Opening Day at Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival 2013

GatorAsh · Mar 26, 2013

Zipitidoda said:
Two words....JEAL....OUS! Loved the report! So envious that you can head on over to a park after a day at the park. But glad that you can so I get to read your reports.

Awww, thanks. Yeah, being so close is something I've taken for granted for quite some time, but I'm making up for lost time now... Thanks for reading- I was there day before yesterday, so I'll have more pics up soon. Enjoy!

ILDisneyFan · Mar 27, 2013

Thanks for posting pictures of everything! It gets me all excited for my trip on 4/23! I went to the Flower & Garden Festival in 2009 but I was only able to spend a short afternoon there so I'm excited to be able to spend more time when I go this time! Can't wait to get there and see everything!

GatorAsh · Mar 27, 2013

ILDisneyFan said:
Thanks for posting pictures of everything! It gets me all excited for my trip on 4/23! I went to the Flower & Garden Festival in 2009 but I was only able to spend a short afternoon there so I'm excited to be able to spend more time when I go this time! Can't wait to get there and see everything!

My pleasure! Thanks for reading along. How exciting that you get to go in less than a month- April is a beautiful month here. Be sure to give AT LEAST a day to see all of the F&G Festival. Enjoy!

GatorAsh · Mar 27, 2013

I ventured back to the World this past Sunday, again, another solo trip. I REALLY enjoy going along and taking things at my pace, doing whatever I feel, stopping to take tons of pictures, etc. The parks are always fun with company, but they're equally enjoyable on your own. If you haven't had a chance to try it, give it a shot. Even if you go alone for a few hours during a family vaca- you won't regret it. It's a whole new world, if you will.

So anyway, I started off at ~~MGM~~ Hollywood Studios because I wanted to ride TOT (which my dear boyfriend does not enjoy.) I love the ride, but what I really enjoy is the theming- the 20's era music, decor, even the queue is gorgeous. I know this doesn't have to do with the Flower and Garden Festival, but it queue if filled with lush plant life, so I'm including it here:

This old oak is just amazing- and sets the tone so well.

The stand-by wait said 40 minutes- it was probably 20, but again, it's such a pretty atmosphere. After a thrilling ride, I headed out and caught a boat to Epcot. It was overcast, windy and cool.

I hopped off at the Yacht and Beach Club to see if I could walk to Epcot faster than the boat- it still had to make a stop at the Boardwalk. I made a stop to put on my jacket and take a few pictures and walked into the International Gateway just as the boat was pulling up. Was it faster? Maybe a bit- but I hoofed it and the people on the bus got to sit back and relax. So- jury's out.

Here's a few pics from the walk:

I love air plants!

Here's the walkway from the International Gateway entrance, walking toward the UK- again, so pretty and plant-y.

First stop was the The Cottage- UK food booth for Waterkist Farms Heirloom Tomatoes with house-made Mozzarella, Minus 8 Vinegar and Basil.

Each food booth has a neat little planter box filled with plants that are used in the dishes in the country.

I may or may not have tasted a tiny bit of kale.

I LOVE kale!!

I took my tomatoes to the little seating area tucked off next to the Rose and Crown- which was entirely empty!! And the thing is, there were people perched EVERYWHERE eating fish and chips and other quick service lunch items, but nobody ventured back here. Now, we always manage to get a spot here for some reason or another, even to watch Illuminations. But I've never seen it completely empty. This proved to be a trend throughout the day, as you'll see...

View from my seat:

GatorAsh · Mar 27, 2013

Aaaaand I realize I forgot to mention how my tomatoes were. I was a bit bummed that I didn't get any of the yellow tomatoes, but other than that, this was delicious. Very tangy from the vinegar. A nice, refreshing dish. Try it!

TheMouseFan · Mar 27, 2013

I love that you went to DHS just to ride TOT! I really wish I was able to do that on a regular basis. That is my all time favorite ride! Love the pics of it!

xdan0920 · Mar 28, 2013

Great report. I'll be down for F&G next week, and all your pictures were a nice appertif.

About those tables in the UK. I think the reason they are always empty, is that, they feel a little bit off limits. Like maybe they are part of the resturant, and you aren't supposed to be there. Usually, once a couple brave souls venture in to sit, it fills right up.

