Disney Saves the World (One Piece At A Time)

There are so many wonderful aspects about the Disney Company. Not only is their creative writing team top notch, but so are the ImaginEARS, cast members and everyone else who helps bring the Disney magic to people everyday. I bring this up because I think we should also recognize what Disney is doing to help make the world a better place, not only by brining about smiles, but by looking out for the environment.

I was reviewing the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend race maps, as I'll be leaving tomorrow to run the Dopey Challenge (more on that in future posts) when I spotted this Mickey-shaped location right next to Epcot.

Unsure if this was a lake of some sort (though it couldn't be because it was colored gray, not blue) I did a quick Google search to see what would come up. This is what I found: Disney's Solar Farm

In 2016 Disney paired with Duke Energy to create a five megawatt, 22-acre solar energy farm. (That's enough solar energy to power over 800 homes). Of course, the location is ideal as Epcot is the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" and has been using solar panels since 1982.

Seeing this solar panel, one may think that this must be the largest Hidden Mickey ever to exist, but that is not true! The previous article mentioned the largest Hidden Mickey being a forest in Clermont, Florida. Curious, I once again did a quick Google search (what would we do without Google?) and came across this: Attractions Magazine

(Taken from Pinterest)

Walt Disney had bought some old orange fields, but the frost in the 1980s killed off the trees on the land. Determined to make a positive impact on the environment the Disney Company planted the Mickey Forest, which was completed by voluntEARS in 1992. The article has some great photos from the day the trees were planted, as well as details on how to see the forest for yourself. Or, simply pull up Google Maps and find it!