Epcot Map Highlight: Flower and Garden Festival

The 15th Annual Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing at Epcot, one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World in Florida. I've marked by Disney World map with my favorite features of the Flower and Garden Festival -- the topiaries and the butterfly garden.

Since this year's theme is "Fun in the Sun," all of the topiaries have an outdoor flavor. (Wait... I think I'm mixing metaphors there. Oh, well...) Here's a picture of Mickey with some seashells. He's standing next to Minnie and Goofy at the entrance of the park. By the way, Goofy is the largest topiary this year.... 14 feet!

Other topiaries can be found just north and south of the Dancing Fountain, which is at the center of Future World. And of course, there are more displays around the lagoon in the World Showcase. In all, there are 70 topiaries.

My other favorite addition at Epcot for the Flower and Garden Festival is Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden. It's a screened-in gazebo just south of Mouse Gear, between the main walkway and Test Track. The gazebo is 40 feet in diameter and houses 10 different species of butterflies. It's jam packed with lots of beautiful flowers -- plumbago, passion flower, honeysuckle and much more.

Just a little warning ... The butterfly garden can get very crowded. I prefer to wait until there are no strollers inside, then take my time browsing around. Early morning is the best time avoid the crowds.

Here are a few interesting tidbits about the Flower and Garden Festival:

• The Disney folks say there are 30 million blooms in all on display!
  
• At least 25 different plants are used to create the topiaries.
• More than 15 floral, herbal and spice ingredients of 10 popular perfumes are on display in the Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion. Guerlain, the perfume maker featured at the pavilion.
  
• Every evening, music from the 60s and 70s is featured at special (albeit short) "Flower Power" concerts at the American Gardens Theater.
  

Visit this special page on the Disney World web site to download the Flower and Garden Festival Guide.

No matter when you visit Walt Disney World, be sure take along your Disney World map. There's always something to explore! If you're lucky enough to be traveling before June 1, plan to spend plenty of time at Epcot enjoying the "Fun in the Sun" at the Flower and Garden Festival.

Disney World Map Zoom: International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot

Today, we're zooming in on the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot.... Epcot is one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World, located near the center of the resort. If you have a copy of the EZ Fun Guide to Walt Disney World, turn to Page 24.

I absolutely LOVE the Food and Wine Festival... There are little kiosks located around the lagoon in the World Showcase, and each stand has small servings of ethnic food for sale. Prices are about $2 to $4, which is a great price for theme park food. And other areas feature interactive displays, wine lectures, cooking demonstrations and concerts.

To make sure that you get the most of your time during the Festival, check your Disney World map guide to learn about all of the countries in the World Showcase. The extra displays and kiosks make the World Showcase feel a bit crowded... so the more you know in advance, the more you'll enjoy the experience.

The International Food and Wine Festival begins on September 28 and runs through November 11... plenty of time for lots of us to enjoy it!