EPCOT Removes West‑Side Flowerbeds as Park Begins Post‑Festival Refit

Overview

• Park visitors and local outlets reported on June 10 that the Festival Blooms flowerbeds along the west side of the World Showcase Lagoon have been removed, leaving an open grassy shoreline where colorful plant murals once stood.
• The Festival Blooms on the lagoon’s east side remain in place but Walt Disney World’s horticulture team is expected to clear them in the coming days as part of the staggered cleanup.
• Crews have taken down the Citrus Blossom decals from the Odyssey Pavilion and installed signage that identifies a planned guest space called the Light Lounge.
• Reporting links the removals and refit work to routine seasonal turnover as EPCOT prepares physical space for the International Food & Wine Festival, which media sources report is scheduled to begin August 27 but has not been formally confirmed by Walt Disney World.
• The changes reflect a recurring operational pattern at EPCOT in which horticulture crews install and then quickly dismantle temporary displays and staff repurpose structures like the Odyssey for short-term food and beverage activations, a process that guests and park blogs have been documenting with photos and on-site updates.