Looking Back at EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival

Now that the 2022 version of Flower and Garden is in the books, let’s take a look back at all of the festivities. 

 

Merchandise

 

If you love Orange Bird, there was plenty of merch! He’s the unofficial-official mascot of Flower and Garden. I’m guessing due to the constant supply chain issues, that was the reason a lot of the merchandise did not arrive until later in the fest. We noticed that there was a LOT of new merch showing up every couple of weeks.

Yes, Flower and Garden kicked with the usual Spirit Jerseys, hats, and mugs, but the new stuff with the orange guy was constantly arriving, even up to a week ago. 

 

The Passholder merchandise was okay. Mugs with Spike the Bee, Figment, Orange Bird, and Minnie were plentiful. The only really big ticket item was a Figment jacket (because you need those in the Florida heat)! I feel like Epcot is getting a little back into the groove with their merch – definitely an upgrade over the sorry Festival of Arts offerings. 

 

Eats

Getting to the food – it was very hit or miss for the entire festival. For example, we sampled the delicious Local Wildflower Honey Mascarpone Cheesecake. The first one was so creamy with a hint of orange blossom, and then we grabbed a second one a few weeks later, and it was bland.

 

 

That was the story for many of the dishes. Yes, it is hard to get consistency at a food booth. Unfortunately, some items suffered as a result.

 

 

Don’t get me started on the Garden Graze. Out of all the festival strolls, this one was the most disappointing.

 

You had to try:

Corn on the Cob: Think street corn with a hint of lime and garlic – B+
Potato Pancakes: Actually pretty good savory option with tart applesauce – A
Coconut Tres Leches: Not a fan of this soggy cake combo – B
Avocado Toast: My favorite of the fest! Nice crispy toast with a drizzle of olive oil and a fresh avocado spread – A+
Grilled Vegetables with Hummus: Terrible! You know when veggies get overcooked and turn squishy? That was the texture of this dish. Awful! D

I really struggled to get through these choices, and the completer prize was not as good as the other fests. It was a lime Dole Whip with a white chocolate medallion. Nothing to write home about. 

 

 

Yes, Flower and Garden is more about, well, flowers and gardens, but usually, you get a great taste of culinary yumminess. All is not lost though – there were many good dishes, such as:

• Crispy Mojo Marinated Pork Belly
• Orange-Lemon Smoothies – tastes like a creamsicle
• Spicy Chicken Gumbo and Andouille Sausage
• Shrimp and grits

 

And, of course, the Violet Lemonade (which is sold at Tortuga Tavern in MK as the Desert Pear Lemonade Pirate Slushy) was a great non-alcoholic option to kick off the festival. 

Overall, not the best festival for foodies, but our time is almost in the spotlight. 

 

 

Entertainment

Garden Rocks finally returned with a hefty lineup of artists. One of the first “big” artists was Rick Springfield. As always, he puts on a spectacular show (we saw all three for the first night!).

Word of wise: he is very popular, meaning get there early. If not, you will be fighting with hordes of 50-year-old women trying to get a glimpse of Rick. Before the first show, one lady tried to sneak into the reserved section, flipped off security, and was escorted out. It gets wild in the American Gardens Theater pit.

 

Kool and the Gang and The Orchestra (ELO) were also great bands and put on good shows. If you want to get a good seat, wait for the second or third show. Everyone wants to hit that 5:30 one, and the seating gets limited. Just wait in line, and you can grab a front-row seat for the next shows. Though don’t hold more than one extra seat – the concert attendees get super feisty.

The best performance of the fest goes to Terri Nunn and Berlin. It was an exciting performance with a cappella opening to Take My Breath Away. Plus, they performed a Disneyfied version of one of their other “raunchier” hits. 

The festival seemed a little too heavily with talent towards the start and then flickered out. While some of the local bands are great, you can burned out seeing the same performances night after night. But hey, you cannot complain about a free concert!

Biggest boo – Flock of Seagulls pulling out of the festival and getting replaced by Tony Orlando. 

 

Flowers and Gardens

 

When you go to Flower and Garden, you expect some spectacular displays. Like the past few years, it was mostly the same topiaries: Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Belle and the Beast, and Bambi. There wasn’t too much for the 50th (surprise, surprise). Minnie did have a purple 50th water can, and a 50th logo graced the area by the lagoon near Imagination.

 

 

This festival did have some smaller garden areas that were great places to explore. I love bromeliads, and Mexico had plenty of them off the side of the pavilion. A prehistoric plant garden was near the new Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus, the English tea garden and Alpine village fell into the “cute” category. How can I forget the amazing bonsai trees in Japan or the zodiac signs made with seeds and other natural elements? Okay, I loved them all!

For me, the smaller gardens were a lot better than the same old topiaries.

 

 

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Miscellaneous

There were plenty of fun activities throughout the festival. Since Easter was right around the corner, you could hunt for hidden eggs around World Showcase. This year’s prize… a tall plastic tumbler with either Spike the Bee, Figment, or Orange Bird. Guess which one we grabbed?

 

There was another hunt around Epcot – this time with Spike the Bee! Like the eggs, you had to find Spike hiding out in the various gardens. When you finished, you received a plastic box in the choice of Figment, Orange Bird, Spike the Bee, or Mickey.

 

Who doesn’t love butterflies? Bambi’s Butterfly House returned for another year. You were able to see full-grown butterflies to larva in their cocoons. It was a great extra that didn’t cost any money. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Winnie the Pooh trying to catch some of the butterfly escapees with his net?

 

 

Finally, Scentsy sponsored the Blossoms of Fragrance. This section contained tiny gardens with smelling stations for different scents. Maybe having people push their noses against a station isn’t the best after a pandemic, but hey, we got some lavender seeds out of the deal. 

 

 

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Final Word on Flower and Garden

Despite some hiccups, Flower and Garden was a great festival. Yes, there were “meh” moments, but other parts of the festival helped save this one. And it certainly topped the Festival of Arts, which just seemed lackluster this year. 

Did you attend this year’s Flower and Garden? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!