Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.
The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival just exudes spring. The flowers, the topiaries, the outdoor cooking, the kids play areas, etc. They all make you want to enjoy the outdoors and stop to smell the roses.
But my favorite attraction is the butterfly house. Once known as Minnie’s Butterfly House it has now been taken over by a little fairy known for wearing green and being friends with some fellow named Peter. That’s right – Tink.
Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House, Presented by HGTV, is a walk thought attraction that showcases hundred’s of butterflies. These butterflies are very busy and have even been known to land on guests. This year it is located near the Imagination Pavilion on the walkway towards the World Showcase.
Take the time to watch these beautiful creatures and if you are a photographer, get your camera out. You will walk away with some gorgeous shots! Don’t worry about getting too close. These little guys are used to the fuss and sometimes I feel like they are actually posing for the shot.
They even have cocoons on display at different stages of development. Some are always ready to hatch so if you are lucky you may see a butterfly being born. We were not that lucky this day but you can tell some had been.
There are usually one to two Cast Members in Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House at any time. These Cast Members are also knowledgeable about what types of butterflies are flying around you. So stop and ask them a question, or two, or three. They would love to answer them.
Don’t be concerned if you let one of the butterflies out. As they mature Disney hopes they enter the park and begin helping in flower pollination. It is a win-win. Disney gets pollinators and the butterflies get to live at Walt Disney World.
And since this is Tinker Bell’s domain, be sure to keep an eye out for some fairy houses intermingled between the butterflies. It’s fun to see how the fairies live and what they make their houses from.
In addition to butterflies, this year they have added a Hummingbirds at Home, a new exhibit presented by the National Audubon Society located near Test Track. Like Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House the hummingbird garden is walk through and included tips on how to attract these magical creatures that seem to defy gravity as they migrate from Central America each year.
For more information click here for the 2014 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Guide.
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You know, this is one aspect of the Flower & Garden Festival that I would really enjoy! I always seem to make it to the area a few days too late to enjoy the festivities. I love butterfly houses, though. I think you’ve inspired me to at least pay a visit to the one in Hershey. Do you have a favorite fairy?
I didn’t know about this Mary – thanks for sharing it. Your pictures are beautiful, any tips for taking great photos in Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House?
Great post! I had no idea they did this at the Flower and Garden Festival! Just one more reason to have to go sometime! I love butterflies!
HeidiPortzlineStrawser Nope. Since I have boys I am more partial to pirates. But I do LOVE seeing the fairy topiaries each year. The ones with lots of pinks and purples are my favorites. (see – have no clue what their names are)
DonnaKayDisney Just get as close as possible and try to get some of the colors from the flowers around them. If your camera has a portrait setting use that. It will get the blurry background of color that make the butterflies pop.
I love our local butterfly garden in the summer, and this looks like it will put it to shame! Do they say how many different kinds of butterflies they have? Hope to make it there one day!
I would love to see the Butterflies, they sounds amazing. Do you know if Tinker Bell herself shows up for pictures or autographs?
I could have spent hours in this exhibit. The butterflies were so beautiful and very cooperative for pictures. I didn’t see it, but do you know if they have a key for identifying the butterflies in the exhibit?
LOVED your article! amazing pictures! I was able to see this last year..I thought the butterfly cacoons were so cool.. and that makes me feel better to know it is ok if a butterfly escapes 🙂 Which is your fav. topiary in this tent?
This looks amazing! I’d love to see this. My son is studying butterflies and cocoons now! How long should this exhibit take?
This looks amazing!! It’s great that they have cast members on hand to answer the 600 questions my kids are likely to ask 🙂
Wow, what great photos and details, Mary! Thanks for sharing with us, did you have any butterflies land on you the last time you were there?
Minnie’s Butterfly House is such a novel and wonderful addition to Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I must say though, when we visited 2 days after the festival began, we really had a hard time spotting any butterflies! I wonder if perhaps they were not mature enough? Some tiny fellas were flying out of the exit/entrance areas; maybe too many escaped! I was happy to read that the “escapees” have a purpose!!!
We loved this last year!! Looking for the fairies and all the added little touches got even the boys involved. There were so many different types of butterflies to try and spot too!
You captured some beautiful images. This is my favorite time of the year to visit Epcot.
I’m such a HUGE fan of butterfly houses. They really are just about the coolest thing. Last year I took my 2-year-old nephew to see one and while it took him a while to adjust to the idea of bugs flying around him, he ended up not wanting to leave. – Katy
[…] Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival […]
The butterfly houses are so neat! I went through them by myself last year while my husband stayed at the Oz playground with my son. I took terrible pictures…
Do you have any tips for photographing them clearly?
I love the butterfly garden! I’m headed back to Epcot tomorrow to ask the gardeners what I can plant in my yard to attract more butterflies 🙂
I’ve never been when the butterfly garden is open. I’m slightly afraid that would scare me a little – is that weird? Great pics, though!
I love the butterfly garden! I was recently in Las Vegas and one of the hotels had one…but you could not walk through! Disney’s is much cooler! Is the garden open for the duration of the festival?
Rosanne @ The Disney Point
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