Here at Orlando Fun Tickets, we
take great pride in Central Florida’s garden-based attractions. For over 80
years now (Bok Tower Gardens – this area’s first real tourist attraction – was formally
dedicated by then-President Calvin Coolidge in February of 1929), tourists have
been traveling to this part of the Sunshine State to experience our lush flora
& the fauna. And with this Saturday’s re-opening of Cypress Gardens (which
prides itself on being Florida’s first theme park), that tradition continues.
Of course, you don’t have to go all
the way to Winter Haven and/or Lake Wales in order to experience some of
Central Florida’s beautiful gardens. Right here in Orlando, there are currently
30 million blooms on display at the 16th annual Epcot International
Flower and Garden Festival.
Photo by Angela Ragno
Presented by Disneynature, this
year’s Flower and Garden festival is truly a celebration of Spring. Indeed, virtually
everywhere you look in this science & discovery park over the next 10 weeks
, you’re going to find dozens of festive floral displays. Be it the “Cinderellabration”
topiary in front of Spaceship Earth (which depicts Cinderella’s coronation day
with fellow royals Prince Charming, Belle and Sleeping Beauty in attendance) or that “Simba’s
Birthday Celebration” display (which recreates a memorable moment from The Lion
King) at World Showcase Plaza.
All told, there are now more than
50 Disney character topiaries scattered around this theme park. You’ll find
them tucked away in entirely appropriate places (EX: As an affectionate nod to Lady
and the Tramp‘s “Bella Notte” sequence, topiary
versions of these two Disney dogs are now on display in Epcot’s Italian
pavilion) as well as some rather odd spots (EX: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip and
Mrs. Potts are currently positioned right in front of Future World’s Fountain
Stage. While Beauty & the Beast is admittedly a perfectly charming animated
feature, it’s hardly what I’d call a futuristic film).
Photo by Angela Ragno
But – then again – some of this
year’s Flower and Garden exhibits are in the exact right spots. Take – for
example – the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden. Themed around the characters &
settings that will be seen in Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s upcoming
video premiere, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, this whimsical garden
features play structures as well as topiary versions of your favorite Disney
Fairies. And every day at 2 p.m., children dressed as princesses & fairies
are invited to take part in a pixie processional.
Mind you, there’s lots for the adults
in the family to do this year’s Flower and Garden. You can attend a seminar at
the Green Garden exhibit and learn how to create your own environmentally safe
garden. (Disney’s hitting the whole save-the-planet angle very hard this
year. In fact, April 24 – 26th,
they’re actually holding an Environmentality Celebration at Epcot. Where Guests
can take part in classes that will talk about low-water use, native plants as
well as reducing waste through recycling.)
Photo by Angela Ragno
On the other hand, if plants and saving-the-planet aren’t
entirely your thing … The 16th
annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival does have a really great
entertainment component: Its Flower Power Concert series.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, hit-makers from
the 1960s & 1970s hit the stage at the American Gardens Theatre and
entertain the crowds there with their old favorites. This past weekend, Davy
Jones was on hand to perform hits from the Monkees’ catalog like “Daydream
Believer.” And starting tomorrow night, Paul Revere and the Raiders will be
entertaining Epcot Guests.
Davy Jones works the crowd at Saturday’s Flower Power Concert. Photo by Angela Ragno
In the weeks ahead, numerous pop sensations will be
performing at this WDW theme park. Among
them:
- The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie (April 3 – 5)
- Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (April 10 – 12)
- The Ventures (April 17 – 19)
- Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes (April 24 – 26)
- Chubby Checker & The Wildcats (May 1 – 3)
- Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring The Nelsons (May 8 – 10)
- Jose Feliciano (May 15 – 17)
- The 5th Dimension (May 22 – 24)
- Tony Orlando (May 29 -31)
Photo by Angela Ragno
As for the very best way to experience the 16th
annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival … I’d recommend getting a
Disney Magic Your Way Park Hopper. That way, you can roam the grounds early in
the morning and get some great pictures of those 300,000 bedding plants or 100
floating mini-gardens. Then – as the temperature rises and the number of the
people in the Park increases – you can catch the monorail over to the Magic
Kingdom or take a friendship boat over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and take a
little break.
And then – as the sun begins to set – you can head back over
to Epcot and then get on line at the American Gardens Theatre for that night’s Flower
Power Concert (which typically will get underway around 7:45 p.m.)
Photo by Angela Ragno
If you are looking to pick up a Disney Park Hopper, Orlando
Fun Tickets can definitely help you out. Just drop by our office at 8472 Palm
Parkway or click on over to the official OFT website and we’ll walk you through
what’s available.
Just so you know, though: Epcot’s International Flower and
Garden Festival only runs through May 31st. So if you’re in need of
some flower power after this year’s brutal winter, make plans to visit WDW
ASAP.