The 2024 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is quickly approaching. Here is my ultimate guide to the festival!

Spring is coming and that means the Flower and Garden Festival is returning to EPCOT. I went to EPCOT in the late spring of 2021 and happened upon the festival. It was a wonderful experience full of tasty treats and incredible displays. I am breaking down the things I learned at my first EPCOT festival, some tips and tricks, and the best places to enjoy festival foods.

What is the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival? It’s your chance to celebrate all the gorgeous greenery, fresh floral blooms, and delicious flavors of spring! This festival brings together creative culinary concoctions with a stunning collection of floral displays.

How much is the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival?

All EPCOT Festivals, including the 2024 Flower and Garden Festival, are included in the cost of admission to EPCOT.

• Annual Passholders can use their pass to get in without added fees.
• Standard single day park tickets cost $109 per person.

Though the festival is included in the cost of admission there are other costs associated with the festival. EPCOT’s festivals have food booths (outdoor kitchens) in many areas with specialty foods and drinks you can only get during the festival. These costs vary but can be anywhere from $4 to $20. There is also normally exclusive merchandise for the festival throughout EPCOT.

What is included in the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival?

Not everything at the festival costs money. However, one of the main draws of festivals at EPCOT are the entertainment and stunning displays. These are completely free!

• Garden Rocks Concert Series is a free outdoor concert series with performances from some amazing musical acts. Tuesday-Thursday features music from local bands in Orlando and Friday-Monday features more well-known acts. Previous acts include Daughtrey, Smash Mouth, Rick Springfield, and more. 
• Character Topiaries are a highlight to Flower and Garden. EPCOT is transformed with large displays around the whole park made from fresh florals. These stunning topiaries can only be seen during the Flower and Garden Festival and feature some of your favorite Disney characters.
• Blossoms of Fragrance is a walk-through experience that follows butterfly topiaries and scent stations throughout.

In addition to these special experiences there will be the normal park things like character meet and greets, rides, and photo opportunities all included in your park admission.

EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival Food Booths

EPCOT’s festivals are also a taste adventure through different festival food booths, also known as outdoor kitchens. It has not been announced what booths will be returning and what will be new for the Flower and Garden Festival. I can personally say no matter what is there it will be delicious. There are normally around 15-20 booths with different offerings. The main booths will be in World Showcase and offer scrumptious foods from their specific country.

Some of the items I had in 2021 were still on the menu in 2023. House-made Cheesy Crab Wontons in China, Potato Pancakes with house-made applesauce and Apfelschaunmwein (Sparkling Wine and Apple Liquor) in Germany. But the highlight of food for me was in France. Pictured above includes Tarte aux Oignons Caramélisés et Chèvre: Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onions on a flaky Pastry Crust, Canard Confit à l’Orange aux Gnocchi à la Parisienne: Braised Duck Confit à l’Orange with Parisian Gnocchi, and La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice. The items in France were no longer on the menu in 2023 but did have similar variations to those. La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy was still on the menu and I highly recommend giving it a try!

I went into this without knowing the Flower and Garden festival was happening. This was a one-day trip to EPCOT while I was in town for a weekend. The portions are perfect, and I think worth it for the price. All in on the items above plus a few not pictured I spent around $60. It was just me, so I did not eat in each country and there were a few where I just had a food item or drink. Festival booths normally open at 11am so plan accordingly if you plan on being in the parks when they open.

Tips and Tricks

There are tons to do at EPCOT during a festival. I have now done the International Flower and Garden festival and the International Food and Wine Festival, and I have learned a lot about the quirks of EPCOT festivals. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way to make the most of your festival day.

Epcot typically opens at 9am with early hours for resort guests at 8:30am and festival food booths begin opening at 11am.

• Prioritize your must-do rides and do these right when you get there. Certain rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Mission Space can cause some serious motion sickness for some people so doing this on an empty stomach can really help. Some rides like Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth almost always have a low wait time so do those later in the day – they are also slower moving rides!
• Make a list of food and drinks you want to try. There are so many booths with tons of options at each and unless you plan on going exclusively to EPCOT for a week there is no way you will be able to try everything in one day. The menus for booths normally come out a few weeks prior to the start of the festival. I will print off the menus and go through with a marker to find want I want to try and put a star next to it. Write down those items with their location so you can make sure you go try those. This will also help form a basic budget for food and drinks.
• Garden Rocks Concert Series will almost always have a long line to get in. Arrive early if you want to have a good view of the concert. Garden Rocks takes place near the America Pavilion which is in the middle of World Showcase. Performances are 30 minutes and run several times per day. There is a Garden Rocks Dining Package which gets you VIP access to seating in the front without having to wait in the big line. This is for an additional fee and does not include festival booths. My tip is that if you are crunched for time or don’t want to wait in line go sit in between the Japan and Morrocco Pavilions. You can still hear the music without having to crowd into the amphitheater!
• Take tons of pictures! I always recommend this on vacations but take tons of pictures. Back in 2021 I had no idea I was going to become a travel agent, but I took photos of the most random stuff from that day and now I am using them for everything! Not only that, but it is also a great reminder of your vacation and the things you tried that makes you want to go back as soon as you get home! I find myself in conversations about a trip I took and pulling up the pictures on my phone to show co-workers or friends.

The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is a wonderful addition to any spring vacation to Walt Disney World Resort. I loved experiencing this in 2021 and I am sure I will go back in the future. The topiaries are a stunning way to add floral and color to the park and the food options are incredible! With a good mix of included and additional cost items there is room for everyone to have fun at the Flower and Garden Festival without breaking the bank.

---

Ready to book your dream vacation to Walt Disney World or a Disney Cruise?  Allyson is here to plan your perfect getaway.  Reach out to discover your best vacation experience.

www.blueshorevacations.com

allysong@blueshorevacations.com

Written by Allyson Genereux, Travel Agent with Blue Shore Vacations