Let’s not only plan your Disney vacation, let’s also make it more sustainable with these Disney vacation tips! If you’re anything like me, you’ve begun scouring the internet looking for tips and helpful tricks to not only make the most of your Disney vacation but also make it a bit more eco-friendly.
When traveling on vacation, it is so easy to forget our normal eco-friendly practices because we’re in a new place and don’t often have the convenience of making sustainable choices. To remain sustainable, even on your Disney vacation, one of my biggest Disney vacation tips is to plan ahead. Sit down, research, write out a plan, and execute accordingly.
This past year was my first time bringing the kids to Disney and my first time going as an adult, so I not only have sustainable Disney vacation tips that I executed while I was there but also sustainable Disney vacation tips that I want to incorporate into my next Disney visit that I learned while I was there (because of course there will be a next time!). What I love about eco-friendly options is that they often also save you money which we all know is necessarily in Disney!
If you’re considering a Disney vacation, here are Disney vacation tips to help you embrace the magic sustainably!
1. Don’t forget your reusable water bottle
Bring your reusable water bottles to help avoid purchasing single-use water bottles! It’s incredibly easy to fill up these bottles at the soda fountain of restaurants on the Disney campus for free!
2. Make meals in your stasher bag
One of my favorite Disney vacation tips to help save money and be more sustainable. Make oatmeal in a stasher bag for breakfast! This was not only super easy and efficient, it helped save us money on breakfast. We were able to have breakfast for our family every morning for less than $10 from a stasher bag we brought from home and a few ingredients from the store.
3. Use hotel transportation to Disney or carpool
Most hotels in the vicinity have transportation to Disney! This is a more eco-friendly alternative to driving individual vehicles to the park each day. Another more eco-friendly option is to carpool. If you’re with your family or a large group, try to carpool to prevent having as many cars on the road. This will not only reduce the amount of money you pay for parking but also help to decrease carbon emissions.
4. Use the Disney App instead of paper maps
The Disney map was life-changing! It helped me plan my trip before we even got there, purchase genie passes for the rides the kids and I really wanted to go on, and helped me get to the exact place I wanted to go with step-by-step directions. *Disney vacation tip; use the mobile order for your food! It’s so much faster than waiting in line. Order on your app and by the time you walk there, you walk up, pick up your food, and sit anywhere you like.
5. Bring reusable bags
Don’t forget your reusable bags! Whether it’s your backpack, fanny pack, or a traditional bag, bring something to put miscellaneous items and souvenirs so you don’t accumulate plastic bags during your Disney vacation.
6. Consider what souvenirs you want (and will actually use) before you arrive
As expected, Disney World has all the things! Before you’re even on your Disney vacation, be sure to make a list of all the people you may want to buy souvenirs for, and what you may want to get them! This will help you from overconsuming when you step into the Disney shops. It may also help to ask your loved ones/friends for their favorite colors or favorite Disney characters so you know what you’re looking for.
Work to purchase souvenirs that will actually be used! *Sustainable Disney Vacation Tip: if you can’t think of anything or want to keep your souvenir shopping budget-friendly and sustainable, print a picture of your group with their favorite character and frame it!
7. Don’t be a litterbug
Although the cleaning staff at Disney is truly magical and clean-up happens so quickly you may not even notice, it is still important to practice the art of not littering. Trash on the ground becomes trash in the waterways. The trash is carried by rainwater into storm drains and eventually into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Litter also decreases the visual appeal of Disney! Animals often mistake litter for food and this could lead to digestive problems, or choking. Marine life can even become tangled in litter causing them to become injured.
8. Do not feed the birds
As with most amusement parks and outdoor spaces, there were lots of birds gathered around the eating and sitting areas at each of the Disney Parks. Remember, do not feed the birds. I cringed watching a family next to me throw their $6/slice garlic bread at these birds to encourage them to leave. Not only does this encourage the birds to stay – not leave, but it also is not the type of nutrition they need to survive.
Birds and geese should be using their own natural instincts to find food that is appropriate and nutritious for their bodies. By feeding them you are not only training them to abandon their instincts, you are also causing unnecessary food competition, disrupting natural balances, and feeding them unhealthy food with no nutritional value. Just think, even we can’t survive off of only garlic bread!
9. Place the proper items in the proper bins
There are trash cans and recycling bins all over Disney! Make sure you are aware of what can go into each bin and only recycle what you know you can recycle.
10. Purchase custom clothing from small businesses on Etsy
This is one of my favorite Disney vacation tips because it was so fun planning out our outfits. I had such a great time picking out custom clothing from Etsy for our Dinsey trip. Although I didn’t make my husband match with me every day, I did make him match the first day and the last day. Although he won’t admit it, he loved it! And we got so many compliments.
To keep it sustainable, I made sure not to get the kids any clothes with dates on them because they outgrow them so quickly and I want to be able to thrift them or give them to other friends/family members.
11. Thrift clothing as much as possible
Speaking of thrifting, try to thrift as much as possible for your Disney trip. Make a list of items you may need and as you have time, check out local thrift stores to see if you can buy them! These Disney vacation tips do take some pre-planning because it does take time to find what you need at thrift stores when you are specific. I’ve found a lot of success for kids’ Disney clothing at Once Upon a Child!
12. Plan out your meals to reduce food waste
I’ll admit, the first day the Disney magic got us! We were so caught up in all things Disney that I was saying yes to any and everything, just excited to be in the happiest place on Earth! When I got back to the hotel that night, I looked back at my spending and realized I could probably approach our meals a bit more sustainably (and cost-effectively).
We decided to make breakfast at the hotel each morning, take Peanut Butter sandwiches for lunch, and eat out for dinner each night. That way, we were eating out once a day instead of eating out multiple times each day. We also allowed ourselves one Disney treat each day. Again, this not only limited our spending but also limited our food waste.
Here are some other lunch ideas to pack for your trip at Disney:
- Sandwiches and wraps
- Bento boxes
- Salads in a jar
- Fruit and veggies slices
- Cold pasta salad
- Homemade granola bars
13. Visit Moana’s Journey of Water
Learn about the water cycle and the importance of water conservation in our ecosystem through this interactive attraction! During this attraction, choose whether or not you’d like to take the “wet” path or the “dry” path. This gives you the option to choose whether or not you’d like to experience the awesome water features of the attraction. This outdoor trail truly captures the magic of water!
Water is one of the most important elements in our body and a foundational element of our planet – it is where we get our nickname The Blue Planet! In addition, water connects us. It not only brings life to use, but it is also so important to conserve because all the water on Earth is all the water that has ever existed on Earth. Protecting and understanding it is essential to our livelihood.
14. Visit the Land of the Living Attraction at Epcot
This ride is open to all ages! During this ride, we explored how Epcot is truly making farming more sustainable. Traditional farming not only degrades soil, it also leads to water depletion and a decrease in biodiversity.
During this ride, we learn about the innovation and growing techniques taking place a Disney World to help feed the park guests with freshly grown crops and seafood.
15. Enjoy a meal at Sunshine Seasons or Garden Grill Restaurant
These two restaurants serve fresh vegetables and seafood grown right at Epcot!
16. Air Tags for the Kids
This was such a peace of mind item for me! The kids both had air tags and these cute Disney necklaces to ensure they wore them. Although we of course kept an eye on them, this made me feel extra secure that I could keep track of them.
I hope you enjoyed this post about Disney Vacation Tips for a sustainable Disney trip!
Remember to have fun! Enjoy your time at Disney and know that there is no such thing as imperfect environmentalism!
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