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Tag Archives: Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Oops, I Did It Again! Unexpected trip to Disney World
What will it take for a Disney Addict to give up a trip to Walt Disney World in order to visit another destination? My family and I have been visiting WDW for many years now and our annual November trip has become a family tradition. Disney hasn’t only become a big part of our family legacy, it is truly like a second home to all of us. We have on several occasions tried to change our annual family trip to visit a different destination but we always come right back to Disney. So, what will it take for a Disney Addict to give up a trip to Walt Disney World in order to visit another destination? I have absolutely no idea.
My husband and I recently decided we were going to go away for a long weekend, just the two of us. Our youngest child is in his first year of college and all three of our kids are running busily about with not much time for mom and dad, so we decided we could allow ourselves to actually take a vacation without the kids for once. So, we are planning a short trip for just the two of us in April. We sat down to brainstorm where we would go and we decided on San Francisco for several reasons: 1) my husband has never been there before; 2) I have not visited there since I was a teen; 3) there is a lot to see and do there; 4) the weather is great in California in the Spring; and 5) I have wanted to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum since it opened in October, 2009. So, that was it then, we were going to San Francisco.
I made all the reservations for the flight and hotel. I received our confirmations and started my file. Then, I started researching some site seeing options, transportation information, must-try restaurants, etc. A couple mornings later, we were talking about Disney, just like we always do, and I mentioned that the Flower and Garden Festival was getting ready to start. We have never attended Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. Oops, I did it again! We both knew what was coming. YES, I was on the phone later that morning cancelling our San Francisco trip and finding out about rates for the Flower and Garden Festival instead. What can you do, some things never change.
Still, this trip to Walt Disney World will be a new experience in many ways. First, we have never been to Walt Disney World just the two of us; we usually have a party of at least 6 people. Second, we have never stayed at the Polynesian Resort, although I have always wanted to stay there, and this trip we will be doing just that. Third, we will get to see all the beautiful Springtime displays at the festival. Finally, we decided to make all but two of our table service ADRs at restaurants where we have never eaten before. Incorporating new things into our trips is something we have done for years. Isn’t it funny that no matter how many times you’ve visited Walt Disney World, there are always new experiences you can include in your trip? That is one of the very best things about Disney.
So, what does it take for a Disney Addict to give up a trip to WDW? I don’t know, but I know one thing; being blessed with a spouse who is as much of a Disney Addict as I am, I guess I will never have to worry about that!
Related articles
- Why Should You Go to Walt Disney World? (chipandco.com)
- Top 5 ways to sound like a “planner” on your next Walt Disney World vacation (chipandco.com)
Coming to Disney in March/April 2012
The Flower Power concert series returns to Epcot starting March 9th during the 19th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
Among millions of beautiful blooms, gorgeous garden walks and dozens of whimsical topiaries, you may just hear the sounds of some of the greatest pop, rock and R&B hits from the grooviest decades. During the 19th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival which runs from March 7 to May 20, guests will have the chance to hear music from artists such as Davy Jones and Jose Feliciano at the Flower Power concert series.
With a different artist every weekend during the festival, this unforgettable live music show will take you back in time with tunes from the 1960s and 70s. Don’t miss two new acts—Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night and The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II—perform some of their greatest songs.
Performances are at America Gardens Theatre and are included with Epcot admission. Show times are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 5:15p.m., 6:30p.m. and 7:45p.m.
Here’s the complete Flower Power concert series lineup:
March 9-11 Jose Feliciano “Light My Fire”
March 16-18 Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
March 23-25 The Guess Who “American Woman”
March 30-April 1 The Spinners “Cupid”
April 6-8 Chubby Checker & The Wildcats “The Twist”
April 13-15 Paul Revere & The Raiders “Good Thing”
April 22-24 The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie “Happy Together”
April 27-29 NEW! Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night “Joy to the World”
May 4-6 NEW! The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II “Don’t Bring Me Down”
May 11-13 Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”
May 18-20 Davy Jones “I’m a Believer”
For more information about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, please visit www.disneyworld.com/flower.
Early Fantasyland Openings Greet Spring Guests
Set for completion in 2014, the New Fantasyland will come to life starting spring 2012, offering guests the chance to fly high with The Great Goofini or with Dumbo the Flying Elephant, later “immerse” themselves in Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid and “be our guest” at the Beast’s Castle, plus other great attractions.
With the expansion, Fantasyland will nearly double in size and immerse guests in Disney stories as never before. As the largest expansion project in Magic Kingdom history, Fantasyland will open in phases with most new experiences open by 2013.
St. Patrick’s Day Festivities Invite ‘Wearin’ of the Green’ at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island March 15-17
Authentic Irish food, music and dance performances set the scene for a three-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration and the “wearin’ of the green” March 15-17 in and around the Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island.
At Raglan Road, a true Irish pub with Dublin roots, entertainment revs up the evenings of March 15 and 16 with house band Creel on the restaurant’s main stage while Murphy’s Law and The Irish Rogues perform on the Raglan Road patio. When St. Patrick’s Day arrives March 17, non-stop entertainment kicks off at noon with Creel, The Raglan Road Dancers, more outdoor entertainment and a special appearance by U2 tribute band Elevation.
