Tips for taking kids to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Spring is in the air in Central Florida, and that means the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing. While this event is a delight for gardeners, flower lovers and just about anyone who likes to be outside, it is also one of the most fun times of the year to bring kids to EPCOT.
Here are my top 5 tips for taking kids to the festival:
1. Don’t miss the topiaries. There are two dozen of them sprinkled around EPCOT, and while your kids may not be patient enough for a walking tour of all of them, be sure to pick out a few favorite characters and go take a look. Our favorites this year are the “American Gothic” Mickey and Minnie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Bambi and friends. Older kids can take a close look and try to figure out how EPCOT’s horticulturists make them happen.
2. Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds. Part of the magic of the Flower and Garden Festival are the children’s playsets sprinkled around the park for kids. There’s one on the walkway between the Canada Pavilion and Future World (behind the Fantasia topiaries), on in the Living Green area near the France Pavilion and one near the Fairy Garden in Future World. Truth be told, I think the EPCOT experience for kids would be improved if one or more of these play areas became a permanent fixture.
3. Speaking of the Fairy Garden, be sure to see the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden! I love, love, loved the colorful, tiny Tink and friends topiaries here. And there’s an interactive art project – kids can pick up a sheet and move around the garden doing rubbings to complete a picture. Also in this area is the butterfly house, where you can see butterflies flutter by, and Princess Tiana’s Wedding Showcase, which is a great area for pictures.
4. By the way, take pictures with your kids at the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. Ask them to pose like the characters they are standing in front of or just be silly. And it’s never too early to be thinking about that Christmas card photo. So much for Santa, Christmas sweaters and snow — when it’s cold outside at Christmas, you can send everyone a picture of the Florida sunshine. I met a mom with six kids at EPCOT last week, she was lining them all up in front of Mrs. Potts and the Beauty and the Beast topiaries. The six little stair-steps were all doing their best “I’m a little teapot” pose, and the mom told me that was definitely going to be her Christmas card picture this year.
5. Take time to sing and dance. Don’t forget to take your kids to one of the Flower Power concerts held on weekend evenings during the festival. Sure, they may not know who David Cassidy is, but that doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy the music. Do an Internet search and stream a Partridge Family episode or a little “I Think I Love You” audio to get your kids familiar with who they will be watching.
The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival continues at Walt Disney World through May 16.
If you want to see more of what’s in store, check out this story and photo gallery.
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