Author: disneyparks.disney.go.com

Recently, Disney announced an employee-led commitment to deepen its relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We believe that inclusion is a critical part of fostering ideas and decisions from all people to help us grow, innovate and create the best stories. Today, I’m pleased to share a behind-the-scenes look at one of the many ways that we’re activating on that commitment. 

This month, we hosted virtual career exploration sessions for HBCU students where I joined my fellow cast members as part of an internal, HBCU strategy task force led by Kristi Breen, Vice President, Disney International and Campus Programs and Disney Cruise Line Recruitment, and Avis Lewis, Vice President, Human Resources, Walt Disney Imagineering and Consumer Products, Games and Publishing to connect with students and share with them all the opportunities possible at Disney. From Walt Disney World to Walt Disney Imagineering and from Consumer Products, Games and Publishing to beyond – cast members united from all over The Walt Disney Company for this important effort. 

My own educational journey began at an HBCU, and I’ve carried the lessons I learned at my alma mater, Hampton University, throughout my nearly six-year Disney career. I know firsthand how important it is to support efforts that encourage HBCU students and provide opportunities for students to participate in engaging and accessible events.

As part of our new efforts, Disney is helping create purposeful career paths for HBCU students from colleges including: Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Howard University in Washington, D.C., North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro and Hampton University in Virginia. 

By working more closely with HBCUs, Disney will continue to build a robust, long-term pipeline of Black talent through the development of student internships, mentorship opportunities and inclusive hiring practices. 

I was in these students’ shoes not long ago, and I feel like I would have benefitted from a conversation like this to understand the power of networking while interning, and how it is such a huge part of our career journeys. I am truly proud and grateful that Disney is taking this step to strengthen its relationships with HBCUs.

Disney employees from all over the company will have the opportunity to support HBCU engagement in multiple ways, from volunteering, to participating in mentorship opportunities and recruitment efforts, and more. This activation is just one of many ongoing sessions scheduled throughout the year. Stay tuned as we continue to bring you more stories about our Diversity & Inclusion efforts! 

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Cast Member Profiles, Community Outreach

Beginning in November there will be even more distinctively Disney dining and shopping for you to enjoy at the Disneyland Resort, when the Downtown Disney District extends to Buena Vista Street!  

Recently, we introduced Downtown Disney guests to the Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop at Stage 17. This store is currently showcasing an array of seasonal merchandise for you to browse. With Buena Vista Street soon opening select shopping and dining experiences, you can find even more places to enjoy a memorable meal or a fun shopping excursion during your visit.  

Here’s what you can discover – be sure to put these places on your shopping and dining list:

• Holiday shopping? Head to Elias & Co. The store is divided into distinct sections for men, women and children, so you’ll find something special for the entire family! At Julius Katz & Sons, peruse even more holiday merchandise and Disney-themed home décor. At Kingswell Camera Shop offers great gift-giving ideas like frames, photo albums and more. Buena Vista Street stores have a variety of your Disney favorites!
• If you are looking to tempt your taste buds with a snack, Trolley Treats offers classic candies, old-fashioned confections and all kinds of freshly made treats. Vending carts will offer popcorn, churros, ice cream and other “must-bite” treats.
• Swing by Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe for the enchanting sights and sounds of Buena Vista Street—and a cup of coffee or scrumptious artisan sandwich.
• Sit-down dining options include Carthay Circle Lounge, where you can unwind in our expanded outdoor seating area featuring an all-new menu of cocktails and dining. Smokejumpers Grill is serving up tasty American classics for lunch and dinner with a streamlined menu of burgers, fries, onion rings and craft beer, located just around the corner from Buena Vista Street. The primary way to place your order at this dining location is through mobile order on the Disneyland App.*

Only the shopping and dining experiences along Buena Vista Street will be accessible from the Downtown Disney District at this time, as Disney California Adventure park is currently closed.

If you haven’t visited the Downtown Disney District lately, be sure to familiarize yourself with our health and safety measures at Disneyland.com/DTD, to learn important details, including temperature screenings prior to entry and the requirement for all guests, ages 2 and older, to wear an appropriate face covering. The number of Guests visiting the Downtown Disney District and its locations, including the shopping and dining experiences along Buena Vista Street, will be limited to promote proper physical distancing.

Check back soon for more details about the special shopping and dining experiences coming later in November to Buena Vista Street!

*Available for iPhone®, iPad® and smartphones for Android. Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations and features may vary by handset or service provider. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney District, DLR, DTD

Spooky season is upon us! Between the dramatic décor, tasty treats and ghostly games, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween at home. And now, thanks to our friends at Mars Wrigley, you can even virtually Trick or Treat using their new TREAT TOWN app.