The weekend of festivities spans Pleasure Island with live Pleasure Island stage performances by The Wyndbreakers — Florida’s own “neo-traditional, pub-rockin’, guitar pickin’ Celtic” musicians; Celtic Wave, with its own traditional Irish flair; and Celtic Nova, putting its own twist on popular lrish tunes. Family-fun activities will include face painting and stilt walkers, and St. Patrick’s Day souvenirs will be in abundance.
More St. Patrick’s Day fun is in store:
- Authentic Irish cuisine is featured March 15 at 1 p.m. as Raglan Road celebrity Irish chef Kevin Dundon creates a four-course kickoff luncheon and culinary demonstration in the restaurant’s Grand Dining Room. (Call 407-938-0300) or visit www.raglanroad.com for reservations).
- March 15 and 16, beginning at 6 p.m. Irish bands Murphy’s Law, known for modern Irish music, and The Irish Rogues, popular for ballads and other Irish folk tunes, perform on the Raglan Road patio. At 7 p.m., house band Creel rocks the audience on the restaurant’s main stage – expect surprise guest appearances. Guests can order favorites like fish ‘n chips and Shepherd’s pie from the restaurant’s lunch or dinner menus.
- March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, doors open at 11 a.m. House band Creel performs on the main stage at noon and at various times throughout the day. Entertainment on the patio kicks off at 1 p.m. with Irish dancing from The Raglan Road Dancers and performers from the Watters School of Irish Dancing, established in Central Florida more than a decade ago to train young dancers for championship performances. U2 tribute band Elevation is expected to bring down the house with renditions of U2′s greatest hits. Guests can order from Raglan Road’s dinner menu throughout the day, which includes the authentic Irish dish of St. Patrick’s Day — loin of bacon and cabbage. A $10 cover charge applies on March 17 for guests 18 and older.
Atlanta Braves Return to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for Spring Training
Atlanta Braves Spring Training returns to Walt Disney World for the 15th consecutive year, with an 18-game home schedule featuring Major League Baseball’s top teams at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Marquee opponents visiting Champion Stadium in March include the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.
Guests also will be treated to game-day entertainment and additional fan experiences in a way only Disney can do, from character appearances, to an exclusive On-Field Spectator Experience and kids running the bases after the game.
The schedule features three night games at Champion Stadium – the Washington Nationals on March 14 and the Houston Astros March 16 and 30.
Information on the Braves’ spring training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at www.espnwwos.com/atlantabraves. Individual game tickets are available through Ticketmaster (800/745-3000 and ticketmaster.com) and at the sports complex box office.
2012 Atlanta Braves Spring Training Home Schedule:
*SS – denotes split squad
All times are Eastern and are subject to change
Bon Voyage! Disney Fantasy Sets Sail Starting in March
Fresh from its March 1 christening in New York City, the Disney Fantasy will begin whisking guests away on week-long Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida, with her maiden voyage set for March 31, 2012. Rates for enchanting seven-night Caribbean itineraries start at $959 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. Disney Fantasy itineraries will alternate between eastern (St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and western (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel) Caribbean destinations.
And it wouldn’t be an East Coast Disney cruise experience if each Disney Fantasy itinerary didn’t include a day at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Guest comments suggest that this port of call is the “best stop” of the cruise, and is a day that can be filled with water fun, beach play or just plain relaxation plus cookout eating.
The Disney Fantasy is the second of two newly-designed Disney ships that take the family cruise experience to new heights – and features many of the innovations found on her sister ship, Disney Dream, plus exciting new shipboard additions. Both cruise ships are 1,115 feet in length, with 1,250 staterooms and suites and 4,000-passenger capacity.
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit www.disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.
Royal Rooms Make Debut at Port Orleans Riverside
An enchanting new hotel offering fit for a prince or princess opens its regal doors at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside in spring 2012.
Behind a special door is a hidden jewel, The Royal Guest Room, with 512 themed rooms where beds are trimmed with dazzling crystals and gold accents and “magical fireworks” swirl about. The new Royal Rooms immerse families in favorite Disney fairytales with fun and engaging features, playful artwork, plus richly appointed drapery and custom linens. Rooms sleep four with rates starting at $198. Call 407-W/DISNEY for reservations.
Related articles
- St. Patrick’s Day Festivities Invite ‘Wearin’ of the Green’ at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island March 15-17 (chipandco.com)
- Epcot 2012 Flower and Garden Festival Events (chipandco.com)
Coming Soon! Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival March 7-May 20
The largest-ever Disney front-entrance topiary and a stellar cast of HGTV design celebrities boost the flower power at the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV March 7-May 20 at Walt Disney World Resort. Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s festival news:
- Disney’s gardening magic goes a long way when an eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer Mickey topiary holds court in front of the park’s iconic Spaceship Earth. Standing atop a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff, Sorcerer Mickey directs a riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney film, “Fantasia.” The scene pops with pink geraniums, white poppies, violet petunias, blue delphiniums and pansies.
