WDW Daily News

Two new spring-inspired Outdoor Kitchens, three mischievous Disney topiary characters and an innovative musical play garden will debut during the 23^rd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2-May 30, 2016. The popular spring festival at Walt Disney World Resort, known for its tasty edibles, sweeping floral displays and dazzling topiary creations, expands from 75 days to 90 days in 2016.

The new La Isla Fresca and Cider House Outdoor Kitchens will introduce fresh variety and flavor to the culinary offerings at a record 13 festival kiosks surrounding the World Showcase Promenade. Donald Duck’s mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, make their topiary debut with Donald and Daisy in the park’s signature front-entrance garden. Xylophones, drums and chimes will take child’s play to tuneful levels at the new Harmony Gardens play area featuring “leader-of-the-band” Mickey Mouse topiary.

Live Garden Rocks concerts will set the beat with familiar pop tunes each festival weekend. And special “Fun Fresh Weekends” add new adventures to the seasonal event.

Guests of the 2016 festival can celebrate spring with gardens-full of Epcot options:

• New culinary creations at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens will take guests on a Caribbean tour at La Isla Fresca with flavors like Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon-Pea Rice and Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa. At the new Cider House, a Field Greens salad with greens harvested from The Land pavilion, heirloom apples, Stilton cheese and dried blueberries will pair well with a blueberry hard cider from Plant City, Fla. Dozens of new food and beverage flavors will debut, as well, at the festival’s 11 other Outdoor Kitchens: Urban Farm Eats, Pineapple Promenade, Fleur de Lys, Florida Fresh, Taste of Marrakesh, Hanami, THE SMOKEHOUSE: Barbecue and Brews, Primavera Kitchen, Lotus House, Bauernmarkt and Jardin de Fiestas.

• The first-ever Huey, Dewey and Louie topiaries will feature floral interpretations of Donald’s nephews inspired by a 1943 Donald Duck comic book called “The Victory Garden” at the Epcot front-entrance garden display with Donald and Daisy.

• A new hands-on Harmony Gardens musical playground will debut featuring Disney’s Fab Five topiaries of “band leader” Mickey Mouse plus Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck topiaries. With the playground’s interactive drums, chimes and xylophones, children can create their own musical sounds when they’re not scampering across innovative outdoor climbing systems with safe, but challenging, net-based structures. Watch for music-themed plants that add harmony to this inspired play area. The popular Cactus Road Rally play garden returns with Disney-Pixar topiary pals Mater and Lightning McQueen from the hit film, “Cars.”

• Fun Fresh Weekends add novel dimension to daily festival fun: April 1-3 — Art in the Garden Weekend spotlights nature through the works of plein air artists; April 8-10 – The new Family Fun Weekend presents outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy and a Festival Center focus on bugs with Disney’s Animal Kingdom specialists; April 22-24 – Earth Day Weekend celebrates our planet with special appearances and activities; and April 29-May 1—Florida Fresh Weekend features the state’s edible bounty from Apalachicola to Zellwood.

• On the south side of Spaceship Earth, Disney gardeners will paint the landscape with a Floral Sun garden and yellow “sunbursts” will sprout in a new Future World topiary garden featuring Minnie Mouse and Pluto.

• The Ranger Mickey topiary garden in Future World will offer a guest selfie and family photo opportunity featuring a Spaceship Earth backdrop to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the National Parks Service launched in 1916 to conserve the country’s natural scenic treasures.

• Anna and Elsa topiaries will travel to the Norway pavilion festival landscape following their 2015 debut along World Showcase Plaza in a scene from the blockbuster Oscar-winning animated film, “Frozen.” Nearly 100 topiary characters, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Simba and Peter Pan, will animate the Epcot landscape surrounded by themed gardens featuring herbs, peppers, orchids and more.

• By night, twinkling lights will shine across festival gardens and topiaries.

• The Garden Rocks concert series will present pop bands with music spanning four decades. This year’s lineup kicks off March 4-6 with The Orchestra starring former members of ELO and will also include new-to-the-festival acts like Bad Company.

• A new edible flower garden by The Land pavilion will showcase petals with flavor.

• The Butterflies on the Go garden will return with the story of the Monarch’s epic journey across the continent and featuring butterflies emerging from their chrysalises.

• Each weekend at the Festival Center, guests can dig in for a complimentary hands-on Gardening Seminar experience and create a take-home souvenir or grab a seat to hear tips from experts on a broad range of topics. The center also offers signature festival merchandise, food and beverages.

Forty 8-to-9-foot-tall Disney-crafted “flower towers” and sweeping beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape.  At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, more than 200 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

For more information about the 23rd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, call 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639). Watch for details at EpcotInSpring.com as they become available. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

The cultural heritage of French Québec comes to life with TradNation, a new musical act at the Canada Pavilion in World Showcase at Epcot®

TradNation features a broad repertoire, including traditional songs and family compositions passed down through generations.

