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Disneyland Resort Greens Transportation in Its Small World

In a move to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, the Disneyland Resort is using compressed natural gas to fuel its 16 guest trams at the vast property and powering the Disneyland Railroad steam trains and Mark Twain riverboat with biodiesel derived from used cooking oil harvested throughout the complex. Read More

(Updated on July 24, 2024)

In a move to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, the Disneyland Resort is using compressed natural gas to fuel its 16 guest trams at the vast property and powering the Disneyland Railroad steam trains and Mark Twain riverboat with biodiesel derived from used cooking oil harvested throughout the complex.

The resort, the progenitor of the global amusement park and hotel empire, announced its alternative fuel measures January 30.

Use of biodiesel enables the park complex in Anaheim to save about 200,000 gallons of petrol-based diesel fuel each year, according to Frank Dela Vara, Disneyland Resort’s director of environmental affairs and conservation.

The Disneyland Railroad’s five trains had used soy-based biodiesel since April 2007. The switch to biodiesel made from used cooking oil collected from resort kitchens and concessions is expected to reduce emissions by up to 80 percent — keeping up with the performance of the biodiesel used earlier. The Mark Twain Riverboat will start using the new biofuel soon.

The resort also said it completed the conversion of its 16 guest trams to compressed natural gas, or CNG, by December.

Chip ‘n’ Dale caper beside one of the 16 Disneyland Resort guest trams that are now fueled by compressed natural gas.
Courtesy of Disneyland Resorts

For a decade, the trams ran on diesel hybrid engines. Their conversion to CNG compatibility was funded by a $1.17 million grant from the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program, which foot the bill for almost half the costs. Disneyland expects that using CNG will cut the need for some 50,000 gallons of standard diesel fuel each year.

The venerable resort occupies 500 acres and includes two theme parks — the Disneyland theme park and the Disney California Adventure park. There are also three hotels with a total of 2,222 guest rooms. More than 550 million people have visited the Disneyland Resort sinces its opening on July 17, 1955.

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