Months After Rare Freeze, Disney World Still Restoring Landscaping

Overview

• A rare cold snap earlier this year in Central Florida forced Disney’s horticulture crews to wrap plants, cover flower beds, and insulate vulnerable trees.
• The freeze still damaged plantings, so teams replanted and reworked displays before EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival opened, keeping the event looking intact to most guests.
• Months later, recovery continues at Animal Kingdom, where crews are heavily pruning damaged trees, including a large banyan near the Yak & Yeti area, to spur healthy regrowth.
• Pruning removes dead wood and saves decades-old growth that shapes the parks’ stories, and full canopy return for large trees may take several growing seasons.
• Much of the rebuild happens out of sight, so visitors may notice thinner canopies or sparser beds in spots while backstage teams guide landscapes back to their pre-freeze look.