- Twice daily each Friday through Sunday of the festival, HGTV designers and hosts share their insights on landscapes and design with Festival Center audiences. John Gidding of “Curb Appeal: The Block” kicks off the series March 9-11 with curb-appeal design tips for homeowners.
- Music fills each festival weekend when pop music hitmakers of the 1960s and ’70s rule the America Gardens Theatre stage with performances of their greatest songs. Jose Feliciano ignites the Flower Power concert series March 9-11 with his treasure trove of tunes. Two new festival acts are in store: Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night (April 27-29) and The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II (May 4-6).
The front-entrance floral spectacle will welcome guests to a festival packed with new gardens and displays, featured speakers and hands-on fun for all ages, including daily gardening workshops with take-home projects for all who participate.
Thirty million blooms, 240 floating mini-gardens on two ponds, 700 container gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables, dozens of Disney character topiaries, 30 “flower towers” of impatiens and sweeping beds of original floral designs create a new tapestry of brilliant color across the 260-acre Epcot landscape. It takes more than one year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists to plan and prepare for the 75-day festival.
Halfway through the festival, Disney gardeners remove the cold-hardy blossoms that thrive in March and early April to plant a new crop of flowers that flourish in spring’s warmer temperatures. And throughout the event, dozens of gardening experts meet guests daily with fresh landscape ideas for 2012. Daily workshops at the Festival Center let guests dig into projects they can take home at the end of the day.
Don’t Miss!
- The Festival Center- Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners. In Future World between Universe of Energy and Mission:SPACE.
- Disney Gardening at Home presentations - Disney horticulturists and local experts like Robert Bowden of Harry P. Leu Gardens will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity. At the Festival Center.
- Special Festival Weekend Celebrations - An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 23-25; a Disney’s Animal Kingdom Specialists weekend presents indigenous insects that are part of our world; a Florida Federation of Garden Clubs gathering will be April 27-29; and a Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute is slated for May 4-6.
- Bambi’s Butterfly House, three times the size of the festival’s original, is a-flutter with multiple species of brilliant butterflies. At Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West.
- Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden - Fabulous Disney fairy topiaries alight to greet young fans who enter this whimsical garden designed with play structures for children ages 2-5. At the Test Track Walkway.
- The HGTV Designers Stage presents HGTV celebrities each Friday through Sunday and nationally recognized garden personalities Monday through Thursday. At the Festival Center.
- Flower Power concert series welcomes back 20th century pop favorites this year when Chubby Checker and The Wildcats, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Davy Jones and eight other bands rock the America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Performers and appearance dates subject to change.
More information about the 19th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.
Related articles
- HGTV Stars to Highlight This Year’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (chipandco.com)
- 2012 Flower Power Concert Series at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (chipandco.com)
Disney in Pictures: Mickey Mouse topiary at the Contemporary Resort
Every photo has a story.
The next time you stop by the Contemporary Resort to grab a Black Forest Cupcake from the Contempo Cafe, walk straight out the back doors and head down the stairs. This fabulous Mickey Mouse topiary is located just behind the Contemporary Resort, a great work of Disney art you just might normally overlook.
Topiary gardening, where living plants are fashioned into decorative forms, has been practiced for centuries. Throughout Walt Disney World, topiary can be found in shapes ranging from trees pruned in geometric designs to the classic Disney characters.
Picture this…in Walt Disney World, there are 1,700 species of plants, representing flora from the United States and 50 countries around the world.
If you are a fan of Disney landscaping and the ancient art of topiary gardening, this spring you should head over to The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This is a special event filled with Disney character topiaries, a colorful array of flowers, gardens, live music and special presentations. The next festival will be held from March 7 to May 20, 2012. You’ll definitely want to bring your camera.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at mouzekateerz@chipandco.com
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Epcot’s 2011 International Flower & Garden Festival
March 2, 2011 – May 15, 2011
The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is a spring special event filled with a colorful array of flowers, gardens, topiaries, live music and educational events.
You don’t have to be a gardening expert to love this event. It’s perfect for Guests of all ages who enjoy the beauty of mother nature! See millions of blooming flowers and a vibrant collection of Disney-themed topiaries, and get up close with hundreds of colorful butterflies inside Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden. On the weekends, meet with top horticulturists at one of the many Garden Town Programs and learn helpful gardening tips, and be sure to attend public demonstrations of advanced gardening techniques from around the world.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, finish off the day with a melodious evening at the America Gardens Theatre adjacent to the American Adventure Pavilion and enjoy music from the 1960s and 1970s during the Flower Power Concert Series.
Plus, you can bring some of the magic back home with you—you’ll find plenty of gardening tools and products to help you grow and maintain the perfect garden.
Epcot theme park admission is required. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival events are included with admission to Epcot theme park. Availability is limited for some events. Events may be cancelled at any time.
Click here to learn more.
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