2015 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Overview
by Kristin Ford
AllEars® Staff Writer
Feature Article
This article appeared in the March 10, 2015 Issue #807 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)
Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.
Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival, which began March 4, continues to grow and thrive each year, with new aspects taking root and perennial favorites returning after the winter. Let's take a look at what you can do at the festival this year, which is included in the regular admission price to Epcot.
Topiaries
The Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World is, of course, known for its gorgeous topiaries, beds of bright flowers, and its ability to teach visitors about gardening in a fun way.
The centerpiece of the festival is the elaborate and lush entrance garden that guests view with Spaceship Earth as its backdrop. It's the first thing they will see when they first enter the theme park. This year it is titled "Goofy About Spring" and features topiaries of Goofy, Daisy Duck, Pluto on one side and Donald Duck, Chip and Dale on the other. This is the first time the chipmunks have made an appearance at the festival, and they are just as adorable as you would imagine.
Besides Goofy and his friends, perhaps the most-talked about topiaries are the "Frozen"-themed creations, which you can't miss at the main, central entrance to the World Showcase promenade. Elsa and Anna are posed in a scene from the end of the hit animated movie when Elsa realizes that she can make a positive change with her icy powers. Half of the flowers in the bed beneath the sisters were chosen to mimic the winter weather while the other colorful blooms indicate summer after the thaw. Also, both Elsa and Anna appear quite realistic, thanks to their detailed facial features. Last year was the first time Disney gardeners introduced this technique when they helped Snow White become more lifelike.
Other Disney princess and prince topiaries can be found throughout the park, including Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella and Prince Charming. Plus, guests will spot the always-popular topiaries inspired by "Fantasia": Sorcerer Mickey Mouse with the marching brooms, hippo and alligator, three ostriches, and the mushrooms. Another set of topiary vignettes have a fun setup of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tic Tock the Croc. Sulley and Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc., Lady and the Tramp, and Woody and Buzz Lightyear all return, as well.
Winnie the Pooh and Miss Piggy are flying solo this year and have been given new themed gardens. Pooh shows friends how flowers multiply in his Pollinator's Paradise, while Miss Piggy takes guests on a visual tour of the world through her display of nations' native plants and flowers.
I was disappointed to see that the Disney Fairies topiaries and their miniature houses were absent from the festival this year. Only Tinker Bell stands guard outside the butterfly structure. For years, my children and I were amazed by the tiny houses constructed with everyday items that the fairies had found and repurposed.
Speaking of butterflies, the iconic topiary has multiplied and a grouping of three beautiful monarch statues now is poised to take flight in the flower bed behind Spaceship Earth. It's a wonderful photo opportunity.
Gardens
A stroll along Imagination Walkway (to the left of Spaceship Earth, if you are looking back at it from the World Showcase promenade) will introduce you to several of the new gardens and food demonstrations at this year's festival.
First, outside the Urban Farm Eats outdoor kitchen, visitors can see a display of home-size aqua-ponic systems to raise fresh fish and a chicken coop with information about raising chickens. Both show guests that it doesn't take a lot of space or expert knowledge to be able to grow your own food.
Farther up the walkway, two gardens give guests ideas for landscaping their backyards. The National Wildlife Federation again presents its Backyard Habitat while The Nature Conservancy offers ideas to incorporate stones in your design at Nature Rocks.
Continue up the path and veer left, where across from the Journey Into Imagination attraction, you will find the new "Inside Out" Emotion Garden. This is the festival's annual promotion of an upcoming Disney (and Pixar) movie. Each part of the garden illustrates a different emotion with a color and the corresponding character from the movie. There are Disgusting, Fearful, Joyous, Angry and Sad plants.
Past the "Inside Out" Emotion Garden, guests can check out the new Health and Healing Garden, which features herbs used for medicinal purposes.
Play areas for children
If your elementary-school-age children are like mine, they will gravitate toward the play areas that are only available during the festival. And, who could blame them? These hands-on gardens are filled with interactive fun. And by interactive, I mean the old-fashioned kind that includes climbing and playing.
The largest is Mike & Sulley's Monstrous Garden, which debuted last year and is virtually unchanged this year. It is located along Imagination Walkway between Future World and World Showcase. Inside the "garden," families will find play equipment from Landscape Structures. This company has been providing — and customizing — the large play structures for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival for years.
On one side, younger kids will find a "Monsters University"-themed play structure just for them, complete with monster footprints leading up ramps, interactive games and tunnels to explore, and slides to make a quick getaway. The set is intended for children for ages 2 to 5.