GatorAsh · Mar 28, 2013

TheMouseFan said:
I love that you went to DHS just to ride TOT! I really wish I was able to do that on a regular basis. That is my all time favorite ride! Love the pics of it!

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta go! It is a FANTASTIC ride! Thanks for reading.

xdan0920 said:
Great report. I'll be down for F&G next week, and all your pictures were a nice appertif.

About those tables in the UK. I think the reason they are always empty, is that, they feel a little bit off limits. Like maybe they are part of the resturant, and you aren't supposed to be there. Usually, once a couple brave souls venture in to sit, it fills right up.

Thanks for reading-I'm glad you're enjoying it. Get ready to spend at least a day at the Festival-so much neat stuff to see.

And I think you hit the nail on the head as to why those tables are always empty. You have to walk between the Rose and Crown check-in and a beer stand to get there; I actually thought they might stop me this last time (like it was reserved or something) because there was a Cast Member in a suit and tie standing at the entrance, but I just waltzed on through with my tomatoes like I owned the joint, and they didn't say a thing.

GatorAsh · Mar 28, 2013

Before leaving the UK, I checked out the topiaries. Don't ya wonder how many people walk by Peter Pan up there on the roof and don't even notice him?!

I watched a film about the making of this year's F&G Festival (while I was rained into Festival Center during an epic thunderstorm/mini-cane, which will be discussed later in this report; it was intense!!) and they said how difficult it was to get Peter to balance just so, and how they had to go back to the drawing board a few times to get it right. It then talked about what a challenge it was to get him up on the roof and secure him. I never really thought about how much goes into every little thing they do. And isn't it a great feature, to have him up there?! Disney details, people.

These guys were there too! (Funny, I just commented on TheMouseFan's trip report about how cute her little Captain Hook and crocodile stuffed animals were that she put in her son's treasure hunt. And here they are in plant form!)

I then got caught up going through all of the shops in the UK, and took a ton of pictures for my 'Shoppin' the World Showcase' report I want to write, featuring all of the neat stuff available to purchase in all of the different countries. Since I plan to write that soon (or at least begin it), I won't put those pictures here. BUT, did you know that as you walk through the shops in the UK, starting with the tea cottage, the architecture depicts different time periods? The tea cottage starts in the 1600's and the buildings get more modern from there. AND did you also know that the Rose and Crown was named so because those were the two most common names the Imagineers came across as they were 'researching' pubs in the UK prior to building in Epcot? AND that the facade of the pub represents the three different designs they saw most frequently while scouting? (I bet you did know that, you clever WDWer!)

I didn't take this picture with the intent to include it here, but happened to have it from a previous trip. So, it doesn't exactly show the different buildings, but you get the idea.

After browsing the shops for bit (and buying a groovy Beatles record-shaped mouse pad for my classroom) I headed out to the English tea garden. I believe they did this last year, where they use giant teacup planters and represent a different blend of tea with plants.

F&G Solo Trip by GatorAsh11, on Flickr

Seriously guys, I took a picture of each variety, and there were at least 13 of them- and while they're cute, they kind of all start looking really similar after a while, so in the interest of time, I'm not gonna post them all here (unless someone out there REALLY has in interest in giant teacup planters, then I will... let me know

) I did, however, get a picture of these cute teapot topiaries:

I scooted across the path to get a snap of the Pooh and Friends topiaries. Too bad it wasn't a bright sunny day to let the colors of the flowers really pop. Little did we know what these skies were foreshadowing (dun, dun, DUUUUUNNNN!)

Mary Poppins was out by the tea garden; I'm not much for waiting in long lines for character meet and greets, especially with face characters (I always manage to make really awkward conversation, I need to practice the art of 'making relevant small talk with a face character' I suppose) but SHE is one of my favorite characters ever, portrayed by one of my favorite actresses, in one of my favorite movies. So next time

Spit spot!

I like this little detail along the river in France:

My dad and I went to London, Paris and Rome for my high school graduation trip, and it's little scenes like this that I vividly remember from our trip. It was almost 13 years ago, but those kinds of things stuck with me.

In France I stopped at the food kiosk- L’ORANGERIE- to try the Tarte à la ratatouille et fromage de chèvre (Zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, onions and tomato tart with goat cheese).

