Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival: What Not To Miss

Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival has to be the prettiest of all festivals (and one of my personal favorites)! If you’re planning to visit, here are some things you won’t want to miss!

My family received tickets from Disney to attend Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival but my love for Disney is 100% my own.

When we were invited to Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival, I did a happy dance! I always love Disney days but was especially excited about this one. I’d been years ago and still remember how beautiful Epcot looked covered in flowers. 

While the flowers are the main attraction, there’s so much more to it! From the magical butterfly garden to the outdoor kitchens that serve the best food Disney has to offer, this is an event you don’t want to miss!  There’s so much to see that you may not even be able to get to it all in a day but there are some things you just won’t want to miss! If you’re planning on heading to this year’s festival, make sure you don’t leave without check these things out…

What Not To Miss At Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival 

The Gardens (of course!)

As you would expect, the flowers are the stars of the show during the Flower And Garden Festival. As soon as you walk through the gates, you’ll find gorgeous oversize butterflies surrounded by flowers.

There are colorful flowers as far as the eye can see, from Epcot’s front entrance all the way to Italy.

Tours are available too if you want to see the Gardens Of The World or tour the English Tea Gardens.

It’s pretty spectacular and even my girls were impressed. While they’re usually hounding me to stop taking pictures, they took almost as many as I did.

The Topiaries

The topiaries were definitely one of our favorite parts of the festival! There are over 70  of them scattered throughout the park and we saw everyone from Mickey and Minnie…

to Bambi. 

We even ran into Snow White…  

and Kermit The Frog. 

How adorable is this Lady And The Tramp topiary in Italy?!

When I win the lottery, I’m totally hiring someone from Disney to create some of these for my front yard!

The Food

One thing I love about Epcot’s festivals is that they go all out with the food! The Flower & Garden Festival is no exception and there were outdoor kitchens everywhere we turned. This is no ordinary food either. These menu items are similar to things I’d order in a fine dining restaurant! Disney calls it an epicurean adventure and I can’t think of a better way to put it.

The only problem was narrowing it down. Everything looked so delish and I was this close to going with Honey Bee-stro.

Then I discovered Citrus Blossom, one of the outdoor kitchens new to the festival this year. I couldn’t pass up the Tuna Tataki with Spicy Yuzu Glaze, Mango, Avocado and Pappadam Crisp. I also picked up a citrus beer to go along with it.

This dish was so flavorful that I could have had it for dinner too. The great part is that servings are small enough that you can sample menu items from different kitchens throughout the day…especially good for those of us that have a hard time making up our minds!

The Goodness Garden Butterfly House

The Goodness Garden Butterfly House, sponsored by GoGo Squeez, was one of the highlights of our day. I couldn’t get my girls to leave (but honestly, I didn’t really want to either). Walking into this giant tent filled almost 1,000 butterflies was magical.  

There were butterflies everywhere we turned and if you look closely, you can find at least five butterflies in this photo alone.

The best part was that the butterflies were friendly! If you’re patient, you might even get a butterfly to land on you. 

Even I got in on the fun.  

The Butterfly House is fun of course, but it’s educational too. We were able to see caterpillars in different stages of metamorphosis and my girls enjoyed reading the signs to learn various fun facts about butterflies.  

I think we spent at least an hour here but could have easily spent twice that. It’s an amazing experience and one you definitely won’t want to miss.

Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration

If you’re bringing the kids, you’ve got to check out Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration. This awesome scavenger hunt was a big hit with my girls. It costs $6.99 for the map but it’s totally worth it. Just head to the kiosks where you see this sign.

As we wandered through Epcot, we had to look for Spike buzzing around the gardens. Smaller kids might need help but my 7 and 11 year old didn’t need me at all.

Once they found Spike, they matched the flower sticker to the location. Not only did they have a blast looking for the clues but they learned about different flowers at each stop too. Some they already knew but others were completely new to them.

Like the butterfly garden, this scavenger hunt is both fun AND educational!  There’s even a small prize at the end if you find all the clues and fill your map.

Play Full Garden

The Play Full Garden, near Imagination Walkway, is a new addition to the festival this year. It’s the perfect place for parents to recharge while kids burn off that extra energy. 

This adorable playground also features interactive activities that focus on wellness and nutrition. Of course, in fitting with the theme there are beautiful flowers and greenery everywhere. It’s definitely a step up from your average playground.

If you find yourself near the Test Track, check out Bo Peep’s Playtime Training Grounds, inspired by all our favorite Toy Story friends. We ran out of time but it’s at the top of our to-do list for next time!

The Music

Like Epcot’s Food & Wine festival, the Flower & Garden Festival features concerts galore. I’m all about the 80’s and this year they had everyone from Rick Springfield (SO sad I missed that one), Flock of Seagulls, The Smithereens, Berlin and Richard Marx.

There are also oldies bands, 70’s bands, country artists and christian singers. There’s really something for everyone and you may want to check out the concert list ahead of time so you can plan accordingly! 

Flower & Garden Festival Merchandise

It wouldn’t be a Disney event without special merchandise, right? Disney has rolled out all kinds cool floral designs just for the festival. The collections include Minnie’s Garden Party, Mickey’s Garden Shed, the Violet Lemonade Collection and more.

Are you as obsessed with these floral ears as I am? They have my name written all over them!

 

 

This is just the start…there’s so much more to Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival. Check out the Flower And Garden Passport for all the details from food to fun! Make your plans soon though because festival ends June 3rd.

Which of these things do you most want to see at the festival?

Want to read more about Disney? Check these out…

The Ultimate Guide To Toy Story Land

A Look At The New Lightening McQueen’s Racing Academy

13 Magical Things You Can Only Do On A Disney Cruise

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