The calendar and thermometer may say that spring is still several weeks away, but as of March 4 the new season has officially sprung at Walt Disney World, where the 2020 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is now in full bloom and running daily through June 1.
Epcot is a maze of construction walls at the moment, as the park is undergoing a massive transformation, but that didn’t stop Walt Disney World’s oldest and most colorful annual event from returning for its 27th year. To help you navigate the festivities, we’ve assembled this Unofficial Guide to the foliage, food, and fun that you’ll find at this year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
Much like its sibling events, the recently concluded Festival of the Arts and the fall’s Food and Wine Festival, Epcot’s annual floral festival features delicious dishes and drinks at outdoor kitchens arrayed around Future World and World Showcase, as well as educational experiences, live musical performances, and exclusive event merchandise.
But of course, it’s the amazing topiary displays and lush landscaping that truly set Epcot’s springtime celebration apart. And the best news is that you can experience nearly everything that the Flower & Garden Festival has to offer at no extra charge, with your standard park admission or Annual Pass.
First things first: Check out our video highlights from the 2020 Flower & Garden Festival’s opening day:
Next, you’ll want to pick up a Festival Passport as you enter the park, so you can use stickers to keep track of everything you eat on your trip around the World.
Here’s our Unofficial Guide to all the green goodness you’ll get to experience at the 2020 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
Topiaries and Gardens
The parks of the Walt Disney World resort are horticultural havens in every season, but springtime is when Epcot’s expert landscapers truly pull out all the stops. From intricately planted flowerbeds fit for a royal garden, to inspirational “How-To” displays suitable for a suburban backyard, the Flower & Garden Festival’s topiaries and gardens are guaranteed to make your appreciation of nature blossom.
New this year is a Remy topiary, which is the centerpiece of a Ratatouille Garden at the France pavilion. The floral Remy is surrounded by a garden of veggies that comprise the colorful ingredients of a ratatouille recipe.
You can discover other character-themed topiary displays around the park, featuring foliage versions of famous friends, ranging from Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, to Kermit and Miss Piggy from the Muppets.
Appropriately for the work-in-progress park, Mickey and Minnie are wearing construction gear this year; you’ll find them in between Future World and World Showcase, hard at work alongside Goofy, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale.
Beyond the character topiaries, you’ll also find cultural and educational exhibits all around the park.
Of particular note is the ever-popular Goodness Garden Butterfly House Presented by GoGo squeeZ, which has relocated between The Land and Imagination pavilions.
You can use this interactive map of Epcot to locate all the exhibits and displays at this year’s Flower & Garden event.
Outdoor Kitchens
Foliage may be at the center of Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival, but food and beverages come in a close second. This year’s event features 16 different Outdoor Kitchens.
New for 2020 is Magnolia Terrace at The American Adventure, which is featuring a Southern Seafood Boil with Shrimp, Mussels, Crawfish, and Andouille Sausage; Grilled Oysters with Cajun Butter; House-made Boudin Two Ways with Spicy Mustard; Pecan Cake with Maple Whipped Cream; and Pecan Praline. Beer options include Wild Heaven Beer Session Citrus Lager, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Amber Ale, and Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine Double IPA.
In addition to the new outdoor kitchen, you’ll find 15 returning favorites, featuring fresh cuisine from around the world. Several of the kiosks have added new plant-based options to their menus, including Grilled Baby Vegetables with Hummus Cream at Flavor Full Kitchen, and the Impossible Farmhouse Meatball Trowel & Trellis. You will also find festival-exclusive items added to the menus of many permanent food kiosks around the park.
Read this Disney Parks Blog post for a full rundown of the all the food and beverage offerings at the 2020 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
Garden Rocks Concert Series
Every evening during the 2020 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, the American Gardens stage will spring to life for the Garden Rocks Concert series, which has been expanded to seven days per week for a total of 270 performances. Performances are held every day at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m., with free seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
New additions to the Garden Rocks concert lineup for 2020 include Peabo Bryson (March 4-5), Mark Wills (March 20-23), Atlantic Starr (April 12-13), High Valley (April 17-18), Don McLean (May 1-2), Casting Crowns (May 3-4), Thelma Houston (May 8-9), The Allman Betts Bend (May 10-11), Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot (May 19-21), Claudia Leitte (May 22-23), Daughtry (May 24-25), and Crowder (May 29-30).
To guarantee a seat for the show, you can reserve a Garden Rocks Dining Package, which combines breakfast, lunch, or dinner at your choice of four restaurants, plus reserved viewing for one concert. Prices range from $52 to $69 for adults, or $22 to $39 for kids, and advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Educational Seminars and Tours
You can learn all about living with the land with the Flower & Garden Festival’s educational tours and exhibits, some of which require an extra fee. For example, Gardens of the World is a 3-hour walking tour led by a Disney horticulturalist, who will let you in on the Festival’s behind-the-scenes secrets; tours are held on select Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon; cost is $85 per person. For $20-$29 per person, you can take a tour of the Twinings English Tea Garden or The Land’s greenhouses.
Near the Imagination pavilion, you’ll find the Honey Bee-Stro, an immersive garden where you can learn about the importance of honeybees and taste some of their sweet handiwork.
Other displays around World Showcase, such as the Kokedama Garden in Japan and the Garden Italiano in Italy, will give you free ideas on how to brighten up your own backyard garden.
Kids’ Activities at the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Grownups don’t get to have all the fun at the Flower & Garden Festival because there’s plenty to entertain the little sprouts in your family, starting with Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration. Purchase a map for $7.99 at Port of Entry, then complete your scavenger hunt by searching for flowers featuring the big honeybee to receive your prize. From March 27 through April 12, an Easter Egg-stravaganza Scavenger Hunt is also available for the same price.
AdventHealth is presenting a brand-new Play Full Garden as part of their Health Full Trail along Imagination Walkway, that’s made to inspire youthful energy and creativity for the whole family.
And the Family Play Zone, featuring Bo Peep’s Playtime Training Grounds playground themed to the film Toy Story 4, has returned near Test Track.
2020 Epcot Flower & Garden Merchandise
Take home a souvenir from the 2020 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival’s new merchandise collections, which feature Mickey and Minnie, the Orange Bird, and Spike the Bee.
The Orange Bird’s Hello Sunshine Collection features a colorful new headband, and Spike’s Sweet as Can Bee Collection includes a hive-shaped ceramic mug.
Minnie’s Flower Cart brings “blooming fashion” to the festival with Dooney & Bourke accessories, while this year’s Mickey’s Farmers Market apparel is inspired homegrown produce.
The popular Orange Bird Sipper cup returns this year to Citrus Blossom and is joined by the new Spike the Bee Sipper (filled with Honey-Peach Freeze), which is available at the nearby Honey Bee-stro.
Annual Passholder Exclusives
Finally, Annual Passholders should be sure to pick up a free magnet featuring Donald Duck with Spike the Bee (March 4-April 19) or the Orange Bird (April 20-June 1) at Mouse Gear.
Passholder-exclusive shirts, pins, and other souvenirs are also available for purchase throughout the park, many featuring Figment. Passholders can now purchase brand-new watering can mugs, with two additional designs featuring Spike the Bee and Figment debuting on April 20.
Passholders get a 20% discount on all merchandise in the park. In addition, passholders can save 10% on Garden Rocks concert dining packages and 15% on behind-the-scenes tours.
For all there is to do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. If you are traveling with children you may want to purchase The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids. If you enjoyed this post about the 2020 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter here.
