Showing posts with label Disney Characters. Show all posts
2019 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival: Topiaries, Food, Music, & More!
The 2019 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival comes to Disney World starting March 6th and runs through June 3rd, 2019. This much anticipated festival combines millions of blooms, Disney character topiaries, carefully crafted gardens, incredible food, and iconic musical entertainers. This is definitely not something to be missed.
Each Spring Epcot is transformed info an amazing display of color that goes far beyond the usually impressive landscaping. The results are breath-taking and will delight the gardeners and the casual observers alike.
The 2019 version of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is now bigger and better than ever. Here are some of facts and figures:
- 90 days to enjoy this year's festival
- 25 different Disney Character topiary displays
- 21 different Gardens especially created for the festival
- 33 Different bands appearing during the Garden Rocks Concert Series
- 3 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Members performing during Garden Rocks Concert Series
- 16 different Outdoor Kitchens with over 100 food and drink offerings
- Over 1,000,000 blooms during the festival across Epcot
Disney Character Topiaries
Come see your favorite Disney Characters captured in living topiary form all around Epcot!
- Anna and Elsa from Frozen
Located at the Norway Pavilion
- Bambi and Friends
Featuring Flower, Bambi and Thumper
Located between the United Kingdom Pavilion and Canada Pavilion
- Beauty and the Beast
Located at the France Pavilion
- Bo Peep and Her Sheep with Buzz Lightyear and Woody from the Disney•Pixar Toy Story Films
Located at Future World East
- Bromeliad Dragon
Located at the China Pavilion
- Captain Hook and Peter Pan
Located at the United Kingdom Pavilion
- Chip ‘n Dale and Donald Duck with Huey, Dewey and Louie
Located near Showcase Plaza Towers, East and West
- Daisy Duck and the Floral Stars of the Show
Located near Spaceship Earth
- Figment
Located near the Imagination! Pavilion
- Lady and the Tramp
Located at the Italy Pavilion
- Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney•Pixar Cars Films
Located near Test Track
- Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Enjoy a Picnic with Topiary Hearts
Located at Showcase Plaza
- Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
Located at the American Adventure Pavilion
- Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog
Located at the France Pavilion
- Pandas
Located at the China Pavilion
- Pluto and Goofy
Located between Future World and World Showcase
- Simba and Friends
Featuring Rafiki, Simba, Mufasa and Sarabi
Located at The Outpost Shop
- Snow White and Dopey
Located at the Germany Pavilion
- Stitch
Located at Mission: SPACE
- The Three Caballeros
Featuring Jose, Donald and Panchito
Located at the Mexico Pavilion
- Topiary Flowers
Located near MouseGear
- Topiary Sunflowers
Located at the American Gardens Theatre
- Troll
Presented by Adventures by Disney®
Located at the Norway Pavilion
- Welcome to the 2019 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Featuring Topiary Butterflies
Located at the Main Entrance
- Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends
Located at the United Kingdom Pavilion
Spectacular Gardens
There are 21 different gardens to explore throughout Epcot that were especially created for the Flower & Garden Festival by the Disney horticultural staff.
- Alpine Container Garden – Visit the Germany Pavilion to learn about hearty alpine plants that have adapted to survive in extreme temperatures and are the perfect match for windy balconies, cold-weather climates and sloped or parched landscapes.
- Bamboo Garden – As a member of the grass family, bamboo can be found at the China Pavilion in many colors, patterns and sizes.
- Barrels by the Bay– March 8 to 10, Guests will have the chance to liven up rain barrels using paint and a variety of fun stencils. The barrels are Coke Florida syrup receptacles, recycled to protect community waterways from stormwater runoff pollution. Look for this display adjacent to Fountain of Nations, near Mouse Gear.
- Bold Bromeliads
Located at the Mexico Pavilion
- Bonsai Collection – Take a trip to the Japan Pavilion and discover the ancient art of bonsai with some of the finest living sculptures created by bonsai masters, who carefully shape and tend these miniature works of art—creating peace and balance with the earth.
