Review: Epcot Flower & Garden Festival!

 

Those of us who love to vacation with Disney know that they are amazing horticulturalists. Walt Disney World is brimming with beautiful flowers and plants no matter what time of year you are there. But if you love to garden, and I most certainly do, there is no better time to see all Disney has to offer than during the International Flower and Garden Festival. Offered annually, from early March to mid-May, the Flower and Garden Festival is an experience even a novice gardener can enjoy. All of the parks are in full bloom in spring, but Epcot holds a rare treat for those willing to take a look.

The International Flower and Garden Show takes place in Epcot, around both Future World and the World Showcase Lagoon and it is free with your park ticket! There are a few classes, tours, and demonstrations that cost extra, but the majority of the festival, including the concert series, is free!

As with all things Disney, the International Flower and Garden Festival offers something for everyone. As you would expect, this festival includes classes, seminars, and exhibitions that will give you inspiration for your garden and even give you practical tips on how to create or improve your gardens at home. But what you may not know is everything else the International Flower and Garden Show includes:

• Concerts: Garden Rocks concerts happen nightly and previous artist have included En Vogue, Little River Band, STARSHIP and Taylor Dayne. My favorite thing about these concerts is that you don’t have to be in the amphitheater to enjoy them. You can hear them as you wander the lagoon area, eating and browsing the shops.
• Outdoor kitchens because food is a HUGE part of World Showcase the International Flower and Garden Festival has incorporated innovative foods into it’s happenings. You will find an array of food booths in the World Showcase area, which are set up specifically for this festival and feature a wide variety of meats and produce in new and interesting ways. This is a growing part of the International Flower and Garden Festival and I would expect more and more of these booths to pop up as the Festival continues in future years.
• Cooking demonstrations: these are held daily throughout the park.
• An annual artist showcase, usually held the last weekend in March; the showcase features your favorite Disney characters in all new ways and displays this artwork in the country pavilions around the World Showcase lagoon. It’s a great place to pick up a truly unique souvenir.
• Interactive playgrounds set up around Epcot: These play areas can be a welcome distraction for young ones attending the festival. If you find yourself with a restless kid (or adult for that matter!), head over to the Pixie Hollow fairy and butterfly garden. It is a work of art in itself! You may even find yourself inspired to create a fairy house in your own backyard.

With so much to see and do, you won’t want to miss this truly unique experience offered at Disney’s EPCOT theme park. Spring will never feel the same!

Amy Harrison is a Disney loving mom of three with a passion for all manner of DIY projects,and a constant craving for Dole Whips.  You can contact Amy at amy@wishdrawals.com to book your next Disney vacation!