Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line Conservation Efforts
Let’s take a look at three Disney Vacation Destinations and see what they do to protect the environment. Even in the earliest stages, when The Walt Disney World Resort was being planned, the first thing decided was that 1/3 of the 47 square miles of land known as the Florida Project, was to be earmarked for conservation land, and would never be developed. Walt Disney said, “There’s enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine.”
At Walt Disney World you will see recycling programs for Guests and Cast Members alike. Disney’s resort hotels earned the prestigious Green Lodging Certification designation from the Florida EPA. Disney has Green Guidelines that apply to all meetings and conventions held at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Every guest knows, if you hang your towel up, you can reuse it. If you want a clean towel, put your used ones in the tub. Disneyworld reclaims water, and has received awards for their efforts in this behalf. Reclaimed water has been produced on Disney property for almost 15 years and, despite constant growth, the Walt Disney World Resort has maintained steady levels of potable water consumption by using reclaimed water to offset more than 25 percent of the Resort’s water demand. Currently, more than 5 million gallons of reclaimed water are used each day for landscape irrigation, vehicle washing, street and sidewalk cleaning, cooling tower makeup, fire suppression and protection, and construction activities. This amount of water would cost more than $2 million each year.
Disney Cruise Line probably holds the banner for being on the cutting edge of the cruise line industry, when it comes to being environmentally conscious. Here is a list of some examples of Disney Cruise Line’s efforts in reducing the use of energy and water, and their effort to eliminate waste.
Disney Cruise Line focuses on programs to increase fuel efficiency and conserve energy. They do this by reducing surplus shipboard weight, automating onboard air conditioning systems for more optimal & efficient use, replacing light fixtures with more energy-efficient light bulbs, and turning off lights in areas when they are not in use by Guests or Crew onboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder cruise ships.
Other efforts have helped Disney Cruise Line to achieve a 5% reduction of energy. Here are some examples of those efforts:
- Disney Cruise Line made history by being the first cruise line to utilize an innovative hull coating that is 100% non-toxic and is effective in increasing fuel efficiency by reducing surface resistance in the water.
- On Castaway Cay, an innovative recycling program to repurpose used cooking oil from the ships’ galleys and combine it with diesel fuel reduces waste and carbon dioxide emissions. The resulting biodiesel mix is used to power heavy machinery on the island and has saved up to 8,000 gallons of traditional fuel annually, enough to power nine homes in the United States for a year.
- Up to 10% of the water used onboard the Disney Magic
and Disney Wonder
is reclaimed from condensation in the shipboard air conditioning units and then re-used to rinse the outer decks of the ships. - Excess heat generated in the ships’ engine boilers is rerouted and used to efficiently power evaporators used in the process of turning sea water into potable water.
- Onboard hotel operations promote a towel reuse program, where Guests may elect to not have their towels replaced after a single use. The program helps to conserve both water and energy.
Being environmentally responsible has been a Disney trademark for years. Walt Disney truly cared about nature. You can go back fifty years to the Walt Disney True Life Adventure Documentaries, and see that Walt Disney cared about the planet. Today, Walt’s beloved Disneyland Railroad and the Mark Twain Riverboat Ride, both in Disneyland are run off of fuel made from used kitchen oil; oil used for frying French fries and chicken. Disneyland also has the Disneyland Central bakery, newly built, and state of the art as far as being energy efficient.
Being aware of our environment and helping keep it happy is a good thing. OLP Travel is proud to sell Disney vacations, and we will be happy to help you with yours!
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