Welcome back, Mousekefriends! We are here to give you the rundown of ALL that the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival has to offer and to share the can’t-miss experiences and eats! Don’t delay in booking your Disney trip! This festival ends May 27th. Our experienced travel professionals at Kingdom and Cruise are ready to plan your vacation!
Are you on the go today and don’t have time to read the blog? We got you! Have a listen to the Mousekemoms Podcast episode and we will fill you in audio style!
Topiaries
There are over 70 topiaries at this year’s Flower and Garden Festival! We all love seeing the classics like Mickey, Minnie and Pluto, but don’t miss some of this year’s new works of art: Groot, “Wish” characters Asha and Valentino, and Miguel and Dante from “Coco.”
Garden Rocks Concert Series
We call this the one-hit-wonders series. Sorry, Mousekefriends. There ARE some performers in the series that we are really excited to see on the list this year though, including the band A Flock of Seagulls – because their song, “I Ran (so far away)” is in rotation on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! We think Guardians should have it on repeat while they are in town! Check out the full lineup HERE! Who are you most excited to see?
Butterfly Landing
This one is a matter of personal opinion. Some of us Mousekemoms are not feeling “let the bugs come to me” vibes. Creepy or cute? Either way, kids love this and it’s a unique experience! The installation highlights the life cycle of butterflies and contains beautiful pollinator gardens. Our Mouseketip – if you don’t want a butterfly to land on you, don’t stand still!
Spike the Bee and Egg-travanagza Scavenger Hunts
These scavenger hunts are adorable! Just beware, they can be a major time suck! When the kids get going with these, you could find yourself hunting for days. We suggest grabbing a festival passport and consulting the pages that give some clues. Also, cast members are already ready to help!
Specialty Food and Beverage
Now this is the real reason we adults enjoy the festivals. The food and beverage offerings are creative, delicious and varied! Our Mouseketip: Save all your snack credits and all the room in your tummy for these delectable festival selections! We are going fill you in on all the new items that we are really excited to try (and some that we know we will avoid).
The Honey Bee-stro
- Honey-glazed Cauliflower with honey-roasted carrot purée, wild rice pilaf, spring vegetables, honey-blistered grapes, and sunflower brittle (New) This sounds great to us! We may not have included the rice. We need to save up our carbs for the desserts.
Florida Fresh
- Grilled Warm Water Lobster Tail with Key lime butter (New)
- Cubanito with mojo-marinated pork belly, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and stone ground mustard sauce(New)
Lobster tail at an EPCOT kiosk? Can they get this right? We feel heartened by our experiences with filet mignon at Le Cellier that come out perfect every single time. You got this, EPCOT. Key lime butter!!! (mic drop) We will be pairing it with this sweet, refreshing drink:
- Cucumber-Watermelon Slushy with Gin
Swirled Showcase
- Liquid Nitro Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake with fresh honey, granulated honey, honey mead blueberry compote Presented by National Honey Board (New)
- Vanilla Soft-serve with Cantaloupe Liqueur (New) –
We can’t wait to try this beverage! This is a beautiful marriage of flavors. Anything that marries Vanilla ice cream will not end in divorce.
La Isla Fresca
- IMPOSSIBLE Jamaican Beef Patty with Spicy Papaya Syrup (New) (Plant-based)
The plant-based craze has swept the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival. We have mixed feeling about this. We are still going to try the Jamaican Beef Patty, though! Hoping the flavors simulate the real meat deal!
Trowel and Trellis
This dirt dessert is so pretty that we Mousekemoms are ready to give it a try!
Brunchcot
- Biscuit and Gravy with IMPOSSIBLE Chicken Fried Steak and IMPOSSIBLE Sausage Gravy (New)
- Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with cream cheese frosting and candied bacon
We are not sold on the Impossible Chicken Fried Steak and Sausage Gravy. I guess we will have to try it and give the Impossible a POSSIBLE chance. Pass the Froot Loop shake served here and that will make everything better.
Canada Popcorn Cart
Beverage:
- Peach Smash: Canadian Club Whiskey with lemon, peach purée, and ginger (New)
REAL peach with whiskey is a winning combo! We are excited for this beverage!
Jardin de Fiestas
Beverages:
- Lychee Margarita: Centinela Blanco Tequila, lychee liqueur, citrus juice, and agave nectar (New)
- Floral Margarita: Cherry liqueur, mezcal, hibiscus tea, and lime juice (New)
The food offerings look amazing! BUT, you lost us at cherry liqueur. I don’t think you can pay US to try that floral Margarita. A big YES to the Lychee!
Primavera Kitchen
Food Items:
- Bocconcini: Mozzarealla bocconcini, grape tomatoes, and pesto sauce (New)
- Arrabbiata: Pennette pasta, spicy tomato sauce, and buttery shrimp (New)
- Quattro Formaggi: Pennette pasta and four-cheese sauce (New)
- Chocolate Cannoli: Chocolate-covered cannoli shell with peanut butter-ricotta filling (New)
Largely innocuous selection here but a BOLD move with the dessert. We might try it, but we will pretend it didn’t come out of Italy.
Hanami
Food Items:
- Steam Bun filled with vegetables and plant-based soy meat (New)
- Ramen Cup: Ramen salad shaken in a cup with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, and dashi broth with chili oil and yuzu (New)
Beverages:
- Ichigo Breeze Cocktail: Sake with Strawberry and Watermelon (New)
- Ozeki Pineapple Nigori Sake (New)
MORE plant based meat. Disney’s agenda is to lower my cholesterol. At least they aren’t trying to make me stop drinking. The Strawberry and Watermelon Sake AND the Pineapple Sake both sound amazing!
Fleur de Lys
Food Items:
- Parmentier de Canard A L’Orange: Pulled Duck Confit with Orange Sauce and Garlic-Rosemary Mashed Potatoes (New)
- Gâteau au Crémeux Citron, Lavende et Thym, Compote de Fruits Rouges: Warm Cake filled with Lemon, Lavender, and Thyme-infused Cream served with Berry Compote (New)
The Mousekemoms are about to enjoy this festival and all its amazing experiences and eats. Who wants to join us? Leave a comment and tell us which experience and which food items you are most excited to try.
- By Kingdom and Cruise travel advisor Alli Matthews