To celebrate the art of romance as imagined by Walt Disney and his studio animators, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a set of four “Art of Disney: Romance” stamps during the festival’s opening ceremony. The stamps feature Cinderella and her prince, Beauty and the Beast, Lady and Tramp, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is the third U.S. Postal Service stamp set honoring the Art of Disney – the first, issued in 2004, was on the theme of friendship and the second, issued in 2005, focused on celebrations.

The seven-week festival, known by gardening aficionados for its celebrity guest speakers, hands-on seminars and planting demonstrations, will take place in the park's Future World and World Showcase. Thirty million blooms, intricately designed floral beds, artfully crafted bonsai trees, lush rose gardens and more Disney character topiaries will grace the park's 300 acres. Nightly Flower Power concerts will rock the landscape with live entertainment from top acts of the 1960s and '70s, including Tony Orlando in Concert, The Guess Who and The Association.

Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, which debuted last year, will return with hundreds of butterflies in a screened, walk-through enclosure and will include a live exhibit showing how caterpillars form a chrysalis and emerge as butterflies.

Themed festival events pump up the fun with the child-friendly I Dig Bugs weekend, Art in the Garden weekend and the time-honored Mother's Day weekend, among others. Other festival features include:

• The Festival Center, where guests can find program guides and festival merchandise, as well as guest speakers and demonstrations.
• The popular Great American Gardeners series, opening with Paul James of HGTV's "Gardening by the Yard," April 21-23.
• A "see and sniff" Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion showcasing flowers in several perfumes.
• Disney Gardening at Home presentations where Disney horticulturists share tips and secrets for at-home gardening.
• Kids' activities, including the fun-filled Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden, Disney character meet and greets and daily ladybug releases.
• Family fun at the new Growing Future Gardeners area.

Fun Facts Flourish Across Landscape of 13th
Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

• 30 million blooms dress the park throughout the festival, which runs seven colorful weeks.
• As part of this year's romance theme, 50 hearts -- some floral, some not -- are hidden throughout the festival landscaping. Guests can get tips for finding the hearts when they stop by the Festival Center.
• An elaborate Donald Duck and Daisy Duck "tunnel of love" topiary greets guests at the park entrance -- look for one of the 50 hidden hearts around the topiary.
• More than 70 topiaries, including the new sweetheart topiary grouping of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Lady and Tramp and Belle and her Beast, are installed across park grounds for the festival. The four couples, displayed on a "Lovers Lane" from behind Spaceship Earth to World Showcase Plaza, are represented on new U.S. Postal Service stamps to be introduced during the festival opening April 21.
• 1,500 plants comprise this year's largest character topiary of Mickey Mouse.
• More than 500 native butterflies representing up to 10 species reside in Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, a gazebo-type enclosure filled with lush plants and measuring more than 40 feet in diameter. Guests can stroll through the screened habitat to view the colorful butterflies. Among the garden's two dozen nectar plants are Cape Royal plumbago, passion flower, coral honeysuckle, blazing star, butterfly bush, scarlet milkweed and canna lily.
• 300,000 bedding plants are installed for the festival.
• Three butterfly topiaries are on display. Doc, Grumpy and Sleepy of the seven dwarfs appear at the Germany showcase with intricate topiary detail that includes beards of palm fiber. Perfume bottle topiaries represent Guerlain perfumes in the Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion.
• At least 25 different plants, grasses and mosses of various colors, including pink and red begonias, dusty miller, palm fiber, palm seeds, ficus and lichen, are used to create and define features of the festival topiaries. More color has been added to the topiaries than in any previous topiary presentation.
• More than 15 floral, herbal and spice ingredients of seven popular perfumes are revealed in the Fragrance Garden presented by Guerlain at the France pavilion. Guests can sniff the enduring fragrance Shalimar to discover botanical notes that include lemon, Arabian jasmine and vanilla. Components of six other Guerlain fragrances include mimosa, magnolia, rose, nutmeg and vetivergrass.
• Nearly 40 varieties of trees, plants and flowers are featured in this year's Ultimate Backyard Garden Party display presented by The Home Depot between the France and Morocco pavilions.
• Forty-five "flower towers" of impatiens line Innoventions Plaza.
• 80 floating mini-gardens of multi-hued impatiens, each three feet in diameter, provide splashes of color on two lakes that border the walkway between Future World and World Showcase.
• 750 container gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables in clay pots, barrels and urns enhance the landscape throughout Epcot.
• 300 horticulturists from the Walt Disney World nursery are needed to install the festival landscape, topiaries and many exhibits; 100 Epcot horticulturists maintain topiaries and other festival displays.
• It takes one full year to prepare for the annual festival.
• The festival's Flower Power is bolstered by thrice-daily appearances of musical hit makers of the 1960s and '70s including The Guess Who, Nelson, Davy Jones, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone and The Association.

