A Guide to the 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival returns for its 26th year beginning this week. The 90 day festival starts February 28th and runs through May 28th. During the festival, you and your family can experience outdoor kitchens with fresh food and beverage options, sit back and relax to the music of some of your favorite bands, or take in the visual beauty of character topiaries and themed gardens from around the world. Here is our list of the highlights you can enjoy while visiting the festival this year.
Outdoor Kitchens
The festival this year features 15 Outdoor Kitchens! Fan favorites from past festivals are back, along with a brand new kiosk: The Honey Bee-stro. Each kitchen offers different, unique flavors from around the world and every dish offered comes in a convenient, snack-sized presentation.
*Festival Pro Tip: The dishes come at a very reasonable price. Consider sharing them between another person so you don’t get too full too quickly. This allows you to be able to try even more of what each kitchen has to offer as you walk around the festival. For a complete list of menu items at each location, follow this link to the Disney Food Blog.
Garden Rocks Concert Series
Every weekend of the festival from March 2nd through May 28th, take a break from your day and head over to the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase to sit back and listen to some of your favorite musical acts. With headliners such as Night Ranger, Smash Mouth, Foghat, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), and Rick Springfield, these concerts will be something that you do not want to miss! Showtimes will be at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM. For a complete list of performers and dates, click here.
With these concerts being very popular with guests, seating is very limited. For reserved seating for these concerts, take advantage of the Garden Rocks Concert Packages. Choose from breakfast, lunch, or dinner at 15 participating restaurants around Epcot to guarantee your seating at one of the three concerts for that day. Pricing will vary between restaurant and availability is limited. Contact any one of our agents for more information on booking these packages during your visit to Walt Disney World.
Topiaries, Gardens, and More!
Character Topiaries
Some of the most stunning works of art can be seen as you make your way around Epcot. The talented team of horticulturists at Disney have come together to feature some of your favorite Disney characters. Be on the lookout for Belle and Beast, Anna and Elsa, Tinker Bell, Figment, and many others!
Gardens and Tours
Immerse yourself in the visual beauty of numerous themed gardens around the park. Visit the Bamboo Garden in the China Pavilion, the Bonsai Collection in the Japan Pavilion, or the new Imagination Play Garden near the Imagination Walkway. This new area is great for kids to explore as they work through a musical maze by using their senses.
In addition to these featured gardens, you have the opportunity to take part in in-depth behind-the-scenes tours that showcase the very best of the Flower and Garden Festival. Take the Gardens of the World Tour where you will learn about how the award-winning gardens and topiaries are created and tips from the Disney landscaping team that you can take back home and apply to your own garden. Or you can take the Royal Tea Garden Tour where you will learn the art of growing and blending teas and then enjoy a sampling of tea and scones at the end of your tour. For a complete list of gardens and tours available during the festival, visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/flower-and-garden-festival-tours/ or contact one of our vacation specialists for reservations.
Egg-stravaganza!
Running from March 16th through April 1st, take part in an Easter egg hunt that is fun for the whole family! For $5.99 plus tax, you can purchase your own map from either the Port of Entry, Disney Traders, Pin Central, or World Traveler shops. Then work your way around World Showcase and search for the Disney character eggs at each pavilion. Once you have completed your hunt, head back to any of those shops and collect a special prize! *Maps do not have to be completed to claim prize.*
To stay up-to-date on festival events, follow Travelmation Destinations on both Instagram and Facebook. We will be live later this week in Epcot as we kick off the opening weekend of the festival. It’s still not too late to start planning your trip for this event! Contact us today to start your vacation planning so you can experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival!
