Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Comes To A Close This Weekend
The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival is coming to the end of it’s run and this coming weekend is your last chance to visit.
The 2013 Flower Power concert also comes to an end as Starship, starring Mickey Thomas, round up the series from the 17 to 19th May.
The 2013 season has seen some new additions and recently we visited to take a look around and take in the new and old:
One of the delightful additions has been the Garden Marketplace culinary creations. Here you can experience smokehouse barbecue, shrimp with grits and Zellwood corn as well as sweet “frushi” made with fresh fruits and coconut rice. Over the season chefs perfected menus for the marketplaces that included Florida Fresh at World Showcase Promenade, Smokehouse Barbecue and Brew at American Adventure courtyard, Primavera Kitchen at Italy showcase, Hanami at Japan showcase.
The Garden Marketplace refreshing libations had a kick with Hot Sun Tomato Wine from Florida Orange Groves Winery and Dole Whip with Spiced Rum, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade and Wild Berry Slush. Beverage specialists also featured brews and beverages at food marketplaces and at Fruits by the Glass and Pineapple Promenade all around the World Showcase promenade
The Land of Oz Garden circus-like play area was a fabulous fun area based on the Disney fantastical film adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful” which was released on March 8, 2013. The interactive children’s play zone featured play systems adorned with giant flowers and designed that stretched kids’ imaginations and muscles. There were some midway-style games, circus-themed game tents and the “Oz Movie Garden” of intriguing plants that captured the spirit of the film.
Of course, among the much loved attractions are the topiaries and this year has been no different as larger-than-life Fab Five Disney character topiaries featured floral versions of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck (with Daisy Duck in a cameo) who starred in a celebratory cookout scene in living topiary color. The 14-foot-tall Goofy topiary had an anniversary cake while Donald and Daisy played badminton and Mickey fired up the grill. Pluto, meanwhile, swiped a link of hot dogs and Minnie chilled out on a colorful blanket of blossoms at the Epcot Front Entrance.
The Illuminated Gardens in the park’s Future World and World Showcase twinkled and glowed over the festival’s world-famous Disney gardens and topiaries each festival evening at Future World and World Showcase and all in all, the whole event was the best ever extravaganza of vibrant color and guests learning more about the world we live in.
One of the real highlights during our trip was in seeing the butterfly house and watching young butterflies hatch (as above photos). Butterflies actually transform in a Chrysalis rather than a cocoon and it takes seven to ten days before the monarch pushes open the chrysalis. The difference in time really depends on the temperature and metamorphis occurs more quickly in warmer climates. Overall, another fabulous visit to Epcot and the festival is really one that you shouldn’t miss.
Lots more photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
