I think at the Rose Bowl parade there is more distance between the audience and the floats so you can do more details with more believable foliage. At Epcot when you are 2 feet away it is more difficult of course.
Actually, one of the most popular parts of the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade (AKA "The Rose Bowl Parade") is the post-parade tradition of parking the dozens of floats in Pasadena for several days for the local community to walk through and inspect up close. It's absolutely a stunning spectacle to wander amongst all these giant floats and see the handiwork up close. Everything, and I mean
EVERYTHING, that is visible on the floats must be naturally grown materials; flowers, seeds, grasses, leaves, pollen, petals, bark, roots, or stems, and all must be applied by human hands. It's truly amazing to see in person up close.
A recent example... Here's the float last year from the nice folks at
Rain Bird Sprinklers, with a jungle theme and big tigers, as seen from the curb. Impressive!
But after the parade the floats are parked, you can get up and take a look at these amazing creations... Even more impressive!
If the WDW horticulturists are using the same high standards and practices demanded by the Tournament of Roses, it's entirely possible that these new faces on the
Epcot topiaries are all natural using seeds and natural materials. Although, the parade floats only have to look nice for a short week in a gentle SoCal climate, while those Epcot topiaries must stay up for months in the much harsher Orlando climate. That's the only thing that makes me think these topiary faces are made with unnatural and man-made materials while the torsos remain plants.
Like visiting New York City and Washington D.C. and the Grand Canyon, every patriotic American should also try to see the Rose Bowl Parade at least once in their life. It's a truly inspiring and jaw-droppingly impressive experience. Watching it on TV doesn't do it justice.
FUN FACT: Disney has a long history entering floats in the parade, back to the 1930's. The most exciting year was when Walt Disney was the Grand Marshall for the Tournament of Roses Parade for 1966. The parade theme that year was "It's A Small World", to celebrate the imminent opening of the
it's a small world attraction at Disneyland a few months later in May, 1966.
There is some value in the "abstract" versions as well.
