Hiya, Tinkers!
Hope you’re all having an awesome weekend! Unfortunately, in my house, we are dealing with a toddler with a 104° fever, so it hasn’t been pretty. The good news is, he thinks he has a “Frozen fever”, and so he keeps sleepily quoting Elsa and saying, “I haff a cold.” It’s adorable and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
Anyway, I come to you with exciting news!!! The official passport for the 2016 International Flower and Garden Festival has been released, so we have tons of new information about this year’s Flower and Garden Festival, including all of the menus for the Outdoor Kitchens!!! So what will we see, (and taste), this year?
Well, for starters, incredible topiaries will fill the park. The two new displays this year are Fresh Food, Fun and Flowers at the Main Entrance, which features Donald, Daisy and Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Ranger Mickey and Friends will be in Future World East. Favorites from last year and previous years will return, including:
- Buzz Lightyear in Future World East
- Fantastia in Future World West
- Phineas and Ferb in Future World East
- Minnie Mouse and Pluto in Showcase Plaza
- Anna and Elsa in Norway
- Bromeliad Dragon in China
- Simba and Friends in The Outpost
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Germany
- Lady and the Tramp in Italy
- Woody in The American Adventure
- Beauty and the Beast in France
- Cinderella and Prince Charming in France
- Winnie the Pooh and Friends in the United Kingdom
- Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tic-Toc Croc in the United Kingdom
- Bambi and Friends in Canada
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Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will be “Fun, Fresh Weekends” with special presentations and learning areas, including:
- Garden Theater where you can learn what goes into making Flower and Garden Festival happen.
- Garden Information Desk where you can talk to horticulture experts from University of Florida about all of your gardening needs.
- Horticulture Heritage where you can learn how horticulture played a role in Walt’s vision for the parks.
- And four different stages where you can catch presentations by horticulture experts on a variety of topics.
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There are also specialty themed weekends:
- April 1st-3rd: Art in the Garden Weekend
- April 8th-10th: Outdoor Family Fun Weekend, featuring experts from Animal Kingdom who will share what an important role insects play in our environment
- April 22nd-24th: Earth Day Weekend, featuring experts from The Seas with Nemo and Friends who will share the conservation efforts that go on at The Seas on a daily basis
- April 29th-May 1st: Florida Fresh Weekend
- May 6th-8th: Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Weekend
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This year, for the little ones, there are several specially designed areas for frolicking:
- Cactus Road Rally Playground near Test Track
- NEW! Music Garden Melodies Playground between Imagination and the Canada Pavilion
- Discover Purple Martins where you can learn about the Brazilian migratory songbirds
- Butterflies on the Go near Club Cool
- Ranger Mickey and Friends Interactive Area in Future World East
- Backyard Habitat
- Nature Works Everywhere
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And of course there’s the Garden Rocks concerts! Here’s this year’s line-up:
- March 4th-6th – The Orchestra with members of ELO (“Evil Woman” and “Comin’ Home Baby”)
- March 11th-13th – Starship with Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
- March 18th-20th – Little River Band (“Reminiscing” and “Lady”)
- March 25th-27th – The Village People (“Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man”)
- April 1st-3rd – Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone (“Henry the VIII, I Am” and “There’s a King of Hush”)
- April 8th-10th – The Guess Who (“American Woman” and “These Eyes”)
- April 15th-17th – Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice from American Idol (“Spinning Wheel” and “You Make Me So Very Happy”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- April 22nd-24th – Bad Company with Brian Howe (“Can’t Get Enough” and “Shooting Star”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- April 29th-May 1st – Georgia Satellites (“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and “Hippy Hippy Shake”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- May 6th-8th – Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You”)
- May 13th-15th – Darlene Love (“Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” and “He’s a Rebel”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- May 20th-22nd – Night Ranger (“Sister Christian” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”)
- May 27th-30th – The Spinners (“Working My Way Back to You” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”)
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The Outdoor Garden Destinations include lots of beautiful and amazing plants:
Waterwise Garden
- Pre-Historic Plants
- Purple Martins
- Cactus Road Rally
- Festival Blooms
- Pollinator Paradise
- Butterflies on the Go
- Health and Healing Garden
- Backyard Habitat
