Earth Month 2024 special events at Disney theme parks worldwide

ourHome, Disney’s Earth Month 2024 celebration, focuses on three pillars: celebrate, protect, and restore. These verbs are embedded into the purpose of the month’s projects within Disney theme parks and beyond. Let’s take a look.

Disney World: Food, PhotoPass Magic Shots, Characters

At Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, visitors can try limited-time Earth Month food, including a honeycomb mousse, a “Wall-E” cake, and a special dish at Tiffins in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park created from zucchini grown inside The Land Pavilion at Epcot. See the Disney World Earth Month foodie guide for full details.

Throughout the whole month, The Animation Experience at Animal Kingdom will add Dumbo, Tigger, Simba, Terk, and Bruce the shark to its roster of characters guests can learn to draw. The free class is located inside Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

All month at Animal Kingdom, guests can pose for the following limited-time Magic Shots captured by Disney PhotoPass photographers, in which digital characters magically appear alongside guests in their pictures:

• Wall-E and Eve (park entrance)
• Flit from “Pocahontas” (by Discovery River between Africa and Asia)
• Meeko from “Pocahontas” (by Discovery River between Africa and Asia)
• Heimlich from “A Bug’s Life” (most Disney PhotoPass locations)

Disney PhotoPass will also offer limited-time props — Pocahontas’ compass and a tiny Tree of Life —  for guests to use during photo-ops by the Discovery River between Africa and Asia.

In addition to the month-long festivities, Animal Kingdom will host special offerings during Earth Week, April 21-28, 2024, including a Wilderness Explorers nature badge and character sightings (specific characters and locations not yet announced). Not-so-coincidentally, Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day (April 22), 1998.

Disneyland Paris: Castle Show

At Disneyland Paris, an ourHome show at Sleeping Beauty Castle will present the pursuits of National Geographic explorers. The show will debut sometime this month.

Disney did not mention whether the show will be projection-based or utilize live performers.

Shanghai Disney: Earth Month Fair, Forum

At Shanghai Disney Resort, Celebrate Earth, an Earth Month fair, will return to Disneytown from April 19-22, 2024.

Additionally, guests can attend the ourHome Nature Conservation Forum with National Geographic explorer Xi Zhinong on April 22, 2024.

Disneyland: Photo Op, Animation Class

At Disneyland Resort in California, guests can pose in a photo-op celebrating the new National Geographic docuseries “Secrets of the Octopus” and participate in a special session of Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure Park connected to the series.

At Home: Documentaries, Wallpapers

“Secrets of the Octopus” debuts April 22, 2024 on Disney+, as does the new Disneynature documentary film “Tiger.”

Additionally, the three-episode ourHome digital series was filmed at Walt Disney World and will debut online this month. Focusing on renewable electricity, recycling, and wildlife care, the series features “Free Solo” rock-climber Alex Honnold, journalist Mariana Van Zeller, and the country vets known as the Critter Fixers.

Disney also released Earth Month wallpapers and virtual meeting backgrounds photographed at Animal Kingdom.

“The Beauty and Majesty of Our Planet”

ourHome is a temporary campaign within the larger ongoing Disney Planet Possible initiative.

Disney Planet Possible is the name for The Walt Disney Company’s long-term commitment “to taking meaningful and measurable action to support a healthier planet for people and wildlife.” Disney Planet Possible efforts are channeled through three primary outlets: sustainability, conservation, and storytelling.

“Disney is committed to putting possibility into practice and inspiring optimism for a brighter, cleaner, and more environmentally sustainable future,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, vice president of environmental sustainability at The Walt Disney Company.  “We hope the ourHome campaign with Nat Geo helps bring greater awareness of the beauty and majesty of our planet to audiences everywhere.”

National Geographic Partners has existed under the Disney regime since 2019, following Disney’s purchase of a large portion of 21st Century Fox. Disney has used the term “Disney Planet Possible” since at least 2022.

Disney has a goal for its direct operations to produce zero emissions by 2030.

Resources for Families

ourHome Collection on Disney+ | Database of films and series from National Geographic, and Disneynature, plus vintage “True-Life Adventures” nature documentaries.

Disney Conservation Activity Packet | Free PDF from Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment with activities focused on “connecting with the natural world” to “become a conservation hero in your community.”

Family Nature Activity Resources | Free PDFs with activities and lesson plans for parents and educators connected to themes of nature and animals in Disney movies.

Literature for Adults and Students

Disney Planet Possible | Homepage for Disney’s commitment to the environment, including links to specific film productions and global initiatives.

“Earth is our home. Here’s how it’s changing.” | Compilation of National Geographic stories about “how the world is bracing for — and embracing — its future.”

Everything Disney Planet Possible | Database of Disney Parks Blog stories connected to Disney Planet Possible initiatives.

“The Disney Conservation Fund: Carrying Forward a Conservation Legacy” by John Baxter and Diane Hancock | Full, free, official PDF book celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Disney Conservation Fund

The Walt Disney Company 2030 Environmental Goals | PDF detailing Disney’s plans for emissions, water, waste, materials, and sustainable design.

Earth Month Flashback

Animal Kingdom has traditionally celebrated Earth Day and the park’s birthday simultaneously. Take a look at the 10th anniversary ceremony from 2008, featuring Dr. Jane Goodall and Imagineer Joe Rohde: