DIS Daily Recap: Stay informed with all things Disney and Central Florida!
Enter your email address below to receive DIS Updates by email — including News, Blogs, Podcasts, Discounts, and Disney Updates.
One
of the most welcome signs of spring is Epcot's
annual International Flower & Garden Festival.
While the grounds at Epcot
are always beautiful, the Flower and Garden Festival
takes them to the next level and everywhere you look is bursting with colorful blooms. 2020 marks the 27th Annual Flower and Garden Festival that will take place from March 4-June 1 – 90 days!
In 2019, the Garden Rocks Concerts will take place every night – that's 270 concerts – in the America Gardens Theatre and dining packages are now available to book.
The Honey Bee-stro Outdoor Kitchen debuted in 2018 and several new outdoor kitchens will debut in 2019. AdventHealth will host a kitchen along with a nearby playground where the whole family can learn fun and interactive ways to stay healthy.
A plethora of Disney character topiaries, including classic-character favorites Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and many others, play a starring role each year in the festival. Belle is typically featured in the France pavilion along with Beast, you'll find Snow White in Germany with the Dopey, and Anna and Elsa can be found in the Norway pavilion. Woody and Buzz Lightyear will welcome Bo Peep and her sheep to their Toy Story topiary near the Family Play Zone in Future World East.
The 2019 Family Play Zone will be located by the walkay near Test Track. Guests can stop by and have some interactive fun with their kids at the new Toy Story 4-themed play area.
The Figment topiary garden between Future World and World Showcase typically offers the perfect selfie backdrop and family photo opportunity.
Perennial Flower and Garden favorites such as the English Tea Garden, the Butterfly Haven, and special kids' activities can be seen at the festival as well. Illuminated topiary and play gardens light up at night for a different festival experience.
Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration family scavenger hunt activity will be more fun than ever this year with new locations to discover along the garden pollination trail. Guests can also commemorate their scavenger hunt experience with select merchandise offerings featuring everyone’s favorite honey bee, Spike.
Explore the Festival and keep an eye out for Spike as he pollinates Epcot’s gardens. In each garden, you’ll need to search for the plant Spike has pollinated, identifiable by Spike himself and a Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration plant stake. Once you find him, add the corresponding sticker to your map.
Once your map is full of stickers, your journey is complete and you can return your map for a springtime surprise.
Maps and stickers for Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration were available for sale at Mouse Gear, Pin Traders, Festival Shop carts, and Camera Center under Spaceship Earth for $6.99 plus tax.
Spike even has some of his very own merchandise for 2019!
Another guest favorite returning to the festival April 5-21, 2019 (while supplies last) is the Eggstravaganza Scavenger Hunt, where guests can search for Disney character-themed eggs around World Showcase.
Dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms will transform the park’s landscape. At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.
Don't forget to pick up one of the special gift cards that are created for this event too! They're tiny and are attached to a bracelet made out of what looks like an old telephone cord. Take a look at the 2019 editions below!
Walt Disney World Annual Passholders visiting the Festival can pick up one of two adorable Spring-themed Passholder magnets depending on the date they attend. Below is a look at the 2019 magnets - the Pluto magnet will be available March 6 – April 10 and Daisy will be available April 11 – June 3 (both will be available while supplies last). To pick yours up, stop into Mouse Gear or Port of Entry and show your valid annual pass card and photo ID.
Flower & Garden Festival Topiaries
The Epcot front-entrance topiary garden will feature topiary butterflies that will welcome festival guests to Fresh Epcot!
Book a Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package which includes:
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner at select Epcot restaurants (listed below)
Guaranteed seating at one of 3 concert performances later that day
Choose from 15 unique eateries around Epcot, each offering a menu replete with global delicacies.
Each dinner package includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert—or one (1) full buffet or family-style dining, where applicable—along with a non-alcoholic beverage and one (1) guaranteed seat to the Garden Rocks Concert held on the same day.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Norway Pavilion
Breakfast: $63 for adults; $38 for kids (buffet not available) Lunch: $73 for adults; $44 for kids (ages 3-9)
Dinner: $73 for adults; $44 for kids
The Garden Grill Restaurant The Land Pavilion
Breakfast $49 for adults; $30 for kids (buffet not available)
Lunch: $63 for adults; $38 for kids (ages 3-9)
Dinner: $63 for adults; $38 for kids
From Bonsai trees to butterflies, there are tons of displays to peruse. Highlights include:
Alpine Container Garden – Visit the Germany Pavilion to learn about hearty alpine plants that have adapted to survive in extreme temperatures and are the perfect match for windy balconies, cold-weather climates, and sloped or parched landscapes.
