EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival: Can’t-Miss Highlights for 2026

I’ve experienced all of EPCOT’s festivals, and I look forward to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival every year — my second favorite after Festival of the Arts. From fresh seasonal dishes and themed gardens to magical floral carpets and live entertainment throughout the park, there’s a lot to love.

The 2026 festival runs from March 4 to June 1, with new menu items, interactive exhibits, and the Garden Rocks concert series. Let me show you the highlights to prioritize, including new festival offerings, the best dishes, and experiences worth building your day around.

What’s New at the 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival?

The 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival introduced 3 new gardens and a fruit stand, along with new PhotoPass Magic Shots, a new food booth, and 75 new menu items.

Pluto’s Pet-Friendly Garden in World Nature, near The Seas With Nemo & Friends, features Pluto on a garden walking path with grass and a doghouse. The garden is dog-safe, with nontoxic plants and soft grass.

The Wildlife Crossing Garden near CommuniCore Hall features characters from the new Disney and Pixar film “Hoppers,” demonstrating how animals safely roam.

At the nearby CommuniCore Plaza, the new Rain or Shine Fruit Stand shows how the water cycle supports fruit crops.

Between the Morocco and France pavilions is the Trendy Tropicals Garden, full of tropical bedding plants like cordyline that offer color without flowers.

PhotoPass Magic Shots enhance photos with characters and props. New Magic Shots at the festival include:

• Poppy seed prop and giant flower on the pathway to CommuniCore Hall
• Honey jar prop and Spike the Bee between the Germany and Italy pavilions and in the Japan pavilion
• Thumper topiary between the Germany and Italy pavilions
• Orange Bird vacation near the central planter in World Celebration

There are 75 new festival menu items with some standout dishes.

One of the most exciting additions is the all-new Nectar: Fresh, Healthy Eats booth, hosted by AdventHealth. This all-new food booth features a poke bowl (with or without tuna), plant-based coconut panna cotta, and a nonalcoholic frozen island escape peach-and-mango smoothie with a mini fruit pop. It’s a good stop if you’re looking for something refreshing in between indulgent bites.

The Honey Bee-stro has one of the best new dishes at the festival: the honeycomb bowl. It’s creative and balanced, featuring herb quinoa, honey-whipped goat cheese, poached apples, and hot honey cauliflower topped with a honey tuile. This dish is well-plated and wouldn’t look out of place at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts.

Outdoor Kitchens Around EPCOT

Festival kitchens feature fresh bites and sips throughout EPCOT, though most are concentrated in the World Showcase. A few year-round locations offer festival-only items, too.

Food locations for the 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival include:

• Florida Fresh: Near CommuniCore Plaza (open March 4 to May 25)
• EPCOT Farmers Feast: Near CommuniCore Plaza (open March 4 to May 10)
• Nectar Hosted by AdventHealth: World Nature
• Beach Grub: World Nature
• Yacht Grub: World Nature
• The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board: Near Port of Entry
• Pineapple Promenade: Near Port of Entry
• Swirled Showcase: Near Port of Entry
• Trowel & Trellis: Near Port of Entry
• Jardin de Fiestas: Mexico pavilion
• Lan Yuan: China pavilion
• Refreshment Outpost: Between the China and Germany pavilions
• Bauernmarkt: Germany pavilion
• Primavera Kitchen: Italy pavilion
• Magnolia Terrace American Adventure pavilion
• Hanami: Japan pavilion
• Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina: Morocco pavilion
• La Isla Fresca: Between the Morocco and France pavilions
• Fleur de Lys: France pavilion
• Northern Bloom: Canada pavilion
• BRUNCHCOT: Near World Discovery
• The Citrus Blossom: Near World Discovery

Year-round locations with festival offerings include Connections Eatery, Sunshine Seasons, Block & Hans, the Canada popcorn cart, Sommerfest, Yorkshire County Fish Shop, Refreshment Station hosted by Coca-Cola, and the funnel cake stand in the American Adventure pavilion.

Joffrey’s kiosks in the park feature various drinks, including a garden bloom latte, a very berry matcha latte, a Dubai chocolate frozen cappuccino, and a cascara lemonade.

Hot Tip:

Cardholders of the Disney^® Inspire Visa^® Card, Disney^® Premier Visa^® Card, and Disney^® Visa^® Card can get 10% off at most Disney World table-service restaurants, though not at food studios or quick-service restaurants. There’s a 20% discount for cardholders at Disney World Joffrey’s locations.

Can’t-Miss Festival Food Favorites

Though there are plenty of new dishes to try at this year’s festival, many of the best bites are returning dishes at kitchens throughout EPCOT. With so many options spread throughout the park, having a game plan helps. These are our favorites we recommend this year.

La Isla Fresca, between the Morocco and France pavilions, is always a must-stop for us, and this year it has 2 standout dishes that balance fresh flavors with bold seasoning. The bright and refreshing ceviche features shrimp with mango, avocado, and citrus, served with crisp plantain chips.

Jamaican jerk chicken is another highlight, with smoky and slightly spicy chicken paired with rice and sweet plantains.

