Just Back 07/06/12

JustJonathan

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Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
479
Just back from an all-around great trip to DLP.

Highs:

DREAMS - Simply jaw-dropping.
Sequioa Lodge refurbished rooms. Amazing!
WALTS! This place is a hidden gem! By far in our opinion the best restaurant at DLP, so much so we cancelled cafe mickey our last night and went here!
VIP Fastpass for 2 days, and then the premium fastpass!
BTM in the dark

Lows:
Cafe Mickey - This place has really gone down hill in our opinion, Rain Forest Cafe is vastly better food wise now.

Although our room at Sequioa was great, we had workmen starting hammering/sawing/drilling from 7.30?! - I understand work needs to be done, but we had this every day and we both said even starting at 9am would be more suitable!

Me becoming ill (still am).

It's a Cruel World (this is a big one for me)...
Yesterday (06/06/12) we spotted a mother duck and her 7 ducklings at the front pool of IASW. She jumped up between the boats and realising her chicks were about to get "wedged" frantically came back down, but I had to push them all out the way quickly.

We informed the staff of the ride that they had no way of getting out, as all IASW's pool surroundings seem to be quite high and we could see the chicks unable to jump up anywhere.... this was at about 11am.

By 4pm, we decided we'd go and check that they had been "aided" out the pool... we're both big animal lovers and it was playing on our minds.

Unfortunately, all the chicks were still stuck out the front, STILL going nuts and trying to jump up out of the water... there were only 5 now, no longer 7 and the other 2 couldn't be seen anywhere (not even with mum out the water).

At this point, we were a bit cheesed off because the attitude given by CM's was generally that they "were just ducks" and not caring at all... (this was after telling a different cm again).

Sure enough, checking yesterday evening at around 10pm (12 hours later and dark) - they were still there.. still 5 of them but you could tell they were exhausted so we went to city hall to complain, and were told that they would try to get the manager of the ride/area to sort something....

When we were walking out the park, we decided to check if anything had managed to be done - to be told that the manager of IASW or it's area had said that "nothing could be done whilst the ride was operating as they don't want to disrupt the service, and it would be looked at after closing"... - This REALLY ticked me off, because all that was needed to prevent all this was a small ramp or piece of wood so they could get out?! I don't understand how this would warrant closing the ride... but feeling nothing more could be done, we went back to our hotel to sleep.

Waking up the next morning, once again we thought we'd check to see if they had gone.. only to see mum duck and only 2 chicks left now... obviously something had happened to the others over night. Anyway, our last thing we could do was to inform city hall again only to be given the same non-caring attitude of "unfortunately we can't stop the ride" even though we'd been assured something would be done the previous night.


I understand some people do think ducks are "just ducks" - but to me they are living creatures, and having chicks suffer needlessly for the sake of someone spending 5 minutes placing a piece of wood as a ramp was really infurating, and for me, this ruined our last day (today) for me.... the magic was well and truly sucked out by this point.

For a park that is meant to be so "magical" and "happy" and has wildlife within it.. we felt it was a disgusting way to handle the situation.... and I still can't stop thinking of the poor duck/ducklings stuck there now (if there are any left).

Sorry for the long rant!

Over-all it was a good trip, it's just such a shame something so simple to fix wasn't and put such a downer on it. We couldn't enjoy anything on our last day.
 
oh dear, builders noise from 7.30am isn't much fun when you're on holiday is it?
That is a real shame about the ducks, but to be honest, I can kind of understand the manager's reticence (sp) to do anything while the ride was still operational, as tragically a member of staff was fatally injured in the IASW ride a couple of years ago.
 
oh dear, builders noise from 7.30am isn't much fun when you're on holiday is it?
That is a real shame about the ducks, but to be honest, I can kind of understand the manager's reticence (sp) to do anything while the ride was still operational, as tragically a member of staff was fatally injured in the IASW ride a couple of years ago.

Hey DLPDaft,

I did know of the tragedy you mentioned, but the area was at the front of the ride in the "pool" area where the boats don't even go. No one would have even had to climb in, simply place a small ramp for them to escape. Instead we got the attitude that they didn't care if they died or not... not very nice for a family park?
 
I can kind of understand the manager's reticence (sp) to do anything while the ride was still operational, as tragically a member of staff was fatally injured in the IASW ride a couple of years ago.

