Flower power failure: EPCOT’s CommuniCore exhibit lacks depth

EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival is celebrating its 30th year, but the celebration feels underwhelming within CommuniCore Hall, the designated festival center.

CommuniCore Hall seemed to find its footing as a festival showplace during the Festival of the Arts, when it was home to the 30 years of Disney on Broadway exhibit, which was a welcome change after almost a year of lackluster use of the space. Even the musical Spaceship Earth gingerbread display during the Festival of the Holidays, while small, elevated a space that otherwise feels more like a college cafeteria.

CommuniCore Hall, touted as a flexible exhibit and gallery space that would change with each festival, primarily functions as a food booth during this festival. The only dedicated exhibits are a small display case showcasing topiary maquettes, a brief historical overview of the festival, information on Purple Martins, and a demonstration of flower tower construction. While it may sound substantial, these exhibits don’t take up a lot of space.

This is a stark contrast to the festival’s earliest days, which featured in-depth presentations from Disney horticulturalists and gardening experts, as well as specialized garden tours.

For a 30th-year celebration, the CommuniCore Hall exhibit lacks depth and historical context. (For the record, it’s called the 30th year because the festival actually started in 1994 but had a year off due to the pandemic.)

It misses opportunities to showcase the festival’s evolution, such as displaying the changing styles of topiaries—from the early traditionally pruned green shapes to today’s more sculptural creations—or providing insights into the vast scale of floral displays, or offering practical gardening tips. It could also offer insight into its latest glow up: adding lighting effects to its newest topiaires such as this year’s new Moana display and last year’s Wish addition.

It would be nice to learn the origins of Spike the Bee, the festival’s mascot and subject of Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt. (A quick history lesson: Spike appeared in almost 20 Disney shorts since 1936, often tormenting Donald Duck.)

CommuniCore Hall hasn’t been open a year yet. But Disney plans months in advance and could easily have put together more interesting exhibits, with more facts and explanations of the vibrant flowers and plants around EPCOT.

While the festival has just begun, and Disney sometimes adds elements throughout its run, the current CommuniCore Hall display doesn’t adequately represent the 30-year history of the Flower & Garden Festival. Meaningful, educational exhibits that showcase the festival’s rich history are essential to a true EPCOT experience.