For a limited time, guests can enjoy this interactive, musical celebration of life. TradNation performs at Mill Stage at the Canada Pavilion five days a week.

Check out the Test Track Cone Cup available at Epcot.  If you are a fan of the Cozy Cones at Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land then you will certainly love this cup.

Of course, last week I opened my big (metaphorical) mouth and decided to start my Plan Alpha, to address some of the problems facing modern day Epcot.  I had it all lined up, ready to roll, and then I got a notice from the library that a book I had on hold was finally ready to be picked up.  The book has major ties into the first step of my plan here, and it means that I have two choices.

Full Story

Take a look at the Baymax Meet and Greet area at Epcot.

Check out the EPCOT Candlelight Processional.

Check out the EPCOT Candlelight Processional.

Take a look at the Holiday Topiaries of Disney characters at the entrance of Epcot.

By the mid-1980s, the Walt Disney Co. was at a crossroads. While the entertainment conglomerate was still beloved for its classic films and theme parks, it had struggled in recent decades to retain its relevance in the post-Star Wars blockbuster era.

Full Story

To celebrate its 23^rd year, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will expand to 90 days and run from March 2-May 30, 2016, at Walt Disney World Resort. The popular spring festival previously ran for 75 days.

Fresh farm market flavors at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens, new Disney character topiaries, interactive play gardens and live rockin’ music will shower spring surprises on park guests.

“Adding 15 extra days to this year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival gives park guests more time to enjoy all the variety our festival has to offer,” says Melissa Valiquette, Epcot vice president. “The festival has become a spring tradition for many who can’t wait to try fresh flavors at our Outdoor Kitchens, dance in their seats at Garden Rocks concerts, explore stunning garden exhibits, grab photo ops with colorful Disney character topiaries and experience memory-making family fun.”

Donald Duck’s mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, will make their topiary debut with Donald and Daisy at the park’s front entrance garden, and Ranger Mickey Mouse in topiary form will appear for the first time to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the National Parks Service launched in 1916 to conserve the country’s natural scenic treasures.

Fresh garden produce, savory bites and sweet treats will be abundant at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens, returning for a fourth year with guest favorites and new food and beverage offerings. When they’re not noshing along the World Showcase promenade, festival guests can dig in for a hands-on experience during Disney-led gardening seminars or grab a seat for pop musical performances during the Garden Rocks concert series at the outdoor America Gardens Theatre.

The forecast for 2016 festival fun is sunny and bright:

• In a horticultural nod to the brightest star in Earth’s orbit, Disney gardeners will paint the landscape with golden colors that will begin with a Floral Sun garden behind Spaceship Earth and yellow “sunbursts” that pop up across the Future World landscape. By night, twinkling lights will shine across festival gardens.

• New culinary creations will star at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens where, for the fourth festival year, guests can taste garden- and spring-inspired food and beverages and have their complimentary Garden Passports stamped.

• The first-ever Huey, Dewey and Louie topiaries will feature floral characteristics of Donald’s nephews inspired by a 1943 Donald Duck comic book called “The Victory Garden.”

• The Ranger Mickey topiary garden in Future World will offer a guest selfie and family photo opportunity featuring a Spaceship Earth backdrop.

• An innovative new “Fab Five” play garden featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck topiaries will debut with musical instruments built into children’s outdoor climbing systems.

• Anna and Elsa topiaries will travel to the Norway pavilion festival landscape after their 2015 debut along World Showcase Plaza in a scene from the blockbuster Oscar-winning animated film, “Frozen.” Nearly 100 topiary characters, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Simba and Peter Pan, will animate the Epcot landscape surrounded by sweeping garden beds and exhibits.

• The Garden Rocks concert series will present pop bands with music spanning four decades.

• More than 10 mini-gardens will surprise guests around every corner. A new edible flower garden near Morocco pavilion will showcase petals with flavor.

• The Butterflies on the Go garden will return with the story of the Monarch’s epic journey across the continent and will feature butterflies emerging from their chrysalises.

• Disney gardeners will lead weekend how-to Gardening Seminars at the Festival Center, where guests also can pick up signature festival merchandise. Guest experts will conduct complimentary seminars on a wide range of gardening and outdoor living topics.

• When the sun sets, illuminated topiary and play gardens will glow brightly for an after-dark festival experience.

“We work hard every year to bring new features and fresh fun to our festival,” says Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager. “We’re telling new stories with our flowers and plants, and every year there are surprises for our guests including new Outdoor Kitchen tastes.”

Dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape.  At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

For more information about the 23rd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, call 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639).  As the festival nears, more details will be available at EpcotInSpring.com. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.