The dates for the 2018 Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival were announced this past Friday. This will be the 25th Anniversary of the festival and it will be held everyday between February 28 - May 28, 2018.
"Blossoming once again in 2018, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is a fun-filled destination for Guests of every age—and the perfect place for nearly every member of the family to dig up their sense of curiosity and discovery. Highlights may include:"
15 Outdoor kitchens offering delectable bites and libations that highlights spring garden offerings
Dozens of world-renowned, Disney-themed topiaries
Breathtaking garden spaces and wildlife habitats
An outdoor concert series featuring fan-favorite bands from the ‘60s, ‘70s ‘80s and ‘90s. Garden Rocks Dining packages will be available for certain Epcot restaurants – pairing a fabulous meal with reserved seating for your favorite concert
Garden Tours – Including Gardens of the World Tour (spring edition); the English Tea Garden Tour; and Royal Tea Garden Tour (extra fee required)
Inspirational exhibits, seminars and how-to demonstrations
New interactive kids play areas
Also returning will be the Egg-Stravaganza scavenger hunt and hand-crafted and Festival merchandise to extend an already-packed day of adventure at Epcot.
We love to see all the flowers, it is amazing how they seem to change things over night. The butterfly exhibit is very nice and educational. After living in the northeast with cold and snow, Florida is such a nice place to go. The Flower and Garden makes it so enjoyable to us northerners. Especially when we are so tired of our weather.
It's almost that time of year when they have the flower and garden festival, in fact it starts in 29 days from today. I have been patiently checking everything for about 2 months now and Disney still hasn't announced the food kitchens. The singers have been out now for about a month if not more.
This event is so nice to see after our winters up north. Just to enjoy all the flowers and the wonderful butterfly tent is a great way to slow down and relax.
Our last trip for this has unfortunately been 3 years and like always hope to make it again soon.
What are some of your enjoyments at this festival?
We only got to the World one time during the Flower and Garden Festival....my son was a wee lad and only wanted to do the Seven Dwarves Mine Train.
So mostly I am filled with regret as I am an avid gardener and missed most of the festival.
The only enjoyment(s) I got at the festival are: 1)that was when my wife finally agreed to buy DVC -so by the time I am 96 I will be able to enjoy it at least a few times (I hope)!!!! 2) Specific to the festival is the amazing reveal of the flowers/landscaping as you come in on the Monorail - that is amazing!!!!!
We only got to the World one time during the Flower and Garden Festival....my son was a wee lad and only wanted to do the Seven Dwarves Mine Train.
So mostly I am filled with regret as I am an avid gardener and missed most of the festival.
The only enjoyment(s) I got at the festival are: 1)that was when my wife finally agreed to buy DVC -so by the time I am 96 I will be able to enjoy it at least a few times (I hope)!!!! 2) Specific to the festival is the amazing reveal of the flowers/landscaping as you come in on the Monorail - that is amazing!!!!!
Yes pvtim that is an amazing sight to behold from the monorail but even better close up. The floating gardens make the lake stand out, I read they have over 100 of them. At each kitchen they have the vegetables growing in pots that are in the foods.
I also enjoy gardening very much, I suggest the Behind the Seeds Tour at the Land, we finally did this during the Food and Wine Festival a year ago and I tried the hydroponics this past summer at home. Oh course I made my own adjustments to decrease the cost and feel very confident that this summer I will get it to work correctly this time. LOL
Sure hope you get to enjoy the DVC as many times as you can.
Last Edit: Feb 2, 2018 12:51:08 GMT by disneymike: correcting number of floating gardens
My wife is a big gardener so she loves seeing the flower arrangements, getting advise from expert gardeners (flowers and vegetable gardens), and learning ways to improvement our gardens and vegetable output. I enjoy walking around Epcot and taking in the sights and sounds. Also.....happy wife happy life.....so as long as she is happy and enjoying it then so am I.
The first time my wife wanted to the Behind the Seeds Tour I thought it was going to be corny tour but I then thought it was very interesting, and even I learned something from it. Whenever we are back in Epcot, I always ask if she wants to do the tour. It tend to do it about every other trip down. This last time, she noticed the price had increased from $12 to $25 per person so we didn't do it. She said she will be a little selective on when we do the tour due the increase in price. Not that the price is totally a deal breaker but doing it once a year might be much since little changes.
With our garden doing well last year and this year we are getting a greenhouse up, she wants to try her hand hydroponics and give that a try for a couple of years. She has said that if she likes it and does well at it, then we might clear out some more of the back yard and put in a small aquaponics for just us before going bigger and selling the fish to local restaurants.
Prior: Offsite most every other years from 1972 - 2000
Most recent: Offsite 2001 & 2003 / ASM 2006 / Offsite 2009 / Poly 2011 / POR 2013 / CR 2014 / GF 2015 / DS Hotel 2017 / BC 2017 / POR 2018
I do not have a green thumb, but am amazed at those who do with their gardens and flower beds...truly a gift. My parents and grandparents were exceptional with them. We always had fresh picked vegetables and my father's roses were absolutely gorgeous. We did the Behind the Seeds Tour and thought it was great. We hope to get to the Flower & Garden Festival next year. I just love Epcot!
WDW Sept 1995 Contemporary - WDW July 1997 Polynesian - WDW July 1998 Polynesian - WDW July 2000 Grand Floridian - WDW July 2003 Grand Floridian
My wife is a big gardener so she loves seeing the flower arrangements, getting advise from expert gardeners (flowers and vegetable gardens), and learning ways to improvement our gardens and vegetable output. I enjoy walking around Epcot and taking in the sights and sounds. Also.....happy wife happy life.....so as long as she is happy and enjoying it then so am I.
