Birds in the parks?

[Princess Nancy]

WE spend a week Dec 14-21 in Orlando. 4 days at Disney, 2 at Universal. There we're birds everywhere at Universal. The worst meal we had was at lunch where pigeons were inside a restaurant!!! The manager just laughed and said, yep all the time.

We rarely saw any birds at Disney. Only at magic Kingdom back by Splash mountain, but they were flying overhead. They didn't seem to swoop down and bother with people and they seemed nonexistent at the other parks. It was so obvious that we joked that disney gathered the birds and delivered them to universal at night.

So what are your observations?

 

[Mad Hattered]

WE spend a week Dec 14-21 in Orlando. 4 days at Disney, 2 at Universal. There we're birds everywhere at Universal. The worst meal we had was at lunch where pigeons were inside a restaurant!!! The manager just laughed and said, yep all the time.

We rarely saw any birds at Disney. Only at magic Kingdom back by Splash mountain, but they were flying overhead. They didn't seem to swoop down and bother with people and they seemed nonexistent at the other parks. It was so obvious that we joked that disney gathered the birds and delivered them to universal at night.

So what are your observations?

You've obviously never eaten at Flame Tree BBQ in AK or walked with anything remotely edible in your hand through Frontierland.

Do a Google search of annoying birds at Flame Tree BBQ or Frontierland.

 

[anniemae]

We ate at the counter service Mexico restaurant in Epcot. You sit outside in a pavilion on the water. Beautiful setting and great food, but the birds were a little annoying. There was poop on the tables and birds flying over head. Whenever someone left, the birds would descend on the table to eat the crumbs. It kind of put a damper on the meal, we ate fast and took off. They were not pigeons though they were small black/brown birds.

 

[moriaw76]

At the Mexico pavilion and Flame Tree BBQ birds walk around your feet with absolutely no fear. They will walk across your feet under the table. It doesn't bother me but it's because people think it's fun to feed them.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Well, we really were lucky then! We ate in Mexico at the CS. No birds at all. I would have noticed, I have a child who it absolutely terrifies!

We did notice them swooping in frontier land, but the smell of the turkey legs was enough to turn my stomach that eating anywhere near there never crossed my mind!! Lol!!!

 

[kapoof]

The pool at the poly also has lots of birds. I am an animal fan so I don't mind. My son really loves it when the birds come to dine with us too.

 

[PoohsFan1]

You've obviously never eaten at Flame Tree BBQ in AK or walked with anything remotely edible in your hand through Frontierland.

I was thinking the exact same thing . Also in AK right by ITTBAB there are a ton of birds walking/sitting around waiting for food to drop from people eating popcorn and such. Don't get me wrong, the birds don't bother me at all, but they indeed are around....if you go inside the Contemporary Resort you will see a few birds flying around inside the concourse (they never bother the patrons dining at the restaurants though).

 

[Gracie09]

My sister lost an ice cream cone from the outpost in world showcase to a bird. Right before she took her first bite.

 

[goofy4tink]

So many examples of birds at wdw! Lets see...there was the time a dad was walking out of a restaurant in Fronrierland, carrying the tray full of food to his family. The family was sitting there, on the curb. Well, one of those long beaked white birds swooped down, grab the French fries, and took off. The poor dad was so shocked, he dropped the tray....making a lot of other birds quite happy. Then, there was the time at the Electric Umbrella...my friend and I watched a couple of birds picking over someone's left behind, unfinished (or so we thought) lunch. The guy came back and had to shoo the birds away. He didn't finish his lunch! Or the time I got dive bombed by birds that wanted my ice cream. Guests insist on feeding the birds, so the birds have no fear and feel they are entitled to human food!

 

[sjbond]

We bought a funnel cake at Epcot yesterday. While my wife was walking to find a place to sit down, a seagull actually landed on her plate. We also had many near misses from swooping birds...so yes Disney has bird issues too!

 

[Alice Royal]

DBF and I were waiting for Illuminations near Canada one night, and a really little kid (must've been no older than three) started throwing popcorn to the ducks on the bank of the lagoon...they then proceeded to come right through the bars of the fence and the poor kid almost got nose-bumped to death by them! We had ordered fried shrimp from the international outpost or whatever it's called and the stupid ducks came RIGHT over (we were sitting on the ground, so it was at their level) and tried to eat off of our plate...

 

[Magpie]

I think Disney and Universal are exactly the same in this respect.

