Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How could Disneyland transition to more Sustainable Practices?

Energy consumption
–Add solar panels to the top of the parking garage
-People don’t like parking on the top anyways



Turn off unnecessary lights during the day

Product
–Brand promotion products
-Disney has 340 stores outside of Disneyland
-78 million Mickey Mouse ears were sold from the opening day to the 50th anniversary in 2005 (Fanning, Jim)





•Organic cotton clothing






•Biodegradable plastic products from corn





•Stuffed animals organic stuffing
Food
–Local
Each "land" has at least one fruit stand, but the fruits are not bought locally. Disneyland could be saving a lot of money and energy if they started buying locally...imagine how much the local farmers markets could make!
"As Sustainable Foods points out, the average American foodstuff travels 1,500 hundred miles from farm to fork, and 80% of the energy used in the U.S. food system is spent on processing, transporting, storing and preparing food. This is convenient for our salads, but inconvenient for global warming. By reducing your "food miles," you'll not only help the planet, you'll help your taste buds get to know how delicious things taste when they're fresh." (Eat This, Not That)

"In one year, guests consume...



  1. 4 million hamburgers

  2. 1.6 million corn dogs/hot dogs

  3. 3.4 million orders of french fries

  4. 43.7 million boxes of popcorn

  5. 3.2 million servings of ice cream


  6. 1.2 million gallons of soft drinks

  7. 2.8 million churros" (Fanning, Jim)


Use alternative energy for rides!

Disneylands "Autopia" currently has gasoline generated cars. Since Autopia is located in "Tomorrowland", I think Disneyland could transition to a different source to power their cars. Electric cars would be a great influence on the young drivers today.





Counter Arguments




Its too Expensive!


According to Disney's 2007 Finance Report, about 10.6 billion dollars of revenue was generated from the combined parks.



Local fruits don't last very long!


Local fruits may not last as long as commercially produced fruits and vegetables, which have been treated to eliminate decay, but organically grown fruits are much healthier and will save everyone money in the long run when it comes to their health.


(Fanning, Jim) (Sustainable Foods)