Mouse Voyages

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Plants that chomp bugs and caterpillars that transform to colorful butterflies are main attractions for kids during the 15th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 19 through June 1. A new garden playground and an interactive Fun Fair keep active children happy as families enjoy cascades of floral color across the park's landscape.

And who can resist some fun at the beach? Water babies won't want to miss the eye-popping Epcot main entrance topiaries featuring a 14-foot floral Goofy riding a 6-foot wave of flowers and plants. Mickey and Minnie topiaries pose on a floral beach towel spread upon a sandy "beach" featuring sandcastles and palm trees. At World Showcase Plaza, a topiary volleyball beach scene stars Donald Duck and Daisy while, nearby, Pluto frolics and colorful Stitch from "Lilo and Stitch" plays lifeguard.

Lady and the Tramp and Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs join other beloved characters making topiary appearances throughout Epcot, where 30 million multi-hued blossoms paint the landscape.

At the popular Growing Future Gardeners exhibit, children can observe carnivorous plants ensnare their prey, and families can get creative ideas for spicing up their own backyard gardens. There's even a pizza garden designed to produce herbs and veggies needed to make a healthful, mouth-watering pie. When it's time to burn off some energy, the new Peter Pan's Never Land Garden offers pirate-themed fun, and Pluto's Play Zone lets kids climb aboard an EVOS Playsystem.

Entertainment is on tap for the whole family throughout the event, with highlights including themed weekends -- from I Dig Bugs weekend to Characters in Bloom weekend. And the Flower Power concert series stars pop hit-makers of the 1960s and '70s. Kids will love:

• Peter Pan's Never Land Garden (Imagination Walkway), with pirate ship theme, a shaded play structure and whimsical topiaries of Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinker Bell and Tic Toc Croc. Also, Pluto's Play Zone (Test Track Walkway) with a fun-filled climbing system.
• Growing Future Gardeners (Germany pavilion), a hands-on exhibit and collection of gardens where parents and children can get ideas for their own gardening activities; a kids' play area, too.
• Daily ladybug releases (1 and 3 p.m.) at Growing Future Gardeners (Germany). Children can participate in each release.
• Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden (Test Track Walkway), where hundreds of butterflies inhabit a screened-in gazebo lush with foliage and color.
• A miniature German landscape and village that sets the scene for the elaborate Garden Railway with bridge walkway at the Germany pavilion.
• Kidcot Fun Stops at every World Showcase country that entertain children with a lineup of creative activities linked to each country's culture.
• Garden Town Kid Fun Fair (Future World East next to Universe of Energy). Young and young-at-heart can test their skills at interactive stations.
• Special festival weekends for kids and their families, including the fun-loving Characters in Bloom Weekend March 28-30; Art in the Garden Weekend April 4-6 with Kids's Paint Out activities; and the back-by-popular-demand I Dig Bugs Weekend April 25-27.