Credit: DisneyLearn about the new and returning offerings for this year’s EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, blossoming soon in Walt Disney World Resort.
Visiting Walt Disney World Resort year-round will always bring new surprises for Guests of all ages to enjoy, from seasonal offerings during major holidays to limited-time entertainment offerings, exclusive merchandise items, and even your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and more dressed in their best outfits to fit the season.
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And while each Disney fan has a favorite time to visit the Parks, springtime at Walt Disney World is perhaps the loveliest time to visit Disney World’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. With longer, sunnier days, warmer weather, colorful flowers blossoming across the Resort, and Disney magic in the air, visiting Disney World in the springtime is a must-do for your family vacations.
Related: EPCOT Welcomes Massive Addition for All-New ‘Moana’-Inspired Attraction
And one of the best places to enjoy the Spring in full bloom is EPCOT, as the theme park welcomes the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, packed with fun activities, mouth-watering seasonal treats, and exclusive entertainment offerings. Are you ready to enjoy all the offerings for this year’s Festival? Let us tell you about some of them!
What is the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival?
The International Flower & Garden Festival is a yearly event that celebrates springtime with breathtaking, blossoming gardens, whimsical topiaries inspired by fan-favorite Disney characters, fresh seasonal flavors, lively entertainment offerings for the whole family, exclusive merchandise inspired by the season, interactive activities for all Guests, and more!
Where does the Festival take place?
The International Flower & Garden Festival takes place all across EPCOT, from the main entrance of the Park with beautiful hand-crafted topiary sculptures of cherished Disney characters to The American Adventure in the center of EPCOT’s World Showcase — regardless of whether you start your trip around the world through the Mexico Pavilion or the Canada Pavilion — with exciting entertainment offerings and everything in between.
When is the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival taking place in 2023?
This year, the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival will begin on March 1 and continue through July 5, meaning Guests will have little over four months to enjoy all the fun this Festival brings to EPCOT.
Do I need a separate ticket for the International Flower and Garden Festival?
Guests don’t have to purchase an additional ticket for the International Flower and Garden Festival, as the event is included with their theme park admission. However, Guests must have both valid admission and a Park reservation for EPCOT on the same date to enjoy the Festival.
What’s new at this year’s International Flower & Garden Festival?
This year, the International Flower & Garden Festival will bring new and returning offerings inspired by beloved Disney Parks characters, hit Disney movies, and more!
Themed gardens and topiaries
Earlier this year, Disney announced that this year’s International Flower & Garden Festival would be adorned by the debut of all-new topiaries inspired by the characters of Disney’s award-winning movie Encanto, including Mirabel, Antonio, Isabela, and Luisa.
These new topiaries inspired by the Madrigal family will be located near the EPCOT main entrance, and they are sure to be a must-do photo moment to mark your visit. In addition, Guests visiting EPCOT during the Festival can find a new Princess Tiana topiary at The American Adventure, along with returning favorites Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and Tick Tock Croc, Anna, Elsa, Figment, and more.
Related: Disney Reveals New Details About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Garden Rocks Concert Series
Music fans rejoice! The Garden Rocks Concert Series is returning to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival this March! Garden Rocks features internationally recognized artists performing Friday-Monday and showcases local Orlando talent on Tuesday-Thursday at the America Gardens Theater in The American Adventure Pavilion.
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The series will host talent from returning favorites like The Pointer Sisters, Simple Plan, and the Plain White T’s, along with fresh talents like legacy guitarist AJ Croce and GRAMMY award-winning Switchfoot. You can check out the schedule for this year’s Festival below:
- March 3-4 – Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI
- March 5-6 – Daughtry
- March 10-11 – Tommy DeCarlo
- March 12-13 – Smash Mouth
- March 17-18 – Mike DelGuidice
- March 19-20 – Blue Oyster Cult – NEW
- March 24-25 – Berlin
- March 26-27 – The Pointer Sisters
- March 31 – Luis Figueroa – NEW
- April 1-2 – Piso 21 – NEW
- April 3 – TBD
- April 7-8 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
- April 9-10 – Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
- April 16-17 – Switchfoot – NEW
- April 21-22 – A Flock of Seagulls
- April 23-24 – Jo Dee Messina
- April 28-29 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett, The Voice Of Player
- April 30, May 1 – Kool and the Gang
- May 5-8 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
- May 12-15 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
- May 19-20 – A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce – NEW
- May 21-22 – Casting Crowns – NEW
- May 26-27 – Jason Scheff, longtime lead singer of Chicago – NEW
- May 28-29 – Rick Springfield
- June 2-5 – Plain White T’s
- June 9-10 – The Spinners
- June 11-12 – The Commodores
- June 16-17 – Vertical Horizon
- June 18-19 – Tony Orlando
- June 23-26 – Simple Plan
- June 30, July 1 – Living Colour
- July 2-3 – Wang Chung
And for those looking to secure their spot in their favorite performance, Disney will allow Guests to book a Garden Rocks Dining Package, though these packages are still unavailable for purchase as of this article’s publishing. The Garden Rocks Dining Package lets Guests enjoy a leisurely meal at a beloved EPCOT restaurant and have peace of mind knowing that you also have guaranteed seats at one of the Garden Rocks performances that day.
Outdoor kitchens
And no EPCOT Festival is complete without mouth-watering dishes and drinks. This year, the International Flower & Garden Festival will be home to over 15 Outdoor Kitchens, offering specialty menus of delicious cuisine and beverages around World Showcase. With fresh new menu items arriving this year, you’ll want to sample all the flavorsome delights.
Merchandise
And to complete the experience, the International Flower & Garden Festival will bring official 70s-inspired Orange Bird merchandise, including apparel, headwear, drinkware, and much more. Plus, Guests with a green thumb and those looking to give their first steps into gardening will surely find the perfect items to take home, from aprons and gardening gloves to watering cans and everything in between.
Activities
Guests of all ages can have fun with Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration, a springtime scavenger hunt in which Guests can follow Spike the Bee on his pollination trail, where he will “bee” busy collecting nectar and pollinating gardens at EPCOT. Once you find him in each garden on your map, add the corresponding sticker of the plant he is visiting, and you’ll be able to collect a fun prize!
And on the bridge to World Showcase, Guests can enjoy the sights and scents of spring with Blossoms of Fragrance presented by Scentsy. This experience invites Guests to follow their noses to six scent stations, surrounded by vibrant butterfly topiaries, to form lasting memories with the help of unforgettable aromas.
With so much to see and do, we can’t wait for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival to start on March 1!
Will you visit EPCOT for this year’s International Flower & Garden Festival? Let us know in the comments below!