The Walt Disney Company has always placed great care on and attention to site design components of its resorts. Nowhere is this more evident than at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; opened in 1971, Disney World today includes three major theme parks and over a dozen individual resort areas. The Orlando Landscape Architecture firm of Herbert ?EUR??,,????'????Halback, Inc. has been privileged to work on a number of Disney resort projects through the years. Under the leadership of Frederick Halback, ASLA, Herbert ?EUR??,,????'????Halback has gained a wealth of hands-on experience from the unique challenges these projects present. Landscapes at Disney are required to fulfill a variety of purposes, all within an attractive, park-like setting. Foremost among these roles is to serve as a "stage set" for the imagination, incorporating themes and images that recall favorite Disney movies, an idealized version of the past, or a fantastic vision of the future. An equally important role is to define and enhance the circulation routes (both pedestrian and vehicular) that carry millions of visitors at all times of the year. And now, a new, emerging function for Disney landscapes is to provide venues for active recreation, including sports such as baseball, soccer and track. Landscape Architects at Disney World have been primarily challenged to create unique, memorable environments which stand up to the demands of heavy tourist use. Consequently, the design and detailing of site elements such as pavements, water features and turf systems must all be geared toward this objective. The Disney Institute project perhaps best illustrates that visual aspects of design are of paramount importance. Like its model, the venerable Chautauqua Institution in New York State, the Disney Institute offers a unique vacation opportunity centered around culture, education and relaxation?EUR??,,????'??+ all within the atmosphere of an old-fashioned American town. Here, the landscape plan was conceived with careful attention to the visitor's sequence of experience, with every view and approach controlled. Landscape Architects under the direction of Randy Raiman, ASLA, supervised the relocation of scores of existing trees on the site, transplanted to frame dramatic views into the "town center" from the main entry road, and to screen undesirable views of adjacent development across a nearby lake. At the Swan & Dolphin Resort, a major challenge was to integrate man-made lakes into the heart of the hotel complex. Water taxis on these lakes provide regular service to the nearby theme parks, generating considerable wave action in the process. Another design consideration, the potential for unwanted aquatic growth, could have detracted from the somewhat formal setting; lead Landscape Architect Fred Peace solved this problem by providing a continuous, sloping concrete band at the shore, with specific grades both above and below the waterline to absorb wave energy and maintain a crisp, geometric appearance. Disney's All-Star Resort is a 4,500-room low-rise hotel complex built around themed courtyard areas. The development program here called for innovative pavement treatments in primary focus areas, contrasted with low-key secondary walkways designed to accommodate both pedestrians and service vehicles. Colored concrete (with integral as well as applied coloring agents) was used extensively for courtyards, pool decks and "photo opportunity" spots. The use of stamps, sandblasting, tile inlays, plastic sheeting and rock salt particles helped achieve special surface finishes. The Disney Sports Complex represents a new direction for the entertainment giant: an active sports venue for both amateur and professional athletes (and the fans who love to watch them). Landscape Architects at Herbert*Halback including Katy Klump were called upon to integrate -"performance" turf systems throughout the complex; several different systems-- each with carefully controlled sub-bases, root zone mixes, drainage lines and irrigation components?EUR??,,????'??+ match the levels of use anticipated, as well as available construction budgets, for different areas of the resort. The work of Herber*Halback is indicative of the way in which Landscape Architects have helped define the physical "Disney experience." On the large scale, this involvement has resulted in the creation of beautiful, memorable places, while on the small scale. Landscape Architects have provided the expertise and attention-to-detail required to ensure lasting good looks that live up to the Disney name. LASN NUMEROUS EXISTING TREES ON THE DISNEY INSTITUTE SITE (ABOVE) WERE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPLANTED TO ENHANCE COMMON AREAS AND FRAME VIEWS TO THE TOWN CENTER. WITH SPECIAL TECHNIQUES SUCH AS ROOT PRUNING AND CANOPY MISTING, THE SURVIVAL RATE FOR TRANSPLANTED TREES HAS EXCEEDED NINETY-FIVE PERCENT. MATURE LIVE OAKS (QUERCUS VIRGINIANA) WERE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPLANTED ON THE DISNEY INSTITUTE'S SITE TO SCREEN VIEWS TO ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT (RIGHT) All photos provided courtesy of Herbert*Halback, Inc. SECONDARY WALKWAYS (KNOWN AS PARGO PATHS FOR THE SERVICE CARTS WHICH FREQUENT THEM) WERE LAID OUT AND FIELD-ADJUSTED TO WIND THROUGH "TREE SAVE AREAS"--POCKETS OF EXISTING VEGETATION PRESERVED TO COMPLEMENT THE MORE MANICURED PORTIONS OF DISNEY'S ALL-STAR RESORT.