5 New additions at the 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

For 20 years, the Walt Disney World resort has hosted the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. It will open this year on March 6 and will run until May 19 and will be presented by HGTV.

During the 75-day garden party, there will be fun activities to take part in, lovely gardens and butterflies to see and surprises around nearly every corner. Weekends will be rock with performances by the top Flower Power rockers on the 1960s and 1970s.

For the festival's 20th year, 5 new additions will make their debut:

• To coincide with the new Disney film adventure, "Oz: The Great and Powerful", which will be released on March 8, 2013, there will be a new play area that has a circus-like feel. This interactive children's play zone will have adornments of giant flowers, a Midway-style game area, circus tents and will feature the "Oz Movie Garden" which will have intriguing plants and will relay the essence of the upcoming film.
• For the adults, the Garden Marketplace will offer refreshing drinks such as Hot Sun Tomato Wine from the Florida Orange Groves Winery, Dole Whip with Spiced Rum and for the non-drinkers, Wild Berry Slush and Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade.
• Also at the Garden Marketplace, chefs will dazzle with their culinary creations such as smokehouse barbecue, southern style shrimp with grits, Zellwood corn and a sweet, refreshing "frushi" which is made with coconut rice and fresh fruit. Special menus are being planned at Smokehouse Barbecue and Brew at American Adventure courtyard, Harami at Japan showcase, Primavera Kitchen at Italy showcase and Florida Fresh at World Showcase Promenade. Eight other restaurants around the World Showcase promenade with also take part.
• Artistry will be shown by larger than life Disney character topiary. There will be floral versions of the fab five favorite Disney characters which include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck (with Daisy Duck in the background), Goofy and Pluto. All characters will be posed in different scenarios such as Goofy bobbling an anniversary cake, Donald and Daisy playing badminton, Mickey at the barbecue grill, Minnie relaxing among blossoms and Pluto making off with some hot dogs.
• The Park's Future World and World Showcase will have illuminated gardens that will glow and twinkle in the night over the garden displays and topiary.

In total, there will be 240 floating mini gardens, towers of flowers, over 100 topiary and large beds of blooms of every color to add to the festival's landscape in Epcot.