The International Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT begins in March every year. For me, up in the Northeast it is a little sign of hope that spring is around the corner! During this time, EPCOT is colorful, bright and fresh.  This beautiful festival has been the highlight of many visitors’ springs since it started in 1994.

I am hopeful that when the parks reopen after the COVID-19 park closures that the festival will resume, but of course some schedule changes can be expected.

Here is what you can expect during your visit to the Flower and Garden Festival

Topiary and Floral Displays

 EPCOT never looks better than during Flower and Garden. The landscaping everywhere gets refreshed.

The topiaries of favorite Disney characters are extremely popular and add a new life to the World Showcase. The horticulturalists go above and beyond on these amazing creations.

New this year is Remy, the lovable chef from Ratatouille in the France Pavilion. Of course, they are celebrating the opening of the new Ratatouille ride set to open later this year.

 Outdoor Kitchens 

My favorite part of any EPCOT festival is the outdoor kitchens. The outdoor kitchens for the Flower and Garden Festival are set up similar to the Food and Wine Festival that EPCOT holds in the fall.

Each booth has a different theme that focuses on the flavors fresh from the garden. Once you find your way over to the World Showcase Lagoon, you will find 17 outdoor kitchen food booths.

Although I am no longer going to make it down for this festival I was looking forward to trying. 

Northern Bloom, with

:• Seared Scallops

• Beef Tenderloins

• Maple Popcorn Shake with Maple Rye Whisky 

Magnolia Terrace for:

• Southern Seafood Boil

• Grilled Oysters

• Pecan Cake with Maple Whipped Cream

Don’t worry EPCOT still has some of the fan favorites as well.

Pineapple Promenade is always worth the visit. Not only do they offer dole whip (which as you know I LOVE) and food with pineapple (again LOVE) they have the popular Violet Lemonade, which has developed such a following that small shops like Polka Dot Pixie Dust have made t-shirts.

The Honey Booth is also back with the honey-mascarpone cheesecake and honey peach freeze with blueberry vodka.

Don’t forget to grab a Garden passport. This passport is available to help you around the park and is located at all the kiosks and the park entrances. This passport will give you the information you need about the events and keep track of everything you eat as a free souvenir. It also has a menu of all the food located at the outdoor kitchen.

Garden Rocks Concert Series

This concert series runs for 90 nights and features over 250 performances by tons of popular artists. These concerts are performed each night at the American Garden Theater inside the American Adventure Pavilion. Showtimes are 5:30, 6:45 and 8:00pm. Each show will last for 30 minutes.

For a full list of this year’s artists head to the official site.

Click here for the full list

If I were planning a trip I would go out of my way to see:

• Rick Springfield

o April 19th and 20th, 2020

• Plain White Tees

o April 24th- 27th, 2020

• Daughtry

o May 24-25th, 2020

This is a concert series that is available to all ages. Stop by even if you have the kids with you. Work off some of the food you’ve been eating all day with a little dancing.

And don’t be afraid to bring the kids. So often I hear about how people plan to skip EPCOT because their kids are too young. I LOVED EPCOT as a kid and it inspired my love of learning and travel. For more reasons to visit EPCOT with kids check out this post.

For the kids

Don’t worry if you have kids there are several things to do throughout the EPCOT park for them. So often I hear about how people plan to skip EPCOT because their kids are too young. I LOVED EPCOT as a kid and it inspired my love of learning and travel. For more reasons to visit EPCOT with kids check out this post. During the festival they add even more to entertain and engage children including:

·   Interactive Play Areas

·   Flower and Garden Playground

·   Bo Beep’s Playtime Training Grounds

·   The Goodness Garden Butterfly House

·   Health Full Trail

·  Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt

·  Egg-Stravaganza Scavenger Hunt

Tips for Enjoying the Festival

Here are some helpful tips that will help you enjoy your time at the Flower and Garden Festival.

• Make sure to get a copy of the Garden Passport. This passport has all the locations for the kiosks, the times for each show, and other information to help make sure you do not miss anything.

• Look at the menu options before you arrive, highlight your must trys and where they are located. Hit those booths first so you aren’t too full by the time you get there.

• Lines for the outdoor kitchens will be shorter at 11:00 am once they open. Don’t wait until lunch or dinner time to give them a try, you could be waiting for a long time.

• There are several different merchandise collections available this year. Stop by the shops and check those out.

• If you are feeling really hungry, you might want to give the Garden Graze scavenger hunt a try. If you purchase five menu items listed on the display and get the stamps for that item, you will win a prize.

• If you are looking to beat the crowds, going on a weekday would be your best option.

Most importantly, have a good time and enjoy yourself. Disney has a lot of great food, and beautiful gardens to look at. Don’t worry about rushing through the park, take your time and you will leave the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival feeling wonderful about your experience. If you are unable to visit Disney in the spring, other festivals are held throughout the year.  Check out my blog post on International Festival of Arts to help you plan your Disney adventure January 2021.

 

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