Flower and Garden Festival

[Disney before Sally]

Curious and need more info please.

I've never been to parks during any festival. When I lived in Florida - I had the resident annual with blackout dates and in general avoid the parks during events due to crowds.

However - when I decided on dates this year I was pleasantly surprised to see I will have one Epcot day which turned out to be the last Friday before the festival ends. Then we hop over to universal to avoid the crowd level 10days at WDW.....

I have not been successful at finding details. I assume that there are not food kiosks like during food and wine festival - so I should continue to make standard dining plans. Are there any seminars or sessions that will eventually be posted that might conflict with ADRs and FP+? Other than beauty and lush landscapes - what else should be expect?

I'm super excited to have a first experience like this, along with a few other firsts like POLY and Harry Potter World!

 

[StilAPrincessAtHeart]

We experienced the Flower and Garden Festival in 2014. There are some special food kiosks around the World, but I'm assuming not as many as food and wine (never been.) There are also scheduled concerts, seminars, demonstrations, etc... and plenty of lovely landscaping and topiaries. My mom actually went to a little "class" in the UK Pavillion all about how different tea is grown and processed. She loved it! There are also special garden themed Disney Souvenirs and Disney Themed garden products available. We did not find the week we went to be too crowded yet (first week in March.) But it was just the start of the Festival.

 

[kanw]

I'm still patiently waiting for the band schedule to be announced, since we plan to go on a Friday to Epcot.

 

[loves to dive]

It is F&W lite with flowers and topiary. Every country has topiary with Disney characters associated with that country, there are booths all around WS just not booths from different countries like at F&W and not as many. There are seminars in the festival center, just not cooking or drinking, gardening instead. We don't make ADRs when we go for it, we find between snacking around the world, F&W booths and QS we are good. Lots of extra booths set up around WS with gardening things, like I said, F&W lite. The concert series is only on the weekend, I'm pretty sure it's every night at F&W.

 

[JimmyV]

I'm still patiently waiting for the band schedule to be announced, since we plan to go on a Friday to Epcot.

+1

 

[Disney before Sally]

We don't make ADRs when we go for it, we find between snacking around the world, F&W booths and QS we are good. Lots of extra booths set up around WS with gardening things, like I said, F&W lite.

When you say F&W, you are referring to Food and Wine details, and F&G would be F&W lite with some food booths just not as many? I made Via Napoli dinner reservation at 5:15 to share one pizza between four females (2 slices each). Should i cancel that ADR? Especially since there might be a class or concert at that time; maybe do QS if we are hungrier then booths provided.

Do the classes require registration and fees?

 

[Mome Rath]

Curious and need more info please.

I've never been to parks during any festival. When I lived in Florida - I had the resident annual with blackout dates and in general avoid the parks during events due to crowds.

However - when I decided on dates this year I was pleasantly surprised to see I will have one Epcot day which turned out to be the last Friday before the festival ends. Then we hop over to universal to avoid the crowd level 10days at WDW.....

I have not been successful at finding details. I assume that there are not food kiosks like during food and wine festival - so I should continue to make standard dining plans. Are there any seminars or sessions that will eventually be posted that might conflict with ADRs and FP+? Other than beauty and lush landscapes - what else should be expect?

I'm super excited to have a first experience like this, along with a few other firsts like POLY and Harry Potter World!

Sounds like a wonderful trip! A Friday will add some things since it is the weekend, usually "extra" shows/demonstrations at the Festival Center. My family and I go to both the F & W and the F & G, and have for years. The Flower and Garden is now our favorite time to go to EPCOT instead of F & W, as the crowds are usually smaller and not nearly as drunk.

If you like demonstrations and gardening, plants, etc... you'll have a lot to look at and will take a lot of time just browsing the different garden areas, and soaking in the sites/sights (EPCOT is at its most beautiful at this time, IMO). With just one day, you'll be sampling any food booths, so If you want a sitdown meal, I'd make it a fairly early breakfast and then grazing for the rest of the time. There aren't as many booths, but there is still a good amount with plenty to choose from. Yes, if you want to go to shows or seminars, it could potentially conflict with ADR's, esp. from around 10:30 AM on I believe. There are free things to attend and paid things, it just depends on what you would like to do. Certain seminars also include food (esp. the paid ones) so that may factor in your eating plans.

