(Above) Walt Disney World’s Epcot has a diverse selection of country pavilions to capture the around-the-world effect. The China pavilion is one of the two Asian countries that are a part of the park’s pavilions: The China pavilion highlights nature during the International Flower and Garden Festival with attractions such as this pond that has lilypads, tadpoles, topiaries, and gardens.
Walt Disney World’s International Flower and Garden Festival hosted at Epcot is Orlando’s, annual transition into the Spring season. The International Flower and Garden Festival has been a tradition at Epcot since 1994 and lasts from March 5 through June 2 and uses this time to embrace the blooming season by adding beautiful plants and flowers around Epcot. The festival takes visitors around the world through 11 countries and immerses them in the culture, food, and traditions of each nation. This year’s Garden Rocks Concert Series consists of performances by Tommy DeCarlo, former lead singer of Boston, on March 7 and 8, Air Supply on March 9 and 10, Blue October on March 14 and 15, Rick Springfield on March 16 and 17, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone on March 21 and 22, 38 Special on March 23 and 24, and Jason Scheff, longtime singer of Chicago, on March 28 and 29. Since Epcot is known for its signature food set-ups around the countries, they enhance these carts for the Spring season. Disney also highlights the importance of nature and animals during the blooming season, because animals such as butterflies are needed to pollinate plants. Butterflies are represented by the butterfly enclosure tent they have where visitors can walk through and not only see hundreds of butterflies but also get to learn about how they make Spring the season of blooming through their pollination.
(Above) As guests walk into Disney’s Epcot park, the first thing they see when entering the park during the International Flower and Garden Festival is large, gorgeous pink flowers and beds of smaller, colorful flowers underneath. To announce the flower garden festival as people enter the park, they use a sign that resembles a post marker that would be used to hold the names of seeds, flowers, plants, and vegetables. (Savannah Fondo) (Above) In the British-themed pavilion during the International Flower and Garden Festival, they add decorations that relate to British culture and British-themed Disney movies. One of Disney’s most popular British characters is Winnie-the-Pooh, which has been a staple character since his creation in 1926 and appears in dozens of books and films. (Savannah Fondo)(Above) Disney’s Epcot is known for its yummy food booths that pop up throughout the park and change depending on which country guests are in or what is going on in the park. For the festival, there have been new pop-up food places that are exclusive to the event, and one of them is called, “The Honey Bee-stro” and includes foods with honey in them, hence the name of the food pop-up. The theme is bees because they are essential to harvesting. (Savannah Fondo) (Above) Walt Disney World’s Horticultural Team makes dozens of topiaries exclusively for the International Flower and Garden Festival each Spring. The topiaries are shaped and colored to look identical to iconic Disney characters. As guests walk through the park they can see these topiaries such as these sculptures of Bambi and Thumper, which are characters from the beloved Bambi movie. (Savannah Fondo)(Above) Located in Disney World’s Epcot is a variety of countries including Japan. Japan offered a unique spin on the festival by adding plants such as the bonsai tree that are common in Japanese culture. One of the bonsai trees that Epcot put on display inside of the Japanese pavilion is the Ulmus Parvifolia, better known as the Chinese Elm, which is a Hollow Trunk Style bonsai that is 35 years old. This specific tree has been a, “Tree in training” for 20 years, which means that the owner of this tree, Joshua Brown, pruned this tree with a technique to form a shape. (Savannah Fondo) (Above) In Epcot the British-themed pavilion which represents England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, is one of the pavilions that has the most character out of all of the wide variety of countries. One of the most popular shops in the British-themed pavilion is The Tea Caddy which features Twinings Tea and has any type of tea imaginable. To represent the shop, during the International Flower and Garden Festival there is an English Tea Garden that has plants that correspond with a Twinings Tea available for purchase. This photo shows the Lemon and Lemon Grass that correspond, with the Lemon and Ginger Tea available in The Tea Caddy. (Savannah Fondo) (Above) Located in World Nature is the annual Butterfly Landing enclosure which is exclusive to the International Flower and Garden Festival. The Butterfly Landing is a walk-through butterfly enclosure where guests can see hundreds of butterflies of a wide variety of species up close. As guests walk around the enclosure looking at the beautiful butterflies and flowers, there are signs that educate guests on facts about butterflies and their part in Spring blossoming. Not only do guests get to see butterflies, but they also get to see chrysalises where butterflies will develop until they hatch and dry off their wings before taking off. (Savannah Fondo)(Above) With the blooming of the International Flower and Garden Festival is the blossoming of new festival themed merchandise. All across Epcot there are tents set up with merchandise for the festival including shirts, hats, Mickey Mouse ears, cups, pins, and other items that will attract adults and children. This merchandise tent carries collectibles featuring Disney’sOrange Bird character, that debuted in 1971 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission. Not only can guests purchase merch for themselves, but they can also purchase items for their homes such as chia plants shaped like Disney characters. (Savannah Fondo)
Savannah Fondo is a Junior at Lake Highland Preparatory School. Savannah serves as the Director of Media for the award-winning Twice-Told Tale newspaper. Savannah is a former Varsity Cheerleader at LHP and looks forward to trying a new sport this school year. Outside of school, Savannah loves listening to music, watching films, and exploring fashion. Savannah loves to spend time with her family and friends on the weekends.
Yara Koteish is a staff member of Lake Highland Preparatory School’s newspaper class. Yara has been a student at Lake Highland for 11 years and has a younger brother in 9th grade. She is on the Lake Highland varsity and club swim team and has been swimming for 14 years. When not in school or sports, Yara enjoys traveling and going to the beach. She also likes to spend time having fun with her friends and family.
