How Disney Brings Character Topiaries to Life
PIXIE DUST ,
DIBBLES , &
SPHAGNUM MOSS
How Disney Brings Character Topiaries to Life
BY TIMOTHY MOORE
At 7 a . m ., it was a crisp 45 degrees outside , with the promise of sunshine and warming temps by noon . Having traveled to Walt Disney World from my home in Ohio , I was eager for the warm December sun and headed out the door in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt .
Abby , my companion for the morning , picked me up in her F-150 , and we navigated the roads of the resort to the Walt Disney World Nursery ( sometimes called the Tree Farm ) to meet the team who brings the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival to life — on top of several other projects throughout the year .
As we stepped into the trailer to begin our behind-the-scenes tour of the nursery , I was greeted with a shocked “ Oh , you ’ re in shorts !” The team of Florida natives and long-time transplants smiled at me from the table , where they sat bundled in sweaters , coats , gloves , and hats .
We shared a good laugh as we settled in , but we had a lot to cover in two short hours . Chris Nawara , Planned Work Specialist , Disney Horticulture , flipped open the team ’ s secret tome , containing concept artwork and iterations of new topiaries for the upcoming festival . Among the pages , we saw an adorable Baby Groot in different potential poses ; Asha , the Wishing Star , and Valentino from Wish ; and Miguel and Dante — the latter in his colorful Alebrije form .
What followed was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore backstage and discover how Disney makes topiary magic — and it ’ s a lot more complicated than you may think .