Another one of the themed planter boxes in front of the kiosk:

This was almost cold and was just okay- the flavor reminded me of a Stouffer's french bread pizza (which I like, don't get me wrong); it was just overpowered with red pepper flavor and didn't let any of the other veggies come through. I crust was nice and flaky, and the goat cheese was deliciously tangy and added much needed flavor. If this were piping hot, I think I would have enjoyed it more. I don't think I'd get it again, though.

On a side note, if there's anything in particular you're curious about and I haven't covered it, don't be shy and let me know. I'm going again on Saturday on my drive home from Tallahassee, so I can take requests

Not that you can't find all this and more (with actual knowledgeable, credible food reviews) on the Disney Food Blog and other sites...

TheMouseFan · Mar 29, 2013

Love the Tic Toc and Hook topiaries!

GatorAsh · Mar 29, 2013

Tic

TheMouseFan said:
Love the Tic Toc and Hook topiaries!

Tic Toc!!I never knew that was his name!! Thanks for teaching me something new

tiaragirl · Mar 29, 2013

GatorAsh said:
I wanted to ride TOT (which my dear boyfriend does not enjoy.)

Dump him.

Just kidding.

Loving these updates! Getting so excited - 31 days

GatorAsh · Mar 29, 2013

tiaragirl said:
Dump him.

Just kidding.

Loving these updates! Getting so excited - 31 days

SO funny!!! If he weren't so darn sweet. And cute. He's said he'd go on it again with me 'cause he knows I love it so much.
31 days- get excited!!!

GatorAsh · Apr 4, 2013

Leaving France, I walked through the Backyard Play Garden. Oh what a dream this would be to have in my backyard.

I kind of have a 'thing' for succulents (I guess you could say I'm a sucker for succulents! *Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all night. Be sure to tip your waitress*) so these knocked my socks off. Many of the displays in here had step-by-step photo directions for how to create them; this one seems so do-able!

This one, on the other hand, did not. It was very involved. Involved, but AWESOME!

Next up was Morocco- I thought these flowers around the aqueduct were interesting. I imagine they won't be around much longer, what with the announcement of the new waterfront Moroccan restaurant coming.

The planters in front of the food kiosks in Morocco had these giant spice balls in them- they were really neat and smelled amazing!

In Morocco at the TASTE OF MARRAKESH kiosk I tried the Harissa and Lamb Confit Chicken Drumettes with Chermoula and Cucumber Salad along with a Desert Rose cocktail (sparkling wine with pomegranate liquor).

The chicken didn't have a ton of flavor, but it was tender and juicy and literally fell off the bone. The slaw was okay. The drink was light and yummy. I sipped it as I headed to the boat dock to motor across the World Showcase Lagoon toward Future World.

farrellbarrel · Apr 4, 2013

The food looks so good! Thanks for keeping the less lucky ones updated !

GatorAsh · Apr 4, 2013

farrellbarrel said:
The food looks so good! Thanks for keeping the less lucky ones updated !

Yes, the Food and Garden, er the Flower and Garden Festival is delicious! Thanks for reading!

openendedsky · Apr 5, 2013

LOVE your pictures. Have been meaning to go back and try the watermelon salad and heirloom tomatoes.

ALSO, do you have a link to the film about the making of this years festival? I'd like to watch it.

GatorAsh · Apr 6, 2013

openendedsky said:
LOVE your pictures. Have been meaning to go back and try the watermelon salad and heirloom tomatoes.

ALSO, do you have a link to the film about the making of this years festival? I'd like to watch it.

Thank you so much for reading; I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. Yes, DO try the tomatoes and the watermelon salad. HIGHLY recommended!

As for the link, the film is actually playing in the little movie-theater like room in Festival Center. They run a 20 minute special about the making of the F&G Festival this year. It's great! (And wonderful to watch while it's pouring rain outside and you're stuck in the Center- as you'll soon see in an upcoming post!) Treat yourself to an enjoyable afternoon and get the good eats and watch the video!

GatorAsh · Apr 8, 2013

Before hopping on the boat, I stopped to browse this interesting art...

I mean, I like cats. And wine.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Once I made my way across the Lagoon, I walked to the RINSE kiosk to photograph the soaps I got on Opening Day (mentioned in the first post). They smell amazing- I think the Peony is my favorite. Such a light, floral, pretty scent. The Patchouli and Amber soaps both have exfoliating grains in them.

I went to the Florida Fresh booth for the Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries:

Notice the American pavilion in the background? SO patriotic, strawberry shortcake and 'Merica!

