Celebrating the Wonder of Our Planet
Originally published at Disney Parks News
With spring now in bloom, we’re excited to announce that in April, we’ll be celebrating the Wonder of Our Planet! Throughout the month, we’re spotlighting the flora, fauna and so much more that make our planet beautiful, especially as we commemorate Earth Day on April 22.
To help celebrate the Wonder of Our Planet, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite products and experiences that remind us about our natural world.
shopDisney’s Critter Chaos collection features a menagerie of Disney critters on a handful of reusable alternatives to single-use bottles and utensils.
Featuring Meeko, Pluto, Hei Hei, and more friendly critters. The Disney Critters Travel Utensil Set unfolds to reveal a five-piece set of bamboo utensils with artwork on the handles. On the Meeko Stainless Steel Water Bottle, the mischievous little raccoon is being cheeky … literally! Just like Meeko, you can use this bottle to hold water for washing down all your afternoon snacks.
The nature-loving Waste Allocation Load Lifter – Earth Class droid, more affectionately known as WALL•E. Discovered the healing wonders of plants. Celebrate Earth with a line of gardening tools, apparel and accessories inspired by the Disney and Pixar film. On the WALL•E Stainless Steel Travel Mug, WALL•E and EVE remind us of their ultimate goal. To create a greener Earth. The double-walled design will keep your drinks cool or hot. And the clear lid has a silicone seal and a slider opening for sipping on the go.
Our favorite little robot would no doubt love for you to start your own green garden by growing your own herbs.
The WALL•E Herb Planter Set features three cute colorful ceramic cuboid containers. And comes complete with a coordinating dish that reminds you to be ”Clean & Green.” Keep your fresh new herbs watered with the WALL•E Watering Can, a special tool for a precious resource! Perfectly sized for indoor or outdoor use. The watering can have embossed art of water droplets and is a sweet reminder to give your plants some extra love.
Once your garden starts growing strong, the WALL•E Plant Care Set
– Including a trowel, fork, and shears – will be the perfect tools. Made of stainless steel, each tool features sunny yellow artwork starring WALL•E and EVE. It’s much easier to create greener earth with tools like these!
Lastly, every gardener needs their own outfit! The WALL•E T-Shirt for Adults is perfect for days in the sun with your plants.
National Geographic is excited to announce its latest additions to the lifestyle apparel collection this Earth Month! Coming soon to shopDisney and Disney Parks. The spring line is themed to the beauty and majesty of the largest land animal on Earth: the elephant.
Snuggle up with the National Geographic Elephant Plush, with embroidered features and soft corduroy ears, tusks, and accents. While real elephants roam wild, this plush is ready for hours of hugs!
The National Geographic Limited Release Elephant Collectible Pin also celebrates the beauty of the elephant. Within the National Geographic icon, this pin features an artistic portrait of Earth’s largest land animal. Perfect for any pin collection!
With vibrant colors and striking designs, this sturdy and spacious National Geographic Elephant Tote Bag is fully lined and includes a pocket for a laptop computer and straps. Sound the trumpets … this is truly majestic!
Finally, the National Geographic Elephants Striped T-Shirt for Adults.
Features a pop-art image of the elephant with the National Geographic emblem, on a striped background.
Every National Geographic product purchase helps support the global nonprofit National Geographic Society in its work. To protect and illuminate our world through exploration, research, and education. To learn more, visit natgeo.com/info.
Around the Disney Parks, you can find some fun photo opportunities! To promote the “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” Season 2 on Disney+, a photo spot will be available at the entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. On the West Coast, there will be an elephant-themed photo spot in Downtown Disney District by the Star Wars Trading Post promoting Secrets of the Elephants, the new National Geographic four-part series. We can’t wait to see your photos to celebrate the Wonder of Our Planet!
Also in California, “Restaurants at the End of the World” star Kristen Kish will be hosting cooking demos over Earth Day weekend at the Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure–get ready for a tasting experience that will make your taste buds go wild!
To continue the Wonder of Our Planet celebrations, we’ve also pulled together highlights of some of our favorite experiences across the globe.
Adventures by Disney offers amazing opportunities for curious travelers ages 5 and up to explore the beauty of all seven continents.
Each adventure is accompanied by Disney-trained Adventure Guides who handle every detail of your trip, such as accommodations, activities and meals. Then, you can focus on what really matters: enjoying your time together!
