Surprisingly, many of them may well be, environmental experts say, as the company has chosen to focus on elements they can actually control, and given practicable short-term goals.

The environmental goals are part of the company’s 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report, which also discusses other issues such as charitable giving and workplace diversity. Created by an environmental council of senior Disney executives, they include the company’s first comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. The report covers all of Disney’s facilities, including its theme parks--except for Tokyo Disneyland, which is neither owned nor operated by Disney--resorts, cruise ships, office buildings, and sound stages.

"While Disney has always been a leader in environmental stewardship, we are taking ambitious steps to help preserve our planet for future generations," says Disney senior EVP and CFO Thomas O. Staggs, in the press release introducing the report.

The company has been an Energy Star partner for more than 10 years, and its Florida hotels have all received Florida Green Lodging Certification. The long-term environmental goals outlined in the report are: Zero waste; Zero net direct greenhouse gas emissions from fuels; the reduction of indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption; net positive impact on ecosystems; minimizing water use and product imprint.

"It’s not comprehensive," says Lauren Yarmuth, a principal of YRG Sustainability Consultants, New York City. "However, what they’re doing is very impressive."

The idea of zero waste, though, might be astonishing to anyone who has visited a Disney theme park on a peak day. Millions of visitors generate trash. In 2006, Disney’s theme parks and resorts--again, with the exception of Tokyo Disneyland--generated 298,000 tons of trash, 170,000 tons of which were sent to landfills, the report said. A short-term goal is to decrease solid waste to landfill to 50% of the 2006 baseline level and increase percentage of purchases that include post-consumer recycled material by 2013.

"In terms of zero waste, it’s absolutely feasible," Yarmuth says. "It’s a matter of the supply chain."

Disney World in Florida has a major composting facility, and the real trick will be to encourage visitors to separate their trash even as they’re enjoying the resorts, ships, or parks.

"It’s extremely regulated," says Claire Woolley, a former environmental attorney in her native New Zealand, and now a vice president with Chicago-based tenant representation firm Howard Ecker + Co. Woolley has visited the Orlando compost facility. "Behind the scenes, it’s a tight ship." It’s extremely important to note that Disney is only focusing on what it can directly control, Woolley added.

"The trick," Yarmuth noted, "is where they buy cotton candy with packaging from the outside world."

But much like Wal-Mart, Disney’s sheer size can influence vendors to produce greener materials. Last year, the company recommended that its branded plastic bags be made of recycled material and that paper bags be made from approved pulp.

Achieving zero-carbon emissions may be a bit more challenging.

"It’s kind of aspirational," Woolley says. "But it’s not a bad thing. It’s kind of possible."

In 2006, the company reported direct GHG emissions from fuel combustion and refrigerant leaks of 566,042 metric tons, indirect GHG emissions from electricity of 1.1 million metric tons, and 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

Disney seeks to achieve 50% of its long-term goal for direct emissions from fuels through a combination of reductions, efficiencies and offsets by 2012, and to reduce electricity consumption in existing assets by 10% compared to 2006 by 2013. That may be more difficult, even the company acknowledges.

"Achieving zero net direct GHG emissions depends on the ability to reduce or eliminate consumption of carbon-based fuels such as natural gas, gasoline and diesel, and acquire or generate carbon offsets from projects. Alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, are currently available, but only in limited quantities and for limited applications," the report said. "In the case of carbon offsets, there is no formal, governmental oversight or regulation of such efforts in the United States. Therefore, caution is required to choose credible partners to generate carbon offsets. Transparency and completeness in reporting are critical, as well as due diligence in selecting carbon offset programs."

Financing will be required to create an integrated design approach that would maximize efficiencies, and the company would need to identify opportunities for self-generation on a much larger scale than ever before, the report added.

"They wouldn’t have put themselves out there with this kind of detail if they didn’t think they could do it," Woolley says.

Recently, my husband scored some cheap plane tickets to Florida, and suddenly we had two weeks to plan for our daughter's first trip to the Magic Kingdom. I couldn't resist "It's a Small World," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and eating massive turkey legs.

The week we planned our trip was the week I had originally hoped to fast. But I couldn't imagine spending my first few days of Lenten fasting trying to keep up with my preschooler in a theme park through the Florida heat.

So I postponed the fast until after the trip. It was my first weakness. There would be more.

To give some background, I grew up Baptist in a traditional church that did not encourage the act of fasting during Lent. Rather, its emphasis was on Jesus' sacrifice for our sins and the resurrection. So the only time I have purposely fasted in my life was before a major surgery.

I hadn't really given personal fasting during Lent much thought until I spent a month at Duke Divinity School last fall. There, I took a class on fasting and was inspired by the stories I heard.

The students spoke of fasting as if it were the greatest, most spiritually clarifying act they had ever experienced. They said they felt more peace and a greater connection with God.

Fasting sounded like a peace I could use in my life right now. I wanted a way not only to glorify God, but to prove to myself that I needed spirit more than I needed food as my substance.

Several media stories at the start of Lent this year said more people were giving up conveniences and luxuries such as iPods or texting instead of food. That didn't seem as sincere to me. No offense to all you technology-fasters out there.

