Any Tips for Enjoying Flower & Garden Festival?

[mjaclyn]

We're traveling to WDW next month and will be seeing the Flower & Garden Festival for the first time. I would greatly appreciate any tips that would help my family enjoy this the best way possible. We have two children (3yrs & 1yr)...are there any special exhibits that children are more likely to enjoy?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[PrincessPiperMommy]

We're traveling to WDW next month and will be seeing the Flower & Garden Festival for the first time. I would greatly appreciate any tips that would help my family enjoy this the best way possible. We have two children (3yrs & 1yr)...are there any special exhibits that children are more likely to enjoy?

Thanks in advance!!

I would also LOVE to read ideas in response to this posting! We also have an almost-3 yr old.

 

[sandy0904]

I heard there was a butterfly exhibit...i'm taking my son who is 2 next month and giving that a try.

 

[CleoPahd]

There is a butterfly exhibit which is very nice, but it's nothing too big. There are no lines...it's a small screened in enclosure. There are also the concerts, but really for the most part, it's just a special magical botanical overlay at Epcot. All you really need to do to enjoy it is walk around as you normally would and take in the sights. There are usually topiaries in the shapes of characters and things like that. It is a very beautiful time to visit.

 

[Best Aunt]

I was there in early March. The butterfly exhibit was a let-down. There were a few butterflies clinging to the screens of the enclosure. There was only 1 butterfly flying around. It had been quite cold - maybe they didn't like the weather.

Weird thing about the butterfly exhibit - to keep the butterflies in, the exits have chains hanging down from the top. (If you remember the old strings of beads that people used to hang in open doorways like curtains, it's like that.) If you're walking in or out, you pull the chains out of your way. If you're pushing a stroller, it seems like it would be really difficult to keep the chains from slapping your kid in the face, because the child is in front of you. So be careful about that.

There were at least 2 little playground areas that aren't normally there. If you go to disneyworld.com you should be able to get information about the festival. I'd put in a link, but I just accidentally knocked myself off the website when I tried.

There are tons of topiaries, but I don't know if your little ones would be at all interested in seeing them.

 

[Clubhouse5]

Thanks for asking this. I would be interested in knowing what special things are going on for the festival as well.

I am looking forward to taking pictures of the kids in front of the garden characters, if I can get the kids to stand still long enough! I think they will enjoy the displays, even though there's nothing that that DO per se.

 

[Ress76]

Having gone down the the F&G Festival twice, I think my main suggestion is just go slow. There are sooo many topiaries around, little paths that you might normally skip because they're not going the way you want to go... Just stop and smell the flowers

 

[MichaelH]

There is a butterfly exhibit. They have a fairy hunt around it. You get a sheet of paper and you find the fairies and there will be a placard in front of it. You put your sheet of paper over it and rub the crayon you are given over the raised area of the placard. When you collect all seven you can go get a prize.

Also, you can do Kim Possible. That is a lot of fun and the whole family enjoyed it. My DS is 9 and my DD is 6.

 

[MichaelH]

Forgot to mention there is a playground by the butterfly exhibit.

 

[Poohbug]

There are multiple playgrounds. There is one by the butterflies and more back in World Showcase. The kids will love them. Try to avoid the hottest part of the day because sometimes the equipment can get hot.

You have to take it slow. Epcot is huge as it is. Then you have to add in all the F&G exhibits. If you have two days for Epcot, that would be great.

Make sure you get a schedule of events. They will be different every week. I think they are having the lady bug release this year. That was fun for the kids.

 

[MamaCrush]

I think they are having the lady bug release this year. That was fun for the kids.

First I've heard of this-- what's it all about?? Thanks.

 

[PrinceCharmingsMom]

We were just there and my son is 2.5 there is an awesome fairy playground outside the Butterfly Garden. Make sure you stop at the picnic table with the umbrellas they will give you a crayon and a coloring sheet that you take in the playground and do rubbings of each fairy in different places on the sheet. When you finish that across from that playground is a Princess and the Frog Bayou where you can do another rubbing and take pictures with a cutout scene of the Characters. Then there is another awesome playground for kids once you cross over to the side of Epcot in front of where the Figment ride is. It also has a healthy snack shack for kids right next to it...

My son is a picture fanatic so he poses with every topiary at least 2 times. We really enjoyed it when we went up for our day trip a couple weeks ago and we are getting ready to go up for our week long trip!

 

[Poohbug]

Sometimes they hold a ladybug release throughout the festival and sometimes it is only during the bugs week. I think you will just have to ask when you get there if they are having one that day.

You get a match box size box of ladybugs to release into the gardens. It did not take much time but was fun to do. The ladybugs are all trying to crawl out of the boxes-so you have to open it quick.

I have heard of the GF having a ladybug release also but I am not sure if they still do it.

 

[T1gger]

Looking forward to this and hoping that the Butterfly tunnel will be better than others have experienced ! But as kids first visit there will be plenty to see