- Chinese Zodiac Natural Sculptures
Located at the China Pavilion
- English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings of London®
– Discover the history and art of tea blending at this elegant English Tea Garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion, featuring plants important to some of Twinings finest tea blends.
- Family Play Zone – Discover engaging, interactive fun for kids and adults alike at this Toy Story 4-themed play area located by the walkway to Test Track.
- Festival Blooms – Behold colorful, living panoramas composed of thousands of flowers, overlooking the east and west lakes of Future World.
- Floating Mini-Gardens – Peer upon more than 100 petite plots drifting on the ponds that border the walkway between Future World and the World Showcase.
- Garden Italiano – From fresh spaghetti sauce to your favorite pizza topping, this Tuscan kitchen garden at the Italy Pavilion features all the produce and herbs needed to create a classic Italian feast.
- The Goodness Garden Butterfly House Presented by GoGo squeeZ – Visit this foliage-filled exhibit at Future World West to view a kaleidoscope of butterflies and observe several species up close, learning about their life cycles and maybe even witnessing them emerging from chrysalises.
- The Honey Bee-Stro – Learn about the importance of honeybees in this immersive garden. You can also enjoy food options—made possible by their hard work—from the adjoining outdoor kitchen near the Imagination! Pavilion.
- Kokedama Garden – Admire fresh expressions of an ancient Japanese art at this garden featuring bonsai creations.
- Penguin Sculpture – NEW! Disneynature presents a newly minted penguin sculpture, created from repurposed trash pulled from our oceans. Find this spirited artwork at Future World West.
- Plant a Garden Perfect for Pollinators – Stop by this display near the Butterfly House and take garden-ready ideas home with you, along with garden crafts and sustainable best practices.
- Play Garden – AdventHealth presents an area along Imagination Walkway for kids, made to inspire youthful energy and creativity. Your whole family can learn fun and interactive ways to stay healthy at a brand-new playground and outdoor kitchen.
- Purple Martin Garden– Spot purple martins as they soar to and from their nests in our purple martin bird houses. These migratory birds flew over 3,000 miles from the Brazilian Amazon to raise their young right here at Epcot! Test your identification skills by finding the brown-and-white females, as well as the iridescent, all-purple males. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Cast Members will be on hand on Tuesdays and Fridays after 11:00 AM to answer questions you may have about these fascinating birds.
- Shakespeare Garden – Thou shalt adore matching up famous quotes to flowers found within this vibrant garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion. William Shakespeare often used flowers and exotic gardens to help set the scenes for his plays and employed them as symbols and metaphors.
- Tropical Rainforest Garden – Visit the Mexico Pavilion and learn how Mexican rainforests are rich with plants and animals that have adapted to a wide variety of light levels and water conditions.
- Urban Spice – At the Morocco Pavilion, learn how in many eastern cultures, ancient spices were considered more valuable than gold. Even today, many cultures are defined by their signature spices and herb blends, created from plant leaves, stems, roots, seeds and flowers.
Garden Rocks Concerts
Come see FREE concerts every day of the festival performed by famous acts including 3 that you will find enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In all there are 33 different acts including: Rick Springfield, Jon Anderson of Yes, Don Felder of the EAGLES, The Guess Who, Air Supply, Richard Marx and much more.
Visit the 2019 Epcot Garden Rocks Concert Line-Up and Schedule for more detail.
Amazing Food At The Outdoor Kitchens
If you love the great food events at Epcot then you must make sure that you attend the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The Outdoor Kitchens, as they are called, contain many tantalizing options that can only be found during the festival.
There are 16 different stations located mostly around the World Showcase that include tasting portions of entrees and desserts, as well as, a selection of interesting beers, wines, and specialty cocktails to enjoy. Additionally there are also some special offerings at some of the year round food stops across Epcot.
There are 16 different stations located mostly around the World Showcase that include tasting portions of entrees and desserts, as well as, a selection of interesting beers, wines, and specialty cocktails to enjoy. Additionally there are also some special offerings at some of the year round food stops across Epcot.
Visit: 2019 Outdoor Kitchens - Full Menus to check out the great food selections that your can taste at this year's festival.
