Spring has officially arrived at Walt Disney World — and EPCOT is proving it in the most spectacular way possible
There’s a certain kind of magic that descends on EPCOT every spring. The air smells sweeter, the walkways explode with color, and beloved Disney characters bloom into life in sculpted hedges across the park. It can only mean one thing: the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is back.
Running from March 4 through June 1, 2026, this year’s EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is a full-throated celebration of spring, horticulture, food, and fun — and with new additions, fresh bites, and the return of beloved traditions, it’s shaping up to be one of the best editions yet.
A Brief History of the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival: From Seedling to Sensation
It’s hard to believe that what is now one of the most beloved events at Walt Disney World started as something quite modest. The very first EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival debuted on April 29, 1994, running for just 38 days. Sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens, the original event was rooted in horticultural education — daily garden tours, guest speakers like botanist Mark Plotkin and PBS’s Roger Swain from Victory Garden, and workshops on gardening techniques. There were a handful of character topiaries and lush floral arrangements throughout the park, but no outdoor kitchens, no concerts, and no butterfly garden.
What drew people in was simple: beauty. Disney’s horticulture team had planted over 165,000 annuals across more than 250 beds around World Showcase, with each national pavilion given botanically themed flair — white impatiens and geraniums around Norway, native Mexican greenery in Mexico, and cut-flower arrangements inspired by French paintings over the France Pavilion.
The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival returned in 1995 with a charming new addition: the EPCOT Garden Railway, a miniature train village nestled beside the Germany Pavilion. It became so beloved that it has remained a fixture of the park ever since.
Over the following decade, the festival steadily grew. It wasn’t until the 20th anniversary in 2014 that the Outdoor Kitchens — the festival’s food stalls — were added, transforming what was once purely a horticultural showcase into a full-blown culinary and sensory experience. The booths were paired with “Festival Farms,” actual planter beds growing ingredients used in the dishes.
In 2015, the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival received perhaps its biggest upgrade: the addition of the Garden Rocks Concert Series (replacing the earlier Flower Power Concert Series), a brand-new Butterfly Garden, and a huge expansion of character topiaries including Frozen‘s Anna and Elsa, Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, and Kermit the Frog.
From there, each year brought new topiaries, new dishes, and an ever-lengthening run time. What once lasted 38 days now stretches nearly three months. Today, the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is one of the largest spring festivals in the United States, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and featuring dozens of Outdoor Kitchens, over 60 character topiaries, live music, butterfly exhibits, scavenger hunts, and immersive gardens from World Celebration to World Showcase.
What’s Blooming at the 2026 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
This year’s festival is every bit as lush and layered as fans have come to expect — and then some.
60+ Topiaries Across the Park
Disney’s horticulture team has once again worked their magic, with more than 60 topiaries woven throughout World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase. Guests are greeted at the World Celebration Neighborhood entrance by Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Bo Peep and her Sheep, Lotso, and the iconic Pixar Ball — a warm and whimsical welcome to the festivities ahead.
Fan favorites like Stitch, Mike Wazowski and Sulley, and Lightning McQueen and Mater make their return, as do classics like Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, and Remy from Ratatouille. Among the new standouts this year: a stunning Princess Tiana topiary at The American Adventure Pavilion, and a vibrant Moana, Maui, Heihei, and Pua display at the park’s main entrance.
Don’t miss the evening glow — the topiaries and gardens take on an entirely different character after dark as illumination transforms the park into a living storybook.
What’s New at the 2026 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
The most exciting fresh addition for 2026 is “Sunlight to Starbright in Spike’s Garden” inside CommuniCore Hall. This is a brand-new version of last year’s Disney Horticulture Gallery, featuring elaborate floral displays, the beloved Spike the Bee topiary, and — new this year — a stunning light show that transforms the garden from day to night before your eyes, complete with fireflies glowing in the dark and flowers that appear to open by moonlight. It’s theatrical, it’s immersive, and it’s unlike anything offered at a previous EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.
Families with young kids will also love the brand-new Camp Get Out ‘N’ Play Garden presented by OFF! Repellents, a camp-themed playground tucked into World Celebration between Creations Shop and The Odyssey. Kids can run, jump, climb, and explore in a space designed to get them outside and into nature.
Three additional gardens make their debut at this year’s EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival: the Wildlife Crossing Garden (inspired by Disney’s Hoppers), Pluto’s Pet-Friendly Garden, and the Trendy Tropicals Garden, each bringing a distinct personality and set of botanical surprises to the festival.
For food lovers, a brand-new Outdoor Kitchen called Nectar joins the roster, rounding out an already impressive lineup of more than 20 Outdoor Kitchens and a staggering 75+ new menu items across the entire festival.
Eating Through the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
Let’s talk food — because at the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival, it’s a serious affair.
The Outdoor Kitchens serve up small plates and drinks inspired by seasonal, garden-fresh flavors, and this year’s lineup is as creative as ever. Some highlights include a Sha Cha Beef Bao Bun at Lan Yuan and a Blackened Shrimp Po’ Boy at Magnolia Terrace — new items for 2026. Returning crowd-pleasers include the beloved Frushi at Hanami (a colorful, fruit-filled sushi-style sweet), the Beef Tenderloin Tips at Northern Bloom, and the ever-iconic Frozen Dessert Violet Lemonade at Pineapple Promenade.
Don’t miss the Garden Graze, a plant-based food stroll where guests collect passport stamps at participating Outdoor Kitchens. Purchase any five designated Garden Graze items and redeem your stamped passport at the Pineapple Promenade for an exclusive prize. It’s a delicious way to explore the park while checking all your EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival food favorites off the list.
Garden Rocks Concert Series
Every weekend evening during the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival, the America Gardens Theatre comes alive with the Garden Rocks Concert Series — free with EPCOT admission. World-renowned acts and local Orlando talent take the stage at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM, with touring artists performing Friday through Monday and local acts bringing the energy Tuesday through Thursday.
If you want guaranteed seating, consider booking a Garden Rocks Dining Package through the My Disney Experience app, which pairs a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with a reserved seat at that evening’s concert.
Tips for Visiting the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival runs daily with Outdoor Kitchens open 11:30 AM–8:30 PM Tuesday–Thursday and 11 AM–9 PM Friday–Monday. Grab a Festival Passport at the entrance — it doubles as a guide to every garden, topiary, and food booth in the park, and you’ll need it for the Garden Graze stamp collection.
The whole festival is included with regular EPCOT admission — a genuinely remarkable value for everything on offer. A few extras like Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt cost a small fee (around $9.99), but most of the gardens, topiaries, Butterfly Landing, concerts, and the new Sunlight to Starbright experience are yours to enjoy at no additional cost.
Final Thoughts on the 2026 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
More than three decades after a small floral showcase quietly opened its gates at EPCOT, the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival has grown into something truly extraordinary. It honors its roots — the topiaries, the educational exhibits, the horticulture — while evolving every year with new culinary adventures, entertainment, and storytelling.
Whether you’re a lifelong Disney fan, a first-time visitor, or simply someone who loves spring and good food, the 2026 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is an experience that will leave you inspired, full, and maybe just a little more interested in starting that garden you’ve been putting off.
The flowers are blooming. The food is fresh. The topiaries are waiting.
Go find your magic in bloom. 🌸
The 2026 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival runs March 4 – June 1, 2026. Included with valid EPCOT park admission.