TREAT TOWN is a first-ever digital trick-or-treating experience and the perfect way to keep a classic Halloween tradition alive with your family. Whether you sign up to be a candy giver or a trick-or-treater, the app allows users to collect candy, connect with friends and family and maybe even visit some surprise locations…

Now through October 31, trick-or-treaters can visit The Haunted Mansion for a unique trick-or-treating experience that only The Haunted Mansion can offer. You can virtually visit everyone’s favorite haunted estate from the comfort of your own home!

But, if you happen to be visiting Walt Disney World Resort, head on over to Magic Kingdom Park and climb aboard a Doom Buggy for a journey through The Haunted Mansion attraction.

Also, be sure to stop by the West Side at Disney Springs and bring your phone to start the virtual fun and games with TREAT TOWN! Don’t forget to snap a selfie while you’re there with everyone’s favorite hitch-hiking ghosts.

For more information on TREAT TOWN and how to get started, click here. Happy haunting!

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World Resort

Full disclosure: This post contains a big spoiler if you haven’t watched Episode 5 of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” called “Aardvark Love.” 

Once upon a time, a male aardvark named Willie met his match – a female aardvark named Peanut. The pair soon had their first date, and there was magic in the air. After several months, the perfect pair became a perfect trio, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Meet Karanga, a female baby aardvark born earlier this month at Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. She is the first baby aardvark in her family – and in the park’s history, and keepers decided to name her after mom – Karanga means “Peanut” in Swahili.

You can watch the beginnings of this family story unfold in the latest episode of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” produced by National Geographic and now streaming on Disney+. The animal care team was along every step of the way of Willie and Peanut’s relationship journey. In fact, they played a role in pairing them together as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is like a matchmaking service designed to help ensure healthy future generations for endangered and at-risk species.

A lot of thought and careful preparation went into Willie and Peanut’s blind date. In fact, seasoned animal care team members Missy, Elizabeth and Jennifer – who have a collective 60+ years of animal care expertise – used their know-how to create a special pre-date spa day for Peanut. Here’s a closer look at their “girl time” together:

The team was excited and a little nervous when the pair first met. With Peanut fresh and ready to dig in the dirt, would Willie want to join her? Would there be a spark? 

Fortunately, yes … it was love at first snout, which led to future dates and… well, nature took over.

Speaking of nature, aardvarks are a great example of diversity in the animal world and how a species adapts to its environment. These animals, from Sub-Saharan Africa, are perfectly equipped for rooting and burrowing in sand and dirt. You can see, Karanga has a long snout and tongue, just like mom and dad, that, as an insectivore, will eventually help her sniff out and devour up to 50,000 insects in one night. 

Dr. Beth has spent decades providing care for all kinds of mammals here and around the world – in fact, she just celebrated her 25th anniversary in veterinary medicine. Aardvarks hold a special place in her heart and she is very pleased with what she sees in the baby’s health and development so far. Within a few hours after her birth, Karanga had already started digging around in the dirt. This innate skill is important because it’s how aardvarks not only find food, but also how they build the burrows they live in to keep cool. 

Check out @drmarkatdisney on Instagram and @DisneyASE on Facebook for more behind-the-scenes content from our animal keepers and fun facts about the 5,000+ animals who call Walt Disney World Resort home. And take the fun with you when you download this week’s activity page.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, Animals, BtS, DAK, Video, WDW

Today is World Energy Day, and we have some big news that we’re excited to share! Disneyland Paris is proud to announce that it is building one of the largest solar canopy plants in all of Europe! Pictured below, the solar plant will be developed in collaboration with Urbasolar and will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by more than 750 tons of CO2 per year. It will technically result in enough renewable clean energy to power 17% of the resort – equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a small city! 

This project is another step in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and part of a global effort to our long-term goals of attaining net zero greenhouse gas emissions (Disney Parks Blog readers will remember the recently built 270-acre, 50-megawatt solar at Walt Disney World in 2019) and zero waste, while conserving water resources and reversing the decline of wildlife. 

The solar plant at Disneyland Paris began construction in July and is slated for completion in 2023, with our first milestone for the first phase in spring 2021. In total, it will encompass 17 hectares (42 acres) of solar canopies, using 67,500 solar panels for a production of 31 gigawatt-hours per year. 

Not only will the new plant shade guests from the sunlight, rain, and snow, but it will have a hint of Disney magic once the project is completed – illuminating a section in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head at night, which will be visible from the sky. 

In addition to these efforts, did you know that Disneyland Paris Parks and the Disneyland Hotel are already fed by geothermal energy through an innovative plant located at Villages Nature Paris, which uses naturally occurring underground heat and steam to help cover heating needs for the resort’s hot water and heating system? For more information on Disneyland Paris environmental efforts, visit: https://disneylandparis-news.com/en/our-commitments/environment/. 

Interested in learning even more about the environment and what you can do to help? Stay tuned on my Instagram handle @DrMarkatDisney.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disneyland Paris, DLP