At the other end of the nearly one-third acre garden is a net climber for older kids ages 5 to 12, and even adults. Be aware: The monsters have an eye (or several) on you from above, and parents can watch from shaded chairs along the perimeter.
In addition to the unique play areas, this garden features monstrous-size Mike and Sulley topiaries. Sulley is one of Walt Disney World's largest, weighing in at 4,300 pounds. It took almost 4,000 small plants to fill his frame. Although Mike is lighter at about 1,000 pounds, engineers had to incorporate the stack of books behind him to balance that weight. In addition, groups of monsters formed from plants guard the entrance to the playground.
The "Cars 2" play area with Mater and Lightning McQueen topiaries has been re-imagined this year as the Cactus Road Rally. It is in the same location on the walkway near Test Track, and the play equipment from Landscape Structures also is the same. Cactus Road Rally is a smaller play area designed for kids ages 5 to 12, but there is a lot for visitors of all ages to enjoy visually.
What's different about the "Cars" area this year is the array of plants. The gardens showcase cactus plants in various shapes and sizes as well as other succulents that live in the desert, which is the setting for the "Cars" movies. It's fun to spot the car parts and accessories that are interspersed in the playful flower beds.
Outdoor Kitchens
If you love the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, you will enjoy the Outdoor Kitchens of the Flower and Garden Festival. This is the third year for the food kiosks to return, and they offer guest favorites and new dishes in appetizer-size portions.
There are about a dozen Outdoor Kitchens — about half of the locations at the Food and Wine Festival — but trust me when I say it's still impossible to leave the park hungry. We have complete menus posted on AllEars.Net if you want to plan your strategy.
My husband and I began our noshing at the Pineapple Promenade in Showcase Plaza. There, we both tried the new Pineapple Dog, which is a spicy hotdog with pineapple chutney and sriracha mayo. It was quite tasty and reminded us of the Kimchi dog served in the Korea booth at the Food and Wine Festival. I took a sip of my husband's Ace Pineapple Hard Cider, which had a pleasant flavor that was both sweet and crisp. We agreed we'll be coming back for more pineapple-infused foods and drinks on future visits to the festival.
From there, we decided to work our way counter-clockwise around World Showcase. At Jardin de Fiestas outside the Mexico pavilion, we sampled the Taco al Pastor (corn tortilla filled with achiote marinated pork, garnished with grilled diced pineapple, onions, cilantro and Salsa Verde) and the Veggie Quesadilla (flour tortilla filled with Monterrey Jack cheese and mixed vegetables). My husband and I were not impressed with the taco. We found it to be bland despite the enticing ingredients. The quesadilla, on the other hand, was delicious. It was chock full of textures from the vegetables and melted cheese.
We skipped the Lotus House in China because we have had the Beijing Style Candied Strawberries and Vegetable Spring Roll in past years. My daughter loves the sweet and crunchy addition to the strawberries and gets this dish every opportunity she has.
The Florida Fresh kitchen in Germany is always a must-do for us. The popular Watermelon Salad with onions, B&W Gourmet Farms baby arugula, feta cheese and balsamic reduction returns, thank goodness. I'm among the legions of fans of the combination of flavors offered in this salad. We also really enjoyed the returning Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro, which also is a delicious and filling combination. It's flavorful without being too spicy.
As good as the food was, it was made even better for my husband as he sampled a beer flight of Florida brews. The sampling included Tampa's Cigar City Brewing's Jai Alai, Orlando Brewing Company's Blonde Ale, the new addition of St. Peterburg-based 3 Daughters Brewing company's Channel Marker Red Ale, and the festival exclusive Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale from Cape Canaveral's Florida Beer Company.
Next up, the Primavera Kitchen outside the Italy pavilion. We opted to skip this location, too, because we had sampled the Cheese Manicotti last year and did not want to fill up before we reached our must-trys!
At The American Adventure, The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews kitchen is so popular that it even has its own merchandise this year. The Pulled Pig Slider with Cole Slaw and the "Piggylicious" Bacon Cupcake with Maple Frosting and Pretzel Crunch return. The slider didn't wow me this year, but I'm sure the plain flavor makes it appealing to pickier eaters. Kids might even ask servers to put the slaw on the side, which they are happy to do. I'm still in love with the Piggylicious cupcake, which was introduced last year. The combination of the three flavors is just outstanding. New this year are the Smoked Debreziner Sausage with house-made kraut and mustard and the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos. My husband sampled the sausage and found it to be acceptable but nothing special. But we both still are raving about the Beef Brisket days after trying it. The beef, potatoes and cheese likely will give this dish wide appeal.
