Flower and Garden Festival

[CouchTater]

Many of the bands from the 60's are a mixture of old and new band members. Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits is still around but bands like The Guess Who have a different lead. Some bands like Starship have an original lead but there is another band Jefferson Starship that tours with a different lead. Dennis DeYoung does Styx tunes but the band Styx has a different lead now. It get's confusing. I go for the music. Fortunately I saw most of them in their heyday with the original singers. There are still a handful of the original performers still making the rounds. This past year we say Gary Lewis, Gary Puckett, Gary U.S Bonds, The Turtles and Chuck Negron together.

 

[eastendlights]

I think they released the 2015 festival details last February so it should be any day now. This will be our fourth trip to F&G and we love it-the topiaries are amazing.

 

[megcellent]

We will be there the first week and had originally planned to go on Friday, but are thinking we need to switch it with a week day. We will have two 4 year olds and an 18 month old with us. How busy will it be the first week? We hope to enjoy some of the food kiosks and enjoy looking at topiaries and decor, but won't be able to enjoy any classes/session or bands. And, we'll have to find fun stuff for the boys while we indulge.

 

[DaddyRobbinDisney]

In the past do the food kiosks hold the same hours as world showcase for this festival? Excited!

 

[patster734]

I think they released the 2015 festival details last February so it should be any day now. This will be our fourth trip to F&G and we love it-the topiaries are amazing.

We went last year, and the full F&G menues weren't completely released until about a week before the event started. Here's a link about last year's event:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/when-will-the-menus-for-f-g-be-posted.3382891/

We will be there the first week and had originally planned to go on Friday, but are thinking we need to switch it with a week day. We will have two 4 year olds and an 18 month old with us. How busy will it be the first week? We hope to enjoy some of the food kiosks and enjoy looking at topiaries and decor, but won't be able to enjoy any classes/session or bands. And, we'll have to find fun stuff for the boys while we indulge.

If you don't mind missing the bands and special weekend events, I suggest switching. Last year, we went the first Thursday, and it was great. We had low crowds. We missed the bands, but enjoyed the outdoor kitchens and the topiaries. Only regret was missing the festival center which is also only open on the weekends.

This year, we're going the second weekend in April. Our full Epcot day is planned for Thursday. I'm thinking that we might try visiting a few hours on Saturday before catching ME to the airport at 6pm, to visit the festival center and double up on our food favorites.

In the past do the food kiosks hold the same hours as world showcase for this festival? Excited!

Yes.

 

[North of Mouse]

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!

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!

Actually, there are food kiosks now for F&G Festival, but unlike many, we don't eat there - tried them once, was very dissatisfied with quality.

We have gone many years to the F&GF and it's our favorite time of year - usually go in April though. Yes, there are some very good seminars, but not everyday like in years past. JMO, but the festival is not near as large or nice as it used to be. Their focus seems to be too much centered on the food kiosks now.

 

[mickey1968]

I think they might be using F&G to try to balance out some of the crowds between F&W and the spring. I like both.

Here is a great link to pictures and prices from last year's festival. Just click on the kiosk name to see the pics and menu prices.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015-...tival-outdoor-kitchens-menus-and-food-photos/

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

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

I used all my DP snack credits at F&G in 2015. So yummy and fun!

 

[Ilivetogo]

When we went for a one-day trip to Epcot during F&G in 2014, we decided not to take up our time by having a sit-down dinner, but rather to taste our way around the countries. It was wonderful! We had so much fun trying lots of things and loved most of it. Only 1 or 2 things weren't our thing, but overall, the food was great. We were all VERY happy we didn't sit down to eat.

IMGP0608 (1024x646) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0610 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0650 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0611 (857x1024) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0689 (1024x791) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0692 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0766 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0769 (1024x739) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

We didn't eat at ALL of them....

IMGP0792 (1024x860) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0806 (1024x819) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0840 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0942 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

IMGP0945 (1024x768) by Ilivetogo toFL, on Flickr

 

[Disney before Sally]

Yum.

 

[MandaPandaPuddinPie]

I'm so excited to be going to F&G for the first time I'm happy that I'll be 19/20 weeks pregnant, but I also wish I could have some of my restricted foods and beverages. I'll get over it, but I'll have to book a return trip ASAP.