It is very easy to shut down an industrial process to allow work to be carried out. All you need is a sufficient safe system of work. It is feasible and practicable to close down a steel mill, oil refinery or motorway to allow work to be carried out. I write these procedures and compared to these processes, closing a theme park ride would be extremely easy. The fact is that it was not worth the effort to save ducklings. Unless they were called Huey, Dewey or Louis :D

Steve
 

Unless they were called Huey, Dewey or Louis :D
Steve

lol.... sorry shouldn't laugh :upsidedow

JustJonathan, I can empathise with you.

We had a simiilar experience last Christmas, when we saw a duck in the same pool with a plastic cord wedged tightly around its beak. Obviously it wouldn't have been able to feed properly.

It really played on my girls minds, to the point that I took them to City Hall and reported it. To be fair, the CM did appear sympathetic, and stated that she would have someone take a look, but I wasn't that optimistic that it would actually be followed up :sad2:
 
Well you've found fellow Duck and Walts lovers here and I don't mean ducks on the menu :blush: !
Here is my little boy feeding the ducks at the steps across from HNY one year


rexnducks.jpg


Although he's nearly 6foot now he still looks for the families of ducks every year :hug:


Sounds like a good holiday apart from the ducks and workmen....hope they have finished by the time we stay there....what was breakfast time like?
Kaye
 
One mother duck and two baby ducks yesterday (07.06.) at 9pm.
I try to take another look today.

Thanks for your post.
 
One mother duck and two baby ducks yesterday (07.06.) at 9pm.
I try to take another look today.

Thanks for your post.

Still there then :( - thanks for updating us..

I've emailed a complaint to DLP regarding this, hopefully they will pay some attention... as said, for the sake of a small ramp/piece of wood being placed, it seems ridiculous.
 
I've emailed a copy of this thread link to DLP guest relations, with a plea to save the ducks. /QUOTE]

Well done to you and JustJonathan, I would have been just as distraught. Of course the ride could be stopped for a few minutes. They stopped the ride when we were there last month because of a swarm of bees. As you say, how long does it take to put a ramp in place? I am sure the majority of guests would be willing to wait a few minutes more in order to save the wildlife.

JustJonathan, glad you enjoyed the rest of your trip with great meals and hotel room. Hope you are feeling better soon. :flower3:
 
I wonder what's more traumatizing for a child:
A ride being stopped and having to wait longer
or
Seeing a few dead baby ducks floating around in the water of an attraction?
(Sorry about the harsh way, but that IS what could happen!)
Disneyland, shame on you for not helping those poor animals. For a family park I'd expect you to be a bit more animal friendly!!!
I hope those poor animals will have found a safe way out by now! :sad1:
 
we will look out for them next week and give you an update... What is the premium pass? it sounds very interesting
 
Glad you had a good time overall :goodvibes

You'd think they'd be used to dealing with the ducks etc at DLP by now :confused3 They've been there for years. Hope they sort something out.
 
I would of got in myself I love Ducks I would take rolls from breakfast to feed them lol!

This is upsetting to hear they dont care those poor ducks
 
i saw 2 ducks and about 5 ducklings this morning on the grassy verge area opposite its a small world and to the right of the entrance to the princess pavilion. they may well be the same ones?

we also saw a similar size group in woodys round up a few days ago.
 
Welcome back! :goodvibes

Sounds like you had a great trip overall! I love Walts too! :cloud9:

Hopefully the ducks are doing ok now...
 
I didn't have the chance to check on the ducks yesterday. I hope they're okay though.

Sometimes it's good to not only do Disney but also see some other things while travelling. Look what I found today:


jb5hyp.jpg



Duck-friendly Jardin de Tuileries in Paris :goodvibes.
 
Hi

I understand your feelings, I love ducks too, but I just wanted to assure you that all of the ducks were there later in the week. Just because they weren't there when you checked, its a bit drastic to assume something had happened to them and they had died - they may well have been somewhere else at that time.

IASW was stopped for ducklings this week, and a man went in to the pool in waders to free the little duckling who had got a bit lost and stuck. We have lots of photos of this (will post at some point), and the cast member then brought the duckling to show all the children who were undercover at the ride exit, waiting for the rain to stop! We have such cute pics of this tiny duckling :-)

It shows how one experience can be so different to another - and your experience has you writing to complain about DLP's handling of something, ours has us writing in to compliment them about the very same thing; it must be quite confusing for their Guest Relations department!

Anyway, alls well that ends well, the cute ducks were fine last I saw.

(although I do wonder if the duckling was actually making a bid for freedom from *that* song lol)
 

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