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.
The Garden Rocks Concerts will take place nightly in 2019 and dining packages will be available to book beginning December 13, 2018.
One new outdoor kitchen has been added this year; the Honey Bee-stro!
A bonanza of Disney character topiaries, including classic-character favorites Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and many others, will play a starring festival role. Returning this year, Belle will be featured in France along with Beast, Snow White in Germany with the Seven Dwarfs, and Anna and Elsa in Norway.
A brand-new Future World interactive play garden and a revved-up Road to Florida 500 garden featuring new games and play challenges will set the pace for family festival fun. The new interactive area in Future World will feature a play maze, a sensory garden, an activity zone and a covered seating area. The redesigned Cars-themed garden based on the Disney•Pixar sequel, Cars 3, will add more fun activities like highway bingo for families.
The back-by-demand Figment topiary garden between Future World and World Showcase will offer 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. Illuminated topiary and play gardens will light up at night for a whole new festival experience.
New! Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration is a brand new scavenger hunt activity for 2018 featuring Disney’s favorite honey bee, Spike, who has been pollinating his way around the festival, giving gardeners of any age the chance to follow his pollination trail around World Showcase at Epcot. 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 can be purchased for $5.99, plus tax at Port of Entry.
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 one of the 2018 editions below - there are several flowers in different colors to choose from!
Annual Passholders visiting the Festival in 2018 can pick up one of two adorable Spring-themed Passholder magnets depending on the date they attend. For the first time ever, a Minnie Mouse magnet will be offered! The magnets can be picked-up at Innoventions West.
Flower & Garden Festival Topiaries
A brand-new Epcot front-entrance topiary garden will set the milestone anniversary scene with a kaleidoscope of blooming color where topiary icons Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy will welcome festival guests to Fresh Epcot!
Festival Blooms - Future World East and West Lake
Figment - Between Future World and World Showcase
Donald Duck with Huey, Duey, and Louie - Future World behind Spaceship Earth
Frozen Lemonade with Firefly Blackberry Moonshine $11.75
Frozen Lemonade (Non-alcoholic) $3.50
Hanami - Japan
Food:
Frushi: Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry and Melon rolled with Coconut Rice, sprinkled with Toasted Coconut and Whipped Cream with Raspberry Sauce on the side (V) $5.95
Ginger Beef Yaki Udon: Thin-sliced Beef, Onions and Noodles tossed on the grill with Soy and Ginger $6.50
Teriyaki Salmon - served with Furikake Seasoned Brown Rice (GF) $6.75
Book a Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package beginning December 13, 2018 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: $60 for adults; $36.00 for kids (buffet not available)
Lunch: $70 for adults; $42 for kids
Dinner: $70 for adults; $42 for kids
The Garden Grill Restaurant The Land Pavilion
Breakfast $43 for adults; $27 for kids (buffet not available)
Lunch: $57 for adults; $36 for kids
Dinner: $57 for adults; $36 for kids
The Festival Center is not being used at all for 2018. The merchandise previously found in the Festival Center is in other locations around Epcot, including the Port of Entry. This move will allow guests to have more convenient access to the things once offered at the Festival Center which was open only three days per week at previous Festivals.
2018 Garden Destinations
Water Wise Garden (presented by Rain Bird Corporation)
Purple Martins
Festival Blooms (presented by FTD)
The Goodness Garden Butterfly House (presented by GoGo squeeZ)
Floating Gardens
NEW! The How-to Garden
NEW! Imagination Play Garden
Bold Bromeliads
Tropical Rainforest Garden
Bamboo Garden
Alpine Containers
Garden Italino
Bonsai Collection
Urban Spice Garden
Florida Fresh Garden
English Tea Garden (presented by Twinings of London)
