Since 1994, EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival has been wowing guest’s eyes, ears, noses, and tastebuds! Although last year’s festival was pretty short (12 days due to COVID), this year’s event will hopefully get a full run (March 3 to July 5).
But we’re not here to bore you with words! We want to show what the festival is all about! The Florida team spent all day on March 12 visiting the festival and snapping photos. (Okay, they did a little eating too.)
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy our Main Street Pop In Photo Tour of the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. No ticket required!
Now this is what the festival is all about; blue skies, bright flowers, fountains, and EPCOT architecture.The blankets of flowers along the water’s edge.Disney showcases its plants everywhere, even in water.Spaceship Earth watches over its 28th Flower & Garden festival.Such vibrant colors in March often shock the systems of visitors from the north!The beautiful vegetable gardens spark as much joy as the flower gardens.The butterfly house is magical.Butterflies love variety and there are plenty of flower choices here!Butterfly friends gathering together.Containers give the Butterfly Garden plants some height.
Now let’s switch to the festival’s food choices! This year’s event features over 15 outdoor kitchens and festival markets. Here are some of the menu boards located around the park and a few of the foods tried by the team on Friday.
From Fleur de Lys: a Caramelized Beignet filled with Vanilla Cream and Glazed with Caramel Fleur de Sel ($5.25), Rose Wine with Natural Raspberry Flavor ($5.75), and a Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onion on a Pastry Crust ($5.50).From Bauernmarkt Farmer’s Market: Toasted Pretzel Bread topped with Black Forest Ham and Melted Gruyere Cheese ($5.50)From Festival Favorites: Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue, and House-made Pickle $7.50)From Sunshine Griddle: Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Sweet Corn Salsa ($7.25).From the Funnel Stand at the American Adventure: Mini Funnel Cake topped with Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream, Blueberries, and Powdered Sugar ($8.50).
And now for some of the sights inside of EPCOT’s World Showcase…
Mary Poppins makes sure the UK Pavilion’s garden is spit-spot. Alice makes an appearance behind the UK cottage.The waterway between the UK Pavilion and the France Pavilion.The Urban Spice Garden located near the Morocco Pavilion.The view of Spaceship Earth from the Italy Pavilion.The spectacular flower display at the Italy PavilionThe Miniature Garden near the Germany Pavilion.
Thanks for hanging with us throughout this photo tour of EPCOT’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival. We’ve saved the best for last – THE DISNEY TOPIARIES.
In the 1960s, Walt Disney challenged his horticulture team to create some whimsical topiaries for the Disneyland park. In 1963, the first character topiary – a circus elephant – was added to the landscape and the rest is history. Since then, character topiaries have become a Disney specialty.
In honor of the mice who started it all in 1928, this topiary tour begins with our favorite hosts Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.From Fantasia, an elegant prima ballerina.To let fans know that the 2021 Flower & Garden festival was indeed arriving, Disney displayed the butterfly topiaries in early February.Best friends – Thumper, Bambi, and FlowerWoody and Bo Peep as they looked in the early years, before Toy Story 4.What mission will Buzz choose, Green or Orange?Figment, looking fit and trim, in front of Journey Into Imagination.Always a light packer, Miss Piggy waits for Kermit to give her a lift.Um…maybe Piggy should call a cab.Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore standing guard in front of the UK Pavilion.Rabbit collects his carrots.Pooh looks for honey.Captain Hook confronts his nemesis.Peter Pan, unarmed and ready to fly to Neverland.The most exciting news to come out of Disney last week was the opening day announcement for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. It’s Oct. 1, 2021, in case you missed it!Beast and Belle welcome guests to the France Pavilion.A perfect addition to the Japan Pavilion. This topiary would look great in this spot all year round.Simba has been a favorite of kiddos since the 1994 debut of The Lion King.Snow White and Dopey, stars of Walt Disney’s first animated feature film.Giant Pandas that survive in the wild rarely venture into areas where people live, but these topiary pandas enjoy Disney’s popular China Pavilion.Trolls have been a part of the Norway Pavilion since it opened in 1988.Elsa and Anna were added to the Norway Pavilion in 2016.Jose Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Donald Duck all starred in the 1944 film, The Three Caballeros.Donald and Daisy tend to the garden with Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.Pluto with his rodent frenemies, Chip and Dale. Did you know that the easiest way to tell the chipmunks apart is to remember that Chip has a nose the color of a “chocolate chip”?We end this tour back at Spaceship Earth with a “See Ya Real Soon” from Sorcerer Mickey.