Trowel & Trellis near the Port of Entry has new miso cola-glazed pork ribs this year, with tender meat and a sweet heat glaze.

At the China pavilion, the fruit skewer is a fun, simple snack featuring fresh strawberries and grapes coated in a crisp sugar shell.

Hanami in the Japan pavilion offers Japanese curry bread, one of the most memorable handheld snacks at the festival. This crispy fried bread is filled with rich and well-seasoned curry.

The France pavilion’s savory tart, the tarte aux oignons caramelises brings a rich and balanced bite, featuring caramelized onions, bacon, and a flaky pastry crust.

For dessert, the liquid nitrogen honey-mascarpone cheesecake at Swirled Showcase is a must-try. This creamy cheesecake is topped with honey, edible flowers, and a blueberry compote. It’s sweet, smooth, and has texture and brightness to keep it from feeling too heavy.

Hot Tip:

Grab a festival passport at either park entrance to see all of the festival food and entertainment options. In the back, there’s a Garden Graze Food Stroll challenge you can complete by purchasing any 5 of the qualifying menu items and getting a stamp in your passport. Then, bring your passport to Pineapple Promenade to get a festival treat.

Topiaries and Gardens

Beyond the food, the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival features elaborate topiaries and themed gardens that transform the park. Dozens of Disney character topiaries and interactive exhibits are spread throughout EPCOT, bringing color, fragrance, and blooms.

Character topiaries range from classic characters such as Mickey and friends and Winnie the Pooh to new favorites, including “Encanto” family members and Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The topiaries are impressive in scale and floral detail.

Gardens throughout the park add color and offer learning opportunities. Most are in the World Showcase area and typically feature interactive elements.

Our favorite festival garden is Butterfly Landing near the Imagination! Pavilion, where you can walk through a tent filled with live butterflies and host plants. You can view multiple species up close and see the butterfly life cycle, and might get a butterfly to land on you if you’re lucky. The landing closes at dusk, so make this an early stop.

Additional interactive gardens include Blossoms of Fragrance, where you can explore botanical-inspired scents, and the English Tea Garden in the United Kingdom pavilion that highlights how plants are used in tea blends.

Families can find interactive spaces throughout the festival. Playalong Bay Play Garden is a seaside-inspired playground, and it’s conveniently next to Beach Grub and Yacht Grub, so you can snack and play in the shade.

The nearby Camp Get Out ‘N’ Play Garden, close to Creations Shop, offers a camp-themed environment with plenty of space to explore.

Inside CommuniCore Hall, you can find the festival exhibit with a larger-than-life garden that transitions from day to night, with glowing fireflies and moonlight flowers that make this a fun stop after dark.

Hot Tip:

Pick up Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt ($11.99 plus tax at EPCOT gift shops and festival merchandise stands) to search for Spike around the World Showcase and add a sticker to your map with each stop. You can turn in your map at Disney Traders, Creations Shop, or World Traveler to receive a prize.

Garden Rocks Concerts

The Garden Rocks Concert Series brings live festival entertainment. Shows are held each night at 5:30, 6:45, and 8 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure pavilion.

The lineup features well-known artists and local acts, ranging from classic rock and pop to country and Latin music, typically with bigger names on the weekends. Seating is first-come, first-served, and popular performances fill up quickly.

Garden Rocks Dining Packages include a meal at participating EPCOT restaurants and offer guaranteed seating for a concert on the same day.

Tips for Planning Your EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival Visit

There’s a lot of ground to cover at the festival, so we recommend mapping out your priorities before you visit. Check Disney World’s festival guide to get the full list of festival kitchens, entertainment, gardens, and experiences.

Once you’re in the park, grab a festival passport at an entrance, merchandise location, or outdoor kitchen to keep track of what you’ve tried and what you want to find.

Expect heavier crowds later in the day, especially on weekends. Mornings are typically quieter times to explore the gardens and topiaries before food booths open (generally 11 a.m. Friday through Monday and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday.)

Though food is a big part of the festival, don’t miss out on the gardens. Displays like the Butterfly Landing walkthrough are worth making time for, and the gardens offer quick learning experiences. If you’re visiting with kids, check out the playgrounds for a reset while you grab food from nearby kitchens.

If live music is part of your festival plan, check the Garden Rocks concert schedule and plan to arrive early or reserve a dining package for a smoother experience.

Most dishes are small plates, which makes it easy to sample a wide variety of food. Sharing dishes can help you try more without overdoing it.

» Related: How To Visit Disney World for Cheap by Using Points and Miles [2026]

Final Thoughts

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival brings beautiful sights, smells, flavors, and sounds to the park. There are 75 new menu items this year, and many of the best bites are a mix of new standouts and returning favorites that consistently deliver.

Beyond the food, festival gardens and topiaries bring EPCOT to life, particularly interactive exhibits such as the Butterfly Landing walkthrough. With the Garden Rocks concert series and family-friendly activities, you can expect a busy day at the park.

If you’re planning a visit, jot down the standout dishes, gardens, and top experiences to make the most of your time. A short list of priorities goes a long way at a festival this size.