Through the Years: The Lion King Topiary at Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival (Photos)
With the 30th anniversary of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival almost upon us, I thought we’d look back at a few character topiaries and how they’ve evolved over the past six years or so. I started this website in 2019, and the Flower and Garden Festival was the first thing I photographed. Unfortunately, I haven’t photographed every topiary at every festival since, but I have enough to make a few unique comparisons, starting with The Lion King topiary. This topiary features Mufasa, Sarabi, Rafiki, and baby Simba. Rafiki presents Simba to the Pride Lands, while proud parents watch from nearby.
While the overall scene hasn’t changed over the years, the design and location have. Back in 2019, this topiary was positioned in the World Showcase along the walkway between the Outpost and the Germany Pavilion. Mufasa and Sarabi were entirely green and significantly smaller.
By 2021, the foursome had moved to the front half of the park and were positioned at an angle between the construction of CommuniCore Hall and the Imagination Pavilion. Mufasa and Sarabi sported new looks this year. We have an article with photos of the 2021 topiaries.
We see a little progress in 2023 and a notable change in Mufasa.
The topiary relocated to an area in front of the Land Pavilion in 2024 and returns for the 30th anniversary of the festival in 2025.
We have a separate list of the topiaries that will be part of the 2025 festival here. In case you missed it, we recently previewed merchandise for the 2025 Flower and Garden Festival.
For more on the upcoming festival, see our entire Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Guide. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more updates.
In the Comments
Do you remember seeing any of these versions or one that predates our photo collection? Is the Lion King topiary a favorite? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials.
