It’s no secret that the Disney Parks looked a lot different before the Covid era. The beloved theme park chain has made many changes in response to the pandemic in order to welcome guests safely back to the Disney World, the Most Magical Place on Earth. Now, Epcot Center is finally bringing back a beloved event that hasn’t occurred in nearly two years – but it won’t be quite the same as it was pre-Covid.
This year, there will be a lot of new attractions at Disney World. But what might have guests just as excited is the return of some long-awaited park staples that have been put on pause. According to The Street, Epcot Center is poised to reintroduce the “Garden Rocks” concert series to the 2022 Flower & Garden Festival.
This announcement could help the company drum up excitement for the upcoming event, which was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 following the closure of the parks. This concert series has historically been a popular attraction for Epcot guests for a few reasons. The concerts are free, they happen throughout the day so you have multiple chances to see them, and even though they’re staged at the World Showcase, you can mingle around and catch some live music in a relaxed environment. The biggest draw has probably been that they not only feature local talent, but well-known acts, like Boyz II Men, Sheila E and Hanson.
While in years past, these famous artists have featured throughout the week in the concert lineups, it looks like that won’t be the case at this year’s “Garden Rocks” shows. Some familiar names are slated to appear in this year’s roster are Kool & The Gang, Rick Springfield, The Guess Who and Claudia Leitte. But this time, these bigger artists will only be performing sets Friday through Monday. Local artists will perform the remaining days of the week.
It’s too early to say whether less performances by familiar acts will put a dent in the popularity of the concert series. But after already dealing with the ongoing pandemic and adopting safety protocols like masking that may have kept some guests away, the park has had the additional challenge of attracting guests amidst closures due to major transformations recently. With even more changes at Epcot possibly on the way, having the artists behind some seriously iconic songs performing there can’t hurt.
The good news for Epcot is that Garden Rocks is one of several of the park's fan-favorite attractions re-opening in recent months, giving guests yet another reason to stop by when they’re at Disney World. So whether fans will be vibing to “Celebration” or a cover band while they’re grabbing a bite to eat, hopefully they’ll be able to feel a little bit more magic making its way back into the park.
