New Figment & Belle Topiaries Take Center Stage at the 2017 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Celebrating 24 years when it kicks off March 1, 2017, 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:

  • Fresh, farm-market food and beverage flavors will debut at two new Outdoor Kitchens that will join 13 returning Outdoor Kitchens. Guest can sip and savor their way around Epcot, enjoying chef-inspired noshes and refreshing libations with or without a kick.
  • The new generation of princess topiaries (Snow White, Anna and Elsa – the first to be designed and created with topiary facial features) will welcome a brand-new Belle topiary as fans remember her from the Oscar-winning Disney film, “Beauty and the Beast.” Located outside the France pavilion with the Beast topiary, Belle will come to life with sculpted facial features and her yellow ball gown created with golden blooming Joseph’s Coat plants.
  • Another festival first will be a 6-foot-tall topiary of Figment, the feisty dragon mascot of the park’s Imagination! pavilion, perched atop a 5-foot-diameter ball fashioned from yellow Joseph’s Coat.
A Figment topiary of a smaller size graced the exterior of the pavilion many years ago.

A Figment topiary of a smaller size graced the exterior of the pavilion many years ago.

  • The brand-new Epcot front-entrance topiary garden inspired by a vintage Walt Disney short film will spring to life with a floral-festooned maypole featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy and Pluto.
  • 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.
  • New Garden Rocks Dining Packages will be available on select days at a number of Epcot restaurants.
  • Reimagined interactive play gardens will include a new take on the “Cars”-themed garden introducing a new character topiary from the June 2017 release of the Disney•Pixar sequel, “Cars 3.” Music Garden Melodies play area will return with new garden and topiary elements.
  • For the first time, the event’s Festival Center will extend operating hours from Wednesday, March 1 through Sunday, March 5. Throughout the rest of the festival, the center will be open each Friday through Sunday with an entertaining mix of gardening seminars and DIY workshops.

One of the popular Outdoor Kitchen gardens, Urban Farm Eats, will return with savory bites, sweet treats and ideas for planting produce that can inspire growing numbers of guests who want to learn to grow their own edibles.

“A lot of people, including young children, are serious foodies now, and they have lots of questions about gardening,” says Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager. “We’re getting more and more people in their 20s and 30s asking, ‘How can I grow this?’ I think we’ll be creating more gardeners because people can see what’s possible.”

The 2017 festival forecast will be sunny with colorful floral bursts by day and a nighttime landscape aglow with twinkling lights:

  • Topiaries of Donald Duck and nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie will share Future World space in front of Spaceship Earth with Chip and Dale for a “Fresh Epcot” selfie and family photo opportunity.
  • Anna and Elsa topiaries will return to the Norway pavilion festival landscape in celebration of the park’s new Frozen Ever After Nearly 100 festival topiaries in all will include up to 70 character creations such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Simba, Timon and Tinker Bell.
  • Guests will encounter garden surprises and special appearances related to Earth Day and other spring activities.
  • The Butterflies on the Go garden will return with the story of the Monarch’s epic journey across the continent and featuring butterflies emerging from their chrysalises.
  • On the way to the new Soarin’ Around the World film at the Soarin’attraction in The Land pavilion, guests can discover gardens featuring edible flowers, plants that benefit health and healing, and a pollinator paradise.
  • Dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms will transform the park’s landscape. At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

Anna & Elsa FROZEN Topiary Vignette to Headline 2015 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

2011 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

At the 75-day-long Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in 2015, a Frozen topiary vignette will surely “freeze” guests in their tracks at World Showcase Plaza. The festival is taking place March 4-May 17, 2015 and will be headlined by the topiary debut of the Frozen characters, along with a new entrance vignette called “Goofy About Spring” featuring brand new topiaries of Chip and Dale who will be accompanied by Goofy and friends. Other 2015 highlights include:

  • Fresh new menu items will debut at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens where, for the third festival year running, guests can taste garden- and spring-inspired tapas-sized food and beverages and have their complimentary Garden Passports stamped as they stroll the World Showcase promenade.
  • A Southwest desert garden will premiere as a thriving ecosystem.
  • Ten new mini-gardens will surprise guests around every corner. Guests will discover a new “health garden,” a pepper garden, a dinosaur-plant garden and a Shakespeare garden, among others, each designed with a storytelling element.
  • Guests can discover the story of the Monarch butterfly’s epic journey across the continent and see butterflies emerge from their chrysalises at Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House.
  • A weekend concert series will rock audiences every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Performers will include Gin Blossoms, Pablo Cruise, Village People and a lineup of top bands representing four decades of pop music.
  • Disney gardeners will lead weekend how-to Gardening Seminars at the Festival Center, where guests also can pick up signature festival merchandise.
  • When the sun sets, illuminated topiary and play gardens will glow brightly for an after-dark festival experience.

“This is one of our most ambitious festivals ever,” says Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager. “We’re telling stories we’ve never told before. You’ll get a fresh taste of spring — it’ll be like the first spring farmer’s market for America.”

As park guests nibble on inspired Outdoor Kitchen goodies, they can wander among multiple themed gardens and children’s play areas. Nearly 100 expertly crafted topiary characters, including Snow White, Bambi, Mickey Mouse, Simba and Peter Pan, will animate the landscape when Epcot transforms to a vibrant wonderland of sweeping garden beds and exhibits.

