EPCOTNews

2026 Removal Officially Hits Disney World’s EPCOT

EPCOT looked noticeably different on Wednesday morning, with one of the most colorful recurring features of the park's seasonal calendar now stripped from the World Showcase Lagoon shoreline.

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival Clears Out

epcot flower and garden festival, belle and beast topiaries
Credit: Brian McGowan, Unsplash

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival officially wrapped up on June 1, and the cleanup is now well underway. WDWNT shared a photo of the grassy field along the World Showcase Lagoon where the Festival Blooms flowerbed murals once flourished — the elaborate arrangements of colorful plants shaped into butterflies and floral imagery that have become a signature visual of the annual festival. The beds are gone, replaced by an expanse of open green with occasional dirt patches.

As of June 10, only the west side flowerbeds along The Odyssey Pavilion have been removed. The Festival Blooms on the east side of the World Showcase Lagoon are still in place, though Walt Disney World Resort's horticulture team is expected to clear those in the coming days as the post-festival cleanup continues.

four friends enjoy drinks during EPCOT's International Flower and Garden Festival
Credit: Disney

The festival's departure has also brought a notable change to The Odyssey building. The “Citrus Blossom” decals that decorated the structure during its run as a limited-time food-and-beverage location tied to the Flower & Garden Festival have been removed. In their place, new signage has appeared indicating that Walt Disney World Resort plans to transform the space into a guest area called “Light Lounge.”

What's Coming Next to EPCOT

a family enjoys Greek food booth during EPCOT's food and wine festival
Credit: Disney

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is set to kick off on August 27, 2026, running through November 21. Following that, the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is expected to begin November 27 — the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the standard launch window for the annual winter celebration — and continue through December 30, 2026. Walt Disney World Resort hasn't formally confirmed those dates yet, but the pattern has held consistently enough that guests can safely plan around it.

Which EPCOT seasonal festival is your favorite? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!

Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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