Photos: 2024 Ultimate EPCOT Flower and Garden Topiary Tour
The 2024 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is now in full bloom with topiaries around the theme park, more than 25 garden destinations, and lots of good food and merchandise. Time for a topiary tour.
The festival lasts from Feb. 28 through May 27, and if you are able to make it, you will be able to experience what I consider the showcases of the festival – the topiaries. The Disney horticulture cast members have created a spectacular array of topiaries featuring myriad Disney characters, seasonal displays, and some whimsical items.
There are over 60 individual topiaries, clustered around the park with some new topiaries and some different looks of some of the topiaries that have been around for a while.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction in World Discovery. In the spirit of season one of the Disney+ “I Am Groot” series, Groot is trying his hand at creating his own topiary. Observant guests may spy an homage to the horticulture team on the mix tape that Groot is hoisting in the air.
New this year, guests can see new topiaries from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Wish,” including Asha, Valentino and Star, at the park’s main entrance. In Mexico, Miguel and Dante from Disney Pixar’s “Coco” take center stage and in Germany, there are three new whimsical Gnomes. Goofy is placed in a new fun location just smelling the flowers and some of the topiaries have now been pivoted toward areas that receive better sunlight and offer better photo opportunities.
So, let’s get the 2024 Topiary Tour started (and yes, we will be back later with a nighttime look at these topiaries):
As you walk straight behind Spaceship Earth and into the center of World Celebration, you find EPCOT’s mascot Figment. The small purple dragon with a big imagination is literally the center of attention at this location. You will find PhotoPass photographers on hand.
Let’s take a walk outside the rear of Connections Eatery to find Donald Duck doing some gardening.
And if you turn around toward Test Track you’ll find Huey, Dewey, and Louie helping their uncle.
Take a walk toward Mission: Space and you’ll find out favorite Space Ranger – Buzz Lightyear.
Now, let’s head on over to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to find Groot. Stick around for a little bit and you’ll hear some music playing from the audio tape.
Now, let’s cross the park and head toward World Nature, where you’ll find Mufasa, Sarabi, Rafiki and baby Simba from “The Lion King.”
Take a few more steps to the walkway leading to The Land and find Pumba and Timon.
Walk further down toward the Imagination Pavilion and you’ll find some more Toy Story friends, Woody, Bo Peep and the goats Billy, Goat and Gruff.
Let’s now head down the walkway from the front of the park to the World Showcase and you first see Mickey and and his friends. Be warned this is another area where there will be a PhotoPass photographer and it could be tough taking photos.
Now, lets head down to World Showcase, but about halfway down the walkway look toward your right and you will see a familiar figure – Goofy. (And the duck is real).
As we enter World Showcase we come upon “Encanto.”
We now turn right to Canada. I know many people start in Mexico, but I starting the other way. For those who are starting the tour in the morning, this is the best way as the direction of the sun during the day moves from the Canada side to the Mexico side. In Canada, we start with Bambi.
We continue the 2024 Topiary Tour at the gardens of the Canada Pavilion where we find the Canada Geese.
Let’s then take a walk to the United Kingdom where you will first come to Captain Hook, Peter Pan and Tick-Tock the Crocodile.
Across the way in front of the pavilion in the Pooh crew.
Take a walk to the back of the pavilion to get a quick lesson about topiaries with a Mickey Mouse topiary and an Elephant.
Across from the pavilion is Tinker Bell and some fairy houses.
It’s time now to take the bridge toward the France Pavilion where we find the Beauty and the Beast characters.
From France, let’s walk toward Morocco and look to the right to find the powerful Muppet pair – Miss Piggy and Kermit.
The next topiary to see is in Japan at the water’s edge. The dragon is now in a position where it is a bit easier to get it and Spaceship Earth in the background.
From Japan, take a walk to the American Adventure where Tiana makes her home.
From the American Adventure head down the hill toward Italy where Lady and The Tramp can be found.
From Italywe head to Germany where near the bathrooms we find the whimsical Gnomes.
On the other side near the water is Snow White with Dopey and near them the remainder of the Seven Dwarfs.
From Germany we take a walk to China to see the trio of playful pandas.
A few feet from China take a look to the right to see Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” at the Norway Pavilion. The topiaries this year were moved from the side of the building to the front. It helps a lot for photos and for lighting.
Walk to the other side of the pavilion to find the Norway troll.
Now, let’s head to our final stop of the tour – Mexico where we find the new topiaries of Miguel and Dante from “Coco.”
Check back soon for the nighttime topiary tour.
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