While the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is similar to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, they are different in a lot of ways. The Flower & Garden Festival appears to be more family friendly and I love the focus on the environment. Here are my top Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Tips so you can have a wonderful time.
**Post updated 3/2/2018**
Celebrating 25 years when it kicks off February 28th, 2018, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will jump-start spring with gardens of earthly delights plus new character topiaries, entertainers, and food and drink offerings.
The festival, which expanded to 90 days in 2016, will open with an irresistible array of fresh surprises and new treats.
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Tips
Budget for Food and Souvenirs – The Flower and Garden Festival is somewhat a mini Food & Wine. Lots of tasty food options and some drinks. If you have the Disney Dining Plan many of the mini-meals are considered snacks. The Flower and Garden Festival has lots of different souvenirs you can buy such as things for your own garden, outdoor decor, and homemade soaps.
Even if you don’t have a lot of money for souvenirs and are not that interested in “non-Disney” souvenirs, the booths are fun to explore. You can sample a lot of the natural items. One booth I ended up smelling like a fruit salad, lol, because I was trying out their lotions and soaps.
Bring Allergy Medicine – It might seem obvious, but if you are allergic to pollen and flowers then take allergy medicine. Flowers and topiaries are everywhere. They are beautiful and you don’t want to miss out on the fun.
Preview the Menu – Since there are more food booths than time, study the menu to see what you are most inclined to try. One of my Flower and Garden Festival favorites is the Lavender Lemonade, so good!
Schedule Playground Time – I so wish I was a little kid. These Disney Play Gardens are awesome! A brand-new Future World interactive play garden and a revved-up Road to Florida 500 garden featuring new games and play challenges will set the pace for family festival fun. The new interactive area in Future World will feature a play maze, a sensory garden, an activity zone and a covered seating area. The redesigned “Cars”-themed garden based on the Disney•Pixar sequel, “Cars 3,” will add more fun activities like highway bingo for families.
Don’t Skip the Butterfly Garden – If you are able, visit the Flower and Garden Festival Butterfly Garden near the festival start. So many more butterflies! Since the butterflies are just kept in the tent by a lightweight chain curtain, butterflies escape over time.
Check the Concert Schedule – Just like the Food & Wine Festival the Flower & Garden Festival has a concert series. For 2018 the popular Garden Rocks concert series will expand to four days each week, with three concerts each Friday through Monday presenting pop musicians that span multiple genres over four decades. You can even get preferred seating with a dining package.
If you are an annual passholder you can get a bracelet in the same building as the Character Spot and get guaranteed seating for a concert time of your choice. These bracelets are limited in number so get them early in the morning.
What to See at the 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
- A brand-new Epcot front-entrance topiary garden will set the milestone anniversary scene with a kaleidoscope of blooming color where topiary icons Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy will greet festival guests.
- The back-by-demand Figment topiary garden between Future World and World Showcase will offer the perfect selfie backdrop and family photo opportunity.
- Topiaries of Donald Duck and nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie will share Future World space behind of Spaceship Earth for a “Fresh Epcot” selfie and family photo opportunity.
- The Royal Tea Garden Tour will return for a second year each festival morning at the United Kingdom pavilion. For a small fee, guests can follow a knowledgeable guide through the tranquil tea garden setting to learn the history and artistry behind growing and blending tea. A post-tour treat of tea and scones is included. The shorter, complimentary English Tea Garden Tour also will be offered on select days.
- Among the nearly 100 festival topiaries will be returning favorites like the pandas and Bromeliad dragon at the China pavilion, The Three Caballeros at the Mexico pavilion, Disney-Pixar’s Woody at the American Adventure pavilion and Buzz Lightyear in Future World.
What is your favorite part of the Flower & Garden Festival? Let me know in the comments!