Guys – it’s FINALLY HERE. I love Epcot at all times, but especially when a festival is going on. My favorite festival that happens at Epcot is the Flower and Garden Festival. To me, the Flower and Garden Festival is Disney firing on all cylinders, doing what they do best: combining immersive experiences with creative encounters that you can’t find at just any theme park. It’s a great example of what really sets Disney apart, in our opinion.
The Basics:
The festival will run from March 6th to June 3rd in Epcot. You will need to have park admission to experience The Flower and Garden Festival. We recommend if you’re planning a trip during Flower and Garden Festival, that you book a Dining Plan, because many of your snack credits can be used for food items at the festival, and it’s a great use of the plan. We always recommend spending more than one day of a trip in Epcot during a festival. So if you’re planning a five day trip to Disney World, we would recommend spending two of those days at Epcot, so that you can really experience all that both the park and the festival have to offer.
Topiaries:
Growing up, my parents would get season passes to the Arboretum, and I would spend every Saturday bored out of my mind. The Flower and Garden Festival is nothing like a trip to the Arboretum (except for the fact that they both have beautiful flowers). Disney combines the beauty of nature with the whimsy of Disney magic in a way that feels both organic and inspired. You could spend a whole day walking around, looking at the different topiaries of classic Disney characters, sculpted from flowers and plants. We also love all the different gardens and the patchwork blanket of flowers that stretches across the lake from Future World to World Showcase. This years topiaries are as follows:
Anna and Elsa from Frozen
Located at the Norway Pavilion
Bambi and Friends
Featuring Flower, Bambi and Thumper
Located between the United Kingdom Pavilion and Canada Pavilion
Beauty and the Beast
Located at the France Pavilion
Bo Peep and Her Sheep with Buzz Lightyear and Woody from the Disney•Pixar Toy Story Films
Located at Future World East
Bromeliad Dragon
Located at the China Pavilion
Captain Hook and Peter Pan
Located at the United Kingdom Pavilion
Chip ‘n Dale and Donald Duck with Huey, Dewey and Louie
Located near Showcase Plaza Towers, East and West
Daisy Duck and the Floral Stars of the Show
Located near Spaceship Earth
Figment
Located near the Imagination! Pavilion
Lady and the Tramp
Located at the Italy Pavilion
Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney•Pixar Cars Films
Located near Test Track
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Enjoy a Picnic with Topiary Hearts
Located at Showcase Plaza
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
Located at the American Adventure Pavilion
Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog
Located at the France Pavilion
Pandas
Located at the China Pavilion
Pluto and Goofy
Located between Future World and World Showcase
Simba and Friends
Featuring Rafiki, Simba, Mufasa and Sarabi
Located at The Outpost Shop
Snow White and Dopey
Located at the Germany Pavilion
Stitch
Located at Mission: SPACE
The Three Caballeros
Featuring Jose, Donald and Panchito
Located at the Mexico Pavilion
Topiary Flowers
Located near MouseGear
Topiary Sunflowers
Located at the American Gardens Theatre
Troll
Presented by Adventures by Disney®
Located at the Norway Pavilion
Welcome to the 2019 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Featuring Topiary Butterflies
Located at the Main Entrance
Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends
Located at the United Kingdom Pavilion
Food and Drink:
If you’ve ever met me, or spent any amount of time reading this blog, you know that David and I are huge foodies. We love both fine fair and 1 am In N Out runs alike. For us, the heart of any event is the food (we all have our issues – gluttony just happens to be ours). For us, the perfect Epcot day is eating and drinking our way around festival booths while enjoying the beauty of the topiaries. We will post a blog soon about the top items you need to try to have a complete experience, but for now, make sure to check out the La Vie En Rose in France, the BBQ from America, the Fruishi in Japan, and the Watermelon Salad in Urban Eats. But really – you can’t go wrong with anything at the festival. The food and drinks are all phenomenal, and feel really fresh and seasonal.
Concerts:
If you’re at Flower and Garden Festival on a weekend, you can check out the Garden Rocks concert series. The concerts are free with park admission, but if you want to guarantee a great seat without waiting in a long line, go ahead and book a dining package. This year’s concerts are as follows:
Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI – NEW to Garden Rocks!
March 6 through 8
Glass Tiger – NEW to Garden Rocks!
March 9 through 10
Jon Anderson of Yes – NEW!
March 11 through 12
Tony Orlando
March 13 through 14
Wang Chung – NEW to Garden Rocks!
March 15 through 16
Simple Plan
March 17 through 20
Ambrosia – NEW!
March 21 through 22
Magic Giant – NEW!
March 23 through 24
Air Supply – NEW to Garden Rocks!
March 25 through 27
Berlin, featuring Terri Nunn
March 28 through 29
The Smithereens – NEW to Garden Rocks!
March 30 through 31
Rick Springfield
April 1 through 2
Christopher Cross – NEW to Garden Rocks!
April 3 through 4
The Spinners
April 5 through 7
Dennis DeYoung, original member of the group Styx
April 8 through 9
John Michael Montgomery – NEW!
April 10 through 11
Sister Sledge – NEW to Garden Rocks!
April 12 through 13
Night Ranger
April 14 through 16
Sister Hazel – NEW to Garden Rocks!
April 17 through 19
Steven Curtis Chapman – NEW!
April 20 through 21
TobyMac – NEW!
April 22 through 23
Lonestar
April 24 through 26
The Orchestra, starring former members of ELO
April 27 through 30
Herman’s Hermits, starring Peter Noone
May 1 through 4
Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles
May 5 through 7
A Flock of Seagulls – NEW!
May 8 through 9
Marshall Tucker Band – NEW to Garden Rocks!
May 10 through 11
Peabo Bryson – NEW!
May 12 through 13
Richard Marx – NEW to Garden Rocks!
May 14 through 15
Starship, starring Mickey Thomas
May 16 through 19
Colin Hay of Men at Work – NEW!
May 20 through 21
War – NEW!
May 22 through 23
The Guess Who
May 24 through 27
Jon Secada
May 28 through 29
Blood, Sweat and Tears
May 30 through June 1
Eddie Palmieri – NEW!
June 2 through June 3
