Surprise Visit to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Tuesday April 12, 2016                                                                             Most Recent Posts:
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Walt Disney World                                                                                    Celia Claire’s Birth Day
Orlando, Florida

 

 

 

We have never been to Disneyworld this late in the winter/spring and because of the spring break crowds, we will probably never do it again.  But one benefit is that we were surprised to find the Flower and Garden Festival which we hadn’t known was here.  As you can imagine it was quite something given how Disney does everything.  The show was extended from 75 to 90 days this year so it runs from March 2 to May 30.  If you are close enough, you still have time to make it.  Sorry I didn’t get this posted closer to when we were actually there.

 

The most amazing thing for us in the show was all the fantastic Disney topiary.  And then of course the fabulous flowers.

We had ducks at the farm and I never noticed them helping with the gardening.  Guess I had the wrong kind.

 

 

 

Chip N’ Dale N’ what’s her name.

 

It’s Ranger Mickey’s saluting the National Parks 100th birthday.  Notice his binoculars.

 

There is a smaller body of water between the entrance with its grand globe of spaceship Earth and the World Showcase surrounding the lagoon.   This entire pond is ringed with flowers.

 

There are 70,000 bedding plants surrounding Future World East and west lakes and 220 miniature floating gardens.

 

 

 

We stop by Tinker Bell’s  Butterfly House where both flowers and butterflies are beautiful but we don’t see Tinker Bell.

 

 

 

 

Among the most interesting were several butterfly boxes with unfolding chrysaslis.

 

 

 

 

 

If you stay around long enough, you can see them walk up on the boxes and fly away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the topiary and the beautiful flowers, there are 19 specialty gardens, herb, cactus and vegetable to mention a few.

This display is Urban Farm Eats and comes complete with one of the multiple “outdoor kitchesn” thoughtout Epcot.  A this one you can purchase made from the produce of gardens such as these.   Notice the Urban Beehives.  I certainly hope we are able to protect our decreasing bee population.  Our food supply will be in great danger without bees.  This excellent article discusses what is killing them, the magnitude of the threat and what needs to be done.

 

Herbs, brussel sprouts, flowers, lettuce tomatoes, pole beans and more all in this small space.

 

Nice hen house for a Florida climate but our former “Hen Hilton” was much better at protecting from the cold.

 

 

 

Other than a visit inside the butterfly house and this ride through The Land, we spend the entire morning outside in all the beauty.

 

Lots of hydroponics.  Not sure how I feel about them given the artificiality of their growing.

 

Speaking of bees. I’d be drawn to this purple flower too.

 

Back outside, more topiary.

 

 

In among the flowers we find a pair of ducks hiking out.  Too cute!  Guess Donald didn’t recruit them for gardening.

 

I would be remiss if I did not include Winnie the Pooh and the whole gang. I fear Winnie will be mighty unhappy if we do not save our bees.  His honeypot will be empty.

 

 

Hmmm seems like Rabbit is helping himself to the carrots.  Good thing this is not Mr. McGregor’s garden.  

 

Piglett, Eeyore, looking forlorn of course, and Tigger.

What do they do with all of these after the show? I hope they leave them in place.

 

 

 

 

Time for lunch before we head across the bridge into the World Showcase in search of more topiary, they say there are over 100 in total, 
and DESSERT!
Better make the afternoon a separate post.