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Hi Friends!

My favorite Disney festival is FINALLY here: Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival! I am so excited to be reunited with amazing smelling flowers and incredibly yummy gluten free food. This mega post is filled with all the info on the festival’s goodness!

TOPIARIES

First off, let me just say the topiaries this year are absolutely STUNNING! The Disney team never fails to amaze me with how creative they can be and how they change the festival so much each year! This brand new Minnie and Mickey display was so beautifully done and I could not get enough of how vibrant it was!

TIP: There are so many perks of coming to Epcot for the festival at rope drop! Right as the park opens many people are rushing to rides and this is a great time to get photos of and with the stunning topiaries. (Also, it is great to take advantage of that morning Florida light!)

Mark and I discovered that even though the outdoor festival kitchens and the World Showcase open at 11am, there is still plenty to explore in the morning! We grabbed coffee and strolled around looking at the topiaries.

TIP: Disney does a fantastic job of persevering the topiaries but I recommend seeing them earlier in the season as that is when they look the freshest! By the time June rolls around, these little guys start looking blanched from the sun.

Huey, Duey and Luey are NEW to the festival this year! Are they not just adorable?! Also, I do not remember seeing this Goofy topiary?! He is so well done and GIGANTIC

Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden is a beautiful experience that is located on the lawn near the Land Pavilion. Seeing the step by step processes and stages of the butterfly up close in real life is extraordinary! Also, I’m not sure if Disney partnered with GoGo squeeZ again this year, but usually cast members hand out free applesauce to guests in this pavilion. (My personal favorite reason why I visit the Butterfly Garden)

THE EATS

Enough about topiaries and butterflies, let’s get down to the real reason you’re probably reading this post….the FOOD. As you can tell from previous posts, gluten free options is of great importance to me when it comes to eating around the parks. Disney has become very generous at providing amazing gluten free options on property. I’m happy to say that the Flower and Garden festival has 11 marked gluten friendly dishes this year!

TIP: If you know you want to try a lot of the food around the showcase (Especially if you plan to be drinking too) I HIGHLY suggest picking up a Disney Gift Card bracelet. I don’t think I grabbed a photo of this but they are FREE and located at the festival shop stands around Epcot. You can load as much as you want on the gift card and use it to purchase food and drinks around the festival. I know it usually takes me such a long time to get my card out of my bag and I’m always stuffing the receipts in my bag. The gift card bracelet saves SO much time and can be reloaded anywhere on Disney Property.

Let’s start with the SAVORY

(LEFT) Mark and I headed straight to La Isla Fresca for our favorite Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice & Micro Cilantro - $6.25. This dish is a classic that we will always get again and again. The beef is so tender and the portion size is worth the price! {This is not labeled GF as there might be traces of wheat in the I think the sauce might have wheat but this is something I splurge on.}

(RIGHT) Seared Scallops with green beans, potatoes, bacon, and brown butter vinaigrette (GF) $7. This is located at Northern Bloom in the Canada Pavilion. I am a huge scallops lover and thought these scallops were great but the vinaigrette was very rich with a mustard flavor that almost made the dish hard to finish. If you are a fan of heavy vinaigrette, this is the dish for you!

(BELOW) Citrus Poached Salmon with Ancient Grain Salad and Roasted Vegetables (GF) - ($6) I give this dish a 10/10 for presentation. It’s probably the most beautiful piece of salmon I’ve seen. When it comes to flavor, I was also pleasantly surprised. The salmon is cooked slightly under done which made it very juicy and flavorful. When it comes to portion size, I was a little disappointed. The person who ordered the salmon before me got a decent size and when I got mine it was more than half of that the size. If you have $6 and want a little salmon pick-me-up, this is for you!

Violet Lemonade

If you’re a returning festival goer, you know that Violet Lemonade is the #1 drink at Flower and Garden! Going an entire year without having Violet Lemonade in my life is quite a challenge and makes my first trip back PURE BLISS.

This frozen goodness is located at Pineapple Promenade and is $4.25.

Mark and I are still obsessing over our favorite topiaries. His of course if Peter Pan! All though we are still left wondering why they never give Peter Pan EYES!!

This sweet Thumper topiary matched perfectly with my Cath Kidston bag from the Bambi Collection. Even though this bag is made for kids, I use this as my park bag ALL the time! Click the link highlighted above to shop the bag. (It’s actually on sale with 50% off right now!!!)

FRANCE PAVILION FESTIVAL TASTING

Out of all the counties in the World Showcase, I think France wins the Flower & Garden award. Not only is this pavilion always beautiful, the addition of the new stunning topiaries they added this year creates the perfect touch! The Muppets made it to France and Kermit looks so dapper with his basket full of baguettes.

While in France I got to finally meet up with Maxwell from MRCHEEZYPOP ! Mark and I had the best time joining Maxwell for a tasting of all the amazing Flower & Garden food that France has to offer! It was so wonderful to also meet Eric who is the overseer of the food at France Pavilion. France is one of the only counties that runs an Instagram dedicated to the pavilion’s food and Eric runs the account.

Here is the selection that Mark and I got to try from the outdoor kitchen called Fleur de Lys.

- Canard Confit à la Provençal: Braised Duck Confit with Tomatoes and Olives on Polenta – $6.00 We absolutely LOVED this!! (Not marked GF but I did not have the Polenta)

- Vichyssoise aux Concombres: Chilled Cucumber Soup (GF) – $4.50 This is a new item this year that might confuse you. Why would I want a cold cucumber soup?! Trust me, it’s actually really good and I was very impressed! The soup is refreshing while at the same time creamy and does not overpower you with a cucumber taste.

-La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice – $10.75 Of course it could not be a trip to France without getting the classic La Vie en Rose! SO delicious! I usually stay away from Epcot’s little cups of alcohol that are $10+ but this drink is totally worth the $$$.

-Macaron au Chocolat en Sucette Large Chocolate Macaron Lollipop (GF) – $5.25 I’ve saved the BEST for last! This macaron has been at Flower & Garden for the past couple of years but this year it got a delicious UPGRADE! The chocolate pearls are no more and now they have added nuts. Also, I may be crazy but I feel like this Macaron is TWICE the size as last year! I am a huge chocolate love and this is by far my favorite gluten free dessert and every bit worth the $5!

We did some more topiary sight seeing. Lady and the Tramp got moved to the Gondola area in the Italy Pavilion which I think adds a really sweet touch.

Also, the Toy Story gang looked SO awesome! Bo-Peep and the sheep were too cute!

Merchandise is always a large part Flower & Garden. Some of my favorite Disney designs have come from the annual merch debuts! This year, there is a huge emphasis on Violet Lemonade {an ENTIRE booth of just VL merch), Minnie’s Garden Party, Mickey’s Garden Shed and Spike and Donald. My favorite collection is Mickeys Garden Shed as it is definitely giving me vintage vibes.

If you’re still reading, thanks for tagging along! This festival is a must do to anyone planning a trip to Epcot before June 3rd! If you’re a Flower & Garden pro, comment below YOUR favorite food and topiary!