Once, while we were waiting in line at Casey's Corner, a woman came rushing inside with an absolutely destroyed hotdog on a tray. Still looking shocked, she said, "A seagull just flew down out of the sky and landed on my lunch!"

The CM behind the counter didn't even look surprised!

Another time, I heard a little girl sitting in Frontierland suddenly cry, "Mommy, a bad bird just took my cookie!" One of those tall stork-like birds had just leaned over and plucked it out of her hand.

So yes, birds are everywhere. I even saw a sparrow inside The Land pavilion - which in retrospect shouldn't have been surprising, considering I saw another sparrow flying about inside Dulles Airport on our way down.

I find them quite entertaining, personally!

Another thing Disney and Universal both have: Stray cats! I've spotted kittens in both places.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Right outside of Casey's Corner there's a mound of grass behind the outside tables-there are so many cranes, sparrows and ducks on it you can hardly see the grass. They just stand around, patiently waiting for someone to drop something, then all heck breaks loose.

 

[Magpie]

Right outside of Casey's Corner there's a mound of grass behind the outside tables-there are so many cranes, sparrows and ducks on it you can hardly see the grass. They just stand around, patiently waiting for someone to drop something, then all heck breaks loose.

And they're mean to each other, too! I saw a mama duck leading her ducklings under the tables to look for crumbs, when a male duck suddenly swooped in and started biting her (I guess he figured the crumbs were his). Next thing you know, she's squawking and flapping and feathers are going everywhere, and he's driven her under the table and the ducklings have all scattered every which direction.

It seemed to take her forever to round them all up again, after that big bully left.

 

[Mad Hattered]

And they're mean to each other, too! I saw a mama duck leading her ducklings under the tables to look for crumbs, when a male duck suddenly swooped in and started biting her (I guess he figured the crumbs were his). Next thing you know, she's squawking and flapping and feathers are going everywhere, and he's driven her under the table and the ducklings have all scattered every which direction.

It seemed to take her forever to round them all up again, after that big bully left.

Donald has always had anger issues so that shouldn't surprise anyone.

 

[Simba's Mom]

WE spend a week Dec 14-21 in Orlando. 4 days at Disney, 2 at Universal. There we're birds everywhere at Universal. The worst meal we had was at lunch where pigeons were inside a restaurant!!! The manager just laughed and said, yep all the time.

We rarely saw any birds at Disney. Only at magic Kingdom back by Splash mountain, but they were flying overhead. They didn't seem to swoop down and bother with people and they seemed nonexistent at the other parks. It was so obvious that we joked that disney gathered the birds and delivered them to universal at night.

So what are your observations?

I know one recent reason. At Epcot, the WS speakers play the sound of [I can't remember which one] one of the predators. DH and I are both birders, and I remember we kept hearing them in Epcot. After we kept looking, we finally figured out that the sound was coming from the speakers (you know-the ones where they play the Illuminations music). It's just a far-away whistle that only us birders, and the birds who'd get eaten recognize. But it helps keep them away. We talked to a couple long-time CMs who verified this-there's some company that helps businesses keep birds away and apparently Disney recently approached them for help.

 

[disnut8]

The thing is these observations are all about native Florida birds and neither Disney nor Universal not any other park in Florida is going to do is chase them out. They were here first and we intruded on them.

That being said, us humans should not feed any native bird at either park as then they start depending on humans for food. Yes, it's great to see a small child having an interaction with a "wild" creature but that can lead to other problems with his (the creature, not the human) friends.

So, enjoy the sightings of birds at Disney World or Universal or any other park.

For the people who have had their food taken by birds at Disney World, did you go back and tell the cashier what happened? Your food would have been replaced for free.

The white birds with long beaks are Ibises and they are all over Disney World.

 

[mommytocalliesue]

Yes! At the American Pavilion at Epcot...one went after my DD! She was in tears....while we ate they were around everywhere!!

 

[heidi8]

A long, long time ago, I was walking by Crystal Palace eating a rice crispie treat, and a bird landed on my head, grabbed it out of my mouth and hand, and flew off, the evil thing.

(I have occasionally wondered if these birds were the inspiration for Finding Nemo's MINE birds.)

 

[Dizzy4DL]

This is a little off topic, but I can't resist. When I was a teenager, my aunt took me to Alcatraz to tour the prison/island. There were seagulls flying right above us, and my aunt made several comments about them being "rats with wings". Right before we were about to board the ferry back to San Francisco, a huge blob wound up on top of her head! I started cracking up.....big mistake. Guess who got to clean it out of her hair in the bathroom....