Everyone is talking about climate change and the ways we can all help to make a difference. Luckily there are lots of ways you can easily make your Disney World trip more Earth-friendly!
Here are some simple ways to make your trip to Disney World more eco-friendly!
Take Your Own Reusable Bottle
One of the easiest ways to be eco-friendly at Disney World is to bring your own reusable bottle. There are lots of cool designs now and Disney even sell them!
Many will also keep your drink cool, which is perfect for the hot Florida heat!
Using a reusable water bottle is good for the planet and for your wallet. Bringing your own drink helps to save you the cost spent on bottled water, which can cost up to $4 each in the Disney Parks!
Take Your Own Reusable Cutlery
Instead of using disposable plastic cutlery bring your own reusable cutlery. Many stores and online retailers now stock these utensils, often made of bamboo, that come in a pouch or in a roll up cotton pack to keep them clean. As well as a knife, fork and spoon many come with a reusable straw also.
You are even able to buy reusable cutlery during EPCOT festivals! Say no to plastic cutlery from quick service options and use your own sustainable ones instead.
Use The Right Bins
Animal Kingdom has a range of bins to help with recycling. These bins are labelled to let you know what products can go in each bin.
Animal Kingdom is a park where the focus is on nature, conservation and sustainability and I love how they are always the first park to trial new eco-friendly features!
Eat Plant-Based Dishes
The biggest individual impact anyone can have towards helping the planet is to eat more plants. Disney World now offers hundreds of amazing plant-based dishes! No matter what type of food you like to eat you will now find a plant-based option of it!
Swap some of your meals whilst at Disney World to these delicious plant-based dishes to help the environment. You can easily find which dishes are plant-based by looking for the green leaf symbol on Disney menus.
You can also download my FREE vegan guides to Disney World which let you know all the plant-based foods at Disney World! A great way to get your mouth watering ahead of your trip!
You can also check out my Vegan WDW page to find out the best plant-based dishes in each Disney World Park, Disney Springs and the Disney Resorts, plus lots of handy blog posts all about the great plant-based dishes at Disney.
Share Meals and Snacks To Cut Down On Food Waste
Portions at Disney World are very generous and often difficult to finish! To help cut down on food waste consider sharing large snacks (like the giant Mickey Pretzels) or quick service meals.
This will also help save you money! A great breakfast option is the Colossal Cinnamon Roll from Creature Comforts in Animal Kindgom. This can easily be shared between two people, which will cut down on food waste and cost!
Look out for meals at quick-service locations that are called platters or combos as these offer the most amount of food and are great for sharing.
You can also take a small food container in your backpack if you'd like to save some of your snacks or non-perishable food items for later.
I was worried about not being able to eat the large portions in Disney World and food waste so did research and found out that Disney use food waste to create electricity to run the parks! It definitely made me feel happy to know that Disney are using innovative technology to be more earth-friendly!
Use Disney's Complimentary Transport To Cut Down On Car Use
One of the big bonuses to staying at a Disney Resort is the free Disney transport you can use! If you aren't staying at Disney World you can still use all these methods of transport to get from the Disney Parks to the Disney Resorts, where you might like to eat an amazing plant-based meal, or to visit Disney Springs.
Using public transport is a more eco-friendly way to travel which is another bonus!
Disney World have introduced a range of eco buses which run on renewable fuel. R50 fuel is made from 50% renewable diesel, made from non-consumable food waste and cooking oil, and 50% ultra-low sulfur diesel. This move reduced their emissions by 50%.
The Disney Railroad steam train is also run on biodiesel using cooking oil from Disney kitchens!
Use The Electric Car Charging Ports
If you have an electric car you are able to charge them at Disney World. A bonus to having an electric car is they often are in a good spot in the parking lots!
Many car rental agencies also offer electric vehicles now if that is something you would like to rent during your trip.
Carbon Offset Your Flights
If you are flying to Orlando you may want to pay to offset your carbon usage. There are a range of websites that now offer this, with many planting trees to offset carbon.
Play Imaginative Games Instead Of Using Devices When Queuing
To pass time in the queues many people now use their mobile devices to play games, watch videos, play music and to keep their kids entertained. To save on battery life, and save on electricity from charging, play imaginative games or people watch to pass the time.
Disney also make their queues super highly themed and some are interactive so can easily be entertained whilst waiting!
Take A Raincoat Or Umbrella With You Instead Of Disposable Plastic Ponchos
Orlando is prone to having short, intense rainstorms and many people are caught out by them and buy disposable plastic ponchos in the moment.
To avoid these plastic ponchos take with you a raincoat or umbrella for these short lived storms.
Stores such as Walmart will also sell these items, as well as heavy-duty, reusable ponchos which have Disney theming. Not only will these be something you can take with you again and again to the parks but it will also save you money by not buying them in the Disney Parks.
Say No To Plastic Bags
Bring a tote bag or backpack with you to the Disney Parks to carry your purchases to cut down on plastic bags.
Plastic isn't good for the planet as it can take hundreds of years to break down. Many plastic bags also end up in the oceans or in fields which can then endanger the wildlife as they can mistake them for food and choke on them.
Bringing your own bag to Disney World will help you cut down on plastic usage and also gives you a chance to show off your style or favourite Disney character or attraction with a themed bag!
Don't Have Towels Replaced Every Day At Your Hotel
To save water hang up used towels to dry once you have used them and only put them on the floor to be replaced once they are dirty. This can save a huge amount of water as the Disney Resorts have thousands of rooms, so washing all those towels uses a huge amount of water up!
Even doing this every couple of days instead of every day will make a difference!
Unplug Electricals When Not In Use
When going out for the day unplug anything in plug sockets, such as chargers. Also turn off the lights and the TV when not needed and when going out for the day.
This is a super simple way to save a lot of electricity!
Take Shorter Showers
Taking shorter showers can help preserve water. You may also want to turn the temperature down as a cool shower in the Florida heat is bliss! Turning the temperature down slightly also helps to save energy. Win win!
Use The Free Toiletries
Disney Resorts, and almost all hotels in Orlando, provide free toiletries in their rooms. Use these to cut down on bringing your own toiletries. Not only will this help with your luggage weight but it will help to reduce plastic waste.
Many people don't manage to use all their toiletries during the course of their trip and throw out the items not used to save space in their bag for their journey home. This excess plastic waste can take as long as 450 years to decompose so trying to avoid this by using the complimentary toiletries is a win for your luggage allowance and the planet!
You may want to bring your own environmentally friendly products like shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes and reusable makeup pads or put your own products into reusable containers. These items are great as they can be used over and over but allow you to use products that you regularly use and enjoy.
These simple swaps can help you have a magical trip to Disney World whilst also knowing you are doing great things for the planet!
To find out more about how Disney World is taking steps to be more earth-friendly read my blog about how sustainable Disney World is.
Check out my Vegan WDW page to find out all the amazing plant-based dishes on offer and download my handy free plant-based guides to Disney World listing every option currently available to enjoy in the Disney Parks, Disney Resorts and Disney Springs!
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