Walt Disney World – Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2016

Welcome to the first post compiled of photos and information from my 4 week trip to Florida. Over all I spent a whopping 23 days on property out of my 28 (although two days were travel days) and I spent a decent amount of time at each park, however most of my time was spent at Magic Kingdom, because that’s the only place LM can see Peter Pan. Anyway, since the Flower & Garden Festival is still going on at Epcot until May I thought it would be relevant to write about it for people heading out to Walt Disney World between now and then, or are looking to venture over in 2017 as the festival is just as wonderful each year!

The Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot was first established in 1994 making this it’s 22nd year. It holds a special place in my heart as it’s the time of year we always visited when I was a kid. Before flying out last year it’s how I remember Epcot, filled with beautiful topiaries of Disney characters and bright flowers everywhere. Our first trip last year actually fell during Flower & Garden and it didn’t disappoint, however I quickly learned there was so much more to this festival than just the topiaries (which don’t get me wrong, are amazing to see). There are outdoor kitchens brimming with seasonal offerings, both food and drink, exhibits, special gardens, live music and special play areas to keep the kids entertained. Visiting Flower and Garden for the second year, and spending four days exploring what it had on offer, definitely gives the impression that this is one of the best times of year to go (the other being Food & Wine of course, and I’m so ready for it!)

Lets start with the food, because lets face it, when on holiday food and drink should be a huge part of the trip where ever you go.. or maybe that’s just what my dad has drilled into me since childhood.. Anyway, I’m dreadful at remembering to take photos of food or drink before I consume them but I can assure you everything I tried was so delicious and well priced for Disney. You aren’t looking at more than $5-$6 for each dish, which are the perfect size for one person, non-alcoholic drinks around about the $4 and the alcoholic ones are around about $10, which is less than what you’d pay for a cocktail in a restaurant on site but these ones are speciality, and the frozen ones are exactly what you need while you’re sweating out on World Showcase. Sorry guys, but 90% of Flower and Garden time is going to be hot as it runs from March – May, you may get some cooler days in the first week but after that, World Showcase is going to feel like a desert! This year there are 13 outdoor kitchens spread out around World Showcase and I ate or drank something from 6 of those. I wanted to do better but one of the days I visited Epcot I had heat stroke and couldn’t manage anything other than water and some tortilla chips from Mexico. ANYWAY, everything I did try was delicious and well worth the money.

Here are some of the things I tried, top to bottom there is my absolute favourite thing about Flower & Garden, the violet lemonade from Pinapple Promenade. It was about $3 the most refreshing thing ever. It has no alcohol in it and the flower is edible, however in my opinion it tastes disgusting. From Pineapple Promenade we also tried the pineapple soft serve. LM was given a free serving but it was really nice, if you like pineapple and Mr Whippy, because that’s essentially what it is. Next is the corn tortilla quesadilla served with roasted mushrooms and zucchini blossom with green tomatillo sauce, sounds weird but if you like Mexican food you’re going to love it. Perfect size for one and again, cost around $5. You can get it from Jardin de Fiestas which is situated by Mexico on the side you enter World Showcase. Next we have my absolute dream dessert a macaro chocolat framboise from the Fleur de Lys kitchen in France. It’s basically a large macaron with chocolate fudge and raspberry jam in the centre. I actually had two over the four weeks and I have no regrets. From this kitchen I also tried the tarte a l’onion alsacienne which was a puff pastry tarte with onions, rosemary and thyme and on another occasion I had the la vie en rose frozen slush which was an amazing cocktail made from orange vodka, St Germain liquor and white & red cranberry juice.. it sounds like it should be disgusting but it was actually refreshing. Finally the famous frushi from Hanami in Japan. Basically sushi made of fruit, pineapple, strawberry and melon rolled in raspberry coconut rice with whipped cream. Incredibly weird texture and taste but you do really have to try it!

Not photographed but I did try because someone else bought it or I bought it and didn’t photograph.. the vegetable spring roll with orange sauce from Lotus House in China, the pulled pig slider with crispy onions and coleslaw from The Smokehouse in the American Adventure, the key lime sparkling wine and the kale salad at Florida Fresh between Morocco and France.

The food offerings of Flower and Garden are up there with what is available from Food & Wine, I had no idea until I went myself last year when I already had a table booked at Akershus meaning I only had the violet lemonade, this year however I made more of an effort to try things and it was so worth it! I’m ready for the loaded mac & cheese of Food & Wine in October though, I definitely missed it this trip!

Next up, and possibly what the Flower & Garden festival is famous for, the Disney topiaries.

Unlike the food offerings, the topiaries start as you enter the park. You’re greeted this year by Daisy, Donald and his nephews Huey, Duey and Louie and there are various ones throughout Future World such as Buzz and the big Fantasia one above that not only includes Mickey but also dancing hippos and crocodiles. However the majority of them are in World Showcase and there is at least one in every country that are kind of culturally appropriate, such as Beauty and the Beast in France, Peter Pan in the UK and it’s nice to see Anna and Elsa back in Norway rather than on Showcase Plaza where they were last year. I guess it’s a nod to the fact that by summer the Frozen Ever After ride should be open, and the new meet and greets starting at the Royal Sommerhaus. Some of the topiaries are even illuminated at night, I can’t tell you which because I still haven’t managed to watch Illuminations.. oops. They’re created by some world class horticulturists and are definitely the main pull for the Flower & Garden festival. I can’t decide whether I find Belle with no face or Snow White with a face creepier!

Finally, everything else the Flower & Garden Festival has to offer;

Epcot is all about learning about the world around us, how to improve it and sustain it, so granted there is a lot of information available about sustainable foods and properly looking after the environment. One of my favourite area is the Butterflies on the Go tent that offers you a look at the Monarch butterflies epic journey. Little Miss loves walking through here and seeing the butterflies flying around. Her other favourite area is on the walkway from the Imagination Pavilion to World Showcase, it’s a play park for Flower and Garden called the Music Garden Melodies, it’s of course educational and helps children discover the “roots” of their favourite instruments.

Last but not least, at the American Gardens Theatre, Epcot presents every Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Garden Rocks concert series with different bands playing live each weekend throughout the festival. Little Miss isn’t quite into live music in 80 degree heat yet so we gave it a miss but it used to be the highlight of my dads holiday when we were kids. So grab a drink from one of the outdoor kitchens and enjoy the live music.