Comments on: Disney's Environmental Goals: Greenwashing or Corporate Responsibility?

By: Alicia at GreenLifestyleConsulting.com

Alicia at GreenLifestyleConsulting.com — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:32:01 +0000

Hi,
Came across this while doing research on Disney’s green initiatives. One thing that is helpful to understand is that different parts of Disney have different missions and goals. The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland are specifically for escapism. These parks make it their mission to to transport people away from their cares and worries and to simply entertain. At Disney World, they have other parks that educate: Epcot and Animal Kingdom both aim to educate the visitors and teach them about many things, including conservation and environmental issues.

10-15 years ago, when I was lucky enough to visit Disney regularly and go behind the scenes, I noted that they were doing “green” things. For example, this was the first hotel I ever saw that wasn’t washing towels and sheets every day, unless you requested it. There were signs explaining change and the environmental goals behind them. These were small, but real changes. I had the opportunity to visit their laundry facilities where they explained that through employee input they were able to both reduce costs and the use of water and energy. By doing the laundry on the premises they were able to create more jobs, reduce the need to transport their laundry very far and control quality.

Honestly, while some of us would think it is wonderful that they are using recycled toilet to tap water, that would frankly gross out the majority of their target audience. With the type of people that visit Disney, you need to start with baby steps. I notice that they are starting with baby steps by having Green information on their tv shows and on ABC.

I’m curious how things have changed there and I’m looking forward to finding more current information… If you have more recent posts with current information, I’d be interested to see them!

By: Greenwash Of The Week: The Sustainability Consortium. | The Good Human

Greenwash Of The Week: The Sustainability Consortium. | The Good Human — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:31:41 +0000

[...] Disney – Too much to even list here, but my friends over at EcoChildsPlay have a ton of good stuff about their “concern”. (Link) [...]

By: Hermes Replica

Hermes Replica — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:23:09 +0000

Very informative. I love the picture BTW.

By: Reconciling Disneyland’s Personal Impact with Environmental Impact | Fake Plastic Fish

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:28:43 +0000

[...] Jennifer Lance from Eco Child’s Play is skeptical. In her well researched article, “Disney’s Environmental Goals: Greenwashing or Corporate Responsibility?,” she takes issue with Disney’s first Corporate Responsibility report and urges the [...]

By: Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish

Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:40:24 +0000

I just got back from Disneyland this weekend. Your article is great and I plan to link to it in my post tomorrow. How can I reconcile the utter joy I feel at Disneyland with not only the environmental impact but also the homogenization of culture and the promotion of consumerism? There was a sale at one of the Disney Stores for annual pass holders that started at 7am. I was told that afterwards, the store was practically totaled and it took the employees several hours to clean up, restock, and get ready for the onslaught of regular shoppers.

And yes, I found out about this because I saw the lines from my balcony in the Grand Californian Hotel, where my boss had paid for rooms for me and a co-worker, and then talked to a Disney Store employee while I was making my own purchase: a $52 hoodie (I actually paid $42 with coupon from a food receipt) made in Asia that I bought because I was freezing and hadn’t come prepared for cold weather in Southern California.

On the other hand, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, California Screamin’, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, and anything else that’s scary — especially with one or more big drops — leave me absolutely giddy with happiness.

How can I reconcile what I know with how I feel?

By: DStuart

DStuart — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:33:16 +0000

Good comments-Disney paved much of central Florida-can’t we just be radical and say let’s tear Disny down, restore it all. Let’s teach our kids that films/cartoons are fine, but let’s rely on simple pleasures. My friend has also been telling me that we all need to curtail our baby-making; apparently having a child in a 1st world country is about the worst thing we can do for the planet. I’m starting to agree-buy a Prius and have a baby, it toally cancels out. He says there soon will be 7 billion-world rate of population is increasing in huge numbers. LOL

By: Emily Monosson

Emily Monosson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:42:47 +0000

Hi nice article. Found it while researching Disney’s enviro record for my own website. Just returned from a weeklong Disney trip organized by my daughter’s dance school. Happened to be there on Earth Day. I realize Disney’s goal is entertainment rather than education, but if greening at all – besides Jack’s giant beanstalk – (I need to read report and do more research)- they could surely take a lead in environmental education beginning with their parks. It wouldn’t take much (which is about all the effort they put in to their Magic Kingdom earth day tribute.) A few hours set aside for Jimminy Cricket photo-ops, and a kiosk that could have been more effective had it been designed by a bunch of school kids rather than Disney’s imagineers.

Disney parks really could be leader and great educators for our kids. Wouldn’t that be great?

By: Economic Crisis Wake Up Call: End the Childhood of Commercialization, Commodification, and Consumption : Eco Child’s Play

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:13:21 +0000

[...] pretty much have young girls wrapped up in the princess craze. Such actions by corporations like Disney have created a perspective that childhood is a saleable commodity. What has happened to ethics? [...]

By: Disney You Can Do Better at Going Green | Green & Clean Mom

Disney You Can Do Better at Going Green | Green & Clean Mom — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:40:06 +0000

[...] Disney has also pledged to move towards green and chemical free cleaning, but the Center for Health, Environment & Justice thinks they can do better but find out how by reading more over at Eco Child’s Play >>>>>> [...]

By: David

David — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:20 +0000

It will be extremely hard for Disney to make a major change, but it is good that they are trying. An analogy I could make is that of a cigarette company deciding they will become an advocate for good health – while remaining a cigarette company. Disney is in almost the same situation as far as environmental impact.