Hey, everyone!
Chrissa here!
And the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival just began for 2023.
And I am so excited to give you an entire
tour of everything there is to see during this year's festival.
So let's get into it.
The Epcot Flower Garden Festival is one of my favorite Epcot
festivals of the year, and it's going on now until July 5th.
This beautiful springtime festival is packed with amazing topiaries,
beautiful gardens, and of course, some awesome food.
We attended the very first weekend of the festival
and we were lucky to have
a beautiful weekend to enjoy all the festivities, albeit
it was a little hotter than I would have liked for this early in the season.
When you first walk in, you won't be able
to miss the sight of this year's brand new amazing
topiary of Mirabel, Antonio, Isabella
and Luisa from Disney's Encanto.
This beautiful topiary is an absolute showstopper
and one you'll want to stop and grab pictures
with as you make your way through the entrance.
One of my favorite details that I didn't notice
until it got a little darker was that the butterfly lights
up in Mirabel's hands and it's a really beautiful sight.
While you're in the main entrance area
don't forget to pick up one of these.
This is the Flower and Garden Festival Passport,
and it lists everything that is available to see, do,
and eat during this year's festival.
This year there are 26 stunning topiaries and 25 different gardens to explore
that are spread throughout the park
and one garden that I absolutely don't think that you should miss
is the Butterfly Landing that's presented by Adventhealth
that's located near Imagination.
In here you can observe many different species
of butterflies up close and all around you.
You can even watch some emerge from their cocoons.
It's such a beautiful sight.
I just love walking around and watching all of the butterflies.
And if you're lucky,
right behind the butterfly garden is where you can sometimes catch
Winnie the Pooh trying to catch a few butterflies himself.
He's always just so cute.
And I love seeing him out there.
Also in World Nature
and just a short walk from the butterfly garden is Woody, Bo Peep, and her sheep
along with a few monkeys hanging from the trees
and just a short walk from them, is also Simba
and his friends Rafiki, Mufasa and Sarabi.
But don't miss Pumbaa and Timon who are right behind them.
And while you're in the area, you'll have to make your way over
to the front of Imagination, where you'll find Figment
who is beautifully made completely of succulents.
And while you're making your way from one topiary
to the next in this area, you'll want to make sure to peer
over the water to catch sight of all of the floating gardens.
The floating gardens are made of 150 petite
plots drifting in the ponds that border the Bridge of the World Showcase.
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Once you get to the bridge
you’ll be met with the beautiful display of Mickey,
Minnie, Chip, Dale and Pluto.
And just a short walk from the Minnie and Mickey display,
you'll find the Blossoms of Fragrance presented by Scentsy
where you'll be able to follow your nose and form lasting memories
with the help of these fresh and unforgettable fragrances.
And while you're here, if you take a moment
to step behind the display, you'll be able to admire
the beautiful panorama of the festival
blooms that you'll be able to see from across the lake.
This amazing display is made of thousands of flowers
that form this beautiful living panorama.
At the very end of the bridge is where you'll find this incredible
topiary of Goofy at the start of the World Showcase.
Just to the right of Goofy is the Port of Entry area
where you'll encounter the Honey Bee-stro garden.
Here you'll be able to learn about honeybees
critical role in the environment and enjoy sweet and savory
treats made possible by their hard work.
I always tend to go around the World Showcase counterclockwise,
and if you're a counter-clockwise person like me,
the very first pavilion that you'll come across is Canada,
which this year holds a topiary of geese flying off from the Victoria Gardens,
which is an amazing sight in the springtime.
Once you’ve made it past Canada, right in between Canada and the United Kingdom.
You'll find a fun topiary of Peter Pan, Captain Hook
and tick tock croc.
Once you've made it into the United Kingdom,
just to the right, you'll find the Shakespeare garden
where you can explore the works of Shakespeare in this idyllic garden
that features excerpts from the Bard's most famous sonnets,
as well as the dazzling flowers that influenced all of them.
Walking past the Shakespeare
garden is where you'll see a topiary of my favorite character,
Winnie the Pooh, and his friend Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
While you're in the UK
if you take a right and walk further into the pavilion,
you'll head to the back where you'll be able to discover
the Topiary Heritage garden, where you can learn about the different
techniques used by the Walt Disney Horticultural team
to create this year's topiaries.
Once you finish marveling at their work, you can walk around the corner
to discover one of my other favorite gardens,
the English Tea garden that's presented by Twinings Tea.