We passed by Hanami, the Japanese kitchen, and Taste of Marrakesh because we were just too full to keep eating, as much as we would have liked to. My son has sampled the Frushi in Japan in the past and really enjoyed it, and my daughter fondly recalls the chicken kabobs in Marrakesh.
Regretfully, we had to skip the new Botanas Botanico outdoor kitchen between Morocco and France and Fleur de Lys in France, as well. Deb Wills and Linda Eckwerth tried the Coconut Tres Leches from Botanas Botanico at a preview and said it was their favorite festival dessert, hands down. Linda's comment was pretty telling, I think: "This is by far my favorite dessert! The cake was so moist, the icing light and airy with a hint of caramel and coconut flavor." Fleur de Lys has brought back two dishes, Gnocchi Parisien a la Provencal (Parisian-style dumplings with vegetables and mushrooms) and Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise (Pulled Duck confit with garlic & parsley potatoes). Perhaps the most-talked-about item, though, is the Macaron Guimauve a la France (large strawberry marshmallow macaron). Deb and Linda said this dessert is extra sweet. Last year's version combined orange and chocolate flavors.
Our last stop could have been Urban Farm Eats, if we weren't so full or if we had more time in the park that day. Deb and Linda reported that they thoroughly enjoyed the quinoa vegetable "naanwich" with arugula pesto and oven-dried tomatoes. They both also sampled the kale salad with dried cherries, almonds and goat cheese with white balsamic vinaigrette, and admitted they were leery of the kale but ended up liking it well enough to try again.
Although everyone has different food preferences, with the variety of choices at the outdoor kitchens, it shouldn't be difficult to find something you like.
Concerts and Classes
Each weekend — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — Garden Rocks concerts are presented at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. New acts this year are Pablo Cruise and Little River Band, and returning performers are Gin Blossoms, En Vogue, STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas, The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO, Village People, Jon Secada, The Guess Who, Taylor Dayne and Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone.
The concerts are included in Epcot admission, and there is no assigned seating, so be sure to line up early if you have a favorite artist you want to see. If you don't mind not having a view of the performer, you always can enjoy the live music all around The American Adventure while relaxing with something from The Smokehouse.
Also on the weekends, the festival center opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. (This is a change from last year when it was open daily.) The center, which is based inside the former Wonders of Life building near Ellen's Energy Adventure, offers complimentary gardening presentations on two stages, a short film showing how the festival is put together, a display called the "Heritage of Disney's Horticulture," and master gardeners from The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences who are available to answer questions. It seems quieter in the festival center with the absence of the HGTV demonstrations.
As if that were not enough, four weekends offer additional special activities. The first is this weekend, with Spring into Spring Weekend with a St. Patrick's Day Celebration at The American Adventure. Art in the Garden, which brings artists and their creations to Epcot, takes place March 27 to 29. The artists will display their works in World Showcase from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each of the three days. Earth Day Weekend, April 20 to 22, will have themed activities, including the reveal of the completed sand sculpture based on Disneynature's "Monkey Kingdom," on Earth Day. (The popular sand sculpture will not be started until April 17, which is a change from past years.) Florida Fresh Weekend takes place April 24 to 26.
Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival obviously is not just for gardeners. Like so many of the attractions at Epcot, the festival educates, yet it also does so by entertaining the senses as only Disney can. And, of course, it will appeal to just about everyone, young or old. Whether it's offering how-to info on backyard horticultural techniques, healthier and tastier menu options or whimsical ways in which to view the natural world around us, this annual festival is one the entire family can enjoy on different levels.
The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival runs through May 17.
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RELATED LINKS
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Outdoor Kitchen Menus with Prices
VIDEOS
— Horticulture Manager Eric Darden highlights what's new in horticulture for the festival in 2015.
— Epcot Executive Chef Gregg Hannon shares what new culinary bites we will be tasting at the Festival this year.
— Content Development Manager Marianne Hunnel describes the new beverages for the Festival in 2015.
— Epcot Executive Chef Gregg Hannon also has ideas on things for kids to try at the Outdoor Kitchens.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Ford is a freelance writer who lives in Orlando. She wrote about The Walt Disney Co. during many of her 17 years as a journalist at the Orlando Sentinel, before joining the AllEars.Net staff. Kristin writes about Disney news from a parent's perspective, covering Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Channel, Disney Publishing and Disney Interactive and more. You can follow her adventures through the parks with her husband and two children on her "A Mom and the Magic" blog and on Twitter and Instagram @Kristin_B_Ford.
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Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.
