This year's Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will feature the largest ever Disney front entrance topiary with an 8-foot tall Sorcerer Mickey, according a news release from the company.
The topiary in front of Spaceship Earth will stand atop a 12-foot tall floral mountain cliff where Mickey Mouse will direct shapes of broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos and other animals from the movie "Fantasia," according to Disney.
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| A cast member waters plants at last year's festival |
Also for the first time at the festival there will be an illuminated garden, which will highlight the rich heritage of Haitian art and culture. "Haiti: Garden of Many Colors" will be next to the Germany showcase.
The 19th annual event takes place from March 7 to May 20.
Twice a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, HGTV designers and hosts will share their insights on landscaping and design. And each weekend pop music stars from the 1960s and ’70s will play at the America Gardens Theatre stage (a full schedule below).
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
- The Festival Center -- in Future World between Universe of Energy and Mission:SPACE -- will be home to demonstrations from master gardeners. Disney horticulturists and local experts such as Robert Bowden of Harry P. Leu Gardens will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity. The HGTV Designers’ Stage will host the HGTV celebrities as well as other nationally recognized garden personalities who will give talks.
- Special weekend celebrations include: An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists from March 23-25; a Disney’s Animal Kingdom Specialists weekend with indigenous insects; a Florida Federation of Garden Clubs gathering April 27-29; and a Florida Farmer’s Market May 4-6.
- Bambi’s Butterfly House, with multiple species of brilliant butterflies, at Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West.
- Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden -- Fairy topiaries at the Test Track Walkway.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
The American Gardens Theatre will host a variety of performers throughout the festival at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. each Friday-Sunday. (All performances and times are subject to change, according to Disney).
March 9-11: Jose Feliciano
March 16-18: Starship starring Mickey Thomas
March 23-25: The Guess Who
March 30-April 1: The Spinners
April 6-8: Chubby Checker & The Wildcats
April 13-15: Paule Revere & The Raiders
April 22-24: The Turtles
April 27-29: Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night
May 4-6: The Orchestra, featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II
May 11-13: Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone
May 18-20: Mickey Dolenz
May 18-20: Mickey Dolenz
FESTIVAL BY THE NUMBERS
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| 2011 Lady and The Tramp topiary |
30 million: The number of blooms which will blanket the park during the festival.
500,000: The number of plants, trees and shrubs to be planted for the festival.
22,615: The number of plant plugs to be used to make up the Fantasia front entrance topiary. They include reindeer moss for Sorcerer Mickey’s face and red begonias for his hat; creeping fig for Mickey as well as the hippos and gators; Sweet Ayssum and three shades of Lobelia to simulate water spilling over the large topiary rock made up of Black Scallop Ajuga upon which the Sorcerer stands.
1,250: In feet, the amount of quarter-inch irrigation tubing woven into the Fantasia topiaries.
1,000: The number of butterflies that will be in Bambi's Butterfly House.
400: The number of Walt Disney World horticulturists needed to install the landscape, topiaries and exhibits.
60: The number of tree species being used.
48 The varieties of bedding plants.
47: The types of palms that will be seen.
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