EPCOT

2009
Flower and Garden Festival
March 18 - May 31, 2009
-- General Information

2008 Festival
-- General Info
-- Photo Gallery
-- Flower Power Concert
-- Fun Facts
-- Great American Gardner Series
-- Kids Have Flower Festival Fun
-- Themed Weekends

Celebrity
    Gardeners
Children's
    Activities
Themed
    Weekends
Flower Power
    Concerts
Fun Facts

2005 Festival
2005 Info
2005 Displays

2004 Festival
2004 Info
2004 Display Locations
2004 Future World
2004 World Showcase
2004 ALL EARS® Report

2003 Festival
2003 Info
2003 Displays
2003 ALL EARS® Report

Previous Festivals
Previous Years' Photos
2002 ALL EARS® Report
2002 Reader Report
1997 Reader Report

Attraction Seating
   Photo Gallery
Basic Services
Calendar of Events
Character Meet and
   Greet FAQ
Extra Magic Hour
FASTPASS
Operating Hours
Overlooked
   Attractions
Rehabs and Closures
Ride Restrictions
Smoking Policy
Special Needs
    Travelers
    --Epcot in a
       Wheelchair
Ticket FAQ
Tips & Notes
WDW At Large

AT A GLANCE...
Attractions
Characters
Restaurants

FUTURE WORLD
Club Cool
Innoventions
Journey into
   Imagination
Mission: Space
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas
The Land
--Soarin'
Universe of Energy
Wonders of Life

WORLD SHOWCASE
Mexico
Norway
China
Germany
Italy
American Adventure
Japan
Morocco
France
United Kingdom
Canada

ENTERTAINMENT
IllumiNations:
   Reflections of Earth
IllumiNations Boat
    Cruises
Innoventions Fountains
Live Entertainment
Off Kilter

SPECIAL EVENTS
Flower & Garden
   Festival
Food & Wine Festival

HOLIDAYS
Candlelight
   Processional
Epcot Storytellers
Holidays Around the
   World

TOURS

SPECIAL REPORTS
Chocolate Around the
    World
Far East Finds a Home
    in Florida - The
    Japan Pavilion
Exotic Treasures Found
    in Morocco
Ice Dreams and Rice
    Creams at Norway
Not Just Kid's Stuff:
    Cranium Command

ARCHIVES
Kristos
Lord of the Dance
Millennium Celebration
Millennium Village
Shockwave!
Surprise in the Skies
The Power of Blast!
Tapestry of Dreams
Tapestry of Nations

1982 Guide Map

OTHER THEME PARKS
Animal Kingdom
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom

Disneyland
Disney's California
    Adventure

My overall impression of this year's festival is that there were some severe budget restraints that weren't around in years past. A lot of things didn't show up this year and some things just showed up in limited form.

I did like the "Topiary Salute To 100 Years of Magic" display that was in the main entrance plaza. There weren't a whole lot of topiary characters, but the topiary display was very well done.

I imagine some guests / lecturers / vendors preferred the air conditioned Innoventions West (south end) for the Festival Center and stores, but I found it cramped and lacking a lot of charm. One of my disappointmens was that the setting for the lectures was a simple raised stage with a curtain backdrop and lacked the front porch facade and the imaginative house number of 100182 (many guests probably did not catch the significance of it) of past years. Besides that the topics for the "Tips From The Pros" were all given on one day of the week. I would have loved to hear tips on "Water Gardening", but with that always being done on a Friday there was no way I could.

I liked the look of the "Water Garden Wonders" exhibit in West Future World, but was not to happy that it was only open for walkthroughs on Friday-Sunday.

I did like the more whimsical look of the Sculpture Garden in West Future World this year, but wish they had retained the ground chimes instead of putting them in the Kids' Garden where adults have a hard time getting near them.

I did like The Power of Flowers floral arrangement (new) on the shores of West Lake.

I did really like the topiary body of the peacock in Canada. However I think it would have been so much better if they put its floral tail on a wall instead of on the ground.

The United Kingdom was virtually unchanged from last year's festival. The International Gateway Park citrus topiaries and displays were totally absent. The France display was VERY low key with no topiaries.

I thought the Gardening for Food Around the World (transplanted from West Future World to between France and Morocco) was very well done this year. It looked very nice and had nice, hands on exhibits from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. One thing that I hope they do away with after the festival is the cement walkways on an area which was a very nice lawn.

The Morocco display was also VERY low key.

The bonsai in Japan was as impressive as ever. However the Musical
Garden (clickity clack garden) and floral wall were not present. The flags in America shrunk about 33%, but there was a nice Mickey and Minnie topiary in the middle of the fountain.

I didn't get to see many of the Flower Power shows in the American Gardens Theatre, but the Classic Rock All-Stars still put on the best shows and blew Orleans and Eddie Money away. Probably the highlights were Tobacco Road as the last song during the third show from Peter Riviera (Rare Earth) and School's Out For Summer (Alice Cooper) followed by In a Gadda da Vida (Iron Butterfly) by Mike Pinera during the second show. I will be seeing The Nelsons today and hope for another good show from them this year.

The Italy display was VERY low key and the "surprises" were absent. Germany was virtually unchanged from last year's festival.

The Kids' Garden near Germany lost all of its educational value (no bug exhibits this year), but did get lots of topiaries that used to be in other parts of the parks.

The Outpost had no topiaries this year.

I really love the Panda topiaries in China, but miss the rock gardens (they were also gone last year). The troll topiary in Norway is very nice, but still reminds me of Rizzo Rat with a bigger nose. The new tropical bird topiaries (Sulfur Crested Cockatiels ?) in Mexico are extremely nice.

The displays in East Future World are VERY low key. The "Big Bugs" were gone.