Spring Into Vacation Planning! in This
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Spring 2018 STORIES AND TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DISNEY REWARDS READY TO GET AWAY? Spring Into Vacation Planning! In This FPO Issue FESTIVALS AND FUN AT DISNEY THEME PARKS From topiaries to tasty treats, you’ll find lots to discover this spring and summer at the 25th Annual Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival Pages 4 & 5 PACK IT UP! Find what you need for your vacation at Make Vacation Dreams Come True Disney store and shopDisney.com FPO Page 8 with the Disney® Visa® Card. MEET THREE UNIQUE HEROES Discover more about Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Tired of Jack Frost nipping at your Remember that you can make even more Did you know you can use your Disney Mrs. Which from Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time nose? Lift your spirits with thoughts memories when you take advantage of Rewards Redemption Card to redeem Pages 10 & 11 of sunshine, sand and splashy fun by your Cardmember savings of 10% off Disney Rewards Dollars toward Disney dreaming about your family’s spring select dining locations most days and movie tickets at AMCTheatres.com or MUSIC FILLS THE AIR and summer vacations. 10% off select merchandise purchases on the AMC Theatres Mobile App? Just Songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert of $50 or more at select locations load your Disney Rewards Redemption Lopez talk about composing new songs for Disney’s In fact, now’s the perfect time to start throughout the Disney Theme Parks.1, 2, 3 Card and use as a form of payment FROZEN the Broadway Musical planning. There are so many things when purchasing tickets.4 Pages 12 & 13 to consider—when and where to go, We know planning and preparing for how long to stay and what you need any getaway also includes shopping. And, remember—while you’re planning to pack for all the fun! In this issue, On page 8, you’ll find a colorful selection your vacation, use your Disney Visa Card CARDMEMBER you’ll find ideas, tips and news about of apparel and accessories from Disney for all your everyday purchases. Each time upcoming events and experiences to store and shopDisney.com to help you use your Disney Visa Card, you earn LIMITED-TIME OFFERS Add more sizzle to your summer with inspire and help you get ready for your you pack everything you’ll need for Disney Rewards Dollars to redeem toward special Cardmember offers Best. Vacation. Ever! vacation fun! more of the Disney experiences you love. Page 15 It’s a perfect way to add more magic to For instance, you might want to schedule Sometimes a vacation just means your vacation! For more details about your visit to the Disney Theme Parks getting away from it all for a few hours, how to earn and redeem Disney Rewards to take in the 25th Annual Epcot® and there’s no better way to do that Dollars, visit DisneyRewards.com.4 International Flower & Garden Festival than going to see a blockbuster film like at Walt Disney World® Resort or the Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, a beautiful Bundle up this winter and remember, warm Food & Wine Festival at Disney California story about the power of family, love weather fun is right around the corner. See Get inspired with more stories and tips at Adventure® Park at the Disneyland® Resort. and hope. you at the Parks or by the pool! DisneyRewards.com/insider 2 LEARN MORE AT DISNEYREWARDS.COM Spring 2018 “Each topiary is a unique STARTING FROM SKETCH work of Disney art.” “It can take more than six months to create a new topiary,” says Eric Darden, Horticulturist for Epcot® Park. “Each one is a — Eric Darden, Horticulturist unique work of Disney art. And each one starts with the Disney Epcot® Park Character Artists who create dozens of sketches of poses. They are key to everything.” The sketches include 360 degree views so that every angle is clearly defined. From the final approved pose, a Disney sculptor creates a maquette (a small sculpture). From there, a casting of the Character is made to use as reference for the next step in the process. FRAMING THE VISION Next the welders go to work creating a steel understructure. “Our welders have a keen sense of artistry,” Darden says. “They work very closely with the Character Artists making sure each crook of an arm, fold in a skirt and turn of a head is perfect. There’s a lot of bending, cutting and starting over. Getting the steel structure right can take three to four months.” PAINTING WITH PLANTS After the structures are complete, they are stuffed with sphagnum moss and the gardeners begin the intricate task of planting hundreds of thousands of plants ranging from succulents to vines and flowering plants. The planting process takes about two weeks. “Basically we are painting with the