Review Of Chip 'n Dale's Harvest Feast At The Garden Grill Restaurant in Epcot
One of the highlights for many Disney World guests is enjoying a Disney Character Dining experience. Today we visit the Garden Grill Restaurant in Epcot for a Character Dining meal in a very unique setting.
Garden Grill Restaurant
The Garden Grill Restaurant is located within The Land Pavilion in the Future World section of Epcot. This is the pavilion that is best known for the Soarin' and Living With The Land attractions.
One of the most unique features of the Garden Grill Restaurant is that it rotates! That's right. This restaurant rotates at a blistering speed of one revolution per hour. Although you can tell that you are moving if you are constantly staring at the walls, most guests hardly notice the slow steady movement throughout their meal. There are two different seating areas: the outer booths, which have the best views of the Living With The Land attraction and the inner tables. If you anticipate any concern about the rotation, then you should select the inner tables, where the motion is less noticeable.
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| Mickey Mouse at Garden Grill Restaurant |
Disney Character Dining At Its Best!
Chip 'n Dale's Harvest Feast is definitely one of the better non-princess character dining opportunities at Disney World. Four different characters make their way, one at a time to your table for personal interaction during the roughly hour long dining experience. Leading the way is Mickey Mouse himself in overalls. Farmer Mickey meets and greets all of the diners one table at a time. You have enough time to get autographs signed and pose with Mickey Mouse for pictures. |
| Chip at the Garden Grill Restaurant |
Chip was next to visit one table and he was quite animated, pardon the pun. Besides posing for pictures he exhibited a playful interaction with lots of personality.
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| Pluto at Garden Grill Restaurant |
Pluto was next to visit. Ever the fun loving dog, he "played" with us for a while and posed for great pictures.
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| Dale at Garden Grill Restaurant |
Dale was the last to make his way to our table. He definitely had a personality that was distinct from Chip's and that made the interaction all the more fun.
Suffice it to say the Disney Character interaction was great and definitely among the best at Disney World. The spacing of the tables allows for more personal interaction with each of the characters. If you love Disney World Character meals then this is one you should definitely try!
Chip 'n Dale's Harvest Feast - The Food!
An important part of every restaurant review is a discussion of the food, so we definitely want to share with you our pictures and impression of the food at this Family Style served meal. The menu is the same for everyone with unlimited portions for an items (including dessert) that you would like more of. The price is the same regardless.
The meal start with fresh warm rolls and orange blossom honey butter.
This was follow-up up by a "Living With The Land" Harvest-inspired Farmer's Salad. As you can see from the picture above this was a loaded salad with fresh vegetables, egg, and bacon.
The main courses consist of a large platter with a trio of choices: Char-grilled Filet of Beef with Demi-Glace Steak Butter, Roasted All-Natural Turkey Breast with Stuffing and House-made Gravy, Tilapia with Tomato Jam. Also included were Garden Fresh Vegetables, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, and Bacon and Leek Dressing.
All of the above items were very tasty, but I would have to say our overwhelming favorite was the Filet of Beef. It was excellent. As mentioned earlier, the meal is All You Care To Eat with additional portions of any or all of the items. The choice is up to you and your family.
The meal is completed with a pair of dessert choices. There was the Seasonal Berry Skillet with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and the cone cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
Disney Dining Review - Summary
Chip n' Dale's Harvest Feat at the Garden Grill Restaurant was a great Disney Characters Dining experience and a great "dining" experience as well. The unique rotating restaurant setting with views into the Living With The Land attraction was an added bonus. It certainly was one of the best Character Meals due to the orientation of the tables, letting you truly have personal time with the characters when they came to visit.The food was above average and there was opportunity to get more of the items that you enjoyed the most. The service was excellent and it all came together for a very enjoyable dining experience. We would definitely rate this meal a "Must Do" for families.
The Character Dining Experience does accept the Disney Dining Plan and it counts as 1 Table Service Credit per person. They also accept the Tables In Wonderland Discount for 20% off.
Epcot Egg-Stravaganza 2014
Disney World Guests can participate in a special kind of Egg hunt at Epcot this year with the Epcot Egg-Stravaganza! This special scavenger hunt will have guests searching Epcot's World Showcase looking for Easter Eggs that look like your favorite Disney Characters.
