Attendees of the American Seed Trade Association’s 2016 Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference in Anaheim, California, are about to walk in Walt Disney’s footsteps.
Tomorrow morning will see conference attendees take part in a planting and design tour with Adam Schwerner and Ryan Childs of Disneyland Horticulture.
Exclusively for American Seed Trade Association seed industry professionals, the Disney Horticulture & Walt Disney Imagineering team have created custom tour experiences offering insights into the Disney plant selection process and buying trends. They will enjoy a sunrise tour of the Disneyland theme park before it is open to the public, as Disney’s director of horticulture offers insights into what it takes to make horticulture magic.
Over the years, Disney has become an innovator in areas such as agricultural science, horticulture and promoting child nutrition, making the company a key customer for the seed industry.
At the Disneyland Resort, stories grow from the ground up — literally. From carefully manicured flowers on Main Street, U.S.A., to desert plants in Cars Land, the landscape is part of the detail that tells the “story” of each land in the parks, according to Disney’s website.
More than 800 species of plants indigenous to 40 nations grow at the Disneyland Resort, making it one of the most extensive and diverse botanical locales in the western United States. The Horticulture and Resort Enhancement team manages the landscape plus the annual addition of seasonal décor for Halloween and Holidays.
- The landscape panorama at the Disneyland Resort includes approximately 18,000 trees and 125,000 shrubs.
- Each year, approximately 500 hanging baskets are displayed, featuring seasonal plants and flowers.
- Nearly 1 million annuals are planted each year at the Disneyland Resort, adding color and vibrancy to the décor.
- The forest canopy in the Jungle Cruise, at Disneyland Park, stretches more than 100 feet tall.
- The Mickey Mouse flower “portrait” at the Disneyland entrance is planted nine times a year. This flowerbed, a popular photo location, features 3,600 annuals in the face and 6,400 on the sides for a total of approximately 90,000 plants per year.
- More than 80 miles of landscape irrigation pipe run underground, keeping the focus on the plants and florals.
- Drought-tolerant plants can be found throughout the Disneyland Resort and make up a vast majority of the landscape in several lands and attractions, including Cars Land, Frontierland, Autopia and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
