Disney magic really comes to life in the 16th annual International Flower and Garden Festival held at The Disney World EPCOT resort in Orlando, Florida. Topiaries of over 50 Disney characters are highlighted this year in the event that runs March 17th through May 31st. Taking center stage is Cinderellabration, featuring well known Disney princesses such as Snow White and Cinderella. Making their first ever topiary appearance are Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming.
Disney Characters Create Magic in the Garden
The wonderful world of Disney isn’t made by magic alone. It’s made by plants and a lot of them. According to the February 24, 2009, Disney World Public Affairs article, “Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Returns”, 30 million flowers are added to the park for the festival’s 75 day run. While many gardens will receive new plants and designs, other horticultural attractions include 45 “flower towers” around Innovations Plaza and 750 container plants in various receptacles throughout the park. In addition, Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden allows guests to experience the beauty of 500 butterflies from 10 different species.
Each year Disney looks for more innovative uses for plants and flowers, and this is most evident in the 50 topiary scenes throughout the park. According to Eric Darden, horticultural manager for the festival, in the March 10, 2009, Orlando Sentinal article “EPCOT Flower Garden Festival: Its all about the Princesses”, construction consists of a metal frame which is stuffed with moss and supported by an internal frame. A variety of plant life, including dried material, is then pinned to the moss. Because of the accurate colors involved, people often mistakenly think the topiaries are constructed with flowers. This is not so, according to Darden. Flowers are vulnerable to late Florida cold snaps, so using plants and dried materials is the only way to safely create the life-like quality of each character.
More Than Animation
The Flower and Garden Festival takes place in EPCOT, where emphasis is on education and cutting edge technology, so an informational format should not be unexpected, but this is Disney, and educating with a twist is what they’ve been about for years. To help fulfill this mission, the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) will participate again this year with a new educational theme focusing on green gardening for the family. According to the FNGLA website, the display highlights the habits of two American families. The I.B. Green family demonstrates their use of composting and water conservation, to name a few, while the R.U. Wasteful family is host to a series of harmful and wasteful practices. These two families demonstrate the importance of environmental conservation in a fun and unique way.
To appeal to the wide variety of visitors coming to the parks, Disney has been busy planning a host of events in addition to great educational displays. For children, FNGLA will feature the natural play structure used during the 2008 festival. A series of Flower Power concerts will be held each weekend throughout the course of the event, and a fragrance garden near the France Pavillion explores the relationship between plants and perfume. For a complete list of attractions and events, see the Disney World web site. To attend the International Flower and Garden Festival, admission to EPCOT is required.
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