Animal trainer Amber Cavett offers a piece of sustainable salmon for Shamu at SeaWorld Orlando.
Ever wonder where all that seafood consumed by SeaWorld’s guests and its wettest performers came from? Certainly not from the aquarium tanks. Although the Shark Encounter certainly looks to hold the capacity.
SeaWorld took a careful look at their sources for seafood and decided they could do more to be in line with their conservation mission. That’s why soon all of the seafood served to guests — and even the salmon fed to Shamu — will be purchased from sustainably-managed fisheries that promote environmentally responsible stewardship. This change affects more than 220,000 pounds of seafood and is on track for completion by early 2009.
Busch Entertainment Company, SeaWorld’s parent company, is working with the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Certification Council in sourcing sustainable seafood options. Both are international, non-profit organizations that promote environmentally responsible fishing, fish farms, processing and food safety.
In partnering with the Rainforest Alliance, the parks also serve coffee and chocolate purchased from growers who meet demanding social and environmental standards. This global certification program ensures food is farmed and harvested in ways that protect wildlife, habitats and people.
Click below the cut for some other examples of how BEC is working to maintain its dedication to the environment.
Hope you all had a marvelous weekend. I ducked out for a quick visit to the parks on Saturday and was amazed at how crowded the parking lots were. Both of Epcot’s main parking lots were full at 4pm and Magic Kingdom was parking Dopey.… Read More »Sunday Disney News and Links Roundup
Much like Cinderella’s Prince Charming searching for the perfect fit for the glass slipper, leaders from Walt Disney World Resort have found two outstanding Cast Members to step into the time-honored, unique role of Walt Disney World Ambassador. During a ceremony yesterday at Disney’s Hollywood… Read More »Walt Disney World 2009 Ambassadors Announced
Central Florida theme-park attractions must report incidents and injuries to guests at their theme parks every quarter. The latest report is out and there are 10 incidents added to the list as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Again it’s your usual assortment of broken bones,… Read More »Park Injuries Reported
Tonight promises to be another extra-special episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Yeah, they’re all extra-special, but that’s one of the great parts of the show. Fans of Ty Pennington and the crew will find this article in the NY Times good reading. It goes… Read More »Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – Behind the Scenes
Happy Birthday to Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney… and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney… Read More »Happy Birthday to Project X
The Quest For Manta Manta will be the second major roller coaster to be built at SeaWorld Orlando. Guests will find themselves flying directly over animal encounters as they twist and turn around the famous animal park. Thanks to the fine folks at SeaWorld one… Read More »Find the Manta Win SeaWorld Orlando Tickets
Disney Parks has announced their new promotional campaign for 2009. The theme is ‘Celebrations’ and the tag line is “What Will You Celebrate?” The goal — get you and your family to book a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World to celebrate an event or occasion together.
The campaign website (www.disneyparkscelebrations.com – Note there’s a video that starts automatically on this page with no way to pause or mute it. Bad form on Disney’s part.) is where you’ll find a contest where you can win a Disney Vacation, learn about fun ways to celebrate milestones in your life, and find out the schedule for a new promotional tour. Also highlighted are tools to plan your vacation with. Additionally, they’re promoting Disney Environmentality with a message not to release your ‘Mickey Balloon’ into the air. The biggest news would seem to be that you can register to get free admission to a Disney Theme Park on your birthday in 2009 (you must register first, and there are other treats available if you already have admission).
Without even reading the Disney Press Release on this. It would appear that Disney is hoping to capitalize on what is already a major trend in their customer base. Disney has known for years that since families tend to save for years to make the trip to the parks, they often do it around a special occasion. A few years ago the campaign was called “Magical Gatherings” and it was essentially the same thing where Disney would organize special events for you based on the occasion you were celebrating. Finally, the whole campaign ties into a vacation planning package that will walk you through hotel, dinner, and event registrations. It was obviously successful enough they want to try it again.
I hope this is a successful campaign for Disney and brings in hordes of guests. However, my initial response is to be a little underwhelmed. Disney is probably facing a significant drop in attendance and spending at its domestic parks for at least the next 12-18 months and this all they came up with to bolster the numbers?
What happened to the great promotions of the past where Parks, Films, and Parades were all tied together. Mickey Mania, Party Gras, The Lion King Celebration? Where’s the exciting Tagline? In the past we had “Where the Adventure Begins,” “Where the Magic Never Stops,” and “Where Dreams Come True.” Where we should have inspiration, instead we get a question. Where’s the announcement of the new parades, shows, and attractions that will encourage repeat visitors to return and send prospective new visitors to travel agencies to book. Instead we get a ‘Street Party’. What is that?
What disturbs me most about this promotion is how Disney is equating themselves with the local Chuck-e-Cheese. Little Johnny’s having his Birthday? Where do we want to celebrate? How about Chuck-e-Cheese? Or maybe Disneyland? That’s not an effective way to get people to drop their “staycation” and travel to Anaheim/Orlando instead. You have to offer excitement and value.
Disney isn’t in the same category as local options, and they shouldn’t act like it either. I’m not saying Disney should not offer Birthday and other Celebrations. But it should be part of the whole package, not the cornerstone of the big promotion for the year.
Okay. It’s the 3rd year in a row of less than exciting promotions for Disney Parks. So let chalk this one up to being an ‘off-year’. Due to the soft economy Disney isn’t expecting much to happen this year. They’ve planned no new shows, no new parades, and only one new attraction (American Idol at DHS) for 2009. Perhaps there is some fiscal merit to not going overboard with a major promotion. But then again, maybe they could have done something that would knock your socks off.
A promotional video and the full press release is below the cut:
