The Good
The food at Epcot at this year’s Flower and Garden Festival was amazing. Personally I think it rivals, and maybe even surpasses, the food at Food and Wine Festival. If you’ve been to the Food and Wine Festival in the fall, the setup of Flower and Garden Festival is very similar. Throughout the World Showcase there is a variety of kiosks that feature small food items that you can’t typically find in Epcot. This year at Flower and Garden my favorite dishes were the Beef Teriyaki Udon ($5.95), which was thin-sliced beef and onions on top of noodles, that can be found at the Japan pavilion, and the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash ($5.75), which can be found in the United States pavilion. Both dishes are great values especially considering that they are both available as snack items on the Disney Dining Plan, and both less than $6. The general consensus amongst the team was that all the food we ate was delicious. I didn’t hear of anyone disliking what they ordered the entire day.
Epcot during Flower and Garden is the most beautiful time to see the park. There are so many amazing floral features of the Flower and Garden Festival, the floating flowers on the ponds in front of the World Showcase, the incredible topiaries featured throughout the park, and the amazing Floral Sun garden. My favorite topiaries were Huey, Dewey and Louie, with Donald and Daisy Duck. They are all located right in the front of the park just as you walk inside. I’ve also always loved the Buzz Lightyear topiary which is in front of Mission Space.
It could be the particular day that we were there, but the crowds weren’t as bad as I remember from the Food and Wine Festival. Considering it was the first day of the festival I assumed that the entire park was going to be swamped with guests, but that was not the case.
The Bad
There isn’t much to complain about, but since it is my job to nitpick I will say that there weren’t enough food kiosks. I know it isn’t Food and Wine Festival, but it felt so spread out. An additional 3 or 4 more booths would really make this event feel complete. Even though I think the food was great, the available options at Flower and Garden Festival makes this event feel small, especially compared to the Food and Wine Festival.
I was surprised and disappointed that the Festival Center located in the old Wonders of Life pavilion is only open on the weekends. That is unfortunate for a number of reasons. Some families only come for short vacations that might not have any overlap during the weekends. This means that some families will miss out on the special merchandise opportunities that are usually found in the Festival Center. I honestly can’t recall if the Festival Center being open on the weekends is something new to this year, but regardless it just felt cheap on Disney’s part.
The Verdict
There is no doubt that the festivals at Epcot make the park a special experience. There has always been a buzz in the park during Flower and Garden Festival, and this year is no exception. The food is especially appetizing at this year’s festival, to the point where if you are on the fence whether or not you wanted to come, I think it is well worth it. I can’t speak on the merchandise because flowers and gardening merchandise isn’t my specialty, but the merchandise booths looked very popular with flags for your garden, indoor plants, and so much more! I would speak more on this, but I’m just not the expert on what gardeners really look for when they are at Flower and Garden Festival.
I say endure the crowds this year because the event is well worth it. Overall the festival this year is a great experience, and as a local I am excited to return before the festival is over.