Weekend Themes Add Entertainment Pizzazz To
2006 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Premiere Weekend April 21-23

• Epcot opens with 30 million blooms, topiary magic, gardening activities and U.S. Postal Service launch (9:30 a.m., April 21) of its Art of Disney Romance commemorative stamp.
• Nelson launches the Flower Power concert series at America Gardens Theatre.
• Paul James, a.k.a. "The Gardening Guy(" and host of HGTV's "Gardening By the Yard," answers gardening questions and provides helpful insight into this popular hobby as part of the Great American Gardeners series presented by the American Horticultural Society on April 21, 22 and 23 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• New Romance stamps go on sale with first-day cancellation offered to Disney guests.

Party in the Garden Weekend April 28-30

• Beloved Disney characters host a garden party for guests at the Ultimate Backyard Garden Party presented by The Home Depot, where luau, wedding and birthday party areas showcase ways to throw a big bash.
• Guests can extend their pinkies for a Future World tea party, then celebrate their "unbirthdays" in Alice's Unbirthday Party near the Sculpture Garden in Future World.
• The Home Depot and FamilyFun magazine host special kids' activities.
• Gary Puckett belts out nostalgic tunes during the Flower Power concert series.
• Roger Swain, past host of PBS's "The Victory Garden," shares his gardening know-how.

Art in the Garden Weekend May 5-7

• Twelve artists working in various mediums throughout the weekend will create a variety of works in the Epcot gardens. Guests also can observe nature through the eyes of 16 plein air artists May 6 and 7.
• Paul Revere and the Raiders rev up the Flower Power concert beat through the weekend.
• Renowned wilderness photographer Clyde Butcher joins Robert L. Bendick Jr. of The Nature Conservancy to talk with guests about their passion for the outdoors.
• Festival poster artist Michael Sullivan signs his artwork for guests all weekend.
• Children can enjoy the Kids Paint Out experience located inside the Sculpture Garden daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A half dozen easels and special paint bottles are set out for kids to paint freehand (or any other style) with the assistance of a professional artist nearby.

Mother's Day Weekend May 12-14

• Members of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs exhibit a spectacular display of floral arrangements at the Festival Center.
• Moms are treated to a complimentary photo and a flower exclusively on Mother's Day, May 14. Photo locations can be found throughout the park.
• Families can celebrate mom at the Mother's Day Brunch May 14 at World ShowPlace. Times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Guests can make reservations at 407/WDW-DINE (939-3463).
• Flower Power great Davy Jones makes moms swoon during daily concerts.
• Guerlain perfume specialist Raymond Western talks about the intimate relationship between perfumes and plants like those displayed at the France pavilion's Fragrance Garden.
• Children can create the perfect Mother's Day card.

Characters in Bloom Weekend May 19-21

• Dozens of Disney characters pop up throughout the park for a character extravaganza.
• The Home Depot hosts gardening-related activities and hands-on fun throughout the weekend.
• FamilyFun magazine features kid craft activities at the Test Track walkway.
• B.J. Thomas makes Flower Power concerts sing each weekend day.
• Butterfly curator Jaret Daniels tells guests how to bring winged beauties to their gardens.
• The brand-new Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden showcases a glittering Tinker Bell topiary and provides fun for everyone, especially younger children. Older children can blast off on the SpaceNet climber near Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden.
• On May 21, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., artisans showcase handcrafted dolls and teddy bears.

Memorial Day Weekend May 27-29

• Children ages 3-9 can take part in Field Day activities near The Land with beanbag tosses, relay races and other outdoor fun.
• Fans dig The Guess Who in concert for Flower Power fun.
• Pat Lanza, author of "Lasagna Gardening," dishes up tips about growing herbs that taste great in Italian dishes.

I Dig Bugs Weekend June 2-4

• Guests discover that bugs are fun and keep gardens healthy.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom bug specialists appear in Future World East to give guests a close-up look at caterpillars, spiders and other creatures.
• Gritty Arlo Guthrie brings guitar, harmonica and classic folk to the Flower Power concert stage.
• Robert Bowden, director of the lush Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, discusses great Florida plants.
• Jiminy Cricket and friends make special appearances in Future World throughout the weekend at various times
• Ladybugs will be released more frequently throughout the I Dig Bugs Weekend.

