Disney Fights Hunger With a CANtasmic! CANstruction

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Each year for ten years, CANstruction OC has raised funds to fight hunger with a design-build competition in which the building materials are canned and packaged foods. The public votes on favorite entries, and all proceeds, along with the canned goods used, are donated to the OC Food Bank.

The Disneyland Resort team

The Disneyland Resort team

The Disneyland Resort has been a part of CANstruction since its inception. This year’s entry celebrates the return of Fantasmic! with CANtasmic!, a ten-foot high “fire breathing” Maleficent dragon. Team leaders from the Resort Design and Engineering team were joined by VoluntEars to place over 5,250 cans and other packaged goods on the second floor of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

Work was done while the mall was closed, meaning that the team labored through the night. The morning sun rose on what had been nothing more than boxes of tinned sardines, canned soup, and packaged snacks just hours before. Planning took over six months. The display remains in place through September 24th.

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Materials used for CANtasmic! were:

  • Canned Chunk White Chicken
  • Canned Sardines in Olive Oil
  • Canned Sardines in Water
  • Canned Water Chestnuts
  • Canned Bamboo Shoots
  • Canned Black and Pinto Beans
  • Drink Mix Packets
  • Black Tea
  • Assorted Chips
  • Fruit Snacks
Items are chosen for their shape and color. All materials used must be unaltered canned and packaged goods. They may be held together with tape and supported by limited structures. The eyes of the CANtasmic! Dragon, for example, are jars of honey, specially chosen for their lack of label on one side.

Construction of the CANtasmic! Dragon and an interview with team leader Andy Grenier

Nine different structures are on display at the Bear Street section of South Coast Plaza. In addition, three are at John Wayne Airport and one is at the ARTIC transit center. For more information or to vote on line go to CanstructionOC.org/VOTE.