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With the official opening of the 2016 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival less than 2 weeks away, some new details have been emerging as to what Guests will be able to experience at this year’s festival.

Merchandise

• Guests will be excited to see Figment in the main merchandise logo for the 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival! Figment will be featured in both men’s and ladies’ apparel, as well as a Flower and Garden Flower pot, and a limited edition purple Figment Magic Band (limited to 2,500) and Trading Pins.
• If you are looking for merchandise that is a little more understated,  the “Topiary Collection” for women will feature apparel, a Tervis tumbler and a 2 pin collection.  For the gentlemen, “Guys Garden” features apparel as well as a hat.
• Dooney and Burke fans will be thrilled to see the addition of 3 new bags, which for the first time will include Figment in the design.
• The Force will be strong in your garden this year, with the addition of Yoda decorative garden items.

https://youtu.be/qUsBZ72gNPE

DIStracted Tip: For more information on the blossoming topiaries that Guests can see at the 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival check out Lisa M.’s article “Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival To Expand in 2016!”

Outdoor Kitchens

New for 2016, La Isla Fresca and Cider House Outdoor Kitchens will add a new sampling of flavours to the festival’s food kiosks.  La Isla Fresca creates a Caribbean taste, featuring Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon-Pea Rice and Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa.  The new Cider House offers a fresh look at food, with a Field Greens salad (featuring greens harvested from The Land pavilion), heirloom apples, Stilton cheese and dried blueberries; which pair perfectly with featured blueberry hard cider from Plant City, Florida.

This year’s International Flower & Garden festival also features 11 other Outdoor Kitchens: Urban Farm Eats, Pineapple Promenade, Fleur de Lys, Florida Fresh, Taste of Marrakesh, Hanami, The Smokehouse: Barbeque and Brews, Primavera Kitchen, Lotus House, Bauernmarkt and Jardin de Fiestas.

*NEW for 2016!

Will you be travelling to this year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival with your “Sprouts?” Several activities are available for entertaining kids including:

• New Music Garden Melodies Playground – Located between Future World and World Showcase,  Fun musically inspired interactive play area featuring the “Fab 5”  in Topiaries
• Cactus Road Rally – Located Along the Test Track Walkway, Mater and Lightning McQueen invite the kids to play in a desert themed mini park featuring canopied jungle gym and cacti. Play “I-Spy” as you spot the hidden car parts scattered in the colourful gardens
• Butterfly Gardens – Presented by GoGoSqueeZ®, Observe Butterfly species close-up and learn about their life-cycles.
• Purple Martins – Presented by Audubon Florida, Learn about this amazing species of songbird that travels 3,000 miles from the Brazilian Amazon to raise their families at the Walt Disney World Resort!
• Ranger Mickey and Friends – Presented by National Park Foundation, Take a Photo with Ranger Mickey with this Topiary Commemorating 100 years of the National Parks Service
• Backyard Habitat – Presented by National Wildlife Federation, Learn about Animal Habitats and how to build one for your wildlife friends at home!
• Nature Works Everywhere – Presented By The Nature Conservancy, Teaches kids amazing ways to create gardens that will help their school yards filter water, provide welcoming habitats and improve soil quality.  

Festival Center Events

Be sure to check out the Festival Center located in Future World each weekend, for a variety of several seminars, presentations and guest speakers covering a variety of subjects.  Please remember that these presentations are included with your park admission.

DIStracted Tip:  Seating is limited to 75 Guests per session and is on a first-come basis, so be sure to arrive early!

Daily presentations are based on the following schedule:

• Garden Information Desk:  10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Connect with Master Gardeners from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences
• Garden Theater: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM See the “making” of Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival
• Heritage of Disney’s Horticulture Exhibit: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Learn how horticulture played a key role in creating Walt’s vision
• Hands-On Presentations at the Greenhouse Stage:  11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Demonstrations at the Fresh Epcot Stage: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• Tips at the Spotlight Stage: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Soak up planting pointers from the experts at University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences
• Conversations at the Festival Stage – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Catch lively discussions on a variety of horticulture topics

As you can see, with so many things to do and see, it is no wonder that Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival had to expand this year! From the lush gardens, to Character topiaries,  gardening seminars to food kiosks and the Garden Rocks Concert Series (please click here for the lineup) this year’s festival is sure to keep the whole family busy as bees! Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival begins March 2nd and runs through May 30th.  I am so excited to be able to visit Flower & Garden for the first time this May, and can’t wait to stop and smell the roses as we explore all that this renowned festival has to offer!

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