EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival kicks off this week

An ocean theme is evident this year.

I took a walk around EPCOT today to see how much progress has been made toward the popular Flower & Garden Festival that opens each spring at the theme park. This year marks the 17th festival and it kicks off early this year with a March 3rd opening date. The show will run through May 16th, which mean you have 75 days to get out an see how EPCOT is transformed by the floral artistry.

Perhaps due to the release of the Disneynature film Oceans which is sponsoring this year’s festival.

Some of my favorite elements of the festival are the marvelous topiary sculptures. While the main entrance hasn’t yet been installed there are already many remarkable topiaries around the park. Many I saw were returning favorites including the Pixie’s from last year’s Pixie Hollow play area. I’ve include some photos to preview this year’s festival

the Butterfly garden is back… but under new management.

Besides browsing the popular Fawn’s Butterfly House at Pixie Hollow, guests can flex their green thumbs and gather bouquets of ideas for their own spring and summer gardening projects. This year’s festival promises to be “a gardener’s dream-come-true,” says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden, because the early opening features more brilliant color and greater opportunity to soak up gardening tips for successful home plantings.

The Princess and the Frog is represented by Mama Odie’s Grotto.

it’s a little hard to tell, but there are glass bottles in the trees just like in the movie. Unfortunately the distance from the cutouts makes it a bit difficult to get a photo with Princess Tiana.

Here are some of the highlights:

Guests can sit in on Disney Gardening at Home presentations, scheduled twice daily each Friday through Sunday, to learn valuable tips that Disney horticulturists employ to keep Epcot gardens thriving. There’s a bonus, too: guests will participate in a hands-on, take-home gardening project.

I like the new signs for this year’s festival. There are a variety of designs.

Celebrity gardeners and authors get in on the fun each weekend when they make appearances and share their own gardening secrets during the Great American Gardeners series.

Zazu and Scar Topiary

Families won’t want to miss the festival’s first Community Garden, where carefully manicured topiaries of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy oversee a thriving garden of tomatoes, beans, peppers, herbs and other vitamin-rich edibles.

The Lion King takes over the FutureWorld hub

Guests who like to stop and smell the roses can stroll the Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion, where they can sniff the flowers and plants used to create popular Guerlain perfumes.

Stitch returns to his spot in front of Mission: Space. I hear they’re rethemeing the attraction to Stitch next year, just kidding.

Each year, expertly crafted topiaries debut across the park, and this year there are several, including the new American Gothic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse topiaries at World Showcase Plaza based on the 1930 Grant Wood painting. More than 100 topiaries and lush floral beds decorate the park landscape and showcase the craftsmanship of Disney gardeners.

Mickey and Minnie recreate the classic “American Gothic” painting at the entrance to the world showcase.

Guests will find useful and decorative gardening merchandise at The Garden Town Festival Center.

Wondering if these are the Snow White Topiary missing from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

More information about the 17th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

Beauty and the Beast make their home in France, of course.

The topiary from the last year’s display at the Main Entrance are in American Pavilion this year.

I have to say this are my favorite Topiary at this year’s festival.