10 Things You Can't Miss at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival

The festival’s most iconic feature is the collection of larger-than-life character topiaries throughout the park. You’ll spot characters like Mickey, Minnie, and friends near the entrance, plus creative displays across the World Showcase and other garden areas.

Pro tip: Visit early in the morning for the best photos and softer light. 

More than 20 themed garden displays pop up around EPCOT. Some highlight global horticulture, while others focus on pollinators, edible gardens, or design inspiration for home gardeners.

Fan favorites and some new gardens this year include:

• Blossoms of Fragrance
• Pluto's Pet-Friendly Garden
• Wildlife Crossing Garden
• Trendy Tropical Garden
• The Community Garden

One of the most peaceful festival spaces is the walk-through butterfly habitat. Guests can stroll through a tented garden filled with flowers and hundreds of butterflies.

It’s beautiful, calming, and one of the festival’s most photogenic stops.

Foodies will be happy to hear the fun doesn’t stop at flowers. Seasonal Outdoor Kitchens are the festival’s food booths, serving small plates inspired by fresh ingredients and spring flavors. In true EPCOT form, each kitchen also highlights international delicacies. 

Expect things like:

• Garden-fresh salads and vegetable dishes
• Floral or citrus desserts
• Creative cocktails and frozen drinks

This is essentially a springtime food crawl around the park.

On the topic of food, food lovers can participate in Garden Graze, a festival food scavenger hunt.

How it works:

• Purchase featured menu items from select Outdoor Kitchens
• Collect stamps in the festival passport
• Redeem the completed passport for a special dessert

It’s basically a culinary treasure hunt.

Children can enjoy their own activity alongside you with Spike's Pollen-Nation Exploration. 

How it Works: 

• Purchase the scavenger hunt map
• Search for Spike the Bee around the World Showcase
• Match Spike with the correct flower or plant.
• Place the matching sticker on the map.
• Complete your map and return it for a prize.

Get your groove on with the Festival’s Garden Rocks Concert Series. Each weekend, you can soak up the sounds of different artists and acts at the American Gardens Theatre. Chart-toppers, up-and-comers, and old-school classics, all while taking in a waterfront view? Sign us up.

The attraction Living with the Land becomes even more interesting during the festival. Special displays highlight sustainable agriculture, creative gardening techniques, and seasonal crops grown inside EPCOT’s greenhouses.

If you want a closer look, consider the Behinds the Seeds walking tour for a personal backstage tour of the four greenhouses and fish farm within the pavilion. And take it a up a notch by dining at Garden Grill Restaurant to enjoy food grown in the greenhouses.

Limited-time festival merchandise includes:

• Garden-themed Disney apparel, including the Orange Bird, Spike the Bee, and Alice in Wonderland collections
• Flower & Garden collectibles
• Plant-inspired home decor

Festival merch tends to sell out, so it’s worth browsing early.

Tucked beside The Tea Caddy in the United Kingdom pavilion at EPCOT, the Twinings Tea Garden offers complimentary mini tastings throughout the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. During these short, guided sessions, Cast Members introduce guests to a few blends from Twinings, explaining the ingredients, aromas, and tasting notes that make each cup unique. It’s a relaxing pause amid the festival’s color and crowds, and a lovely way to discover a new favorite brew.

Even beyond specific activities, the festival transforms EPCOT with 700 gardens, 240 floating flower planters, 30 flower towers, and almost 30 million blooms spring to life during the festival. It takes more than one year and hundreds of Walt Disney World garden experts to prepare for the 90-day festival. In other words, this is a pretty big deal. Make sure you stop to smell the roses when you visit.