Walt Disney World has introduced its first-ever projection-mapped topiary for the 2024 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival. While it wasn’t ready in time for the start of the Festival last month, it was recently installed and activated for nightly projection effects on the all-new Dante topiary.
We made it out to EPCOT earlier today to take a look at the setup, including the custom projector housing meant to resemble the iconic temple nearby. Here’s a look at the projector, which is installed across the World Showcase promenade, pointed towards the Coco-themed topiaries.
Brittany Smith, Production Designer for Senior Specialty Design with Walt Disney Imagineering explained, “Once we decided to create Dante, I immediately began testing glowing materials, like solar-charged paint, and various effects to portray his ethereal glow. During the day, Dante looks like the rest of the topiary family. As the sun begins to set, guests should start to see hints of the solar-charged paint beginning to glow. At night, Dante’s glow will shine even brighter through the use of projection-mapping technology. Pushing contrast between day and night allows us to incorporate more lifelike elements into these characters, providing guests with an unexpected element of surprise in the evening.”
“The collaboration between the teams has made it possible to push the envelope of creativity that allows us to produce these new innovative topiaries and help give that little added magical touch that we are known for,” Josh Harrison, Senior Illusion Integrator with Walt Disney Imagineering highlighted.
For more on the 2024 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, visit our event page below!
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