The 20th Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival began March 6, 2013, and will continue through May 19th. You have time to plan a great timeshare vacation to Orlando and Walt Disney World to enjoy learning about blooming flowers from your favorite HGTV personalities, see your favorite Disney characters in dazzling topiary displays, and wander through sparkling lighted gardens at night.
While much of the Festival is geared to adults, this year there are some fun activities that are just kid-related.
1. Garden to Table: Kids TRYIt. Utilizing The Magic of Healthy Living program for kids, Kids TRYit will spotlight many fresh foods in The Garden Marketplaces. Teaching people how food is actually grown and turns into diverse dishes, the TRYit logo encourages kids to try the “garden to table” menu, such as:
- Beet Lollipop (Intermissions Café in the Festival Center)
- Baked Goat’s Brie with Kumquat Chutney (The Cottage, United Kingdom)
- Lasagna Primavera (Primavera Kitchen, Italy)
- Spring Pancake with Grilled Chicken and Green Apple (Lotus House, China)
- Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries (Florida Fresh)
- Ratatouille Tarte with Goat Cheese (L’Orangerie, France)
- Moroccan Sweet Pancake (Taste of Marrakesh, Morocco)
- Waterkist Farms Heirloom Tomatoes with house-made Mozzarella, Minus 8 Vinegar and Basil (The Cottage, United Kingdom)
2. The Land of Oz. Showcasing the new Disney film Oz, The Great and Powerful, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival has created the Land of Oz interactive play area for kids.
The movie tells the back-story of Oscar Diggs, a small-time magician, who in his hot-air balloon, is hurled by a tornado away from a Kansas carnival to the Land of Oz, where he meets three witches and is drawn into the epic problems of the inhabitants of Oz.
In the Land of Oz play area kids can follow in the footsteps of Oz The Great and Powerful by playing carnival games in a circus-themed area. Red-and-white tents offer all kinds of midway games, plus fun photo opportunities.
The next stop is the “Land of Oz Play Area”, where bubbles fill the air, and where kids can play on equipment adorned with giant flowers, and see The Great and Powerful Oz’s crashed hot-air balloon.
Guests can also wander through the “Oz Movie Garden,” which will feature lush, unusual plants inspired by the Land of Oz, including a bed of yellow pansies arranged to resemble a very familiar brick road—plus some dazzling red glass poppies.
These amazing glass poppy creations were prepared especially for The Land of Oz Garden by artist/sculptor Craig Mitchell Smith using his own elaborate technique of cutting, heating, shaping and reheating each flower—a process that takes four days per poppy!
And the character topiaries are better than ever. This quick video will give you a sneak peak.
Disney timeshare rentals start at just $130/night. Or check out Greater Orlando timeshare rentals that start as low as $71/night.