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Over the years, Epcot has evolved into the festival capital of Walt Disney World. No matter what time of year you’re going, there’s almost always something going on. The great thing about these festivals, no matter which one you go to, is that you can experience a variety of new foods, beverages, and experiences from around the world that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience elsewhere!
Today I’m going to focus on one of my favorite festivals – the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. This festival takes place in the spring, generally starting at the beginning of March and going in to the end of May. The current scheduled festival dates for 2019 are March 6th to June 3rd.
During this time, you’ll be able to feast on fun new dishes and admire gorgeous flower arrangements and topiaries based on Disney characters. Here is everything you need to know about the festival, so you can plan your day at Epcot accordingly!
Food and Drink
One of the best aspects of this festival are the fun spring themed food and drinks you can purchase! All along the World Showcase you will find pop up outdoor kitchens with new dishes and drinks to feast to your heart’s content. The festival has spawned favorites such as the frozen Violet Lemonade that has taken over Instagram. There’s so many dishes to try, so bring an appetite! Pineapple covered hot dogs, peach bubble tea, pork tacos, and so much more have been previous menu items in festivals past. Expect many of the fan favorites to return this year, along with new culinary delights from the Epcot kitchen!
Want a more relaxed dining experience? All the sit-down table service restaurants around World Showcase, as well as some restaurants in Future World, are part of the Garden Rocks Dining Package. Make this special reservation (check out my guide here on how do dining package reservations!) and receive prime seating to one of the many rock shows put on during the festival!
This brings up perfectly to the next amazing thing about the festival…
Music
What kind of festival would be complete without MUSIC? Certainly not the Flower and Garden festival! The Garden Rocks concert series will feature different artists throughout the festival. Some of the artists are very well known, including Rick Springfield and Simple Plan!
The shows won’t be full fledged concerts, but rather 30 minute sets 3 times a night. If you’re a huge fan of food and music, the Garden Rocks dining package might be the perfect date night or family outing for your group!
The shows will take place in the America pavillion in the America Gardens theater. If you purchase one of the dining packages, you’ll get exclusive seating at the concert after your meal!
Limited Edition Merchandise
Throughout the festival, you’ll find plenty of limited time merchandise to celebrate this year’s festivities. Everything from t-shirts to MagicBands can be found throughout Epcot. It’s the perfect time of year to show off your love for all things floral, so why not use this as an excuse to accessorize?!
Missed out on some of last year’s gorgeous collectibles? Most of the time, you can find the limited edition merchandise on Amazon once the festival ends. In the meantime you can shop this year’s merchandise as soon as it drops (as well as other Disney park items) on the shopDisney website!
Gorgeous Topiaries
The best part of the festival is, of course, the flowers! As you make your way through Epcot and World Showcase, you’ll find dozens of displays of gorgeous flowers. Depending on what pavillion you’re in, you’ll find themed displays based off that country. Beauty and the Beast topiaries are in France, Snow White can be found in Germany, and in Epcot, you’ll find Mickey and friends scattered around the park.
Many of these displays have Photopass photographers stationed there, so you can get professional pictures taken with the decor.
And there you have it! All the info you need to work your way around the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival this year like a pro! What’s your favorite part of the festival? I personally love taking pictures of all the flowers! Leave me a comment below and let me know.
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