- Music Garden Melodies
- Nature Works Everywhere
- Fire Garden
- Extraordinary Orchids
- Tuscan Cuchina Garden
- Japanese Mini-Garden
- Bonsai Collection
- Urban Spice
- English Tea Garden
- Shakespeare Garden
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There are 13 Outdoor Kitchens, with two brand new ones! Let’s all salivate over their menus. Green marks food items and Pink marks drinks:
- Urban Farm Eats (Walkway near Imagination)
- Watermelon Salad with pickled onions, B&W Gourmet Farms baby arugula, feta and balsamic reduction
- Vegetable and White Bean “Naanwhich” with arugula pesto and oven-dried tomatoes, featuring Seeds of Change quinoa and brown and red rice
- Seared Pork Tenderloin with mushroom ragout, spring vegetables and marble potatoes
- Avive Natural Peach Sparkling Wine
- King Estate Acrobat Pinot Noir
- Sierra Nevada Otra Vez
- Urban Mary
- Pineapple Promenade (World Showcase Promenade)
- Spicy Hot Dog with pineapple chutney and Taro chips
- Pineapple Soft-Serve (aka “Dole Whip”)
- Sparkling Pineapple Wine
- Ocean Tropical Pineapple Hard Cider
- Pineapple Soft Serve with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
- Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
- NEW! La Isla Fresca (World Showcase Promenade)
- Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with mango salsa, chayote and green papaya slaw, with lime-cilantro vinaigrette
- Jamaican Braised Beef with pigeon pea rice and micro-cilantro
- Tres Leches with guava puree
- Red Stripe Jamaican Style Lager
- Frozen Simply Tropical juice drink with Cruzan Mango Rum
- Frozen Simply Tropical juice drink (non-alcoholic)
- Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico)
- Tacos de Camaron – Tempura shrimp served with hibiscus flower, caramelized onions and habanero sauce
- Corn Tortilla Quesadilla served with roasted mushroom and zucchini blossom, topped with green tomatillo sauce
- Flan de Rosas with hibiscus reduction
- Tecate Light Beer
- Rose Margarita
- Elderflower Watermelon Sangria
- Lotus House (China)
- Gaoli Beef Bun
- Beijing-style Candied Strawberries
- Vegetable Spring Roll with orange sauce
- Oolong Peach Bubble Tea (non-alcoholic)
- Kung Fu Punch – Vodka, Triple Sec, mango and orange juice
- Plum Wine
- Honey Mango Wine Cooler
- Dragon Pearl – Beer, honey, cream and tapioca pearls
- Tsingtao Beer
- Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market (Germany)
- Chicken Fricassee with green asparagus and peas, served with Uncle Ben’s rice pilaf
- Currywurst with paprika chips (Roasted bratwurst with curry ketchup and paprika-spiced chips)
- “Armer Ritter” – Egg-battered toast with cherry compote and powdered sugar
- Hugo-Charles de Fere Organic Brut with elderflower and mint
- Paulaner Original Munich Lager
- Schofferhofer Hefeweizen
- Warsteiner Dunkel
- Kostritzer Schwartzbier Black Lager
- Primavera Kitchen (Italy)
- Pollo alla Parigiana – Breaded breast of chicken, tomato, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
- Mezze Luna Primavera – Egg pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach, in a creamy sauce, with spring vegetables and Pecorino cheese
- Cremoso al Pistaccchio – Pistacchio cream, strawberries and mascarpone cream
- Pinot Grigio
- Chianti
- Prosecco
- Corbinello
- Moscato
- Bellini – Sparkling wine and peach puree
- Rossini – Sparkling wine and marinated strawberries
- Frozen Italian Primavera – Fruit slushy, Limoncello and Vodka
- Moretti Lager
- Moretti La Rossa
- Italian Seasonal Selection
- THE SMOKEHOUSE: Barbecue and Brews (The American Adventure)
- Pulled Pig Slider with crispy onions and coleslaw
- Smoked Pork Ribs with corn salad
- Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos
- Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-salted caramel sauce and spiced pecans
- The Great American Wine Company Red Blend
- Funky Buddah Floridian Hefeweizen
- Orlando Brewing company Uncle Matt’s Organic Grapefruit Pale Ale
- 3 Daughters Rod Bender Red Ale
- Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout
- Frozen Lemonade with Firefly Blackberry Moonshine
- Frozen Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
- Sweet Tea (non-alcoholic)
- Hanami (Japan)
- Frushi – Fresh pineapple, strawberry and melon, rolled with raspberry-coconut rice, sprinkled with toasted coconut and with whipped cream on the side
- Chicken Edamame Bun – Steamed bun, filled with chicken and edamame and topped with curry sauce
- Beef Teriyaki Udon – Thin-sliced beef, onions and noodles, tossed on the grill with soy and ginger
- Sapporo Draft Beer
- Yuzu Plum Wine Slushy
- Suigei Sake
- Taste of Marrakesh (Morocco)
- Harissa Chicken Kebab with sweet couscous salad
- Falafel Pocket with cucumber-tomato salad and tahini sauce
- Baklava
- Desert Rose – Sparkling wine topped with pomegranate liqueur
- White Sangria
- Guerrouane Red Wine
- Casa Beer
- Florida Fresh (Between Morocco and France)
- Kale Salad with dried cranberries, almonds, goat cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette
- Shrimp and Stone-Ground Grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro
- Florida Larder Board – Orlando-made ricotta cheese, Cahaba Farms micro-onions, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, country pate and house-made pickles
