Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival blooms again in 2018

flower & garden
The Snow White and Seven Dwarfs topiaries are among the returning displays coming back to the 25th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

The 25th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival returns to the Walt Disney World Resort on Feb. 28, 2018, and runs through May 28, with plenty of seasonal fun for everyone.

This festival began in 1994 as just a 38-day event, but has now transformed into a 90-day celebration of all things spring, cuisine and Disney-Style gardens and topiaries.

The Flower & Garden Festival will showcase cuisine from 15 Outdoor Kitchens, host interactive play gardens, Disney topiaries, and live musical acts during the Garden Rocks Concert Series.

The Flower & Garden Festival will offer guests a wide array of offerings to delight all the senses, including:

flower & garden
The Belle and Beast topiaries will return to France for the 2018 festival.
  • A number of Disney character topiaries, including classics like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duckand more. Returning this year will be the Belle and Beast topiaries in France, Anna and Elsa in Norway, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Germany.
  • New dishes that will debut at 15 Outdoor Kitchens around the World Showcase Promenade. Guests can indulge in these offerings all around Epcot, with plenty of chef-inspired noshes and libations to choose from.
  • A brand-new Epcot front entrance topiary garden, which will set the tone for Epcot’s 35th anniversary with topiary icons Mickey, Minnie and Goofy as they greet festival guests.
  • A new Future World interactive play garden, as well as a redesigned Road to Florida 500 garden, both with new games and play challenges for the whole family.
    • The new area in Future World will include a play maze, an activity zone, a sensory garden and a covered seating area.
    • The redesigned “Cars” area will be based on the Disney/Pixar film, “Cars 3,” and have more activities to enjoy for guests of all ages, like highway bingo.
  • The Garden Rocks Concert Series will feature a lineup of artists across multiple genres from the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s at the American Gardens Theatre stage. There will be three nighttime concerts every Friday through Monday during the festival.
    • Garden Rocks Dining Packages will be available to guests on select days at a number of Epcot’s restaurants.
flower & garden
Guests can enjoy 15 Outdoor Kitchens during the festival, including La Isla Fresca.

Each of the 15 Outdoor Kitchens will feature its own in-ground or raised-bed garden of produce and herbs that can serve as inspiration for guests who want to learn more about growing what they eat.

“The culture of growing your own food continues to trend, and our guests each year have quite a few questions related to edible gardens,” said Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager. “They get a big kick comparing items in our gardens with the herbs and produce our chefs incorporate into the festival’s Outdoor Kitchen recipes.”

There are also plenty of returning favorites to the festival in 2018, including:

  • Back by popular demand, the Figment topiary garden between Future World and the World Showcase will return to provide the perfect photo backdrop for guests.
  • Nearly 100 festival topiaries will be returning fan favorites, including Disney/Pixar’s Woody at the American Adventure pavilion, The Three Caballeros in Mexico, the pandas and Bromeliad dragon in China, and Buzz Lightyear in Future World.
  • The Royal Tea Garden Tour will return for its second year, running every morning of the festival at the United Kingdom pavilion. For a fee, guests will be joined by a guide through the tea garden as they learn the artistry and history behind growing and blending tea. A shorter, complimentary English Tea Garden Tour will also be offered on select days during the festival.

Throughout the festival, dozens of Disney “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored flowers will transform the landscape of Epcot, and at least 70,000 bedding plants will surround Future World’s east and west lakes alone; 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat on the water.

For more information about the 25th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and its offerings, visit EpcotInSpring.com.

MouseFanTravel

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