The Taste of Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival started today at the Walt Disney World Resort. This modified version of the park's annual spring festival runs 125 days this year, until July 5.
The event also marks the official debut of some new elements in Epcot's redesigned front entrance, including the installation of flags with the six original Epcot icons. (Go ahead and make your "Six Flags Over Disney" jokes in the comments.)
Epcot also has a new background music track playing at the park's entrance - this piece by Mark Petrie and Andrew Prahlow, if you'd like to hear it at home.
A Sorcerer Mickey topiary also greets visitors through the front entrance - one of nearly 100 topiaries that Disney has installed throughout the park for the event.
In addition to the floral displays, Disney World has opened 19 outdoor kitchens for the Taste of Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, including a new Farmers Feast at World Showplace and Sunshine Griddle at Future World East. You can check out the complete menu of food and drinks available at the festival on Disney's website.
The headliner concert series is off this year, due to pandemic restrictions, but local musical acts from the Orlando area will be performing at America Gardens Theatre Fridays through Mondays. Voices of Liberty and Mariachi Cobre also will be performing on the America Gardens Theatre stage, and Jammin’ Gardeners will appear on The Mill stage in the Canada pavilion.
Update: Here are some more photos, from Theme Park Insider readers.
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It was semi-busy today, but the park looked beautiful especially with the flower arrangements at the start of world showcase. Miss the photo-op with the monorail going by though. Hopefully next year?
As usual I bypassed the food stalls and had fish ‘n chips. Damn ... they were good today :) Can’t say the same for the view across the lake, maybe when the fountains are up and running it won’t seem such an eyesore.
Disney did a great job at keeping the stores socially distanced by using a slow but continually moving line at the entrances to keep things relatively sane inside. Staggering just how much stuff people buy !!
Orange bird was very prominent this year, even outdoing the beloved Figment. All in all a great day at Epcot for day 1 of the flower and garden festival.