Romance Blooms at Epcot April 21-June 11, 2006, For 13th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
Opening Day Postal Stamp Issue Celebrates Disney Characters in Love
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Donald and Daisy topiaries cruise through a floral tunnel of love while topiaries of Cinderella and Prince Charming "waltz" amid blossoms and greenery. Disney "sweetheart"topiaries based on decades of happily-ever-after classic stories add romance and whimsy to the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival April 21-June 11 at Walt Disney World Resort.
To
celebrate the art of romance as imagined by Walt Disney and his studio animators,
the U.S. Postal Service will issue a set of four "Art of Disney: Romance"stamps
during the festival's opening ceremony. The stamps feature Cinderella and her
prince, Beauty and the Beast, Lady and Tramp, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
This is the third U.S. Postal Service stamp set honoring the Art of Disney –
the first, issued in 2004, was on the theme of friendship and the second, issued
in 2005, focused on celebrations.
The seven-week festival, known by gardening aficionados for its celebrity guest speakers, hands-on seminars and planting demonstrations, will take place in the park's Future World and World Showcase. Thirty million blooms, intricately designed floral beds, artfully crafted bonsai trees, lush rose gardens and more Disney character topiaries will grace the park's 300 acres. Nightly Flower Power concerts will rock the landscape with live entertainment from top acts of the 1960s and '70s, including Tony Orlando in Concert, The Guess Who and The Association.
Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, which debuted last year, will return with hundreds of butterflies in a screened, walk-through enclosure and will include a live exhibit showing how caterpillars form a chrysalis and emerge as butterflies.
Themed festival events pump up the fun with the child-friendly I Dig Bugs weekend, Art in the Garden weekend and the time-honored Mother's Day weekend, among others. Other festival features include:
- The Festival Center, where guests can find program guides and festival merchandise, as well as guest speakers and demonstrations.
- The popular Great American Gardeners series, opening with Paul James of HGTV's "Gardening by the Yard,"April 21-23.
- A "see and sniff" Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion showcasing flowers in several perfumes.
- Disney Gardening at Home presentations where Disney horticulturists share tips and secrets for at-home gardening.
- Kids' activities, including the fun-filled Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden, Disney character meet and greets and daily ladybug releases.
- Family fun at the new Growing Future Gardeners area.
More information about the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival is included in regular Epcot admission.
