Disney World employs more than 70,000 people, receives about 50 million visitors annually (on average), and its size is equivalent to two Manhattan islands. Add the fact that 29 percent of Florida's surface is covered with wetlands, and the complex should be a nightmare of insects, starting with mosquitoes. However, Disney has managed to keep the bloodsucking invasion at bay without altering the experience of its clients too much. What is their strategy?
Theme parks, dozens of hotels, camping areas... More than a complex, Disney World is a city. It even has its own transportation system and an impressive security structure (metal detectors and dogs that sniff explosives are part of the equipment), but there are problems that even Disney cannot solve, and one of them is nature. Disney World is located in Florida, spread between the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista.
Florida is essentially wetlands... and a lot of mosquitoes. Although it may not seem like it, Disney carries out an open war against mosquitoes, but in general, the "guests" (visitors in local corporate language) do not feel its impact. What is the trick?
The Strategy
In reality, there are no tricks or shortcuts. Precise studies, periodic controls, localized fumigations (twice a day) and constant surveillance are part of Disney's strategy to limit the mosquito population, and the key word here is "limit," because not even the titan of 160 billion dollars can eradicate them completely.
Its main attack front is made up of insecticides of instant effect, growth regulators that inhibit or hinder their development, and the conservation of natural enemies. Instead of bombing its entire property with insecticides and hoping that is enough, Disney maintains about 60 traps with carbon dioxide that allow it to identify the type of mosquito, its age, concentration, and whether they are ready to lay eggs. By combining the results of its traps, Disney builds a "roadmap" that defines the places to attack.
Disney also uses a rather curious resource: Chickens. These localized groups of chickens serve as markers or sentinels, and their only role is to be monitored to detect the presence of the West Nile Virus. Chickens produce an antibody that keeps them safe from the virus, and with a blood test, Disney experts can determine if there are mosquitoes carrying the virus, and where they are.
Disney World's strategy is very effective, but that does not make it perfect. On the one hand, they must avoid spraying open areas with the presence of guests (the Fort Wilderness campground is usually the least treated), and on the other, there have been several occasions when it was necessary to prioritize safety over available experiences. In 1990 and 1997, Disney World distributed special instructions and modified the schedules of its attractions to minimize the risk of encephalitis, while in 2016 it installed free repellent stations due to the arrival of Zika.