Bamboo Garden – Bamboo, a member of the grass family, can be found at the China Pavilion in many colors, patterns, and sizes.
Barrels by the Bay – March 8 to 10, guests will have the chance to decorate rain barrels using paint and various stencils. The barrels are Coke Florida syrup receptacles being recycled to protect community waterways from stormwater runoff pollution. Look for this display next to Fountain of Nations, near Mouse Gear.
Bold Bromeliads
Located at the Mexico Pavilion
Bonsai Collection – Stop by the Japan Pavilion to discover the ancient art of bonsai.
Chinese Zodiac Natural Sculptures
Located at the China Pavilion
English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings of London®
Discover the history and art of tea blending at this elegant English Tea Garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion, featuring plants important to some of Twinings finest tea blends.
Family Play Zone – Discover engaging, interactive fun for kids and adults alike at this Toy Story 4-themed play area located by the walkway to Test Track.
Festival Blooms – Behold colorful, living panoramas composed of thousands of flowers, overlooking the east and west lakes of Future World.
Floating Mini-Gardens – Peer upon more than 100 petite plots drifting on the ponds that border the walkway between Future World and the World Showcase.
Garden Italiano – From fresh spaghetti sauce to your favorite pizza topping, this Tuscan kitchen garden at the Italy Pavilion features all the produce and herbs needed to create a classic Italian feast.
The Goodness Garden Butterfly House Presented by GoGo squeeZ – Visit this foliage-filled exhibit at Future World West to view a kaleidoscope of butterflies and observe several species up close, learning about their life cycles and maybe even witnessing them emerging from chrysalises.
The Honey Bee-Stro – Learn about the importance of honeybees in this immersive garden. You can also enjoy food options—made possible by their hard work—from the adjoining outdoor kitchen near the Imagination! Pavilion.
Kokedama Garden – Admire fresh expressions of an ancient Japanese art at this garden featuring bonsai creations.
Penguin Sculpture –NEW for 2019! Disneynature presents a newly minted penguin sculpture, created from repurposed trash pulled from our oceans. Find this spirited artwork at Future World West.
Plant a Garden Perfect for Pollinators – Stop by this display near the Butterfly House and take garden-ready ideas home with you, along with garden crafts and sustainable best practices.
Play Garden – AdventHealth presents an area along Imagination Walkway for kids, made to inspire youthful energy and creativity. Your whole family can learn fun and interactive ways to stay healthy at a brand-new playground and outdoor kitchen.
Purple Martin Garden– Spot purple martins as they soar to and from their nests in our purple martin bird houses. These migratory birds flew over 3,000 miles from the Brazilian Amazon to raise their young right here at Epcot! Test your identification skills by finding the brown-and-white females, as well as the iridescent, all-purple males. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Cast Members will be on hand on Tuesdays and Fridays after 11:00 AM to answer questions you may have about these fascinating birds.
Shakespeare Garden – Thou shalt adore matching up famous quotes to flowers found within this vibrant garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion. William Shakespeare often used flowers and exotic gardens to help set the scenes for his plays and employed them as symbols and metaphors.
Tropical Rainforest Garden – Visit the Mexico Pavilion and learn how Mexican rainforests are rich with plants and animals that have adapted to a wide variety of light levels and water conditions.
Urban Spice – At the Morocco Pavilion, learn how in many eastern cultures, ancient spices were considered more valuable than gold.
2019 Guided Tours
Guided tours are also available for guests interested in learning more about nature’s magic. In Behind the Seeds – The Land, guests can explore the fish farm and four greenhouses that make up The Land at Epcot. Additionally, two guided experiences exclusive to the festival include:
The Royal Tea Garden Tour, presented by Twinings, which takes place each festival morning at the United Kingdom. For a small fee, guests can follow a knowledgeable guide through the tranquil tea garden setting to learn the history and artistry behind growing and blending tea. A post-tour treat of tea and scones is included. The shorter, complimentary English Tea Garden Tour also will be offered on select days.
During the Gardens of the World tour, guests will join a Disney horticulturist for a three-hour walking tour to explore the award-winning topiaries and gardens that make the festival so special. Guests will learn about the unique role landscaping plays at Walt Disney World and discover new plant materials and gardening techniques to use for home gardens.
Guided tours are offered select days throughout the festival for an additional fee. Epcot admission is required. Reservations for tours open January 2019. For more information or to make a reservation, call (407) WDW-TOUR.
Special 2019 Festival Merchandise
The Gardeners Terrace inside the Odyssey Center is the main location for Festival merchandise, but you'll find Festival Shops and Markets all throughout the park.
