Tuesday, April 22, 2008

It's A Green World After All

One of the first things I learned about Disney World was in the car ride with Sean, the Disney Cast Member taking me & Elizabeth to our resort. Disney World spans over 40 miles, and 1/3 of that is preserved as a wildlife conservation area that will never be touched or developed. This was put in effect from the very beginning by Mr. Walt Disney.

Saturday morning at breakfast we had an opportunity for a Q & A. We asked many questions that we felt other Moms might not know about Disney. One of my questions was very honest- many of my friends (and me included) think of Disney World and associate it with consuming and waste and unhealthy eating. It's just a misconception that comes to mind! I wanted to know just where Disney World stands in this respect.

What I found out was surprising and enlightening:


At Walt Disney World Resort, conservation and environmental sustainability are not only part of a long-term commitment to responsible stewardship, but also are key business components evident in day-to-day operations.


Recycling is a big part of waste management at Walt Disney World Resort. Maybe you've already heard about the underground pipes in the Magic Kingdom that suck trash straight from the trash cans. I did not know about this! Sorting and recycling and all sorts of trashy goodness goes on under there to minimize the massive waste we create while on vacation! Our room at the Beach Club Resort had a nice note on the garbage can that encouraged guests to use the bags provided to dispose of their recyclables.

Walt Disney World Resort is switching to more efficient and environmentally friendly lighting all across the property. Even Cinderella's Castle glows "green" during the holidays with more than 170,000 LED white lights to glisten the Castle.

Walt Disney World Resort’s approach to water conservation begins with using less water where possible, and maximizing use of reclaimed water.

In 2008, Disney completed the state’s Green Lodging designation for all 23 resort hotels – representing the largest number of Green Lodging -certified hotels in the state. To achieve this special designation, resorts must focus on five categories: water conservation, education and awareness, waste reduction, energy conservation and indoor air quality.

Of course these are only a small portion of the ways that Disney World is showing its commitment to growing green.

While I was at Disney World, I made sure to use my own reusable bag for all my purchases (I carried this lovely Mi-Bag that I won from Mummy's Product Reviews And I LOVE it!)
You can also see in the pic above of Amy & me at the Castle that I even wore my Green Love tee on Saturday, Disney's "green" day!)

I can't wait to share about the healthy eating options available while you visit Disney World, and the amazing assistance you can receive if you or your children have food allergies! Stay tuned...

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh a new reusable I haven't seen! Gorgeous!

I love hearing about all this, I'm so impressed. I'm also really touched by the food alternatives you told me about, it means a lot when big corps take a minute to care.

Anonymous said...

Oh, you caught a lot more than I did about all that. Disney does a fair share of consuming (it's humongous after all), but I love knowing it sets aside 1/3 of its area to keep empty. This is important to me, too. It's great that we let the company know that we care about this issue!

Cyndi said...

I am glad they are setting a good example for other parks to follow.

That trash system sounds great. I would love a trash can that never had to be emptied!

Not Just Any Jen said...

What a nice follow up for our own vacation! I was honestly overwhelmed by the mass consumption there, and it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. Although the greek salad I get there was tasty ; )
Thank you for asking such important questions!

mAsOn & tErrI's mOm said...

Thats great that Disney is doing SOMETHING to conserve. Carowinds looks like a giant dump ground. If your on the rides you can look over the fences and see garbage nothing but GARBAGE. I wish parks would have recycle bins next to the trash cans, b/c most of the drinks can be recycled. BLAH!

Dayngr said...

We just returned from our trip and we saw garabage cans specifically for recycling along with the traditional kinds. (I would have liked to see more tho' I didn't know about the underground pipes)

We also noticed that EPCOT was teaching people about recycling and conservation throughout the park via their rides and attractions.

There were plenty of healthy food alternatives and I also noticed many familes bringing in their own food (even tho you can't bring in coolers).

Much like you we did our best not to use Disney's plastic bags.

Great post!