Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2016 Prep Begins: Flower Quilt, Playgrounds and More

Hi everyone!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day at Epcot as the upcoming Epcot Flower and Garden Festival starts to take shape. Just a few days earlier, this flower quilt was only markers in the green grass – and now it is already growing in, with winter flowers (there is always a second planting midway through the Festival with spring flowers). The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival will run from March 2nd, 2016 – May 30th, 2016, the longest Festival ever! It is my favorite time of year, and this will be the 10th year I’ve photographed the Festival to share on Mousesteps. Take a look at some of the photos from yesterday! Also check out our 2015 coverage, which includes 240 photos and video.

In just a couple of weeks, Huey, Dewey and Louie will make their topiary debut with Donald and Daisy here at the front entrance. I love that classic characters are being made into topiaries, with Chip & Dale debuting last year (at the back of this topiary display). The entrance topiary will be inspired by the Donald Duck comic from 1943, “The Victory Garden”.

Here is a look at the gorgeous flower quilt, which will fill in more colorfully over the next couple of weeks. We’ve gone through some pretty cold weather recently, but are looking at 70s/40’s for most of the next 10 days, so that will do well for the flowers and for topiaries to be added very soon. I love living near Epcot, it is like getting an extra few weeks of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival!

Mickey Mouse’s head is one recurring pattern in the flowers.

Most years, the flower quilt is similar – although a number of years ago there were nautical flags, which was a fun theme.

Nearby, the Butterfly House takes shape.

In the past few years, Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House has been on the walkway between Future World and World Showcase that travels past the Imagination pavilion.

From this angle, the flowers already look so filled in!

A monorail passes by.

Victoria Gardens in the Canada pavilion is one of my favorite locations at the Festival. The flowers planted here are beautiful all year long, but especially during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. Nowhere I walked yesterday smelled as good as where I was standing right here.

It is interesting to see the flowers of the Festival early on, which will change as the event progresses and the season changes.

I do love this view.

Here are a few more photos of Victoria Gardens at the Canada pavilion.

The butterfly at the International Gateway is looking more colorful, and will continue to fill in.

Here is a look at the butterfly in its location near France.

Princess Aurora was meeting for her last day at the France pavilion. Chip & Dale and Pooh & Tigger were also ending after yesterday.

Spaceship Earth as seen from the Japan pavilion.

I like that the orange and red flowers here blend so nicely with the Imagination pavilion in the distance.

The Cactus Road Rally garden and play area will be back again with Mater and Lightning McQueen topiaries.

There is quite a bit of work being done to be ready in less than 3 weeks.

Please pardon our dust sign.

Here is a look at the playground being built, as well as the car theming.

There is another playground being added to the left of this view, but there wasn’t enough up yet to get an idea of what it will look like. I think it is the Music Garden Melodies musical playground. For the last few years, it has been themed to Monsters University.

That is it for our Epcot update, I plan to post another one on Friday! I’m hoping for a few topiaries to be out by then.