Just a few days ago, I was recounting the wonderful walking tour of Disneyland’s Dark Water system that Disney fan BBS owner John Clark used to offer (back when Disneyland security didn’t mind if you took a small group on a personal tour through the… Read More »How the California drought is affecting Disneyland
A few weeks ago, we went over some of the possible scenarios for expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with completion of on-going and announced projects (Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed it). Yesterday, news dropped of a deal that will make it all possible.
What we didn’t mention in those posts was a rumored mega-land purchase by Disney that some fans were saying was a clear sign of a fifth gate being built. I didn’t want to breath life into any crazy rumors like that, so I ended up not posting that story. However, events have changed my mind.
As Walt Disney said about building in Florida, Disney has the blessing of space. 43 square miles is just a little larger than the city of San Francisco. But what you may not realize is that quite a bit of that area is dedicated to wetlands and conservation. Most of the resort that isn’t are already developed is zoned for conservation (see map below).
Read More »Disney World makes land grab for additional resort development
A new bird show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom called “Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight” will debut this summer. It will feature multiple flocks of macaws who will fly over and around Discovery Island. To test and train the birds, the majestic macaws can… Read More »New Bird Show For Disney’s Animal Kingdom Features Kaleidoscope of Macaws
SeaWorld Orlando is celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary and they’ve partnered with Washed Ashore, a non-profit based in Oregon that uses plastic debris found on the beach to make sculptures. The impressive art helps drive home the point that too much trash and pollution is… Read More »Washed Ashore – Art to Save The Sea at SeaWorld
A welcome update on the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) from Beth Stevens, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, Environment and Conservation and former Disney’s Animal Kingdom Vice President. The DWCF has officially issued more than 1000 grants since it first started in 1995. 150… Read More »Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Celebrates 1000th Grant
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has had a bit of a rough stretch recently. They had to report lower attendance numbers vs their competitors in Orlando (resulting in a drop in profits) and have had to content with a one-sided documentary that has helped stoke the… Read More »Voices of SeaWorld Video Series Launches
One of the hidden treasures of the new Antarctica opening at SeaWorld Orlando is a conservation-minded program that let’s you interact with Coca-Cola freestyle machines in the area to see how big an impact your drink refills are making on the environment. The Cup That Cares – a reusable cup initiative – encourages guests to help the planet one refill at a time in a cup they create themselves when visiting the realm.
SeaWorld also collaborated with Coca-Cola to create a new custom coca-cola flavor served up only at Antarctica – South Pole Chill. I had a number of cups and enjoyed the light vanilla flavor served without any of the dyes that add color to normal colas.
Here’s a quick video introduction to the Cup That Cares program:
The new Cup That Cares engages guests in a personalized manner to reuse materials and reduce their carbon footprint. An RFID chip embedded in each Cup That Cares interacts with software at Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers to calculate and tell guests how they are being more environmentally responsible by choosing to reuse.
Plus, SeaWorld will donate $1 from each Cup That Cares purchase to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens® Conservation Fund, a not-for-profit foundation that helps protect wildlife around the world. Read More »Cup That Cares Introduces New Conservation Minded Program at SeaWorld Orlando
A few years ago SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment gained its freedom from the adult-beverage company formerly owned by the Busch family and started off on its path to independent corporatehood. It had a choice to make about a few issues that were central to the parks brand. The beer factory past was easily disposed with, but the environmental stewardship was always integral to SeaWorld’s existence. AB had been using it largely as corporate goodwill, not that there’s anything wrong with that; but the new company would have to make conservation central to its existence if it wanted to claim a unique brand that had a chance of success in an already crowded theme park and entertainment industry.
For the most part, SeaWorld has done a good job promoting its conservation work, but I think it could do better. For instance, did you know that right now, among the dozens of animals it has in special care is a Florida sandhill crane. You see these everywhere all over the area, but some idiot decided to use one for target practice. So SeaWorld sent out its rescue crew to Pine Lakes, FL, and then transported to the park for further care and rehabilitation.Read More »SeaWorld Orlando Now Caring for Wounded Florida Sandhill Crane