What’s New at the 2024 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival

Walt Disney World has rolled out the floral carpet and unveiled a bounty of botanical beauty with the debut of the 2024 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, in bloom from February 28 through May 27, 2024. From new topiaries and gardens to more than 60 new menu items at the festival’s many outdoor kitchens, to new acts taking the stage during the Garden Rocks concert series, there’s a lot to experience for the first time — even if you visit the festival every year. Here’s a closer look at what’s new at this year’s Flower & Garden Festival.

Floral figures are the stars of the festival in the form of more than 70 terrific topiaries. A team effort by character artists, film studios, welders and the horticultural team brings these iconic characters to (plant) life. Many beloved annual favorites return this year, along with some brand new characters, like Miguel and Dante from Disney Pixar’s “Coco,” right at home near the Mexico pavilion.

Taking the place of last year’s “Encanto” display at the park’s main entrance, new topiaries featuring Asha, Valentino and Star from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Wish” now welcome guests.

Not to worry, “Encanto” fans, the stunning Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela and Antonio topiaries have just moved to a new central location at the end of the bridge to World Showcase.

Everyone’s favorite flora colossus, 5-foot-tall Groot makes his festival debut as part of a towering 13-foot, 8-inch topiary in World Discovery, near Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Overhead, Groot holds a “Green-House Mix: Vol. 1” cassette, an homage to the horticulture team. 

Fans of the “I am Groot” shorts on Disney+ might recognize the colorful alien insects featured in the series.

 

EPCOT’s unofficial mascot, Figment has abandoned his longtime festival home in front of the Imagination pavilion for a front-and-center spot in EPCOT’s new World Celebration Gardens, which opened Dec. 5, 2023. 

Figment stands in the central planter, which forms the center of EPCOT’s iconic logo, flanked by giant hot pink flowers.

Three adorable gnome topiaries, inspired by the magical garden gnomes in German folk tales, have been added to the Germany pavilion. Across from the gnomes, topiaries of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs make their annual return. 

 

Nearly 20 Outdoor Kitchens have been set up around the festival and serve dishes that shine a spotlight on local, seasonal, and garden-fresh ingredients, as well as globally inspired menu items around World Showcase. This year’s festival introduces more than 60 new menu items, including a welcome influx of new vegetarian and plant-based dishes like this colorful new dish from the Honey Bee-stro, Honey-glazed Cauliflower ($5), with honey roasted carrot puree, wild rice pilaf, spring vegetables, honey-blistered grapes, and sunflower brittle.

One outdoor kitchen pays homage to the changing seasons with three different menus as the festival progresses: Early Bloom, Springtime, and Summer Solstice. Throughout the festival, one plant-based staple continues to be offered, the absolutely delicious Grilled Street Corn on the Cob ($5.75), grilled fresh the spot all day, and slathered with garlic spread and plant-based cheese.

Thinly sliced veal loin tops a hefty portion of spring pea risotto made with arborio rice and garnished around the edge with red wine syrup. This $8.50 dish is part of the Early Bloom menu at EPCOT Farmers Feast, available through March 30.

Also available from Farmers Feast through March 30, Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-down Cake ($4.75), served warm with crème fraîche whipped cream.

Disney continues to get creative with plant-based and vegetarian options, from a new plant-based poutine at Refreshment Port near Canada, to a hearty new dish at annual favorite kitchen BRUNCHCOT. Biscuit and Gravy ($6.75), made with Impossible Chicken Fried Steak topped with Impossible Sausage Gravy, is served on top of a fluffy biscuit. It’s hearty and filling and is receiving positive reviews from both vegetarians and meat eaters.

Florida flavors and culinary traditions shine at the Florida Fresh outdoor kitchen, which is serving two new dishes this year. The Cubanito ($6.50) is a classic Cuban-style sandwich made with mojo-marinated pork belly, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.

