The National Honey Board (NHB) is pleased to announce that the Honey Bee-stro is returning to the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival for the 2025 season. In honor of the occasion, we thought it would be fun to explore the history of the popular festival and how it became one of the year’s must-attend events. So, put on your ears and hop on the monorail as we take a trip back in time.
EPCOT® opened its gates to the public in 1982 as the second of the Walt Disney World parks. A true passion project of Walt Disney since 1966, the park was initially referred to as the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, where Disney imagined a community that could solve the problems of big cities1. Unfortunately, Disney didn’t live to break ground on the project and his successors reimagined the community into the innovative park it is today.
Often referred to as “festival park,” EPCOT® hosts four major festivals throughout the year:
- International Festival of the Arts – the newest addition, debuting in 2017
- International Flower & Garden Festival
- International Food & Wine Festival
- International Festival of the Holidays2
The EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival debuted in 1994 and ran for just 38 days between April 29th and June 5th. Initially sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens, the original event focused more on educating attendees about their gardens and hosted workshops and classes on various gardening subjects2. There were no outdoor kitchens, but did feature a few character topiaries – nowhere near the number they boast today. The following year brought the introduction of the EPCOT® Garden Railway, a model train located in the Germany pavilion; the attraction was so popular that it became a staple of the park3. While there was a concert series associated with the festival – appropriately named the Flower Power Concert Series – we’re unsure when it was established, but we do know that it was rebranded as the Garden Rocks Concert Series in 2015, the same year as the new Butterfly Garden was introduced3.
Fun Fact: It was the success of the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival that paved the way for the highly anticipated and attended EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival. While technically this event is older than Flower & Garden, it started as the Walt Disney World Village Wine Festival in what we now know as Disney Spring in 19812. Following the overwhelming success of the Flower & Garden Festival, the Wine Festival moved the EPCOT® in 1996 under its new moniker.
A major part of any festival is the food, but it wasn’t until the 20th anniversary of the International Flower & Garden Festival that outdoor kitchens (aptly named “Garden Marketplaces”) became part of this particular event4. In a fun Garden to Table twist, the spring event paired the outdoor kitchens with what they called “Festival Farms,” planter beds that grew some of the ingredients used in the festival dishes. The vision? According to EPCOT® Executive Chef (at the time) Jens Dahlmann, “We want to show our guests how food grows, to help make that connection from the kitchen to the garden.”5 While these kitchens have expanded and changed, attendees still get to enjoy a variety of festival-exclusive foods and drinks throughout the park, including at the NHB’s own Honey Bee-stro.
In its eighth year, the Honey Bee-stro carries on the vision of making the connection between our gardens and our food, but with a focus on the honey bees who make it all possible. More than just the makers of the sweet liquid gold of their namesake, honey bees pollinate one in every three bites of food we eat, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Expanding on the pollination story, the 2025 Honey Bee-stro will share the international story of beekeeping around the world and the impact the industry has on the world’s eco and food systems. Of course, in addition to valuable education, visitors with the Honey Bee-stro will get to enjoy some delicious honey-starring eats and sips, including:
- Chicken and Waffles: Crispy Chicken and a Honey Sweet Cornbread Waffle with Whipped Honey Butter and Spicy Honey
- Honey-glazed Cauliflower with Honey-roasted Carrot Puree, Wild Rice Pilaf, Spring Vegetables, Honey-blistered Grapes, and Sunflower Brittle
- Honey-Peach Cobbler Freeze with Streusel (option to add Blueberry Vodka)
- Florida Orange Groves Winery Orange Blossom Honey Wine, St. Petersburg, FL
- Collective Arts Brewing Honey Lager, Hamilton, Ontario
In addition to the items listed above, the fan-favorite honey cheesecake is getting a fun makeover and can be found at Swirled Showcase as the Liquid Nitro Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake. Looking for more honey? Check out these other honey-inspired options found throughout the festival:
- Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich: Southern-fried Chicken Sandwich with Hot Honey and Pickles on a Brioche Bun at Connections Eatery
- Oaxacan Sweetheart: Dos Hombres Reposado Mezcal, Lemon Juice, Orange Blossom Honey, and a Pollen Salt Rim at Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico)
- Provence Poutine: Herbes de Provence Seasoned French Fries, Goat Brie, Lavender Honey, Hazelnut Croquant, and Fresh Lavender at the Refreshment Port (near the Port of Entry)
- Brew Hub Honey Jasmine Lager Draft Beer at Lotus House (China)
- Frozen Lemon Tea Cocktail with Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon at EPCOT® Farmer’s Feast (near Test Track®)
The 2025 EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival runs from March 5th through June 2nd. If you’re in the Orlando area, we’d love for you to buzz on into the Honey Bee-stro and share your experience with us on social media: @NationalHoneyBoard on Facebook and Instagram and @NationalHoney on X!
SOURCES:
1 EPCOT - D23. (2018, March 13). D23. https://d23.com/a-to-z/epcot/
2 Tarell, C. (2023, July 14). The history of festivals at Epcot - Florida Smart. Florida Smart. https://www.floridasmart.com/articles/history-festivals-epcot
3 Wood, Z. (2023, March 22). A Brief History Of Disney: The EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival. wdwinfo.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/a-brief-history-of-disney-the-epcot-flower-garden-festival/
4 WW goes to WDW at Yesterland.com: Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, 2013. (n.d.). https://yesterland.com/flower2013.html
5 Terrell, S. (2013, February 10). From garden to table at 20th EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Parks Blog. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/02/from-garden-to-table-at-20th-epcot-international-flower-garden-festival-at-walt-disney-world-resort/