Orlando is just now starting to experience the April showers that spring is famous for, but you do not have to wait until May to see the fruit of all this rainy weather. At Epcot, the International Flower & Garden Festival is in full bloom, and it’s a great time to strap on a poncho and head down to this Walt Disney World park and see what’s flowering. The festival, which continues until May 31, is loaded with fun in the form of rocking Flower Power concerts, educational seminars, and fun activity areas for young and old alike. However, the stars of the festival are undoubtedly the various topiaries scattered throughout the park, and we’ve got a preview of some of the ones you’ll want to keep your eye out for.

First, young princesses will definitely want to find and pose by the topiary at the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, which features friends from the new Disney movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Each figure, donning wings and her uniquely colored dress, stands among matching natural foliage with a plaque explaining who she is. This whimsical garden holds hands-on activities for kids every day, and children dressed as fairies or princesses can join their green fairy friends in a daily pixie processional at 2 pm.

And keep an ear open, because you just might hear some ticking from the green shrubbery-covered crocodile featured in an elaborate topiary with the characters of Peter Pan. The croc awaits hungrily with mouth open while Captain Hook stands nearby, sword at the ready. This fun topiary can be seen near the festival’s Pirates Adventure Zone, where it awaits to lure young swashbucklers to exploration and adventure.

Finally, the masterpiece among festival topiaries is the signature “Cinderellabration” topiary at the entrance of the park. This colorful tableau features 16 figures, including Belle and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast; Princess Aurora and Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty; and Snow White, Bashful, Dopey, and their friends from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. These figures have gathered to help Cinderella and Prince Charming from Cinderella to celebrate her coronation, and the resulting display is one of the most impressive ones Disney gardeners have ever crafted.

Of course, sculpting beloved Disney characters out of flowers and moss isn’t easy. Disney horticulturists built each figure by stuffing a metal frame with moss, then hand-pinning plant life to the moss. Even then, it’s not over – the festival lasts three months, which means figures have to be carefully watered using specialized irrigation and meticulously hand-trimmed and maintained so that they last.

More than 50 green statues are scattered in topiaries around the park, so be sure to join in on the festival’s official Disney scavenger hunt and find them all. There’s no extra cost to attend the International Flower & Garden Festival – all you need are Walt Disney World tickets, which you can find right here at OrlandoFunTickets.com to start your flora and fauna expedition.

Currently ongoing at Walt Disney World Epcot is the ever popular International Food and Wine Festival. We have written about the event and brought you information about all the sounds to be experienced at the festival, but now it is time to feature some of the food – Louisiana food, that is.

Last year, the International Food & Wine Festival, which usually features food from foreign countries in its exhibitions, broke with the tradition and included an American state, Oklahoma. This year, the festival includes one of the states with perhaps the best-known and richest cuisine, Louisiana. Hosted by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the exhibit will include sights, sounds and flavors from the seven regions of the state via a food and beverage kiosk, an artisan area, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, children’s activities, and a merchandise and artisan shop. It has all been custom-built by Walt Disney Imagineering to offer visitors an authentic sampling of Louisiana’s unique culture and heritage.

"We are excited to give travelers just a small taste of what our state has to offer and invite them to Louisiana to get the full cultural experience," said Chuck Morse, Assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Office of Tourism.

Whether it’s spicy Louisiana seafood gumbo or sweet praline bread pudding, you’ll love all the classic Louisiana offerings from the regional chefs. For a satisfying accompaniment, we recommend Purple Haze, a Louisiana beer from Abita Brewery. And when you’re not drinking or munching on tasty Cajun dishes, you can learn to “fais-do-do,” Cajun street dance, or head down to the Riverboat dock and listen to cultural ambassadors share the history and stories of their home state. Families will especially enjoy the Cajun Creole inspired house that features activities for both young and old. When you’ve finished sampling all that Louisiana in Orlando has to offer, you can take some of the state home at the shop, which is modeled after the French Market and offers a selection of regional products, including native Louisiana plants.

The Louisiana exhibit will highlight food and culture from a different region of the state each week of the festival. The first week was “Creole Fusion,” focusing on the New Orleans area, and the second was “Delta Delights,” highlighting northeast Louisiana. Currently underway is the “Seafood Sensations” week, centering on the Lake Charles area. In the weeks to come, there’ll be “Red River Riches” of northwest Louisiana, including Shreveport and Bossier City; “Cajun/Bayou Bounty” of Acadiana, including Lafayette; and “Capital Cuisine” of southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge.

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, now in its 13th year, began on September 26th and continues through November 9th. Don’t miss all the tasty, educational, and cultural fun! Once you get your discount Disney tickets here at OrlandoFunTickets.com, you’ll have what’s essentially the next best thing to a plane ticket to Louisiana. So enjoy your trip and Bon Appétit.