Disneyland Resort hit a new employment record this year reporting a local headcount of 36,000 as of October.
It is the largest employer in Orange County (see list, page 24) and the recent milestone marks the entertainment firm’s third time hitting a record high since the pandemic when the Anaheim theme parks and its surrounding retail and hospitality venues closed for over a year.
Disneyland recovered to 34,000 in 2022 surpassing 2019 levels for the first time then rose to 35,000 the year after.
Company officials attributed the growth to the past few years of development including the addition of new themed lands such as Avengers Campus in 2021, renovations to existing areas like Mickey’s Toontown and updates made to both the Disneyland Hotel and the rethemed Pixar Place Hotel.
The 500-acre resort and its themed areas and rides are continually being updated, with several incoming projects announced at the Walt Disney Co.’s D23 Expo in August.
Besides new film-based attractions, Disneyland has also introduced a series of sustainability programs that help the existing parks, and any future development, keep the natural environment in mind.
“A sustainable Disneyland can bring magic and happiness to our guests while caring for our ecosystem – staying true to our core values,” Senior Manager of Environmental Sustainability Jake Raykhelson told the Business Journal in a statement.
Raykhelson leads the resort’s 10-person team with expertise that span climate science, materials engineering, renewable energy, waste management, agricultural systems and culinary arts.
These eco-friendly initiatives include energy and water conservation and waste minimization, which result in projects focused on keeping water supplies local, re-powering attraction vehicles and even creating a more sustainable culinary program.
“Environmental sustainability isn’t just about reducing emissions, creating less waste or doing a little less of something,” Raykhelson said. “Sustainability is balancing human needs and well-being with design principles, guest experience and environmental outcomes.”
Recruiting Chefs to Sustainability Mission
Disneyland aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food systems by 30% by 2030 as part of Walt Disney Co.’s companywide environmental goals.
To accomplish this, the Anaheim resort last year launched a new sustainable culinary fellowship that invited chefs employed across Disney parks and hotels to learn about supply chain and sourcing, as well as focus on menu development.
The year-long fellowship included the creation of plant-based dishes and processes that reduce waste, designed by the participating chefs as part of the larger sustainable food systems program at Disneyland.
Some of the dishes were brought into the parks in 2024 and “early impact metrics indicate that new climate friendly offerings developed by these culinary fellows result in 20% to 80% less carbon emissions in their life cycle than traditional menu offerings,” according to Disney.
One innovation was the Dinoco blue cheeseburger at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land which includes a lower-carbon, Angus beef and mushroom patty. Another recent plant-based offering that’s turning heads – a corn ribs plate at the new Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree restaurant near the soon-to open Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, formerly Splash Mountain.
Last year, Disneyland Hotel Chef Kameron Trevino and his culinary team created a 50% plant-based buffet at the hotel’s Goofy’s Kitchen restaurant during the resort’s holiday season. The buffet included Korean fried broccoli, corn cake and caramelized roasted pineapple.
The park’s eco-conscious efforts earned Disneyland its fourth SEAL Business Sustainability Award this year.
Other local efforts related to food waste recovery include a food donation program where the Anaheim resort collects over 2,000 pounds of unused prepared food per month from restaurants and banquets for donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
Disneyland also has a food scraps program that diverts millions of pounds of food waste from landfills.
Theme Park Energy Saver
Since 2009, the Disneyland Railroad steam trains and Mark Twain Riverboat have been powered by biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil. This replaces approximately 200,000 gallons of petroleum diesel annually, according to Disney.
Earlier this year, Disneyland announced that it would be converting all vehicles of the Autopia attraction in Tomorrowland to electric by 2027.
Autopia, which opened along with the original park in 1955, is one of the resort’s latest efforts in using energy more efficiently.
As part of Disneyland’s energy and emissions program, over 40,000 fluorescent and incandescent lamps from parking lots to theaters and offices to backstage corridors have been replaced with LEDs.
The parks also enrolled in Anaheim’s green power program this year, where the city matched 60% of Disney’s electricity use from renewable supplies.
Disneyland has so far converted 10% of its 400-vehicle fleet to electric and is home to one of Orange County’s largest destination EV charging networks as well. All parade floats are also electrically powered.
These efforts led the resort to be recognized as the 2024 Sustainable Corporation of the Year at Sustain SoCal’s 15th Annual Energy Event in October.
“In 2024, the resort’s greenhouse gas emissions are projected to be 100,000 metric tons less than they were in 2019,” according to the company.
The recently approved DisneylandForward development project will continue to implement these initiatives, including plans to promote alternative forms of transportation and reduce trips across the resort.
