Epcot Flower and Garden Festival in Full Bloom

The time is almost up for this year's Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival, as the Walt Disney World Resort bids farewell to Spring and welcomes in the Coolest Summer Ever! Before it goes, we wanted to share some of our sightings at this year's International Festival! Epcot is by far one of our favorite Disney Parks. The gorgeous sights, delightful sounds, and fresh flavors, this event is a great way to experience Disney Magic in a unique way. Of course we are always sad to see the Flower and Garden Festival go, but like all of our other favorite special events at Disney Parks, it will be back next year! And while we are waiting for it to come back we can enjoy other amazing happenings like Star Wars Weekends, Frozen Summer Fun, during the Coolest Summer Ever at the Walt Disney World Resort!

Here are some highlights not to be missed around Epcot's World Showcase:

Outdoor Kitchens with seasonal springtime treats like Pineapple Dole Whip, Frushi, and Sangria. 

Educational opportunities that teach how to bring spring at Epcot to your own garden

Magical topiaries (grown locally) featuring your favorite Disney Characters 

*Anna and Elsa Topiaries new this year!*

Entertaining Music at the Garden Rocks Concert Series

Butterflies on the Go presented by Go Go SqueeZ

English Tea Garden by Twinings of London

and so much more!

Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival is the perfect blend of family fun for all ages.
With only a few days left, make sure you visit soon before it fades away. 

Special Event dates March 4 - May 17, 2015

Disclosure: We were graciously hosted by the Walt Disney World Resort at the #CoolestSummer Ever Press Event. (Including airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, and park tickets.) No other compensation was received. The opinions on this blog are 100% magical and 100% those of the Disney Sisters only. All photos belong to us unless otherwise stated. Thanks for reading our blog!

DisneyNature Chimpanzee and other Monkey Business

Watch the jungle's most adorable orphan find a family ...

As Disneynature CHIMPANZEE is now released on Blu-ray Combo Pack.

The latest DisneyNature film is now available on DVD bringing the magic of the Animal Kingdom into our living rooms. This is the fourth documentary style film from them, this time they're following a group of chimpanzees through the African forest. Unfortunately we didn't see it in theaters, but we did get a copy to review - Yay!

 The inspiring film follows the True-Life Adventure of Oscar, a young chimpanzee whose curiosity and showcases the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. Bonus material includes a making-of documentary, the "Rise" music video from McClain Sisters. This film really showcases family bonding in a special way, and we're all about family films!

Some interesting facts about chimps that you may not know:

"At the turn of the 20th century, there were between 1 and 2 million chimps in the wild. Now there may be fewer than 300,000."

"Humans and chimpanzees share roughly 95 to 98 percent of the same DNA."

"Chimpanzees can develop lifelong family bonds, especially between mother and child."

We also really want to get the word out about "See Chimpanzee, Save Chimpanzees": 

To celebrate the in-home debut of “Chimpanzee,” Disneynature is proud to continue the “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees” conservation program initiated with the film’s theatrical release. For every purchase of the movie through August 27, 2012, Disneynature will make a donation through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to conserve chimpanzee habitat, educate the next generation, and provide care for orphaned chimpanzees.

The conservation program tied to the theatrical release will help protect 129,236 acres (202 square miles) of wild chimpanzee habitat through infrastructure investments in the expanded Tchimpounga Nature Reserve in the Republic of Congo (Congo); educate 60,000 schoolchildren about chimpanzee conservation; and provide food and medicine for nearly all of the orphaned chimpanzees at JGI’s Tchimpounga chimpanzee sanctuary for at least the next year.

We took these special Chimpanzee photos during our trip to WDW. There was this awesome sand castle display in Epcot to promote the movie. We were thrilled to be able to see it in person, it was really cool!

You can get down to Monkey Business with this slideshow of photos that the crew took while working on location. Did you know that it took more than 700 days to film Chimpanzee?

Did you catch Chimpanzee in the theaters or are you planning on buying it on DVD? Have you seen any other DisneyNature films: African Cats, Oceans or Earth?

Stay connected with the latest “Chimpanzee” information:

“Like” the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Disneynature

Follow on Twitter www.Twitter.com/Disneynature

Website and Mobile Site: www.Disney.com/Chimpanzee

Disclaimer: We were not given any compensation for this post, but we were given a copy to help facilitate our review. Thoughts and opinions shared on our blog are all our own.

Alice in Wonderland Meet and Greet

Happy Wordless Wednesday from Wonderland!