Oh man, was this good! The cake was light but a bit, hmm, how to describe it- tough? I couldn't cut it with a fork and needed a knife. Kind of chewy? I'm sure it doesn't sound great based on this description, but it's the berries that make this. They're not overly sweet, in fact they're a bit tart. Paired with the whipped cream, it really has a great flavor. I tend to like sour, tart things though over super sweet, so that's my opinion. I actually ended up having a Strawberry Shortcake Showdown later in the day when I went to Sunshine Seasons to try their version. (Stay tuned).

After that delicious snack, I had a mission- to convert my old Annual Pass to the new version. So off to Odyssey Center I went.

I'm planning to make a thread for the exhibit that was in here- they had memorabilia from throughout the years of Disney history. Very cool.

They also had delicious Zephyrhills water and sparkling clean, EMPTY bathrooms that I just HAD to photograph for my 'Best Bathrooms' thread. Yes, I'm a nerd. And that's ok.

"Hi!!"

And, because the Gators were playing Minnesota in the Big Dance, I had to represent.

After charging my phone in the bathroom for 10 minutes or so, I started to leave. They had the RFID turnstiles to activate our new passes, so I set mine up there and it worked like a charm.

Here's my shiny new pass!

As I left, I turned to take a picture of the building and noticed that thy sky had turned a darker shade of gray (not fifty, but a lot more than earlier).

Now, this Floridian knows the difference between an overcast, scattered showers sky and a full-on, crazy tropical thunderstorm sky. I knew it was coming! So I grabbed a popcorn and Coke and booked it into Festival Center. This angry bird was waiting to greet me- he represents what the weather would unleash minutes later...

Take a close look at the ground in this last picture- notice how clean and debris-free it is? Not for long...

openendedsky · Apr 9, 2013

GatorAsh said:
Before hopping on the boat, I stopped to browse this interesting art...

I mean, I like cats. And wine.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Once I made my way across the Lagoon, I walked to the RINSE kiosk to photograph the soaps I got on Opening Day (mentioned in the first post). They smell amazing- I think the Peony is my favorite. Such a light, floral, pretty scent. The Patchouli and Amber soaps both have exfoliating grains in them.

I went to the Florida Fresh booth for the Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries:

Notice the American pavilion in the background? SO patriotic, strawberry shortcake and 'Merica!

Oh man, was this good! The cake was light but a bit, hmm, how to describe it- tough? I couldn't cut it with a fork and needed a knife. Kind of chewy? I'm sure it doesn't sound great based on this description, but it's the berries that make this. They're not overly sweet, in fact they're a bit tart. Paired with the whipped cream, it really has a great flavor. I tend to like sour, tart things though over super sweet, so that's my opinion. I actually ended up having a Strawberry Shortcake Showdown later in the day when I went to Sunshine Seasons to try their version. (Stay tuned).

After that delicious snack, I had a mission- to convert my old Annual Pass to the new version. So off to Odyssey Center I went.

I'm planning to make a thread for the exhibit that was in here- they had memorabilia from throughout the years of Disney history. Very cool.

They also had delicious Zephyrhills water and sparkling clean, EMPTY bathrooms that I just HAD to photograph for my 'Best Bathrooms' thread. Yes, I'm a nerd. And that's ok.

"Hi!!"

And, because the Gators were playing Minnesota in the Big Dance, I had to represent.

After charging my phone in the bathroom for 10 minutes or so, I started to leave. They had the RFID turnstiles to activate our new passes, so I set mine up there and it worked like a charm.

Here's my shiny new pass!

As I left, I turned to take a picture of the building and noticed that thy sky had turned a darker shade of gray (not fifty, but a lot more than earlier).

Now, this Floridian knows the difference between an overcast, scattered showers sky and a full-on, crazy tropical thunderstorm sky. I knew it was coming! So I grabbed a popcorn and Coke and booked it into Festival Center. This angry bird was waiting to greet me- he represents what the weather would unleash minutes later...

Take a close look at the ground in this last picture- notice how clean and debris-free it is? Not for long...

Did you have to ask for the passholder booklet? I didn't get one for some reason. Also, I saw the same cat prints, but was kind of drunk at that point, and I lost it while I was looking through them. I couldn't stop laughing. If I happen to find it again I'll post it.

Opening Day at Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival 2013

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