Behind-the-Scenes: Topiaries at ‘it’s a small world’

20|08|10 18:47 Filed in: Disneyland

Have you ever marveled at the topiaries at “it’s a small world?” I’ve been fascinated by them since I was a young girl. We recently spoke with the Disneyland Resort Topiary Engineer and are sharing some of the highlights from our interview today. I was surprised to learn there are 15 topiaries at “it’s a small world” and a total of 26 around the Resort.

The video below gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the Disneyland Resort Topiary Engineer maintains the zebra at “it’s a small world.” You’ll want to watch the video through the end to catch a few tips on how to grow your own topiary, and we hope the surprise ending puts a smile on your face.

Here are some additional fun facts about topiaries:

There were 24 original Disneyland Park topiaries premiering in 1963. They included a waltzing hippo, a poodle, a pig, bears, elephants, seals, and giraffes. In 1966, they were permanently planted at “it’s a small world.”
Growing a typical shrub Character Topiary can take from 3-10 years for completion, depending on the size and complexity of the shape.
Walt Disney got the idea of creating “living” topiaries by seeing traditional topiary gardening in Europe. He asked his film animators and Disneyland landscape team to work together to create the first living sculptures for Disneyland in 1963. They came up with several and one of those included Dumbo making his debut in Fantasyland.

Do you have a favorite topiary at the Resort?

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