versus Park Hopper, then add the tour only after the park date is real. A Hopper helps if you want Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios earlier and EPCOT at night. A one-park EPCOT ticket is enough if the greenhouse walk is the day’s closer.
Who the Evening Walk Fits
The tour is a close look at the same four greenhouses and aquacell that the boat passes, with holiday lights and crop talk tied to festive food. Disney still recommends riding Living with the Land first so the walk is not your first view of the space. During the overlay window that preview is the Glimmering Greenhouses boat, not the standard narration. Ride it earlier the same day, then come back downstairs for the 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 p.m. check-in.
Skip it if the group will not stay on its feet for an hour, if anyone is under 3, or if the only goal is seeing lights from a boat. The boat overlay is included with admission. The walk is an extra. It is a good fit for gardeners, food-and-wine planners, and guests who already like daytime Behind the Seeds and want the after-dark version. It is a poor fit for a rope-drop thrill plan that ends at Guardians or Test Track with no time left in World Nature.
Daytime Behind the Seeds remains on the board at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. on the official page, with other daytime hours possible. That is the non-holiday science walk. Do not buy both on the same day unless you specifically want the greenhouse twice. One daytime walk plus the evening overlay boat is enough for most first visits.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want the holiday greenhouse walk | Watch My Disney Experience on September 24 and book 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 p.m. for a date from November 27 to December 30. |
| Only want the lights | Ride the Glimmering Greenhouses boat with park admission. Skip the paid walk. |
| Already like daytime Behind the Seeds | Keep the daytime tour for science, or swap to the evening holiday walk. Do not stack both. |
| Are booking Candlelight dining too | Hold October 14 for dining packages. Do not mix that calendar with the September 24 tour on-sale. |
September 24 is the reported reservation open. BlogMickey names that date. Confirm it in My Disney Experience before you treat a slot as held.
November 27 is the first overlay night. Regular Living with the Land is not available through December 30. Plan the boat as Glimmering Greenhouses.
Park admission is a separate ticket. Book EPCOT first, then the evening walk. The tour price does not include the gate.
When does the EPCOT Glimmering Greenhouses tour run in 2026?
Disney lists November 27 through December 30, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. The daytime Behind the Seeds tour continues on its usual hours.
When do Glimmering Greenhouses tour reservations open?
Disney tells guests to reserve in advance online or in the app. BlogMickey reported that 2026 reservations open September 24. Confirm the live calendar that day.
Is Living with the Land open during the holiday overlay?
No. Disney says Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses runs November 27 to December 30, and regular Living with the Land is not available in that window.
Does the tour include EPCOT admission?
No. Valid park admission is required and is not included. Disney also requires guests to be at least 3, with anyone under 18 accompanied by a paying adult.
