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From tropical jungles and verdant forests to barren rock and frozen
tundra, the mighty Himalayas reveal dramatic variations in climate
and landscape. Disney Imagineers were challenged to re-create such
a scene when designing Expedition Everest, the mountain attraction
with coaster-like thrills opening in April at Disney's Animal Kingdom
theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.
The Imagineering team strived to create a believable place that
enhanced the attraction's storyline about preserving nature and
sacred lands, said Becky Bishop, landscape architect and Walt Disney
Imagineering's area development director.
"We built a landscape consistent with what trekkers might actually
encounter on a pilgrimage to the botanically rich Everest region," she
said. "It is natural looking and unkempt, like it has always been
there."
The landscape was created specifically to emulate the lowlands
surrounding Mount Everest. More than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species
of trees and 110 species of shrubs were planted over six acres
of terrain. Disney landscape architects carefully selected plant
varieties that would thrive in the Florida climate while capturing
the look and feel of Asia.
From the Asia part of Disney's Animal Kingdom, rows of giant bamboos
and white eucalyptus hug the pathway leading trekkers from a lush,
tropical peninsula to Serka Zong, a mythical village at the base
of the majestic mountain. As trekkers hike through the village
toward the railway that will carry them into the mountain, the
vegetation and climate conditions shift from dense tree lines to
an arid landscape. Scruffy bushes, bottlebrush, camphor trees and
yucca plants replicate the rugged terrain found at the foothills
of the Himalayas.
"The environment is hard to duplicate, so we took the usual species
and presented them in an unusual way -- that would almost guarantee
we would get the look we wanted," Bishop said. "For instance, we
planted Hollywood juniper and then really chopped it up to look
like the yaks had chewed on it."
When Bishop began researching the Himalayan landscape in 2002,
she was struck by the horticultural contrasts of the region.
"We incorporated characteristics from Bhutan, Mustang and Kathmandu
into the landscape design to capture its true diversity," Bishop
said.
For two years, the team searched for unusually shaped trees and
shrubs to enhance the rich architecture and authenticity of the
village. And they found some treasures: a mulberry tree that had
aged with a piece of wrought iron woven into its trunk, a Florida
camphor tree that had grown wild with a palm tree soaring between
its limbs, and a 100-year-old cactus. Additionally, a half-dozen
big gnarled "hero" trees are prominently displayed, beckoning guests
to gawk at the hideous shapes and rutted textures. In this region,
tree limbs were harvested for fuel and for ornamentation on buildings,
leaving only naked tree trunks in place.
Imagineers hunted for trees and bushes with shapes that snugly
fit into corners of the buildings for a natural look like they
had grown wild.
A variety of textured plants and bushes were used to distinguish
shady wet regions from dryer conditions. A grassy ground cover
fills a bamboo-filled courtyard, giving the impression that someone
had once carefully tended the area. Near the mandir -- an ornate
shrine to the yeti -- it feels grotto-like with greener, water-loving
grasses and plantings situated around a dry streambed.
As guests board the runaway train destined for Mount Everest,
they may notice the California sherell (chaparral) plantings and
overgrown remnants of an abandoned tea plantation that once sprawled
through the valley.
To emphasize the forced perspective technique, Imagineers planted
tall bamboo, pines and swaying reeds to blur the horizon of the
mountain range -- making it appear more distant. When the train
plummets down the mountainside, the tracks seem to disappear into
a wilderness filled with pine trees and moss-covered oaks, leaving
onlookers wondering about the outcome of the journey.
And the landscaping attention will continue under the care of
the landscape department of Disney's Animal Kingdom. According
to Bishop, "the trick will be to trim, replace and thin the material
to maintain the desired look."
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