My silly question is- I'll be pregnant, tired and needing breaks. My husband wants me to use a scooter, but I don't think I want to waste the money. Thoughts?

 

[beesly]

My silly question is- I'll be pregnant, tired and needing breaks. My husband wants me to use a scooter, but I don't think I want to waste the money. Thoughts?

While experiences can vary wildly, a lot of women feel their best in the second trimester. How are you feeling now? I would use that as your best guess for how you might feel then. Exercise is good for you if you can handle it - I would personally skip the scooter, but maybe get your OB's opinion if you're really concerned. There are plenty of places to grab a snack, sit, and rest/people-watch while you work your way around WS. Just make sure to go armed with sun protection (hat, glasses, sunscreen, etc.) - sunburns are miserable enough when you're not pregnant!

 

[MandaPandaPuddinPie]

While experiences can vary wildly, a lot of women feel their best in the second trimester. How are you feeling now? I would use that as your best guess for how you might feel then. Exercise is good for you if you can handle it - I would personally skip the scooter, but maybe get your OB's opinion if you're really concerned. There are plenty of places to grab a snack, sit, and rest/people-watch while you work your way around WS. Just make sure to go armed with sun protection (hat, glasses, sunscreen, etc.) - sunburns are miserable enough when you're not pregnant!

Whats really funny is I'm just getting into the 2nd trimester and I'm starting to feel better. But I do notice by 5pm that I'm ready for a snooze. My husband would totally be up for a mid-afternoon break, which we might be able to do if we went back to our hotel. My Dr was more concerned about the flights. We are from Boston but it was $150 cheaper to take connecting flights from Newark. She suggested that I drink loads of water beforehand and use the ladies room about 3-4 times. She also suggested I drink enough to use the bathroom every 45 minutes while at WDW.

Thank you!

 

[Disney before Sally]

So, how much belly weight will you have at 20 weeks? You will need to carry water, drink constantly, and take lots of potty breaks. You will be prone to heat exhaustion and dehydration in a pregnant condition. If you wil be carrying a lot of weight in front, then your lower back will be getting a workout, not to mention your feet- which could swell so wear adjustable sandals. I know only myself, and at twenty weeks it was hard to tell I was pregnant. By 40 weeks I was over 100 pounds extra and swollen- likely because I was illergic to my kids blood type, but medicine hasn't made that correlation yet. That being said, I would not want to go to an amusement park at all while pregnant.

 

[loves to dive]

Everyone handles their pregnancy different than others, I worked up until the little sucker came. We lived out in the country and at 7 months I was out working in the garden bending and picking peas. I live in Georgia where it's hot, I worked at the University of Georgia and walked from my office to downtown every day, I'm guessing it was at least 3 miles, mostly up hill one way. I'm convinced the walking and working helped me not gain weight, I went home in the clothes I wore before I got pregnant. I also ate everything in site, I did cut out caffene and tried not to eat too much sugar. Listen to your body, I would not get an ECV but do plan on drinking loads of water and stopping and resting when you feel like it.

 

[cruisin5]

I was never healthier than when I was pregnant! Take it slow, rest along the way, put your feet up and enjoy the festival. Worst case - you can rent a wheelchair/ECV at the International Gateway. Take the boat across the lake. Perhaps you could go left to Mexico then grab a taxi/uber from Beach Club to get back to your hotel?

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Just found this (and posted it on another F&G thread as well):

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...6-epcot-international-flower-garden-festival/

My husband is pretty excited about La Isla Fresca (he loves jerk chicken) and the blueberry cider at Cider House.

 

[gorjus121]

Can't wait for them to post the 2016 menus. When did they announce last year?

 

[automaticsoap]

Can't wait for them to post the 2016 menus. When did they announce last year?

Last year's wdwmagic.com full menu post was on February 24, and the festival started March 2.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

There are food kiosks - I think around 11 or 12 this year. It's about 1/2 the Food and Wine Festival. There is a lot to eat but you can still try it all and have some ADRs if you're there for a week (we went last April for 1 week and did both). Seminars are usually, but not always, repeated on different days so if one conflicts one day you might be able to sign up a different day, no guarantee though.