Summary:

Walt Disney World Resort just turned on the switch on a new 270-acre, 50 MW solar facility which is providing renewable energy to two of their theme parks in Florida.

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Main Article:

Mickey Mouse is into clean energy.

That’s why the Walt Disney World Resort recently announced that in collaboration with the Reedy Creek Improvement District and a private sector energy company, they developed and are now operating a new 270-acre, 50-megawatt solar facility in the state of Florida.

“This facility is expected to generate enough power from the sun to operate two of our four theme parks in Central Florida annually,” the company announced in its official blog. “It will also significantly reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, joining the numerous efforts The Walt Disney Company has launched to deliver its 2020 goal of reducing emissions by 50% compared to 2012.”

They say they will be celebrating this milestone in the coming months.

Moreover, the newly-developed solar farm has enough solar power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 57,000 tons annually. That's equivalent of removing 9,300 cars from the roads over the course of a year.

The company even developed a time-lapse video – filmed with a solar-powered camera – to see how the facility came to life.

While they say this project is "a giant leap forward in our emissions efforts", it is not Disney's first entry into the solar power world. 

The company says they first installed solar panels back in 1978, making Disneyland Hotel's Bonita Tower the first hotel building in the U.S. with a solar water heating system. "The classic Universe of Energy was a natural fit for our second solar project in 1982, this time with a 2,200 photvoltaic panels across two acres of rooftop.

But without a doubt, the most iconic solar power facility at Disney is a 22-acre, 5-megawatt solar array near Epcot shaped like Mickey Mouse that opened in 2016.

"So next time your travels bring you to Walt Disney World Resort, know that your visit may be partly powered by the sun," they conclude.