Disneyland is known for its rides and various other attractions and bright colored balloons with Micky Mouse heads are a part of the park’s main attractions for children. This year however, children visiting the park will be deprived of such floating balloons.
From November 21, 2012, Tokyo Disneyland has suspended all sales of balloons within the park. All the balloons have been wiped out of the park citing difficulties related to the raw material that goes in to the balloon.
The park is facing a shortage of helium and after some research it was found that the problem is actually quite serious. Helium is an inert gas which has extreme melting and boiling points and is widely used by medical companies and high tech firms for various applications. The gas is also used at children’s parties to inflate balloons.
In recent times, due to the growth of the manufacturing industry in Asia, the demand for helium gas has increased. Despite the fact that helium is the second most abundant element found in the universe, most of the earth’s helium escapes into space. Moreover the US produces 75% of the world’s helium, most of which is located in the Texas panhandle. This leads to logistical costs, which cannot be borne by the park at the moment and as a result the use of helium balloons have been restricted.
