Spring is here (or at least it is here in Florida) and for Disney Parks fans that means one thing – it is time for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Held March 2 through May 30, 2016 the festival features topiaries, beautiful gardens, demonstrations — and food too!
While doing some research, I ran across these fun facts about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and thought they were too good not to share. I learned something, I bet you will too!
30 million blooms blanket the park throughout the festival
Image courtesy of Matt Shosane for Walt Disney World Resorts
13 Outdoor Kitchens are featured throughout Epcot for the festival
Each marketplace features a garden planted with select produce and herbs to represent more than 50 overall beverage choices and more than 30 food items.
Anna and Elsa topiaries are each about 6-1/2 feet tall
The Frozen topiaries can be found in Norway in the World Showcase. They are created with plants that include variegated Ficus, green Ficus and Sedum Coral Reef.
image courtesy Matt Stroshane of Walt Disney World Resorts
Nearly 1,000 native butterflies represent up to 10 species at the ‘Butterflies on the Go’ butterfly house
Located just behind Club Cool in Future World, this butterfly house is magical. Get your camera ready to see a ton of butterflies.
Epcot’s floating gardens features more than 200 floating mini-gardens, each three feet in diameter, of multi-hued New Guinea impatiens
The mini-gardens can be found on the two ponds that border the walkway between Future World and World Showcase. Their colors get brighter throughout the festival.
Image courtesy of Walt Disney World Resorts
Festival plants include 60 different species of trees, 47 types of palms, and 48 varieties of bedding plants
Sign up for one of the festival’s guided tours to learn more about what it takes to maintain the gardens and how you can attempt it at home too.
It takes more than one full year and about 24,000 cast member hours to prepare for the annual festival
image courtesy of Matt Stroshane for Walt Disney World Resorts
The Garden Rocks Concert Series includes 13 bands known for their Top 40 hits across four decades.
This year’s entertainment includes Blood, Sweat & Tears, Georgia Satellites, Darlene Love, Village People and Gin Blossoms – to name a few!
We visited a few days before the official opening of this year’s festival and saw a few of the topiaries, but the outdoor kitchens weren’t open yet. I’m excited to get back there again in a few weeks to see all the beautiful colors and try some good eats too!
Comments
Jack Thornton
How are the floating mini gardens done. Are their roots growing into the water? Are they some form hydroponics? Or, are they floating pots?
Carrie McLaren
Hi Jack – I wish I knew! Aren’t they beautiful? I think they must be weighted down to something as they always seemed to be perfectly spaced out. Now you’ve got me curious if maybe they are a type of hydroponics. If I can find out an answer, I’ll let you know! Thanks for reading!
Jen
Hello I have never been to Disney world and I love gardens and I am in a conundrum. We are going March 5th and 6th with only one park a day passes. There are 2 extra magic hours for epcot on the 5th but the flower festival starts on the 6th. What is the biggest difference between going before the festival starts? If we go on the 5th will we still get to see all the gardens or do they have them covered? Thanks for any info you can give!