We are just as guilty as the next Disney vacationer of buying way too many souvenirs. My wife and I love a good sweatshirt, mug, and pin! I personally try and resist the allure of an adorable plush, but that doesn’t always work. The post talks about one of our favorite, new (at leas to us) souvenirs. We’re talking about “Mickey’s Mini Gardens” – which are EPCOT plants. They’re not just souvenirs; they’re living pieces of EPCOT’s Agricultural Laboratory.
What Exactly Are These EPCOT Plants?
Wandering into the Land Pavilion in EPCOT, you’ll want to take the elevator/stairs/escalator to head downstairs. Adjacent to Soarin’ and across from the Sunshine Seasons restaurant is one of our favorite EPCOT rides; Living with the Land. If you haven’t had the privilege of experiecing this ride, Living with the Land is a boat ride that explores agriculture and sustainability. The part that we (and I think everyone else who likes the ride) love the most is that part of the ride takes you through active greenhouses. The produce served in Sunshine Seasons is actually grown there, as well as countless other restaurants across the parks.
Near the exit of the ride, you can purchase one of “Mickey’s Mini Gardens.” These are tissue culture plants that were “born” in one of the labs that propagate the greenhouses. Some of the most common options usually available include dragon fruit (what we got), mini roses, orchids, venus flytraps, and pineberry. When we were there, we also so lavender and lilies. Regardless of what “mini garden” you pick, the plant comes in small plastic tube. It’s grounded in sterile gel (agar) with all of the nutrients it needs. I believe we purchased ours for $24.99. Not too shabby for something you can take home and grow!
The Journey Home
If you’re worried about flying home with these little gardens, they are generally TSA-compliant. There’s no soil in the jars; it’s gel. That means there’s also no issue with the standard allowance for liquids. We do recommend keeping the souvenir with you in your carry on. The plants like the same temperatures humans do, so you don’t want them to get too toasty. In doing so, keep the little jar upright. We suggest packing it very last so it’s cozy and on top of all of your other (we assume) Disney souvenirs.
Diary of Plant Parents: Our Experience
Buying our little dragon fruit plant in mid November and then traveling back to NJ for the winter felt a little daunting! The Cast Member who helped us pick out our garden was super helpful and reassuring though. They advised that the plant would likely being staying in the tube until the seasons change anyway.
That being said, nothing super exciting to report for the first couple of weeks. Dragon fruit bubs went in the windowsill in our kitchen, and we studied up on the super cute instruction guide. The booklet says to keep the tube out of direct sunlight, which we made sure to do. The instructions then suggest replanting it in soil when it either a) starts to outgrow the tube or b) the gel starts to disappear. Neither of these apply to use, but we replanted it out of caution since the plant turned a darker green color on us. They’re still with us, but we wanted to take action!
Transitioning from the tube to a pot was intense. The guide said we needed to gently rinse of the roots to remove the gel, but that gel was really committed. It was tricky to be “gentle,” but we successfully removed all of the gel. We also opted to plant it in a pot with soil specifically for growing seedlings. The guide didn’t say to do that; that was just a decision we made. Once potted, the guide says to put the whole plant into a plastic bag, with the explanation that this will help the plant adjust to its new environment. We did just that in in two weeks we’re supposed to start poking holes in the bag. We’ll keep this post updated on its journey!
Final Verdict
We’re optimistic for the little dragon fruit! And even this early in the journey, we plan to keep purchasing these little EPCOT plants. It’s so much more “real” than a toy or plush. It’s alive and an actual piece of Disney World. And if we can be extra great plant parents, this is a Disney gift that will be with our family for years. How nice!