While visiting Epcot at Walt Disney World, you can take your picture with Alice in Wonderland. (In the UK area of the World Showcase) We also suggest getting her autograph and giving her a hug. Be prepared to answer a bunch of fun questions, she is after all quite curious!

Have you met Alice yet? Who is your favorite character to see at the Parks?

English Tea Garden and Tour in Epcot at Walt Disney World

Fancy of Cup of Tea?

You can get your fill at the English Tea Garden during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort.

Take the English Tea Garden Tour:

Discover the art and history of tea blending during a 20-minute tour of this elegant English Tea Garden, featuring classic tea blends and new herbal teas for 2012. Hosted by Twinings of London Premium Tea. Tours are held Monday through Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and Friday through Sunday at 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Register for your guided tour at The Tea Caddy. Located at the United Kingdom Pavilion.

Learn about these 12 delightful teas as you tour the English Tea Garden:

• Earl Grey—Original Earl Grey, developed by Twinings with a black tea base scented with bergamot, a citrus fruit found in the Mediterranean.

• English Breakfast—Black tea blended with Kenyan & Assam teas to deliver a traditional tea with a rich taste and satisfying aroma.

• Pure White—Made from Camellia Sinensis plant, Twinings uses rare single tip buds to produce a smooth, velvety tasting tea.

• China Oolong—A hybrid between black and green tea; slightly sweet and delicate tea with a reddish color. This tea is best served with milk and sweetened to taste.

• Pomegranate Delight—Black tea blended with the fresh flavor of ripe pomegranates to deliver a delicious tea with a light, fruity aroma and slightly sweet taste.

• Mixed Berry—Fine black tea expertly blended with the luscious flavours of strawberry, cherry, raspberry and recurrant to deliver a delicious tea with a fresh, fruity aroma and slightly sweet taste.

• Spiced Apple Chai*—Fine black tea perfectly balanced with the flavours of apple and savoury spices of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger.

• Camomile, Honey & Vanilla*—A soothing herbal tea made with chamomile and the slightly sweet flavours of honey & vanilla. Naturally caffeine free.

• Orange, Cinnamon & Spice*—A warm and inviting herbal tea made with rooibos and the refreshing flavor of orange and savoury cinnamon. Naturally caffeine free.

• Organic Green Tea with Citrus*—Pure green tea perfectly balanced with the alluring flavor of lemon and orange.

• Pure Peppermint—Made from 100% pure peppermint, this delightful herbal tea has a fresh taste and invigorating aroma. Naturally caffeine free.

• Pomegranate & Raspberry*—A full-flavoured herbal tea made with the naturally sweet and juicy flavours of pomegranate and raspberry. Naturally caffeine free.

* New to the garden this year.

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Which flavor is your favorite?

Disclosure: We were invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Walt Disney World offered a special discounted rate for all attendees and their families. This is a once in a lifetime experience and we are grateful to Disney for allowing us to participate. We'll be sharing unique things seen and heard throughout the Celebration. Please keep in mind these our own personal thoughts and opinions, not those of the Walt Disney Company.

Disney is in Full Bloom at Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Disney is in Full Bloom at Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.

One of the most stunning things to see at Walt Disney World Resort is a actually a festival that takes places every spring at Epcot. We were so thrilled to learn that it was going on while we were in town for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. The mix of flowers, plants and gardens are a sight to behold. We highly recommend seeing this very special blend of nature and Disney. One of our favorite features during the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot are topiaries shaped like Disney Characters. In each part of the World Showcase there is a different destination, they have placed the characters perfectly to fit within the theme.
  

Belle, The Beast, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and others from Beauty and the Beast are in France. 

In America Cowboy Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Lotso Bear. 

You might even find a Princess or two dancing with a handsome Prince.

Italy is where Lady and the Tramp call home. 

Cars Lightning McQueen and Mater are parked in Japan.

Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood are in the UK.

We have many more photos of colorful splendor to share on our Flickr set. You can find over 100 topiaries throughout Epcot theme park, including more than 75 Disney characters. It's really quite stunning! 

Have you ever been to the Flower and Garden Festival? 
Which Disney topiary is your favorite?

Disclosure: We were invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Walt Disney World offered a special discounted rate for all attendees and their families. This is a once in a lifetime experience and we are grateful to Disney for allowing us to participate. We'll be sharing unique things seen and heard throughout the Celebration. Please keep in mind these our own personal thoughts and opinions, not those of the Walt Disney Company.