Midway to Main Street | The Hidden Tile at The Land in Epcot @MidwaytoMainStreet | Uploaded February 2018 | Updated October 2024, 14 hours ago.
Did you know there’s a hidden tile in the mosaic at The Land and that the entire piece exists the way it does today because of a math error?
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Hanns Scharff migrated over to the United States from Germany after World War 2 and turning to his hobby of mosaic art as a means of supporting himself, he found his big break by creating five thousand custom mosaic tables for Neiman Marcus, a department store chain based out of Texas.
From there he would grow his mosaic studio working on all sorts of public projects in LA and San Francisco and in 1971 he would ask his daughter-in-law, Monika, to join as an artist. One of the first projects she worked on as part of the studio was a stunning five panel mosaic that would be built inside Cinderella’s castle at the upcoming Florida resort, Walt Disney World.
So a decade later when Disney was looking for someone to build a mosaic for the entryway to The Land pavilion, Disney turned to the team once more. The mosaic was designed by Walter Peregoy who had worked at Disney since the age of 17 in the animation department. When it came time to build the actual mosaic there one one problem, the numbers were off.
The measurements of the mural itself were about three feet off from the size of the actual wall that was built for the pavilion. Peregoy understandably didn’t want to see three feet of the mural chopped off, and a solution wouldn’t be as easy as just tacking on an extra three feet to the wall that was already built.
So Scharff and Scharff proposed a solution: curve it into the ground. Both Disney and Peregoy liked the idea and that is why today if you look at the mosaic towards the top of the entry ramp you’ll see that the design seamlessly curves down into the floor.
As for the hidden tile, if you look closely on the right hand mural up towards the door and a little past the “Land” sign, you’ll spot one lone emerald tile among a layer of tan and brown tiles. The explanation of why this tile exists varies depending on who you talk to.
Some claim that the tile is a subtle artistic signature. It’s supposedly meant to represent the person’s birthstone. The problem is there is that the emerald is neither Peregoy or either Scharff members birthstone. Some say it’s the birthstone of Monika’s son, which is possible, but I’ve been unable to confirm it.
Another often repeated explanation is that it was an intentional decision by either Scharff or Peregoy in order to ensure that the two sides of the mural wouldn’t be 100% identical.
Whatever the reason, the next time you find yourself at The Land, before you head inside, take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship and hidden secrets of this beautiful mosaic. Then rush inside to Soarin’
Did you know there’s a hidden tile in the mosaic at The Land and that the entire piece exists the way it does today because of a math error?
New here? Be sure to subscribe!
🔷goo.gl/x17zTL
My Patreon!
❤patreon.com/RobPlays
My Disney Podcast!
🎧ttapodcast.com
Follow me on Twitter!
📱Twitter.com/RobPlays
Hanns Scharff migrated over to the United States from Germany after World War 2 and turning to his hobby of mosaic art as a means of supporting himself, he found his big break by creating five thousand custom mosaic tables for Neiman Marcus, a department store chain based out of Texas.
From there he would grow his mosaic studio working on all sorts of public projects in LA and San Francisco and in 1971 he would ask his daughter-in-law, Monika, to join as an artist. One of the first projects she worked on as part of the studio was a stunning five panel mosaic that would be built inside Cinderella’s castle at the upcoming Florida resort, Walt Disney World.
So a decade later when Disney was looking for someone to build a mosaic for the entryway to The Land pavilion, Disney turned to the team once more. The mosaic was designed by Walter Peregoy who had worked at Disney since the age of 17 in the animation department. When it came time to build the actual mosaic there one one problem, the numbers were off.
The measurements of the mural itself were about three feet off from the size of the actual wall that was built for the pavilion. Peregoy understandably didn’t want to see three feet of the mural chopped off, and a solution wouldn’t be as easy as just tacking on an extra three feet to the wall that was already built.
So Scharff and Scharff proposed a solution: curve it into the ground. Both Disney and Peregoy liked the idea and that is why today if you look at the mosaic towards the top of the entry ramp you’ll see that the design seamlessly curves down into the floor.
As for the hidden tile, if you look closely on the right hand mural up towards the door and a little past the “Land” sign, you’ll spot one lone emerald tile among a layer of tan and brown tiles. The explanation of why this tile exists varies depending on who you talk to.
Some claim that the tile is a subtle artistic signature. It’s supposedly meant to represent the person’s birthstone. The problem is there is that the emerald is neither Peregoy or either Scharff members birthstone. Some say it’s the birthstone of Monika’s son, which is possible, but I’ve been unable to confirm it.
Another often repeated explanation is that it was an intentional decision by either Scharff or Peregoy in order to ensure that the two sides of the mural wouldn’t be 100% identical.
Whatever the reason, the next time you find yourself at The Land, before you head inside, take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship and hidden secrets of this beautiful mosaic. Then rush inside to Soarin’