- Key Lime Sparkling Wine
- Sea Dog Acai Berry Hefeweizen
- Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale
- Watermelon Cucumber Slush with Hendrick’s Gin
- Watermelon Cucumber Slush (non-alcoholic)
- Fresh-Squeezed Watermelon Juice
- Fleur de Lys (France)
- Tarte a l’Onion Alsacienne – Alsatian onion tart with sauteed onions, fresh thyme and rosemary, on a flaky puff-pastry crust
- Cassoulet au Confit de Canard – Pulled duck confit with braised Flageolet beans
- Macaron Chocolat Framboise – Large raspberry macaron with chocolate fudge and raspberry jam
- Ice Pop Gran Marnier Peach Cocktail – Gran Marnier Peach Raspberry, Vodke, iced tea
- La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Grey Goose Vodka Orange, St. Germain, white and red cranberry juice
- Merlot Bordeaux
- Kir Imperial – Sparkling wine with Chambord Black Raspberry liquor
- Kronenbourg Blanc 1664
- NEW! Cider House (United Kingdom)
- Land-Harvested Field Greens with apples, dried blueberries, Stilton cheese and apple cider vinaigrette
- Pear Cider-Brined Shredded Corned Beef with braised cabbage and pears and Branston dressing
- House-made Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with smoked salmon tartare
- Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with creme fraiche and mixed berries
- Sonoma ‘The Pitchfork’ Organic Pear Hard Cider
- McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider
- Keel and Curley Mad Man Blueberry Hard Cider
- Cigar City Brewing Tampa-Style Lager
- Snakebite – Cigar City Tampa-Style Lager, mixed with McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider
- Mertinelli’s Sparkling Cider (non-alcoholic)
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Also, Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company has enhanced their menus around the park, especially for the festival! Here are the fun new drinkable treats and where to find them!:
- LemonRita (Future World East) – Frozen lemon-lime drink, with 1800 Silver Tequila or Grey Goose Vodka
- Tiki Torch (Disney Traders) – Frozen passion fruit drink, with Grey Goose Vodka
- Frozen Strawberry-Lemon Sunset (American Adventure) – Layered Frozen Strawberry and Lemonade drinks, with Grey Goose Vodka
- Spiked Chai Latte (Canada) – iced, frozen or hot chai tea latte, with Bailey’s Irish Creme or Grey Goose Vodka
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Just for the Festival, Sunshine Seasons food court, inside the Land pavilion, will be adding two new menu items to 
check out:
- Oak-Grilled Vegetable Flatbread
- Tomato and Cucumber Salad
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And, of course, there’s special merchandise all over the park, including these unique options:
- Rinse bath and body products
- EyeCatchers reflective wind spinners
- Jortra Boutique jewelry made from cantaloupe seeds, orange peel and coffee beans (March 2nd-23rd only)
- Boiled Books stationary, stained with real plants and flowers (March 24th-April 13th and May 5th-15th)
- Growmanji soil-free growing systems (April 14th-May 4th only)
- Petal Pushers giftable plants (May 16th-30th only)
- Just Plumerias plumeria cuttings
- Elemental Nursery ornamental plants
- Swaying in the Breeze garden flags
- HAF2Paint floral artwork
- And Flower and Garden exclusive merchandise!
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This year, there’s even an Annual Passholder Exclusive gift!!! Three, in fact! Bring your annual pass and a photo ID to the area behind Club Cool on the following dates, to receive a special edition print, drawn by legendary Disney artist, Don “Ducky” Williams:
- March 2nd-31st: Donald Duck
- April 1st-30th: Goofy
- May 1st-30th: Mickey Mouse
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And if ALL of this just isn’t enough for you and you want to learn even MORE about the Festival and horticulture, in general, check out these three tours:
- English Tea Garden Tour – The only one of the three tours that is totally complimentary, this guided tour in the United Kingdom pavilion is presented by Twinings and will take tea-lovers inside the history and background of tea, as well as talk about brewing techniques and flavor options. Sign up day-of, at the Tea Caddy shop. (If you can’t get a spot, or would rather not wait, you can also do this as a self-guided tour.) The tour runs 20 minutes.
- Behind the Seeds Tour at The Land – This tour takes you behind the scenes and up close to the amazing plants, (and fish and alligators), in the Living with the Land attraction. You can sign up for it day-of, at the tour desk near Soarin’. The tour is about an hour long and is $20 per adult and $16 per child. It is offered daily, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- Epcot Gardens of the World Tour – This is a 3 hour tour, guided by a Disney horticulturist. It is about $64 per person, and no children under the age of 16 are permitted. For this in-depth tour, you will want to book in advance, by calling 407 WDW- TOUR.
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Is your head spinning yet with all of the amazing Flower and Garden food and fun that you’re going to enjoy??? I know I can’t wait to hit the park! Remember, the Flower and Garden Festival starts on March 2nd and runs through May 30th!
Tinkin' About Disney 