20-Foot-Tall Sorcerer Mickey Display to Welcome Guests to 2012 Flower & Garden Festival

WDWNT on November 24, 2011

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A little gardening magic will go a long way when an eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer Mickey topiary holds court at the entrance to the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 7-May 20 at Walt Disney World Resort.  Standing atop a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff and towering above the park’s front-entrance topiary bed, the commanding Sorcerer Mickey will direct a riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney film, “Fantasia.”

Disney topiary specialists worked to create the striking new design with innovative materials and recycled elements from years past, says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden.  An earlier version of Sorcerer Mickey stood less than five feet tall; a larger frame was built, Darden says, to more accurately reflect the character in the front-entrance Fantasia scene.  The new Fantasia “mountain” grew from a 2003 topiary piece that once held a “Steamboat Willie” Mickey Mouse display.

“The challenge is to use our resources, repurpose them, and keep them fresh every year,” Darden says.  “These are some of our most popular characters from a topiary standpoint, and ‘Fantasia’ was a groundbreaking film for its music and animation techniques.”

The front-entrance floral spectacle will welcome guests to a festival packed with new displays, featured speakers and hands-on fun for all ages.

Don’t Miss!

For 75 festival days, Epcot guests can explore topiaries and gardens, learn planting, style and design techniques and rock to the tunes of popular Flower Power concerts:

  • Bambi’s Butterfly House, three times the size of the festival’s original, will be a-flutter with multiple species of brilliant butterflies.  At Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West.
  • Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden – Fabulous Disney fairy topiaries alight to greet young fans who enter this whimsical garden designed with play structures for children ages 2-5.  At the Test Track Walkway.
  • The HGTV Designers Stage will present HGTV celebrities each Friday through Sunday and nationally recognized garden personalities Monday through Thursday.  At the Festival Center.
  • The Flower Power concert series will welcome back 20th century pop favorites this year when Jose Feliciano, Chubby Checker and The Wildcats, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Davy Jones and seven other bands rock the America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Performers and appearance dates subject to change.

Petal Power

Thirty million blooms, 240 floating mini-gardens on two ponds, 700 container gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables, dozens of Disney character topiaries, 30 “flower towers” of impatiens and sweeping beds of floral designs will create a tapestry of brilliant color across the 260-acre Epcot landscape.  It takes more than one full year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists to plan and prepare for the 75-day festival.  One of the most interesting challenges is finding just the right plant materials to bring the park’s topiaries to life.

The front-entrance “Fantasia” rock cliff topiary will be carpeted with a “blackish-purple Ajuga,” says Disney plant specialist Heather Will-Browne.  White and blue flowers will represent streams of water tumbling down the rock face, she adds, and the “Fantasia” theme will be carried out with masses of hot pink geraniums, blue delphiniums, white poppies, violet petunias and blue pansies, among others.  Other show-stopping character topiaries:  Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars 2″ at the Japan showcase; Buzz, Woody and Lotso the teddy bear from “Toy Story 3;” and the Fab Five – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy — outside the Festival Center.

The horticulture team also will plant new landscape looks outside the Italy and Norway pavilions, Will-Browne says.  In Italy, gardeners will display a mix of containers overflowing with bright flowers and pots of fragrant herbs used in Italian cuisine.  Around Norway, “we’ll do a white show of geraniums, violas, snap dragons, poppies and alyssum,” she says.  A small Norway meadow will feature “a mass of brilliant, wild mixed color.”  Each of the park’s other nine World Showcase countries will feature special festival landscape elements.

More Festival Fun

  • The Festival Center– Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners.  In Future World between Universe of Energy and Mission:SPACE.
  • Disney Gardening at Home presentations – Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity at the Festival Center.
  • Special Festival Weekend Celebrations – An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 23-25; a Florida Federation of Garden Clubs gathering will be April 27-29; and a Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute is slated for May 4-6.

More information about the 19th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower when festival time approaches.  The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

PIXAR Celebrates 25th Anniversary with a Weekend at Epcot

WDWNT on April 21, 2011

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Heads up Pixar fans – we’re breaking an exciting announcement this morning on the Disney Parks Blog.

Pixar's 25th Anniversary Weekend May 13-15 at Epcot

The 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will celebrate all-things Pixar, including the upcoming release of “Cars 2,” during Pixar’s 25th Anniversary Weekend May 13-15 at Epcot.

Mater from Disney•Pixar's 'Cars' and 'Cars 2'

Mater from “Cars” and “Cars 2” leads the celebration, which will include special Pixar character meet and greets, kids activities, informational discussions by Pixar filmmakers and more.

Characters from Disney•Pixar's 'Up'

World Showplace (located between the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions), will serve as the celebration headquarters. Inside, families can enjoy meet and greets with characters from “The Incredibles,” “Toy Story 3,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Up,” or browse a photo gallery that calls out some of Pixar’s best Easter eggs from past films. There also will be an art gallery that displays the creative work that went in to Pixar films.