From river cruises to land adventures to adult-exclusive trips, there’s something for every traveler. See Switzerland, France, Germany and The Netherlands while aboard the Rhine River Cruise, enjoying cultural experiences and cuisine in each port city along the way. Or, explore beautiful traditions and history in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia itinerary with a cooking class, tuk-tuk tour and more.
There’s also an unforgettable adult-exclusive Danube River Cruise that brings guests to celebrate Oktoberfest across Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as an exciting journey in Costa Rica through renowned rainforests and coastlines to discover exotic wildlife. Whichever adventure you choose, you’ll create a lifetime of magical memories!
National Geographic Expeditions and National Geographic Live offer amazing experiences for travelers — whether taking a trip to a far-flung location and traveling with experts, or staying close to home and attending a local event with a National Geographic Speaker, live and in-person. Either way, an extraordinary legacy of exploration awaits!
National Geographic Expeditions invites travelers to embrace their inner explorers and see the world like never before. Through unparalleled travel experiences to 80 destinations around the world — on every continent.
A National Geographic Expert or expert team accompanies the trips and shares their knowledge through talks and daily outings, leading guests to a greater understanding of the places and cultures visited. Destinations include the Signature Land Inside Japan trip where travelers venture to Kyoto’s iconic temples, cities thousands of years old as well as the contemporary Naoshima and revitalized Hiroshima. A river cruise is an incredible way to explore historic waterways with the convenience of unpacking once during the trip. Off-ship excursions include a mix of activities such as guided tours to museums and historic sites, and depending on the time of year, bike rides through old-world European cities and villages, hikes to some of the most beautiful countryside on the Danube River, the Rhine River, or in Holland and Belgium – or visiting festive Christmas markets in the winter. Bonus: A National Geographic Photography Expert joins every river cruise!
Want to get up close to nature and wildlife?
A National Geographic Expeditions expedition cruise takes travelers to places such as Alaska, Iceland, Antarctica, the Mediterranean, the Galapagos Islands, and more. On the Galapagos Voyage itinerary, travelers may see iguanas and sea lions like the ones pictured above. And on the Land of the Polar Bears itinerary, expect to discover remote, pristine destinations and awe-inspiring wildlife, all while sailing on an ice-class vessel through the Arctic. With all National Geographic Expeditions, travelers support the National Geographic Society’s Explorers and its 135-year legacy.
National Geographic Live offers immersive storytelling and unforgettable imagery live and in-person at events throughout the United States and Canada.
Leading photographers, scientists, filmmakers, and adventurers inspire and captivate audiences through their unique, first-person experiences from the frontlines of exploration. And there are a few ways to engage with them. National Geographic Live’s touring Speaker Series features on-stage presentations in performing arts centers with National Geographic experts, where they share their behind-the-scenes stories — alongside unforgettable imagery and gripping footage. In April alone, there are nearly 30 shows happening. From coast to coast and beyond our northern borders, choose from an exciting array of programs that are fun for the whole family to explore the world, right from your own backyard.
Celebrated underwater photographer and National Geographic Explorer, Brian Skerry showcases his “Secrets of the Whales” show; Emmy award-winning cinematographer and wildlife filmmaker Bob Poole shares how wild places that are broken can be put back together with “Nature Roars Back”; Paraclimber Maureen Beck chronicles her career with “Improbable Ascent”; Aerospace engineer Tracy Drain invites you to discover the marvels of our cosmic backyard with her “Cosmic Adventures”; and environmental anthropologist and filmmaker Alizé Carrère offers a hopeful look at the resilience, perseverance, and innovation of humankind under even the most difficult of conditions with “Adaptation.”
In select locations, National Geographic Live film concerts offer stunning displays of iconic footage accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. Immersing guests in the wonder of National Geographic both visually and musically. Interested in having a National Geographic Explorer on a stage when visiting our Disney destinations? National Geographic Live’s Speakers Bureau is a valuable resource for organizations and groups seeking to lead their audience on paths to discovery with inspiring and uplifting presentations at meetings and events.
To share more about your favorite Disney memories and experiences, post on social media and tag #SharetheWonder and #Disney100 .… No moment of magic is too small. And stay tuned to see how the celebration continues throughout the year!