plants, using plants with different shades to create dimension and modeling,” Darden explains. “We have about 10 to 15 ‘go-to’ plants that we use frequently, but we are always looking for new plants to create the effects we want. It’s not uncommon for our gardeners to come in with suggestions inspired by plants they have seen in nearby nurseries. We’re open to trying anything.” EVER GREEN, EVER BEAUTIFUL “Topiaries take a long time to create,” Darden says. “So we take very good care of them. There are about 20 topiaries that we keep growing all year round and bring out to display Growing Works of Art for other festivals and shows. As for the others, we strip the plants, wrap the frames carefully and store them until it’s time Your favorite Disney and Pixar Characters spring to life in amazing topiaries to start preparing for the next Flower and Garden Festival. This year, many favorites, which have been on hiatus for several 5 at the 25th Annual Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival. years, will be returning including a 14-foot-high Goofy at the entrance to Epcot® Park. Also this year, the Characters are going to be celebrating color,” Darden adds, “so the topiaries will be surrounded by beds of vibrant hues. It’s going to be a very Whether your thumb is bright green or you simply enjoy playgrounds designed to let kids of all ages experience nature in vivid Festival this year!” being surrounded by nature’s beauty, the 25th Annual Epcot® fresh, fun ways. International Flower & Garden Festival is pure delight for all your COLORFUL COLLABORATION senses. The Festival, which runs from February 28 through But among the most beloved sights during the Festival are the “To me, the Guests don’t see the best part of the Festival—and May 28, offers events and activities for the entire family. Learn 50 or more topiaries of Disney and Pixar Characters. Be amused that’s the teamwork it takes to get it all done,” Darden says. Shopping Savings how to bring some of the garden ideas you see at the Festival by the antics of Stitch near Mousegear, snap a photo of the “Most of us have other projects going on simultaneously, but we to your home with fascinating gardening demonstrations. family next to Figment with Spaceship Earth in the background, all love working on the Festival. Our job year round is to keep Indulge your tastebuds at kiosks offering tasty culinary treats or marvel at the details captured in topiaries of Lightning the Parks beautiful and pleasant to be in, but during the Flower created by Epcot® Chefs, inspired by the vegetables and fruits McQueen and Cruz Ramirez from Cars 3 at Test Track in Future Use your Cardmember savings of 10% off & Garden Festival our work is front and center. It is so gratifying select merchandise purchases of $50 or more growing nearby. Attend concerts on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays World. You’ll soon discover how the topiaries are delightful to see Guests getting excited about what we do. It gives us all a — Heather Killingbeck, to bring home an official 25th Annual Epcot® and Mondays at the America Gardens Theatre. And take time examples of what happens when art and imagination meet tremendous sense of pride.” to stretch your legs and romp with the family on interactive greenery. to come International Flower & Garden Festival T-shirt, hat, mug or gardening bag.3 4 LEARN MORE AT DISNEYREWARDS.COM Spring 2018 Plan Your Vacation Tastes of with Disney Rewards 4 California Gold Take a culinary journey through the Golden State at Disney California FPO While you’re making vacation plans, be sure 5 Adventure® Park’s Food & Wine Festival from March 2 to April 12. to check out Pinterest for tips and ideas to create your own vision boards about Disney experiences you and the family will love. Visit Pinterest.com/DisneyRewards and get ready to California cuisine—here we come! As you stroll from plan your next vacation by putting a pin in it! the Hollywood Backlot to Paradise Pier, 13 marketplace kiosks offer imaginative recipes reflective of the Comforts of Home You’ll find: Golden State. Here’s a quick look at a few delicious • Ways to save with your Disney Visa Card dishes and where you’ll find them. You’ll never think Upscale meets convenience at the • Great tips for vacation planning of garlic, artichokes and citrus the same way! • News about upcoming events at the Parks newly-refurbished Disney’s Grand Californian • Maps to Character Experiences at the Disney Theme Parks Hotel® & Spa at the Disneyland® Resort. • And much more! CITRUS GROVE Give your sweet tooth a tingle with a Meyer Lemon How do you take an upscale hotel that is already “grand” and make it even 3 Macaron with blueberry marmalade, Meyer lemon more so? You start by asking Guests what they need and want according to cream and blueberry dust.