The first time my wife wanted to the Behind the Seeds Tour I thought it was going to be corny tour but I then thought it was very interesting, and even I learned something from it. Whenever we are back in Epcot, I always ask if she wants to do the tour. It tend to do it about every other trip down. This last time, she noticed the price had increased from $12 to $25 per person so we didn't do it. She said she will be a little selective on when we do the tour due the increase in price. Not that the price is totally a deal breaker but doing it once a year might be much since little changes.
With our garden doing well last year and this year we are getting a greenhouse up, she wants to try her hand hydroponics and give that a try for a couple of years. She has said that if she likes it and does well at it, then we might clear out some more of the back yard and put in a small aquaponics for just us before going bigger and selling the fish to local restaurants.
- Tampa Bay Brewing Company Quat Seasonal Fruit Ale
- Big Top Brewing Company Conch Republic Key Lime Wheat, Sarasota, FL
- First Magnitude Brewing Co. Monarch Milk Stout, Gainesville, FL
- Watermelon Cucumber Slushy with Tamiami Florida Gin
- Watermelon Cucumber Slushy (Non-alcoholic)
- Beer Flight
Hanami Journey to Japan for innovative plates crafted with culinary Zen—each delish dish is a Festival favorite!
Food
- Frushi: Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry and Melon rolled with Coconut Rice, sprinkled with Toasted Coconut and Whipped Cream with Raspberry Sauce on the side (V)
- Ginger Beef Yaki Udon: Thin-sliced Beef, Onions and Noodles tossed on the grill with Soy and Ginger
- Teriyaki Salmon with Furikake Seasoned Brown Rice (GF)
Beverages
- Pineapple Momo Sake Cocktail
- Kara Super Dry Sake
- Sapporo Premium Black Lager
Jardin de Fiestas Take a food-tastic tour of the Mexico Pavilion… these tantalizing tastes will add some spice to your day!
Food
- Pork Taco: Slow-braised Pork Taco served with Apple Relish, Goat Cheese and Chile de Árbol Sauce
- Chilaquiles: Chilaquiles served with Chorizo, Mexican Cream and Cotija Cheese
- Capirotada: Bread Pudding served with Rompope
Beverages
- Tiger Lily Sangria
- Rose Margarita
- Violet Cassis Punch
- Daisy Spicy Beer
La Isla Fresca Nibble on Caribbean-seasoned dishes that’ll send appetites swaying to the island beat!
Food
- Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro
- Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewer with Steamed Rice and Coconut Lime Sauce
- Caribbean Conch Salad with Mango, Papaya and Pickled Red Onions
- Tropical Mousse Cake: Layers of Passion Fruit Cake, Coconut Mousse and a Tropical Fruit Glaze with Fresh Pineapple
Beverages
- Golden Road Brewing Tart Mango Cart Wheat Ale, Los Angeles, CA
- Tropical Freeze with Cruzan Mango Rum
- Tropical Freeze (Non-alcoholic)
Lotus House Sink your teeth into authentic Chinese eats filled with morsels of good fortune!
Food
- Spicy Meatballs with Crispy Tofu
- Fried Chicken Dumplings with Peanut Sauce
- Vegetable Spring Rolls (V)
Beverages
- Oolong Peach Bubble Tea (Non-alcoholic)
- Kung Fu Punch: Vodka, Triple Sec, Mango and Orange Juice
- BaiJoe Punch: Chinese Bai Jiu Spirit, Lychee, Coconut and Pineapple Juice
- Plum Wine Cooler
- Tsingtao Lager
Northern Bloom Please discriminating palates with fantastic fare from our Great White North neighbor… O Canada!
Food
- Seared Scallops with French Green Beans, Butter Potatoes, Brown Butter Vinaigrette and Apple-wood Smoked Bacon (GF)
- Frozen Lemonade with Firefly Blackberry Moonshine
- Frozen Lemonade (Non-alcoholic)
The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board™ – NEW! Quell cravings with an incredible menu of all-natural food and drink infused with the nectar of the gods!
Food
- Roasted Cauliflower with Buckwheat Honey Carrot Puree, Wild Rice Pilaf, Asparagus, Honey Blistered Grapes and Sunflower Brittle (GF) (V)
- Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread with White Cheddar Cheese, charred vegetables, Clover Honey Sour Cream and Micro Watercress
- Local Wildflower Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange Blossom Honey Ice Cream garnished with Fennel Pollen Meringue Kisses
I've been waiting for the kitchen menu's and my wife found them this morning. I wasn't able to post at that time. Thanks again Rich, I like to go over them and do some wishing.
I've been waiting for the kitchen menu's and my wife found them this morning. I wasn't able to post at that time. Thanks again Rich, I like to go over them and do some wishing.
Me too! Lots and lots of wishing.
WDW Sept 1995 Contemporary - WDW July 1997 Polynesian - WDW July 1998 Polynesian - WDW July 2000 Grand Floridian - WDW July 2003 Grand Floridian
Just got back from a surprise vacation, my wife booked a trip to WDW for my 65 birthday, it was a nice surprise and the first time we ever went to WDW in February and March, weather was really nice in the 80's. Got in 8 days of swimming and seeing the beginning of the flower and garden festival which was nice looking at all the color while back home they had snow. Then we return late Tuesday just in time for 26" with drifts over 3'.