EPCOT unveiled the Hoppers Wildlife Crossing Garden this week in the World Nature neighborhood, creating a promotional experience for Pixar’s new film three days before its March 6 theatrical debut.
The installation joins the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, which begins March 4. Fantasy Land News shared several Facebook photos showing the landscaped area featuring multiple Hoppers characters as flat standees rather than traditional festival topiaries.
Check out the new Disney Pixar Hoppers Garden at Epcot!
https://www.fantasylandnews.com/…/new-disney-%e2%97%8f…/
Hoppers Already Earning Critical Praise
Hoppers follows Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a Beaverton youth who takes advantage of advanced technology to experience wildlife in unprecedented ways. Director Daniel Chong’s film features Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Najimy.
The Pixar release already has an average critic score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, days before opening in theaters nationwide on March 6, 2026.
Character Standees in an EPCOT Landscape
The garden displays Mabel in robot beaver form, beavers King George and Loaf, the Amphibian King, Ellen the bear, a rabbit, a mother duck with ducklings, a deer, and a crane. Some standees are positioned in flower patches designed to look like a pond.
Instead of labor-intensive topiaries, Disney used standees, suggesting either a rushed installation to coincide with the film’s release or a cost-saving measure for a temporary promotional display that won’t justify the expense of custom horticultural sculptures that take months to create and maintain.
Walt Disney World Resort says the garden will teach guests “how animals safely roam,” though educational signage hasn’t appeared yet.
Festival-Exclusive Experience
The Hoppers Wildlife Crossing Garden remains through the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival’s June 1 conclusion—a limited three-month window. Head to Walt Disney World Resort to check out this brand-new experience while you can!
Which EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival installation is your favorite so far? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