This adorable garden showcases the history and the art of tea
blending, featuring the plants that are used in some of Twinings
finest blends presented in these cute little teacups.
Just outside of the English Tea garden
you'll come across the topiary of Tinker Bell's Fairy House garden,
which features some amazing little fairy houses.
Making your way over to France
now you'll get to see the beautiful topiary of Beauty
and the Beast, as well as Lumiere and Cogsworth.
That are right in front of France's Bouquet Garden,
where you'll find beautiful blooms, perfect
for a bouquet of cut flowers.
Just before you make it into the Morocco pavilion
make sure to take a little detour to find Kermit and Miss Piggy
that are nestled right here in between of France and Morocco.
But once you do make it into Morocco, don't miss this beautiful little Spice
garden where you can discover how Eastern cultures flourished
trading signature spices
and herb blends once considered more valuable than gold.
After passing
through Morocco, you'll enter Japan,
where you'll find this amazing dragon topiary.
That's sitting in front of the famous Japanese Torii gate.
While you're in the area
don't miss the little bonsai garden that is just to the right of the dragon.
Here, you'll be able to learn
the art of the bonsai and how bonsai masters carefully shaped
and tended these miniature works of art, creating
peace and balance with the Earth.
Also in Japan is a brand new garden.
The Shishi-odoshi where you'll be able to contemplate the methodical movement
and soothing rhythm of these traditional Japanese
bamboo water fountains.
Also in the back of the Japan Pavilion is where you can find
the Kokedama garden, where you'll be able to admire
these fresh expressions of ancient Japanese art.
in this really tranquil little garden.
After exploring the sights and gardens of Japan,
you'll head into American adventure, where you'll find
the brand new Tiana Topiary
that is absolutely breathtaking.
Heading past American Adventure and into the Italy Pavilion
is where you'll find the Lady and the Tramp Topiary
and the Garden Italiano that features all of the produce
and herbs that are needed to create the classic Italian feast.
Heading past Italy and into Germany now you'll be able to find the topiary
of Snow White and her seven Dwarves, which are always fun
to see and are located right here on the waterfront.
And while you're here, just across the way is where you'll find
the Miniature garden where you can appreciate these tiny dwellings
nestled in a forest of fine shrubs.
Just past Germany is where you'll find the China pavilion.
And here you'll see these adorable little panda
topiaries as well as the Bamboo garden
that's comprised of a variety of colors,
patterns, and sizes of bamboo.
And while, you're in China
you'll also want to make sure to check out the Chinese Zodiac Garden,
where you can discover your favorite Zodiac while
admiring these clever creations.
Heading into Norway is, of course,
where you'll be able to encounter the Anna and Elsa topiary.
In addition to this really fun giant Troll.
Just before you make it into the Mexico pavilion,
you'll find a little walkway that holds one of my favorite gardens
of the festival, the tropical Rainforest Garden.
These orchids are truly extraordinary,
and I only wish that I could grow orchids this beautiful at home.
It's another garden that I don't think you should miss.
Also in Mexico is the Desert garden where you'll be able to learn
the special adaptations that allow these plants in arid climates
to adjust to some of the harshest growing conditions.
Just before you leave Mexico is where you'll find
the topiary of the Three Caballeros: Jose, Donald and Panchito.
Just as you hit the walkway to the Odyssey building.
And speaking of the Odyssey building, if you're looking to pick up
the Orange Bird Sipper Cup or any other festival merchandise
for that matter,
you'll want to head into the Odyssey Building since it holds the largest
selection of merchandise for this year's festival.
If that wasn't enough, topiaries and gardens for you
as you made your way around the World Showcase.
Then there's a couple more that are located within the World Discovery area.
And here is where you'll be able to find Buzz Lightyear
that stands proudly in front of Mission Space.
But just in front of him is a small little garden of prehistoric plants
that features plant life that has thrived since the age of the dinosaurs.
As you're admiring the prehistoric plants,
if you look to your right is where you'll find Donald and Daisy
in the community Garden near Connections Cafe.
In this community garden is where you'll be able to connect
with the Earth and each other in this celebration
of a diverse and thriving community garden.
If you do decide to step into the Connections
Café, then you'll find the Conservatory garden
where you'll be able to settle in in this very thoughtful garden
that is full of flora inspirations for all of your indoor spaces.
Just a short walk from connections is where you'll find
the Family Friendly garden presented by Off.