The “Frozen” topiary vignette at World Showcase Plaza will pop with color as Anna’s and Elsa’s icy world, illustrated with white and silver blooms of delphinium, alyssum and other floral varieties, transforms to a brilliant spring palette featuring Gerbera daisies, petunias, Sweet William and other flora.

A Health Garden near The Land pavilion in Future World will display ancient medicinal plants including garlic, aloe, chamomile, fennel, mint and others. Plants used to develop modern prescriptions will be papaya, periwinkle, turmeric, yew, thyme and valerian. And the new Shakespeare Garden at the United Kingdom pavilion will feature roses to represent Romeo and Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Also in the garden: rosemary from Hamlet, lavender from The Winter’s Tale, plus representations featuring poppy, lily, honeysuckle and willow.

Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House will return with hundreds of winged beauties fluttering above and lighting upon their favorite nectar-producing plants. Dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape.  At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

Several special weekend happenings will include Art in the Garden Weekend (March 27-29); Florida Fresh Weekend (April 24-26); and Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. Weekend (May 8-10).

PHOTOS: New Super-Realistic Character Topiaries Make Early Debut for 2014 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

If you have visited the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival before, you’ve undoubtedly seen the famous character topiaries that are the highlight of the annual event. Well, prepare to see them in an entirely new way in 2014…

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Unlike years past, the details of the character will not only be made completely from greenery, but they will be incredibly accurate to every character detail. We were anxious to see the changes to the topiaries when Disney promised they would have a “computer generated look” this year, but I can honestly say, we were not expecting anything like what we saw at Epcot yesterday. These Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs topiaries arrived a little early and give us a great look at what to expect from all of the characters this year.

Just look at the detail in Snow White’s shoe!

Here is what the display looked like last year:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug


Lady and the Tramp also debuted early and were looking much better this year

So, what do you think of the new look for the character topiaries in 2014?

The Muppets to Welcome Guests to Epcot Flower & Garden Festival in 2014

WDWNT on December 4, 2013

It’s only November, but I’m already “thinking Spring.” I miss the warmth of the sunshine and the brilliant colors of leaves and flowers. With that in mind, I’m pleased that Walt Disney World has announced some news on the 21st Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival this week.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Kermit the Frog, with his blooming banjo, and Miss Piggy will be joining the other artfully-crafted topiaries during the 21st Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival from March 5 – May 18, 2014 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

During the 75 days that Epcot hosts the Annual International Flower and Garden Festival, almost 100 topiaries will adorn the Park, transforming Epcot into a colorful wonderland of gardens and exhibits. The outdoor food and beverage marketplaces will also be back for a second year, offering many tasty treats, both savory and sweet. Perhaps taking a nod from Epcot’s Food and Wine festival, new menu items will include Piggylicious Bacon Cupcakes and a Barbecued Chicken Leg at the Smokehouse Barbecue marketplace. Previous menu favorites, such as the Watermelon Salad with baby arugula, feta cheese, pickled red onions and balsamic reduction, will be back to wow guests. In addition to new menu items, several lemonades, cocktails, wines and beers, all with floral inspirations, will be available to pair with food choices.

Featured topiaries this year will include:

  • Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck topiaries will appear in a new Epcot front entrance garden vignette, celebrating spring with a butterfly hunt adventure.  This garden will feature a waterfall and pond with water lilies.
  • Timon and Pumbaa topiaries will be featured near the park’s Outpost location between China and Germany.
  • Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Croc can be found in the United Kingdom showcase again this year.
  • Dozens of additional character topiaries, including Mickey Mouse, will delight guests throughout the Park.
  • Florida agriculture will be in the spotlight at a large World Showcase garden, exhibiting fresh Florida crops to include citrus, sugar cane, berries and vegetables.
  • As the sun sets each night, the illuminated gardens will cast a festive glow across the Park.
  • In World Showcase, the spotlight will shine on topiaries of Disney princesses, storybook characters and even pandas and trolls.
  • Back by popular demand, the Disney-Pixar “Cars” garden and playground will bring favorite movie characters to life for the younger festival-goers.  Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House will thrill with hundreds of the winged beauties and fairy topiaries of Tinker Bell and Periwinkle.
  • At the Festival Center in the Park’s Future World, twice-daily interactive gardening workshops will set the stage for outdoor do-it-yourself inspiration, and gardening guest speakers will appear daily.  The Festival’s sponsor, HGTV, will have design celebrities host home, garden and design seminars between Fridays and Sundays during the Festival.

The Flower Power Concert Series welcomes two new acts in 2014:  Gary Lewis and the Playboys (“This Diamond Ring”) March 14-16, and The Alan Parsons Live Project (“Eye in the Sky”) May 16-18.  During opening weekend, the series kicks off at America Gardens Theatre with fan-favorite band, The Guess Who (“American Woman”) March 7-9.  Other pop acts set to perform include Chubby Checker & the Wildcats, The Village People and Paul Revere & The Raiders. (Entertainment is subject to change).

Kids can explore the multiple-themed gardens and children’s play areas, while dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers,” herb gardens and beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape will delight adult festival attendees. Disney’s gardeners estimate 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone.  On the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.  Several special weekend happenings, including the popular Art in the Garden Weekend, will be scheduled.

The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

Have you been to Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival? What are you favorite topiaries?