Limited Time Epcot Fun!
From April 10 - 20, 2014 Epcot Guests will be able to purchase the above pictured map for $4.95 + tax at:- Heritage Manor (American Adventure Pavilion)
- Disney Traders
- International Gateway
- Pin Central
- Port of Entry
Along with the Map you get 12 Disney Character Easter Egg stickers that you can place in the appropriate country to mark the location that you found that character egg.
When you have completed your map return it to Disney Traders and participate in an ‘egg-scramble’ to pick up your surprise. (see picture above for an idea of what you may receive!)
Don't let this special Easter treat pass you by if you are spending April at Disney World!
140 Disney World Characters Come Together For Ultimate Tweet
An unprecedented event took place at Disney World, all for the purpose of announcing another upcoming Disney Event that will happen simultaneously on both coasts at both Disney World and Disneyland.
140 Disney Characters Together At One Time!
There have never been this many Disney Characters together at one time. The only shame is that it happened while the Magic Kingdom was closed and the public didn't get to see it in person!Disney Fans should click on the above picture and zoom in to see how many of these characters you can name. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are easy to spot in the front, but there are a lot of other characters that are rarely seen in the Disney Parks anymore.
Besides Disney Princesses aplenty, including Elsa from Frozen, there are 7 Dwarves, Winnie the Pooh and friends from teh 100 Acfre Wood, Robin Hood, Fairy Godmothers, Chip n' Dale, Mary Poppins, Mulan, Jungle Book Characters, Flik from A Bug's Life, Alice in Wonderland and friends, Villians from every corner of Disney lore, and even Dumbo! There are many more to find as well!
So why are 140 Disney Characters all standing together in the shape of a giant Hashtag? The answer is simple to make a special announcement on Twitter on an upcoming event that will happen during Memorial Day Weekend 2014.
Rock Your Disney Side
Returning again this year is the popular 24 hour straight celebration that both the Magic Kingdom in Disney World and Disneyland celebrate at the same time. The 2014 version is called "Rock Your Disney Side" and it promises to be a fun event!The event takes place starting 6 a.m., May 23 to 6 a.m., May 24, 2014, local time. The theme this year is good vs. evil and special entertainment and meet and greets will be set up across the parks.
Another special opportunity for Disney Guests is the fact that guests will be allowed (and encouraged) to wears costumes and dress as there favorite Disney Hero or Villains. This is an opportunity that usually is reserved for the MNSSHP (Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party).
Which Excites You More?
So which excites you more the Announcement or the Event? Does seeing 140 Disney Characters together top the "Rock Your Disney Side" event?We would love to hear your comments!
Top 5 Disney World Character Couples In Topiary At The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival brings an amazing array of colorful flowers and beautiful plants to an already visually stunning theme park. One of the most anticipated parts of the festival is the great Disney Character Topiaries that are on display.
Today, Only WDWorld selects the Top 5 Disney Character Couples that are depicted in Topiary form during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
Top 5 Disney Character Couple Topiaries
5. Princess Aurora & Prince Phillip - Sleeping Beauty and her Prince are beautifully captured while dancing amongst the flowered grounds.
4. Cinderella & Prince Charming - Everyone's favorite Disney Princess, Cinderella looks graceful as she dances with her Prince.
3. Lady & the Tramp - How can you not think about that classic scene from the movie Lady & The Tramp when you look at these incredible topiaries?
2. Belle & the Beast - Belle and the Beast look great with Paris as a backdrop.
1. Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse - How can you argue with Mickey Mouse and Minnie as our top choice? Over the years they are seen in different scenes, but always look great!
Disney World Must See Special Event
Each year the Disney World Horticultural staff outdoes themselves and puts together an amazing collection of gardens, flower beds, container gardens, and topiaries. The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is certainly a must see event. The best part is that it is included with your paid park admission to Epcot!A Look Back: Epcot - The Disney Characters On Holiday!
This was a time when your favorite Disney Characters including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, Chip & Dale, and more used to travel Epcot in a red double decker bus.
