The Flower & Garden Festival has hit EPCOT, and the whole park is decked out with bright and colorful flowers, with tons of topiaries and a bunch of people. Wait, a bunch of people?

We’re in the merchandise rope-drop line!

The first day of every EPCOT festival always welcomes so many guests, happy to get in on the fun. Because of these crowds, Disney decided to try a new system, and well, it didn’t quite work.

We always arrive at the festivals early, even before the parks officially open. Early Entry, which is when Disney World hotel guests get to come in an extra 30 minutes before non-resort guests, comes in at 8:30. While everyone else isn’t allowed to wander the park, we get to line up so you can be the first once the park officially opens. It can seem a bit silly to show up at the park before it opens just to wait in line, but trust us, if you want to be the first to get something, getting there as early as they will let you works most of the time.

Early entry lines

Usually, we’re just held in this section to the left of Spaceship Earth in one big blob. Now, Cast Members created three rows: one for people heading to grab the Flower and Garden souvenirs from Creations, one for the exclusive pins, and one for folks wanting to head to attractions.

Disney’s testing a new crowd control system for the first day of Flower & Garden today! Three lines: attractions, pins, and merch — they’ll be released at different stages to help crowd flow! pic.twitter.com/XAMqraJe8u

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 4, 2026

At first, we loved this system! It totally made sense to have anything organized so that Cast Members can lead groups to their location. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite work.

The lanes

As soon as the clock struck 9 AM, people split across the lines and broke the system that was in place. Yep, that didn’t last long.

It’s so crowded!

We see Disney work on new processes from time to time for things like exclusive pin releases and rope dropping. Sometimes it takes time for everyone to learn the systems and for Disney to figure out the ideal system where folks know where they’re going and can properly be led to the next area. We’ll keep an eye out to see if Disney uses a similar system for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, which starts in August.

We’re here at the opening day of Flower and Garden, bringing you ALL the details you need to know before heading there yourself. From reviewing all the food and seeing what the festival has to offer, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more updates.

EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO AND EAT AT THE 2026 EPCOT FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

DON’T WASTE A BITE
AT FLOWER & GARDEN

The EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival is gorgeous — and overwhelming. Our DFB Guide shows you exactly what’s worth your time, money, and stomach space (and what to skip).

Inside the guide:

• 🌸 Full booth menus with photos + our Best of the Fest picks
• 🍓 Smart booth crawls so you’re not zig-zagging the park
• 🐝 Complete event schedules in one place
• 🌿 Topiary locations, festival exclusive merch, and hidden extras
• 💰 Budget tips to help you prioritize the must-haves

GET THE FLOWER & GARDEN GUIDE

What do you think about this new system? Are you a fan? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.