I don't rely on my iPod or texting like I do on food. But because I've had some trouble with food in my life - more under-indulging than over-indulging - I usually make sure to have my three squares.

So I saw giving up solid food from sunrise to sunset for five days as a sacrifice and somewhat of a risk. What if I lapsed back into my old not-eating habits, I worried.

Oh, ye of little faith, right?

Of course, I had some rules. I took a few pages from the Muslim fasts for Ramadan in the hours I chose not to eat: sun-up to sundown. And I followed some of the Catholics I know who do not fast on Sundays, a feast day. I decided to fast in secret, though I wanted to write about it afterward to keep myself accountable. Also, I wanted to read scripture and pray before I ate my morning meal and my evening meal.

So that meant I rose earlier, and my family had to wait until about 7:30 p.m. each night for their dinner. Bless you for your patience, family!

A local pastor suggested I should pray when the hunger pangs hit. I took her suggestion to heart.

For the most part, my days passed peacefully. I drank plenty of fluids and didn't dwell on food smells in the newsroom at lunchtime. Truly, I didn't miss the food, and I felt more attentive.

But there were trials. I fasted through newsroom smorgasbords on two different days. And the chow-down spot in the newsroom happens to be right behind my desk. Wings, potato salad, Irish soda bread, strawberry shortcakes, green Rice Krispies treats, fried chicken, pasta salad and more. The smells overwhelmed me.

I had to shut my eyes and pray. I asked for this, and I was doing this for God, I prayed.

As my fast progressed, I began to really enjoy reading Bible passages about fasting or God's love each day. I read scriptures in Jeremiah, Matthew and John and sat contemplating their meanings.

In the end, I realized that giving up day-time solid foods was such a small sacrifice. I felt almost guilty ending the fast.

No, not Peoria.

For a week, we’ll be spending time in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., hanging out with Mickey, sailing with pirates and rediscovering that it’s really just a small world after all. Because I haven’t ventured into the Magic Kingdom since I was 6 and haven’t watched a Disney movie (not counting those nifty Pixar productions) in a decade, we’ve been revisiting some of the “classics” over the past few weeks.

Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned from my time in ’toon town:

• Hyenas and vultures are bad news. Ferocious lions, tigers and bears can be allies – even heroes – in Disney movies, but watch out for those scavengers. Hyenas and vultures are usually harbingers of evil in the animated animal kingdom, often serving as henchmen. One exception: The friendly vulture quartet in 1967’s “The Jungle Book,” who were styled after The Beatles. Maybe the mop-tops were perceived as villains by the older animators.

• I know all the words to all the songs in “The Little Mermaid.” Released when I was a kid and replayed endlessly on video through the early ‘90s by my younger brothers, “Mermaid” and its tunes have apparently been grafted into my cranium. I wasn’t aware of this until, while watching, I discovered I could replicate every mangled French lyric to “Les Poissons.” Sacre bleu.

• Animal relationships are more complicated than human ones. Snow White gets sent off to happily ever after-land following a mere kiss. Prince Eric falls in love with Ariel’s voice. Aladdin and Princess Jasmine bond on a magic carpet ride. Then, let’s get married. Done. Perfect. How many of these quick courtships end up in divorce? Is there an animation alimony fund? Meanwhile, Lady and the Tramp do it on their first date (it’s not seen, obviously, but suggested). Simba and Nala build from a foundation of childhood friendship. Pongo and Perdita have a stable enough marriage to withstand taking care of 99 puppies. Could lazy old Sleeping Beauty handle even one screaming baby without the help of her three fairy godmothers?

• My voice recognition skills have improved since I was young. I think it would have freaked me out as a tyke to realize that Winnie the Pooh sounded suspiciously like Mr. Stork in “Dumbo,” the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” and Kaa the python in “The Jungle Book” (all voiced by Sterling Holloway). Maybe I would have figured it out if the Cheshire cat yearned for a honey pot. Oh, bother.

• Some of these movies don’t hold up. Shocking, I know. Although I didn’t expect all of these films to live up to my childhood memories, I was surprised at some that did and others that didn’t. I used to love “Peter Pan,” but as an adult I found myself identifying more with Captain Hook while watching this haphazard fantasy. I was barely able to endure the 2-hour, 20 minute “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” at 27; I don’t know how I was able to sit through repeat viewings when I was 7. On the other hand, “Fantasia” used to bore me silly and I had no warm feelings toward “Lady and the Tramp.” Now, I see the former for its whimsical, animation breakthroughs and the former for its elegant, mature storytelling.

• You never know where racism will pop up. Due to NAACP protests, Disney has kept 1946’s “Song of the South” (in which former slaves seem affectionate toward the “good old days”) unavailable on DVD. But plenty of other racist characterizations permeate the Disney oeuvre. Jive-talking crows appear in “Dumbo,” the Siamese cats in “Lady and the Tramp” share a Charlie Chan-like dialect and there’s a whole song in “Peter Pan” dedicated to telling us “What Makes the Redman Red.” How helpful.