Gardens of the World tour

[Richard M Nixon]

I'm looking for impressions of this tour (I've read what I can from Google, I'm looking for firsthand accounts from the DIS).

Gardens of the World is a special tour held in Epcot only during the Flower and Garden festival. I've been watching to see if there will be a 2015 version or not. Have you been? What were your experiences like? Any favorite moments or anything negative to share?

 

[minnie mum]

We took the tour 2 years ago and enjoyed it very much. Our tour guide was one of the park gardeners and was very knowledgeable about the plants that they have and the horticultural practices that they use. We spent about an hour touring the FW displays, and 2 hours or so going through the gardens of WS. As an avid gardener, I found the tour very informative. Plus, we were given a F&G pin and a poster as keepsakes. The tour uses wireless headsets, making it very easy to hear what the tour guide is saying, even when the group is a little spread out, or when there are other noises that might make hearing difficult. I'd definitely recommend the tour for anyone interested in gardening and how they manage to maintain such beautiful displays at Epcot.

 

[nemodeb]

We've done this in the past. If you like gardening, it's a great tour. You learn about the way Disney uses plants as you walk Epcot. PP gave good info on the tour as well. We'd recommend it.

 

[jennab113]

With this tour, do you go into Workd Showcase before it is open to everyone?

 

[Moon Dreamer]

We called this morning to see if this tour was being offered this year and we were able to book it for May. We've seen many positive reviews and are looking forward to it!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Great tour. And don't forget the discounts....AP, DVC, Disney Visa, and sometimes AAA, all 15%.

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Yep, booking is now open! I'm in for mid-April.

 

[kboo]

Are there age or mobility restrictions for this tour?

ETA: never mind, answered my own question: 16+, walking, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

How fast paced is this tour and how much ground does it cover? One of our party can't be on their feet that long without sitting down for short periods of time? But if they can handle I know we would all love it.

 

[minnie mum]

Are there age or mobility restrictions for this tour?

ETA: never mind, answered my own question: 16+, walking, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

I was able to do the full tour in my wheelchair. I would not, however, recommend this tour for anyone with mobility or endurance issues who does not use a mobility device. During the tour you will cover all of FW and WS with only brief stops to look at and discuss different gardens and features. There won't usually be a place to sit and rest at these stops.

 

[nemodeb]

With this tour, do you go into Workd Showcase before it is open to everyone?

Yep.

 

[Disney before Sally]

Is there any food offered?

 

[minnie mum]

No.

 

[ars0525]

Is any info on the Disney website? I don't see it listed under Epcot tours or am I missing something...

How much is it? And it's only offered on weekdays?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Only during Flower and Garden. And website is not up to date, no AAA discount anymore.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Nice thread resurrection.

I ended up going on this tour last year and it was great. We had one of the gardeners walk us through the beginning of future world and discuss the various gardens we saw along the way. Lots of talking about technique, types of flowers, how it was done, etc. After about 45 minutes we got into World Showcase before it opened to the public, so there was a great opportunity to take pictures with nobody around. We stopped in most of the countries to discuss the F&G and everyday horticulture in each country (the ponds in Japan and China, the grass roof in Norway, etc.) as well as some of the building features. We stepped backstage quickly but I don't remember what it was for - I don't think we really saw anything, it was just a shortcut.

There was no showing of the greenhouse or nursery, which was a bummer, but it was pretty fun overall. I might not do it a second time, but it was definitely worth it for the experience. No food is offered and you get a cool pin as well as a huge poster which was a pain to carry around. I ended up convincing a CM to send it to my resort for me, but the first few I asked didn't want to do it for me.

If you want to learn about the flowers in the festival and have a chance to get some great pictures without being rushed or having anyone else around, this tour is worth it.