For over 20 years it’s not officially Spring until the opening of my favorite festival at Walt Disney World’s Epcot, The International Flower and Garden Festival. So flower fanciers and plant lovers can drool and daydream as they wander through the eye-popping displays. But what about the kids? Here’s a list of must dos at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival with kids. For 2020 the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival dates are Wednesday, March 4 to Monday, June 1.
4 Musts at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival with Kids
-
Play Topiary Hide and Seek with the kids
-
Sample the Culinary Delights across the World Showcase’s Outdoor Kitchens
-
Enjoy an Outdoor Concert at the Garden Rocks Concert Series
-
Take a Specialty Tour or visit a garden exhibit
A Topiary for Every Movie
With over 70 topiary displays with Disney characters from every generation, I love meandering through Epcot discovering the displays. Each character is a piece of plant art and I take a few minutes to discover the details in each. I’m amazed how the gardeners use plants and plant products to create characters with amazing detail.
And think it’s the same every year, not so. So each year I find my favorite topiaries in a different spot. Even the blooms radiate different colors. As a plant lover I study the way the Walt Disney Gardeners group the plants in eye-popping arrangements. And I seriously covet the container groupings. Since it’s everything I want on my patio.
Topiary Hide and Seek
Don’t miss one!
- Anna and Elsa from Frozen in the Norway Pavilion
- Bambi and Friends near the Canada Pavilions
- Beauty and the Beast in the France Pavilion
- Bo Peep and her Sheep with Woody at Future World East
- Buzz Lightyear near Mission: Space at Future World East
- Captain Hook and Peter Pan in the United Kingdom Pavilion
- Construction Mickey and Minnie with Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n Dale at Future World and World Showcase
- Donald and Daisy with Huey, Dewey and Louie near World Showcase
- Lady and the Tramp at the Italy Pavilion
- Sorcerer Mickey with Brooms, Ostriches and Hippo at Imagination at Future World West
- Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at the American Adventure Plaza
- Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog at the France Pavilion
- Pandas at the China Pavilion
- Dragon at the Japan Pavilion
- Remy at the France Pavilion
- Simba and Friends at the Outpost Shop
- Snow White and Dopey at the Germany Pavilion
- Stitch at Mission:SPACE
- Tinker Bell and the Fairy Houses at the United Kingdom Pavilion
- The Three Caballeros at the Mexico Pavilion
- Topiary Butterflies at Future World West
- Topiary Flowers at Main Entrance
- Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends at the United Kingdom Pavilion
Sample from the Outdoor Kitchens
One of my favorite parts of International Flower and Garden Festival is the food. Just for the festival, the Epcot Chefs roll out farm-to-table offerings while mixologists concoct delicate spring inspired cocktails.
And the foodie delights are just as fabulous as the International Food and Wine Festival in the fall.
Read More:
Epcot’s the International Food and Wine Festival
At the outdoor kitchens sprinkled in the countries, find farm-to-table items offering fresh alternatives for families. And the small plates entice to sample in every country. Finally the signature cocktails are hard to pass up, especially the champagne cocktails.
Mix food and song with an Garden Rocks Dining Package. So reserve a dining package for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Then enjoy three reserved seats at the concert. Additional admission.
Enjoy the Outdoor Concert Series
Epcot comes alive with music at the Garden Rocks Concert. So stop by the America Gardens Theatre for your favorite band.
The 2020 Concert Highlights
Now Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival will feature a concert seven days a week.
Air Supply
Rick Springfield
Tony Orlando
Survivor
Take a Specialty Tour
Looking for a way to learn or see the work that happens behind-the-scenes. Then arrange a specialty tour.
First there’s the three-hour Gardens of the World. And learn about the insights of the Disney Gardeners, like plants and products they use. Even includes the details that novice gardeners want to know, like where do the topiaries spend the rest of the year. Additional Admission.
Then the Royal Tea Tour is a must for Anglophiles and tea-lovers alike. First tour the Twinings of London’s English Tea Garden with a knowledgable guide before the World Showcase opens. Then end the tour at The Tea Caddy for scones and tea. Additional Admission.
The Behind the Seeds Tour tours the The Land exhibit by exploring the four greenhouses and the fish farm. Take a walking tour to learn about the insects and plants thriving as the boats float by. Additional Admission.
Enjoy the English Tea Garden Tour to learn how teach is blended with different herbs and tea leaves. This tour is complimentary and offered Monday through Thursday 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. and Friday trough Sunday at 1:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Tour Specialty Gardens for Inspiration
Take some inspiration and transform your garden. Walk through the following gardens and displays during your visit to the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.
- Bamboo Garden at the China Pavilion
- Bromeliad Garden at the Mexico Pavilion
- Bonsai Garden at the Japan Pavilion
- Chinese Zodiac Natural Structure at the China Pavilion
- Twining English Tea Garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion
- Floating Miniature Gardens near Future World and the World Showcase
- Garden Italiano at the Italy Pavilion
- The Goodness Garden Butterfly House near Future World West
- The Honey Bee-Stro near the Imagination! Pavilion
- Shakespeare Garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion
- Urban Spice Garden at the Morocco Pavilion to learn about Eastern spices.
3 Ways to Explore Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival with Kids
Kids and gardens can be a hard sell. So stop by the Imagination Play Garden to the right as you enter the Wold Showcase. As a bonus, adults can sit in the Adirondack chairs while the kids play.
Make gardens fun and play a game of Hide and Seek. Try to find your favorite characters sprinkled across Epcot, not just the World Showcase.
The Kidcot activities, a free educational booklet in selected countries in the World Showcase, get a fresh makeover for Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival with kids. Just grab a booklet head to a special desk in each pavilion.
Always running on-time, the Miniature Outdoor Train in Germany is a must for my kids. I love all the details with real trees to scale that makes the train magical.
Looking for A Resort?
Consider the following resorts.
Pop Century Resort
Art of Animation Resort
Caribbean Beach Resort
Coronado Springs Resort
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Grand Floridan Resort and Spa
And iff looking for off-property resorts, consider the following resorts.
Wyndham’s Lake Buena Vista
Best Western Lake Buena Vista
Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club
Then spend a day exploring Disney Springs. And here’s 50 places for food, fun and shopping.
More information?
Use the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa for every trip. It provides a comprehensive guide, packed with information. And if this is your first visit, don’t try to do everything.
Disclosure:
My visit to Walt Disney World was hosted for review purposes. Some of my resort stays were hosted.
This post contains affiliate link in which I get a small commission if you purchase a book.
Comments are closed.