Walt Disney World Resort to "Green" All Resort Hotels by Earth Day 2008

Disney the Green Standard

TC Palm
July 12, 2007

In Florida, The Walt Disney Co. has taken the lead in greening its hotels. Two of the first four hotels to receive state certification in March 2004 were Disney resorts in Orlando.

Nearly a quarter of all Green Lodging-certified Florida hotels are Disney-owned.

Disney expects to certify all 18 of its Florida hotels by Earth Day 2008.

"The biggest piece we're missing is really making sure that cast members understand what we're doing in case guests ask," said Denise Leeming, who oversees labor and scheduling at the resort. "We need to train our cast members, making sure they can have that conversation. If we can't share the program with our guests, then we've missed half the opportunity."

Great News :thumbsup: Let's hope some guests take the message home with them :mickey:

That's great!!! I just hope that more hotels take after them. I'm glad Disney took the initive.

Just out of curiousity - what exactly are they doing to make the resorts green?

There are a multitude of things that they can do such as use low-flow bath fixtures, use energy efficient lighting and appliances, reuse towels and linens rather than replacing them daily, recycle and use products made from recycled materials, and install A/C units that shut off when no movement is detected in the room. Many of these things are in place already. I believe that POFQ is one of the Disney resorts that is already certified green.

With the governor signing acts to make Florida "greener," our state is becoming more progressive every year. Disney certainly is an example. Now if we could just get those darn property taxes lowered.:beer:

Walt Disney was always promoting responsible use of our resources, and protecting the environment.

Good for Walt Disney World to continue to promote this.

This is fantastic news! Great to hear! :thumbsup:

:clappy::clappy::clappy::clappy::clappy::clappy:


Great news!:thumbsup:

As hot as Florida is, I am not liking the idea of the A/C turning off!!!

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Originally Posted by LauraleeH

As hot as Florida is, I am not liking the idea of the A/C turning off!!!

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Not to be so gauche as to be "un-green", but I agree with you.

Mess with anything, but the AC. They've already put a restriction on how cool you make your room. The LAST thing I want is to come back after a hot, sweaty day in the parks to a hotel room with no AC on.

I think it is great that Disney is doing this and helping lead the way.

Maybe next they will focus on making the buses more green! Last time I was there (about a year ago) I was surprised at how many of the buses were still high polluting diesels. Most transit agencies in the country have converted their buses to CNG or hybrid-CNG.

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Originally Posted by LauraleeH

As hot as Florida is, I am not liking the idea of the A/C turning off!!!

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Originally Posted by Ian

Not to be so gauche as to be "un-green", but I agree with you.

Mess with anything, but the AC. They've already put a restriction on how cool you make your room. The LAST thing I want is to come back after a hot, sweaty day in the parks to a hotel room with no AC on.

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I don't like that thought either. I don't know that they will install this feature in the A/C units, but the Disney Vero Beach resort does have this feature from what I understand. Even worse than coming into a hot room at the end of a long day is having the unit shut off in the middle of the night because it doesn't detect any movement when everyone is asleep!

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Originally Posted by kakn7294

I don't like that thought either. I don't know that they will install this feature in the A/C units, but the Disney Vero Beach resort does have this feature from what I understand. Even worse than coming into a hot room at the end of a long day is having the unit shut off in the middle of the night because it doesn't detect any movement when everyone is asleep!

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That's exactly what I was thinking. If it shuts off while I'm sleeping, I wouldn't be able to stay on Disney property :(

If you ever get a chance to see a program about sleeps studies you will find that people move around a lot when sleeping. Its seems most folks flop around a lot. Its likely not a worry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

Not to be so gauche as to be "un-green", but I agree with you.

Mess with anything, but the AC. They've already put a restriction on how cool you make your room. The LAST thing I want is to come back after a hot, sweaty day in the parks to a hotel room with no AC on.

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I second that. I am definitely all about helping the environment but the AC can not be messed with. A few hotels we have stayed at already enforce the AC off when no movement is found. Dont forget how awful hot nights can get when you are sleeping.....

Overall, very good thing that disney is doing. Every bit helps, and this is a big bit. hopefully they are paving the way for more big hotel chains to follow:D

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Originally Posted by Lacy

Maybe next they will focus on making the buses more green!

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I am sure I read somewhere in another post that Disney was experimenting with some new busses already, on a trial basis. One Intercot poster who stayed at AK Lodge got to ride on one.

All sounds good but the A/C units if you come back to a hot room that could ruin the whole day.:thedolls:

Sorry to sound "un"green but I am not fond of the thought of a/c shutting off while in the parks and while sleeping at night either. Some folks move around more while sleeping than others. I can fold back a side of the bed, get in, wake up in the morning, fold that side of the bed back, and it's made! However, I do suppose one would toss and turn a lot in a hot, humid room.

Then, after a nice, hot, humid, night's sleep, or lack of, you get to take a shower with water pressure so low you can barely wash the shampoo out of your hair.:mickey:

It is good for DisneyWorld to go green as large as it is and with as many guests as they have staying on property year around. I just won't be able to BE one of those guests, and that's okay too.

Many of the things that Disney used to qualify for the certification are things they have been doing for some time. AC motion sensors are not new and I don't think I have ever seen one that actually turns off the unit. They usually lower the set temperature.

Even when it is turned down it has never taken long to cool the room. If my math is correct, most rooms are under 4,000 cubic feet in volume. Unless it's an old or super inefficient AC, I can't imagine it would take long to cool.

I am overly sensitive to heat and humidity as I suffer from hyperhydrosis. I used to sweat outdoors in the middle of winter when I lived in Maine. I have never had a problem with Disney hotel rooms and the temperature.