After coronavirus closure, Disney theme park says it will give away excess food

After Disney officials announced Thursday that they will temporarily be closing parks and resorts to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, Disneyland said it will be donating excess food that would have otherwise gone unused as a result of the sudden closure.

An announcement posted to the Disney Parks Blog Friday explained that an "excess inventory of dairy, fruit, vegetables, packaged goods and banquet meals" from Disneyland stocks will be given to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

"The Disneyland Resort has an ongoing commitment to reducing food waste," read the blog post. "Last year, the Disneyland Resort donated over 20,000 meals to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County through the food donation program, and Disney VoluntEARS regularly volunteer there, supporting the mission of ending hunger."

Second Harvest Food Bank took to Twitter to thank the theme park for its donation.

"Thank you to the team at @DisneyParks for helping us #FeedOC during the parks temporary closure due to #coronavirus," the tweet reads.

Harald Herrmann, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County, told TODAY that his organization is "deeply appreciative" of the donation, and added that the items will go toward feeding the 290,000 people in need served by the food bank.

"We are working closely with our partners, including food pantries and distribution sites, to put this food into the hands of those who need it most as quickly as possible," said Herrmann.

"While we do not yet know the amount of food that will be donated, we are working to ensure this vitally important donation will support those most at-risk during this rapidly developing crisis," he continued. "In the coming days and weeks, donations of shelf-stable foods and funds will be more important than ever to ensure that we are able to address the anticipated need."

Food

Disneyland has operated a food donation program since 2014, and donates prepared, unserved meals to many groups that support those in need in Southern California.

Both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, as well as Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, will remain closed until at least the end of March.