Every year Epcot host a wonderful springtime event which runs for seven weeks, and which is called the Flower and Garden Festival. Admission to all the events are included in your regular Epcot tickets, and in 2006, the theme was ‘Romance.’ We love visiting Epcot as it is such a beautiful site, where flowers and trees abound, but during the Flower and Garden Festival Disney manage to make it even more fantastic. Whilst this is a great day out for adults, children are not forgotten and there are numerous child-centred events and features to keep them amused.
During this festival the whole park is ablaze with flowers and displays, and children will love the various topiaries which they will find scattered around Epcot, which last year included one of Donald and Daisy cruising through a floral tunnel of love. There were plenty of Disney characters to look out for, such as Belle and the Beast, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, Stitch, Lady and the Tramp, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and of course Winnie The Pooh, but Cinderella dancing with her prince was my favourite. There were even 50 hidden hearts to look for throughout the park, which reflected the festival’s romance theme.
One of our favourite attractions is the model train which is situated between Germany and Italy in the World Showcase, and during the festival the miniature Bavarian village is specially decorated. However, most little girls were drawn to Tinker Bell’s Fairy Garden, which is a fairy themed maze, to be found on the Imagination Walkway. It included a twinkling Tinker Bell topiary, as well as a playground, a tunnel crawl, and a maze.
However, my favourite attraction has to be Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden, where more than 500 butterflies from 10 species could be found in a specially built butterfly house. The best time to visit this lush garden is early morning, as butterflies tend to be drowsy at this time of day. By standing still it was possible to entice these delicate creatures to sit on your hand – some children even had butterflies land on their heads. It’s worth going there first to get the best view of the butterflies. There is also a live exhibition which shows the butterfly cycle, from caterpillar to chrysalis, and finally the emergence of a beautiful butterfly.
For those energetic children who enjoy climbing the SpaceNet was an ideal place to burn off some energy. However, for those who wanted to learn more about water conservation, the WaterFULL World Garden was a popular attraction, which showed how water conservation helps us in our daily life. Each day there was a ladybug release, at 1pm and 3pm. There was even a special ‘I Dig Bugs Weekend’ where insect specialists were on hand, and it was possible to get a close up look at spiders, caterpillars and other creatures – if you liked that sort of thing! Children who enjoyed craft activities were able to participate in themed activities at the Rose Walk. One of the most popular activities was the ‘Growing Future Gardens’ area, where there were lots of ideas for planting, for both children and adults.
Finally, there was Alice’s Unbirthday Party, where you could celebrate your unbirthday – and there were lots of ideas for how to organise a party at the Ultimate Backyard Garden Party, which was sponsored by Home Depot.
If you are lucky enough to visit Orlando when this fantastic festival is on, then make sure you take a trip to Epcot when it is at its most beautiful. The children will enjoy it, too.
During this festival the whole park is ablaze with flowers and displays, and children will love the various topiaries which they will find scattered around Epcot, which last year included one of Donald and Daisy cruising through a floral tunnel of love. There were plenty of Disney characters to look out for, such as Belle and the Beast, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, Stitch, Lady and the Tramp, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and of course Winnie The Pooh, but Cinderella dancing with her prince was my favourite. There were even 50 hidden hearts to look for throughout the park, which reflected the festival’s romance theme.
One of our favourite attractions is the model train which is situated between Germany and Italy in the World Showcase, and during the festival the miniature Bavarian village is specially decorated. However, most little girls were drawn to Tinker Bell’s Fairy Garden, which is a fairy themed maze, to be found on the Imagination Walkway. It included a twinkling Tinker Bell topiary, as well as a playground, a tunnel crawl, and a maze.
However, my favourite attraction has to be Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden, where more than 500 butterflies from 10 species could be found in a specially built butterfly house. The best time to visit this lush garden is early morning, as butterflies tend to be drowsy at this time of day. By standing still it was possible to entice these delicate creatures to sit on your hand – some children even had butterflies land on their heads. It’s worth going there first to get the best view of the butterflies. There is also a live exhibition which shows the butterfly cycle, from caterpillar to chrysalis, and finally the emergence of a beautiful butterfly.
For those energetic children who enjoy climbing the SpaceNet was an ideal place to burn off some energy. However, for those who wanted to learn more about water conservation, the WaterFULL World Garden was a popular attraction, which showed how water conservation helps us in our daily life. Each day there was a ladybug release, at 1pm and 3pm. There was even a special ‘I Dig Bugs Weekend’ where insect specialists were on hand, and it was possible to get a close up look at spiders, caterpillars and other creatures – if you liked that sort of thing! Children who enjoyed craft activities were able to participate in themed activities at the Rose Walk. One of the most popular activities was the ‘Growing Future Gardens’ area, where there were lots of ideas for planting, for both children and adults.
Finally, there was Alice’s Unbirthday Party, where you could celebrate your unbirthday – and there were lots of ideas for how to organise a party at the Ultimate Backyard Garden Party, which was sponsored by Home Depot.
If you are lucky enough to visit Orlando when this fantastic festival is on, then make sure you take a trip to Epcot when it is at its most beautiful. The children will enjoy it, too.