Here you can explore a camp themed garden where you and the kids
are invited to jump and play and climb,
in this really fun play area.
And while you're here,
make sure to stop by the lake to check out the purple martins nests
that are located on the lakeside near World Discovery.
Along with the Songbird Meadow presented by Wild Birds
Unlimited, where you'll be able to learn about the simple steps
that you can take at home to help songbirds thrive.
One of the biggest
draws to any Epcot festival is hands down
the food and drinks that you can enjoy every year.
And I always love completing the garden graze.
You'll be able to find
the garden and graze in the very back of your festival passport,
where you'll be able to choose a selection of five items
out of the ten that are featured throughout the festival.
And with this in hand, we made our way over to pick up the very
first items of the garden graze. Which was the Impossible
Lumpia, the Boneless Impossible Korean Short Rib and the Chocolate Cake
that you can all pick up from trowel and trellis in the port of entry area.
And being Filipina myself, I was excited to try the impossible
lumpia as this is
a staple eggroll of the Philippines and one that I grew up with.
This impossible lumpia is served with sweet
chili sauce and was absolutely delicious.
Even though I probably prefer the original lumpia
This is a wonderful alternative for any of my vegetarian friends out there.
If you enjoyed the lumpia, then you'll also want to pick up
the boneless impossible Korean short rib that is served with cilantro
lime rice, danmuji slaw and kimchee mayonnaise.
And last but not least, is this chocolate cake,
which is served with the black currant ganache,
mixed berry compote and a chocolate ice cream..well..for us..
It was just so hot that it WAS chocolate
ice cream, but it was still delicious.
After this, we headed back over to La Isla Fresca
that's located between France and Morocco
to pick up the coconut tres leches, which is a delicious vanilla cake
that's soaked in oat milk, almond milk and coconut
milk with toasted coconut on top.
It is yet another amazing vegan option
and one you'll want to try during this festival.
After finishing the coconut tres
leches, we headed over to the Tangerine Café in Morocco
to pick up the Hummus Trio, which is a trio of traditional hummus,
red beet and black garlic hummus and avocado
herb hummus that is served with Moroccan bread and crispy papadam.
Surprisingly enough, my favorite ended up being the red beet
and black garlic hummus, which I was not expecting.
So if you love hummus, this is definitely a dish
that you may want to try.
Since the hummus around off
my five items for the garden graze
I made my way all the way back to the pineapple promenade
to pick up my festival treat, which ended up being a lime Dole
whip that is served in an adorable festival souvenir cup.
As well as a pack of seeds
to start your very own garden at home.
But there are so many other flavors to try throughout the festival.
If you have any favorites that you're looking forward
to getting this year, let me know down in the comments below.
I may have to pick them up on my next trip
to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.
In addition to the amazing Topiaries, Gardens , and food
there is also a really fun scavenger hunt to do while you're here.
The Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration where you can follow Spike
on this pollination trail throughout the park to find all of the
little spikes throughout the gardens and regardless of
if you finish or not, you can always head to the Creations shop
to claim your prize, which this year ended up being a selection
of festival cups and plates with a few of your favorite characters.
I couldn't help but get the adorable orange bird plate,
but it was a tough choice between that one and the Snow
White plate, which would have matched my festival ears.
And if you're still in Epcot during the evening,
you won't want to miss the Garden, Rocks concert series that happens
a few times throughout the evening. During the very first weekend
we were able to enjoy Journey's former lead vocalist Steve Augeri.
But there are several artists that are scheduled throughout
the season, so if you're interested in seeing the complete schedule,
I plugged up a QR code onto the screen that will give you more information.
And no Epcot Festival
would be complete without its exclusive merchandise.
And this year, there are several different festival collections
that you'll want to keep an eye out for.
That includes orange bird apparel, accessories, garden decor and more.
And a beautiful series that features Snow White’s
Favorite flowers and friends from the forest, including my beautiful
festival ears that you find me wearing throughout this video and on Instagram.
But there's also fun Flower and Garden Figment merchandise
that includes figments cacti garden highlighted in this fresh assortment.
If you're wondering what other things there are to do at Epcot during the day,
then you'll want to check out my Epcot overview
that just popped up on the screen. In this video
I'm going to take you on a tour
of almost every attraction that Epcot has to offer.
Until next time, everyone! I hope you have an amazing day
and go out and enjoy some Florida sunshine.