What Not To Miss at the 30th Anniversary EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World® Resort
Author: Michelle Snow, Editor of CitySurfingOrlando.com
The EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival is one of the biggest events at Walt Disney World® Resort and in 2025, it celebrates its 30th Anniversary.
Flowers and Gardens
Running through June 2, 2025, the official center point of the festival is horticulture, in the form of various topiaries shaped as Disney characters. New this year, guests will find Maui, Moana, Hei Hei, and Pua greeting them at the entrance, along with characters from "The Lion King," "Toy Story," "Peter Pan," "Encanto," and more.
Stop by CommuniCore Hall to learn about how Disney’s Horticulture team brings topiaries, flower towers, and more to the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival.
Another highlight is the Butterfly Landing Presented by AdventHealth, which has live butterflies for guests to enjoy. If you stay still long enough, they might even land on you.
Young ones that need to burn some energy, can enjoy the new playground, Playalong Bay, presented by Smucker’s® Uncrustables. As a bonus, free samples of Uncrustables are available Wednesday through Sunday.
Food and Drink
While horticulture is the official star of the festival, the Outdoor Kitchens play a supporting role and offer a cornucopia of food and drink. Pick up a free passport guide to help navigate from booth to booth. There are several gluten-free and plant-based dishes to try, as well as non-alcoholic drinks.
And to celebrate the festival's 30th anniversary, there is new food and drink plus two new Outdoor Kitchens: Yacht Grub and Beach Grub.
Both are located next to each other on the walkway between World Showcase and Imagination! Pavilion, and feature items like a Seafood Bake, Grilled Street Corn on the Cob, Meat Assorti, and a sparkling cocktail flight.
The EPCOT® Farmers Feast, now in CommuniCore Hall, features a revolving seasonal menu throughout the festival, starting with the Early Bloom Menu through April 5. Highlights of this first menu are Grilled Asparagus, Scallop with spring pea risotto, and a Blueberry Crumble. The Springtime Menu (April 6 to May 3) offers Grilled Peaches and Burrata and Seared Pork Tenderloin. The Summer Solstice Menu (May 4 to June 2) closes out the festival with Heirloom Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella and Grilled Beef Strip Loin.
Garden Graze
Make sure you take part in the culinary scavenger hunt called the Garden Graze Food Stroll. When you purchase five items from the list (found in the back of the festival passport), you can redeem the stamped passport for a free treat at the Pineapple Promenade (near Port of Entry). I received a Pineapple Dole Whip in a souvenir cup, along with a packet of wildflower seeds.
Best Eats
There is a lot of food and drink to sample at the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival. Here are my top five picks for can’t miss items:
Grilled Street Corn on the Cob, with savory garlic spread and plant-based cheese at Beach Grub (Garden Graze item)
This dish was a festival favorite, featuring fresh sweet corn slathered in a not-too-garlicky spread and plant-based salty cheese crumbs. I loved the sweet and salty taste combination, and the freshness of the corn on the cob was pure summer.
Lumpia with plant-based pork, green papaya salad, and yuzu sweet-and-sour at the Odyssey (Garden Graze item)
I wouldn't have known the pork was plant-based if the description hadn't said so. It was so tasty with the citrusy sweet and sour dipping sauce. Personally, I would have preferred more lumpia and less papaya salad.
Biscuit and Gravy featuring Impossible™ sausage with pepper jelly featured at BRUNCHCOT(Garden Graze item)
Again, I wouldn't have known the sausage was plant-based, and with the biscuit and gravy, it was a savory morning treat. I really enjoyed the pepper jelly. It was more sweet than spicy and complemented the whole dish.
Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with cream cheese frosting and candied bacon, also at BRUNCHCOT
By far my favorite dish at the festival! The three pillowy fried dough sticks were filled with a sugary cinnamon mixture, then drizzled with cream cheese frosting and topped with crumbles of candied bacon. It was very sweet, but the saltiness of the bacon helped balance that, and made this dish a delightful play on a basic cinnamon roll.
Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade featuring Minute Maid® Premium Lemonade (non-alcoholic) with desert pear and violet syrups located at the Pineapple Promenade Kitchen. This frozen drink was the perfect pairing of tartness with a hint of sweet and a great refresher for a hot Spring day at the festival.
Garden Rocks Concerts
One final highlight of the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival is the nightly Garden Rocks concerts that are included with your park admission.
The concerts feature headliner entertainment at the American Gardens Theatre in the American Pavilion, with three performance times daily at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8 pm.
This year’s line-up includes many hit making artists from the 1970s to the 2000s like Simple Plan; Jo Dee Messina; A Flock of Seagulls; Taylor Dayne; 98 Degrees; Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles; and Sugar Ray.
The concerts can be very popular so to guarantee a seat, check out the Garden Rocks Dining Packages that are available for purchase and include a meal at your choice of select EPCOT® restaurants, plus a guaranteed seat to one Garden Rocks concert performance on the same day.
Author Summary
Michelle Snow is the owner and editor of CitySurfingOrlando.com, which has covered Orlando and Central Florida since August 2010, she was previously an editor/writer for The Disney Blog for ten years and has also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. She has lived in Orlando near Walt Disney World® since 1995 and still finds there's so much fun to be had in Central Florida.