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The House of Mouse has been dominating the world of entertainment for the last two decades following its purchase of the Marvel superhero brand. Disney has been discussing ways to make its theme parks and resorts ecologically friendly for the last few years and recently announced some major improvements. Disney has placed the energy improvements in the hands of Dr. Mark Penning, who works as the Vice President of Animals, Science, and Environment at Disney Parks.
The drive to move to a net-zero carbon footprint is focusing on the use of solar power to generate electricity at its global chain of theme parks. The initial focus of the announcement regarding solar power focused on developments being made at the Disney World Resort in Florida. However, the blog post by Dr. Penning explains further developments are being made at Disney Land Paris and the private Castaway Cay island operated by the entertainment giant.
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The announcement by Dr. Penning has been made to coincide with Earth Day and revealed the continued developments being made globally by Disney. Dr. Penning’s blog revealed two new solar arrays are being developed at the park in association with local utility providers. Disney has partnered with Duke Energy, Origis Energy, and Reedy Creek Improvement District to create two solar arrays estimated to cover an area eight times as large as the Magic Kingdom theme park.
Disney has been leading the development of solar energy in Florida as two solar arrays in the shape of the iconic Mickey Mouse ears are already in operation. The theme parks operated by Disney have a goal of reaching a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. The green improvements being made in Florida are the first of a host of plans for green energy production around the world.
The Disney Land Paris theme park has been playing its part in the switch to solar energy. Dr. Penning’s blog revealed the French theme park will install a solar array on the roof of its parking garages. Solar panels will be positioned above existing parking shelters providing cover for 9.500 vehicles driven by guests to the park.
The Earth Day announcement included a report on the solar developments being made at the castaway Cay island operated by Disney Cruises. The private island has been a popular destination for guests and will be powered with up to 70 percent of its electricity drawn from solar arrays.
Disney began to make the switch to solar power in 2009, with the goal of net-zero emissions set at the same time. The advancement of the solar power projects at various parks includes those already operating in California and Hong Kong. At Disney Land California, the House of Mouse installed over 1,000 solar panels above the Radiator Springs Racer ride to produce energy-efficient power for the park. Disney Land Hong Kong has become one of the largest solar power generators in the region with the introduction of a huge solar array at the park.
The commitment made to improving the environment is being seen in every aspect of the direct operations of the Disney corporation. The switch to solar power is one step, with plastic-free toy packaging introduced in North America. The environmental impact of plastics has become a major concern that Disney is addressing with paper-based materials. Disney’s parks around the world have made the switch to plastic-free materials, with stores in North America following suit. Paper-based packaging will become the norm across the globe for Disney shortly.
