How Disney Saves Energy (Hint: It’s Not Magic)

Abstract

The Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., is among the
most highly visited destinations on earth. Its “campus” consists of
hundreds of buildings that include world-class hotel and conferencing
centers, exotic ride environments, and precisely controlled spaces for
horticulture and animal care.
In addition to a Wall-Street eye on the bottom line, Walt Disney
himself encoded the company’s DNA with an ethic toward conserv-
ing natural resources and the environment that remains to this day
as a program called “Environmentality.” Environmentality is a way of
thinking, acting, and doing business in an environmentally conscien-
tious way—from saving energy and water to reducing waste and other
environmental impacts.
At Disney, energy is a key to success. Air-conditioning, refrigera-
tion, compressed air, and water-moving systems for buildings, rides,
and transportation all run primarily on electricity and natural gas. To
maximize energy conservation and efficiency while minimizing costs
and environmental concerns, the Walt Disney World Resort has imple-
mented a state-of-the-art energy management program (EMP) that can
serve as a role model to owners and administrators of public and pri-
vate facilities.