The other new dish at Florida Fresh is being lauded as a top value at the festival. Grilled Warm Water Lobster Tail ($11.25) is a good-sized lobster tail topped with a Key lime butter that’s getting rave reviews.

At the outdoor kitchens around World Showcase, garden-fresh ingredients are incorporated into dishes inspired by the culinary traditions of the nearby pavilions. Jardin de Fiestas near Mexico is serving up three new dishes — a vegetarian Tamale de Rajas ($8.75), Poblano peppers, corn, and cheese in masa topped with poblano cream sauce, crema mexicana, pickled carrots and onions with chives; Sope de Chilorio ($8.50), Guajillo pepper-braised pork on fried corn shells with black beans, shredded cabbage, crema Mexicana, queso fresco, and chives; and Flan de Guayaba ($6.50), Vanilla flan with guava coulis, whipped cream, and fresh fruit. 

 

At the Hanami outdoor kitchen in Japan, in addition to returning annual favorite Frushi, a fruity take on sushi, there are two new dishes on the menu. First up, a Ramen Cup ($8.50), ramen salad shaken in a cup with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, and dashi broth with chili oil and yuzu.

Japan’s festival menus have been light on vegetarian options of late, but new this year, a Steam Bun ($8.50) is filled with vegetables and plant-based soy meat. It’s a bit pricey for what you get, but the bun is pillowy soft and the filling was flavorful.

While EPCOT’s festival scavenger hunts are nothing new, they remain one of our favorite ways to make the rounds with kiddos, and this year’s new prizes just might make everyone want to participate. In Spike’s Pollen-nation Exploration, you can pick up a map for $9.99 and follow Spike the Bee along his pollination trail, searching for him in the festival’s many gardens. The redemption prize, which you can collect whether or not you complete the search, is one of four mini-cornhole games and they’re almost too cute to pick a favorite. We recommend collecting your prize right away —before they sell out!

Presented by OFF!, Camp Get Out ‘N’ Play Garden is a newly rethemed playground area in World Discovery. Themed to a camp, it gives little ones a place to get a break from the stroller and get out some energy.

 

Another new sponsored area, the PB&J Garden along the bridge to World Showcase is presented by Smucker’s Uncrustables and features a garden of red and purple flowers — no doubt a nod to the strawberry and grape jellies used in Uncrustables. Our favorite part? The garden is peppered with punny signs displaying PB&J facts with a side of dad jokes.

A new global garden in World Showcase, the China Penjing Garden showcases the ancient Chinese art of penjing, the recreation of miniature landscapes. Find it outside Nine Dragons Restaurant in the China pavilion. 

 

This year’s festival merchandise features three different collections — the Orange Bird Collection, the Coco Collection, and the Butterfly Collection, shown here, featuring Minnie Mouse. Butterfly lovers will also want to be sure to check out Butterfly Landing, a screened-in space where butterflies flutter and land freely around you.

Orange Bird often shares the Flower & Garden spotlight with Spike the Bee, but only Orange Bird gets his own merch collection this year. One of the most popular items on opening day was this festival-branded Orange Bird Skeeter Mini Crossbody bag by Lug.  

In addition to new topiaries, “Coco” got a whole festival merchandise collection this year. Festival merchandise is sold in Creations Shop in World Celebration as well as at various kiosks around the park.

EPCOT’s new World Celebration Gardens introduced lots of welcome space for guests to spread out and relax, with benches and plenty of tables and chairs scattered around the area’s five different themed gardens. 

New to the gardens, two merchandise kiosks debuted on the festival’s opening day in the garden nearest Creations Shop.

A mix of local and world-famous acts take the stage nightly at the America Gardens Theatre for the Garden Rocks concert series. New acts this year include Modern English, Crowder, Fonseca, Lit, and Monsieur Periné. Showtimes are at 5:30pm, 6:45pm, and 8pm. 

For guaranteed great seats, book a Garden Rocks Dining Package, which includes your meal and guaranteed seating for a showtime that day.