Festival Farewell Weekend June 9-11

• Central Florida gardening celebrity Tom MacCubbin caps the Great American Gardeners series with advice on creating imaginative container gardens.
• Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone wrap the Flower Power series with their lively British brand of rock.
• Festival poster artist Michael Sullivan signs his artwork for guests Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Surprise craft activities help kids wrap up their festival fun.

Great American Gardeners Offer Inside Scoop at
13th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

• Paul James (April 21-23) -- Host of HGTV's "Gardening by the Yard," James draws on his vast horticulture knowledge to answer gardening questions and provide helpful insights into America's top hobby.
• Roger Swain (April 28-30) -- Former host of PBS's "Victory Garden," Swain will demonstrate simple, effective gardening tricks and techniques which he has shared with viewers during his 15 years on the air.
• Clyde Butcher and Robert L. Bendick Jr. (May 5-7) -- Renowned wilderness photographer Clyde Butcher, who explores the natural environment through stunning black and white images, offers outdoor photography tips. Robert L. Bendick Jr., The Nature Conservancy's southeast division vice president, shares details about the Conservancy's role in creating Disney's Wilderness Preserve.
• Raymond Western (May 12-14) -- A Guerlain perfume specialist, Western offers insights into the world of fragrance and the intimate relationship between plants and perfume, such as those displayed at the Fragrance Garden located at the France pavilion.
• Jaret Daniels (May 19-21) -- A University of Florida butterfly expert and conservatory curator, Daniels gives the inside scoop on how to landscape a garden to attract butterflies.
• Pat Lanza (May 26-28) -- Known for her book "Lasagna Gardening," Lanza discusses how to use household refuse to improve gardens and techniques for great gardens with less work.
• Robert Bowden (June 2-4) -- Gardening expert and director of the lush Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Bowden talks about great shrubs and trees for all regions of Florida.
• Tom MacCubbin (June 9-11) -- Central Florida gardening personality, author of "The Edible Landscape" and co-author with Georgia Tasker of "Florida Gardener's Guide (2nd edition)," MacCubbin talks about minimal maintenance landscaping and using container gardens to increase the types of plants gardeners can grow successfully.

Children of All Ages Dig Flower Festival Fun at Epcot

Romance fits this year's festival like a bouquet of perfect red roses with opening day festivities that include a U.S. Postal Service issue of four "Art of Disney: Romance" stamps honoring the art of romance as imagined by Walt Disney and his studio animators. The stamps feature Cinderella and her prince, Beauty and the Beast, Lady and Tramp, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. In addition, the four character couples will appear throughout the seven-week festival as intricately sculpted topiaries in the park's Future World.

When children aren't searching for Hidden Hearts of varied sizes and materials or exploring Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden, they can scale the SpaceNet climber or take their families to the new Growing Future Gardeners area for inspiration to create their own home gardens.

Entertainment is on tap for the whole family throughout the event, with highlights including themed weekend activities and the Flower Power concert series starring pop hit-makers of the 1960s and '70s. Thirty million multi-hued blossoms will paint the Epcot landscape with color.

Just for kids:

• The brand new Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden (Imagination Walkway), with a twinkling Tinker Bell topiary, playground, fairy maze and tunnel crawl.
• The Ultimate Backyard Garden Party presented by The Home Depot (next to Morocco pavilion) filled with ideas for your child's next birthday celebration and space for children to climb, play and explore.
• Growing Future Gardeners (Future World East), a collection of gardens where parents and children can get ideas for their own gardening activities such as a Pizza Garden planted with herbs to make pizza. Kids can also enjoy a bamboo fort, upside-down trees and garden crafts.
• Daily ladybug releases (1 and 3 p.m.) at the WaterFULL World Garden (Outpost). Children can participate with each release.
• Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden (Test Track Walkway), where hundreds of butterflies inhabit a screened-in gazebo lush with foliage and color.
• The big kids' SpaceNet climber (adjacent to the butterfly garden) which challenges climbers 5 and older to reach for the stars.
• A miniature Bavarian Village 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.
• Special festival weekends for kids and their families, including the new Party in the Garden Weekend, with tea parties, Alice's Unbirthday Party, and other special children's activities; plus the popular Mother's Day Weekend May 12-14, the Characters in Bloom Weekend May 19-21 and I Dig Bugs Weekend June 2-4. Themed craft activities are scheduled each weekend at the Rose Walk.