Disney Experiences Honors 2026 Environmental Champions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort

This Earth Month, Disney Experiences is recognizing cast members at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort who have gone above and beyond to advance environmental sustainability through their work — honoring them with the Disney Environmental Champion of the Year (DECOY) Awards.

What's Happening:

• The DECOY Awards honor cast members who find creative, impactful ways to reduce Disney's environmental footprint and help build a more sustainable future.
• This year's individual and team honorees span both coasts:
  • Jared, a senior mechanical engineer on the Facility Asset Management team at Walt Disney World, played a key role in the recent refurbishment of Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. Thanks to his sustainable design advocacy and cross-team collaboration, the refreshed pool area now conserves thousands of gallons of water every day.
  • Tommy, Summer, and Katie, Housekeeping Line of Business managers at Walt Disney World, completed a multi-year initiative to phase out plastic packaging from bath amenities and vanity amenity kits across Walt Disney World hotels — helping prevent millions of pieces of plastic waste in the process.
  • Valerie, a retail cast member and area lead in New Orleans and Bayou Country at Disneyland, has been instrumental in advancing Zero Waste to Landfill efforts by educating fellow cast members on proper waste disposal and partnering with management to initiate new recycling programs for retail and food and beverage teams.
  • Jason Horn, a senior sourcing specialist with forty years at Disneyland Resort, pioneered sustainable seafood purchasing, championed recyclable packaging, and shifted the resort to locally raised beef as part of his work on the Strategic Sourcing team.
  • The Disneyland Resort Candy Production team earned the 2026 Environmental Team of the Year Award for a multi-year commitment to reducing parchment paper, plastic wrap, and food scraps throughout their operation — including a partnership with Circle D Ranch, in which apples unfit for use in candy production are donated as treats for the horses of Main Street, U.S.A.
• Disney is also celebrating the Disney Conservation Fund's 30th anniversary this Earth Month, spotlighting 30 of Disney's biodiversity, conservation, and environmental sustainability stories through Earth Day at TheWaltDisneyCompany.com/Disney-Planet-Possible.