'Cars' Franchise Guardian Jay Ward

World Showplace also will be the setting for informational discussions by Pixar filmmakers: Composer Michael Giacchino, Producer Jonas Rivera and “Cars” Franchise Guardian Jay Ward (pictured above). Discussions will take place May 14-15 (times are still TBD).

And the Pixar fun will continue throughout World Showcase, where characters from “Toy Story,” “Ratatouille” and “A Bug’s Life” wait to greet guests. Kids also can play the “Cars 2” Race Around the World Showcase game by picking up a booklet with clues that send them on a journey to specific World Showcase pavilions, where they’ll receive more clues, and receive a reward at the end. (All entertainment is subject to change).

You can find more information on the events official site at www.PIXARWeekend.com!

2011 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Celebrate Pixar and Pooh

WDWNT on December 8, 2010

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The heroes of “Toy Story 3” have left the toy box. Woody and Buzz Lightyear meet arch-enemy Lotso the teddy bear on the Future World playground for the 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 through May 15, 2011, at Walt Disney World Resort.

The popular Disney•Pixar characters hit the sandbox as seven- and eight-foot-tall topiaries at the Epcot front entrance flower bed featuring a sand castle, strawberry-scented field and playground toys. Created by Disney gardeners and topiary experts with bold strokes of seasonal color, the topiary display marks the first time “Toy Story” characters have been showcased at the festival which, along with more than 100 topiaries, features seminars and gardening demonstrations, gardens bursting with millions of blooms, “flower power” music and more.

The “Toy Story” display marks the first time in seven years that the front-entrance floral spectacle showcases all-new topiary characters, says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden.

“It created unique challenges,” Darden says, “and it’s meticulous work. Woody is skinny, and it was a challenge to create his legs. The detail on Buzz is pretty daunting.” And the buzz on the pink-floral Lotso (a.k.a. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear) is that he will smell like strawberries, just like his big-screen character, when guests stroll by.

Among the expertly crafted topiaries, another show-stopper will be the brand-new “Cars 2” display at the World Showcase plaza, Darden says. Large floral topiaries of “Cars” characters Mater and Lightning McQueen will park their colorful chassis beneath a black-and-white checkered arch. To complete the scene, gardeners will create floral flags representing Japan, France, Italy and the United Kingdom – destinations of the car characters in the sequel due in theaters June 24.

And Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and pals appear in topiary splendor among a Hundred Acre Wood wildflower display between Future World and World Showcase. They’re just in time to spread the happy news about the “Winnie the Pooh Movie” debuting summer 2011.

New in the Park!

An expanded Bambi’s Butterfly House, a new Healthy Living Garden, special gardener appearances on a new Festival Center stage and first-time Flower Power performers add fresh twists to the 18th annual festival:

· A roomier-than-ever Bambi’s Butterfly House grows three-fold this year in its new location along Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West in Future World. It’s the first time the popular garden has expanded since its 2005 debut, and guests will see more butterflies than ever, Darden says.

· The Healthy Living Garden invites park guests to join in fun activities designed for improving their health and well being. Areas of the garden, presented by Syngenta, focus on healthful eating, fitness, relaxation and meditation. An adjacent children’s play area keeps it all in the family.

· A new Festival Center stage brings nationally recognized garden personalities to the festival twice daily.

· Rapunzel lets down her hair at Rapunzel’s Tower in the Tangled Magical Garden inspired by Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film, “Tangled,” located between the Germany and Italy pavilions.

· Flower Power grows with new-to-the-festival pop acts. Melissa Manchester, March 25-27 (Don’t Cry Out Loud), Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., April 8-10 (You Don’t Have to Be a Star) and Juice Newton April 15-17 (Playing with the Queen of Hearts) are set to light up America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.

· A new Festival Special Weekend is slated for May when Disney/Pixar presents a Pixar Animation Studios celebration in conjunction with the upcoming “Cars 2” big-screen debut set for June 24.

Throughout the festival, elaborate floral beds and entertaining exhibits will decorate the park landscape and showcase the extraordinary talents of Disney gardeners. A blooming Guerlain Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion returns with its never-ending “love story” of the relationship between plants and perfume. At the Japan showcase, the art of bonsai will mesmerize guests who stop at the pavilion’s vermilion torii gate.

Don’t miss:

· Flower Power concerts – Popular bands will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Jose Feliciano is scheduled to kick off the concert series March 4-6. The Flower Power lineup also will feature pop favorites such as Davy Jones, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats, and Paul Revere & the Raiders.

· The Festival Center– Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners. Includes Disney Gardening at Home and other presentations.

· Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden –Fabulous Disney fairies alight to greet young fans who enter this whimsical garden designed with play structures for children ages 2-5.

· Disney Gardening at Home presentations – Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity.

· Special Festival Weekend Celebrations – An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 25-27; the popular I Dig Bugs event is set for April 15-17; and a Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute is slated for April 29-May 1. A date will be announced for the May Disney/Pixar weekend celebration.