Disney donates surplus foods to food banks as parks remain closed amid coronavirus outbreak

Disneyland and Disney World are donating surplus foods to food banks in their respective communities in Florida and California as the company’s parks remain closed during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Walt Disney Company said staffers at its Walt Disney World Resort began working with its distribution services team, which manages donations for the park, on Tuesday “to help the community and share surplus food inventory like fresh salads, greens and expertly cooked hot items with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.”

Tajiana Ancora-Brown, the director of external affairs at Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement that the donations “would not be possible without the dedication of cast members behind the scenes who collect, sort and distribute every item to ensure it’s delivered with the highest level of freshness, keeping food safety top of mind.”

“We feel an immense sense of pride and excitement every time we see the Disney Harvest truck making deliveries in the community, and we’re so grateful for the team that makes these donations happen,” she added.

Meanwhile, the company said the Disneyland Resort had already begun sharing surplus food, including excess dairy, produce and banquet meals, with the Second Harvest Food Bank to have it “quickly moved out to pantries and food distribution sites throughout Orange County.” 

Harald Herrmann, who serves as CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, said in a statement that it is “deeply grateful to Disneyland Resort for their generous donation of food.” 

“Donations of food, especially shelf-stable food, will be critical in the days and weeks ahead to serve those in our community impacted by the COVID-19 crisis,” Herrmann added.

The move comes days after Disney announced it would be temporarily closing its parks in the U.S. as a safety precaution to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. According to The New York Times, it’s the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that both Disneyland and Disney World have been closed in the U.S.