 

[OhThePain]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/ep-flower-garden.htm

There is a rundown of what was offered last year. I think there were 12 or so kiosks at Flower and Garden opposed to the 25 or so at Food and Wine, which is why a lot of people call Flower and Garden "Food and Wine- Lite". Kiosks are relatively new at F&G (they have only had them for a couple of years), so there could be more this year, not many details have been released yet from what I have seen. Wait and see what the menus are like this year before deciding if you want to drop your ADR. If you think there are enough options at the kiosks, drop the ADR.

 

[loves to dive]

When you say F&W, you are referring to Food and Wine details, and F&G would be F&W lite with some food booths just not as many? I made Via Napoli dinner reservation at 5:15 to share one pizza between four females (2 slices each). Should i cancel that ADR? Especially since there might be a class or concert at that time; maybe do QS if we are hungrier then booths provided.

Do the classes require registration and fees?

As others have already said, I'd probably drop the ADR if you are only doing one day at F&G. I didn't do any of the seminars for F&G last year, did a boat load at F&W so I can't address those.

 

[monkyby87]

We've been twice during Flower and Garden, and rather by accident. There are some kiosks and demonstrations that go on, but I was never really aware of them, so they only indication I had that the festival was even going on were the topiaries. They were really pretty and neat to see. If you really like Via Napoli don't cancel the ADR, but if you don't have your heart set then go ahead and cancel and see what is offered for Flower and Garden.

 

[epcotty]

We were there in 2012, there were nice flower/garden areas to walk through and topiaries etc. The former Wonders of Life pavilion was open with F&G related stuff (and I think the Odyssey building too but we didn't go in). Don't think there was a concert that day

 

[skuttle]

We were at F&G last year. We did Epcot over two days. We did half of the food booths in one visit and the other half on the 2nd visit. DH and
I split something from each booth, so we we were still able to keep a dinner ADR. However, had we each gotten our own food/drink at each booth, and visited every booth instead of just 1/2, we wouldn't have needed the ADR. We kept the ADR because of our kids.

We were there during Easter week and rarely had to wait in line for any food/drink. It was great!

 

[huskr217]

We will be there April 11-15. I'm trying to decide which day will be the best to go to F&G. Not interested in the concert, but would like to sample the different food booths. Will they be open during the week, or only on Friday? Just wondering if Friday will be more crowded due to the concert.

 

[wilma-bride]

We will be there April 11-15. I'm trying to decide which day will be the best to go to F&G. Not interested in the concert, but would like to sample the different food booths. Will they be open during the week, or only on Friday? Just wondering if Friday will be more crowded due to the concert.

Booths will be open daily. The festival will always be more crowded at the weekends. A weekday (not Firday) will always be the preferable choice and, if you are trying to avoid crowds, avoid evening EMH if possible.

 

[be0URguest]

Anyone know when they historically announce info for the fest!? Also going in early May and really looking forward to it. I figure it's January and it starts in March so should be soon I'd hope.

 

[flvy]

Last year I did Flower and Garden and Food and Wine. I loved Flower and Garden so much more. I feel like that's how Epcot should look, and I hung out in the butterfly tent forever. Personally I just really loved the feel of F&G and everything was so bright and just lovely.

 

[msmith07101]

Does anyone know if any of the food items at the kiosks can be purchased as a snack on the DP?

 

[MickeyEars]

We always seem to miss the Flower and Garden Festival but this year we are arriving mid-May. We'll be there 11 nights so I plan on spending lots of time at Epcot!!
I hope they hurry and release more info... Epcot is just beautiful during the festival!!

Carla

 

[JimmyV]

Last year I did Flower and Garden and Food and Wine. I loved Flower and Garden so much more. I feel like that's how Epcot should look, and I hung out in the butterfly tent forever. Personally I just really loved the feel of F&G and everything was so bright and just lovely.

I remember the first time we went during F&G and my daughter asked: "Why is this (pointing to a topiary) temporary? Why don't they leave it up all year?" I had no good answer, and I still don't.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

In 2014, we arrived at the tail end of F&G. I didn't know anything about it, but really loved all the topiary and took boatloads of pictures. Since it has been extended, it will be going on when we're there in May and I can't wait to explore it more!!