Disney Cast Members Brave Coldest Florida Winter in 16 Years to Build EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

Disney Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at How EPCOT’s 2026 Flower & Garden Festival Blossoms to Life

If you have ever wandered through EPCOT during the International Flower & Garden Festival and wondered how Disney pulls off all those towering topiaries, perfectly placed blooms, and picture-perfect garden moments, a new episode of Disney Unscripted is peeling back the petals. Released this week, the latest installment of Disney Parks’ YouTube series takes fans backstage with the Walt Disney World Horticulture team as they race to prepare for the 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.

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Of course, Mother Nature tried to throw in a few thorny obstacles along the way. According to the video, Disney’s horticulture team had to protect festival plants during record-breaking Florida freezes while also working around the busy Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend to move displays into the park.

The episode captures cast members putting the finishing touches on topiaries, handling last-minute challenges near the U.K. Pavilion, and even releasing butterflies into Butterfly Landing. One of the most eye-catching moments shows the installation of the dragon topiary right in the middle of the China pavilion pond, a setup that always feels like it flew in straight from EPCOT folklore.

Disney Unscripted has become a fun backstage window into the kind of work guests do not usually get to see, with past episodes spotlighting everything from the Jungle Cruise holiday transformation into Jingle Cruise to seasonal decor at Cars Land and even Disney Cruise Line milestones.

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This newest episode is a sweet reminder that Flower & Garden is not just a festival, it is a full-scale horticultural spectacular built by a team that keeps the magic growing even when the weather and calendar do their worst. If you are already obsessed with this year’s displays, this behind-the-scenes peek is well worth a watch. And now we have to ask: which topiary is your favorite at this year’s festival?

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