Disney stops releasing pigeons 'to certain death' during shows

[Luke]

Just a wierdly funny'ish little story for all you pigeon lovers out there :-

Disney stops releasing pigeons 'to certain death' during shows

Florida's Disney World has stopped releasing homing pigeons during shows after 30 years because they keep being eaten by hawks.

Disney decided to stop the practice used in shows like Cinderella's Surprise Celebration and Beauty and the Beast.

The company had become disturbed by the thought the birds were being released to certain death.

The birds soared over the parks before returning to nearby roosts during the shows, but it was during these flights they would be preyed on by hawks, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Disney spokeswoman Diane Ledder says it was only recently the hawks had started attacking the pigeons and no visitors had complained.

The red-tailed hawks could not be relocated because Ledder says they would probably find their way back.

A home is being sought for the remaining 200 pigeons and the five staff who took care of the birds will take up other posts.

Source :- Annanova.com

 

[FER SURE]

HMMMMMM..... Another Disney tradition lost. Oh well big whoop.

I do have to say that it was one of the funniest things to pull up behind the Kingdom in that crappy cast bus and be greeted by 400 cooing birds. Let me tell you I've never seen so much bird crap in my life.

This reminds me of a funny story. When they were shooting the title sequence for "Touched by an Angel" the crew was filming a white dove flying somwhere near Salt Lake. All of a sudden in comes a red-tailed hawk which procedded to swoop in capture and then eat their animal actor.

 

[Luke]

LOL - thats funny, so much for white doves then !!!

Yeah i can only begin to imagine the amount of bird crap ..... i bet that was the real reason. Either that or it started to rain 'Pigeon Guts'

Ugh !

 

[FER SURE]

There is also a "Disney Urban Legend" of one of the early shows of Cinderella's Surprise Cellebration ( a show I really enjoyed). There was supposedly a problem in the control booth and the cued the pidgeons and the pyro at the same time with deadly results.

I have learned not to trust these stories as most of them are not true. Ironically most of these stories come from Disney cast members. Many of them start with "My roomate's best friend who is an Entertainment Dept. Manager told me..." One of the funniest ones I heard is that during an emergency stop of the Haunted Mansion on Grad Night someone stole Madame Leota's head. This of course is impossible because of the baricade wall and the lack of a floor in that ride section. Although lots of "bad" things happen on grad night this one didn't


P.S. If they had used "homing penguins" I be they wouldn't have had that problem.

 

[Luke]

Yeah, Penguins are the solution ! (as always). They can be fired out of canons wearing crash helmets ...... there won't be any pyro problems with them, well unless they explode !

 

[Ernie101]

as a huge fan of disney i find this kinda silly sure a few pigeons but is it worth losing a tradition?

 

[FellowWLover]

Luke,

But what would Bert say? I dunno... a few dead pigeons versus all those out-of-work pigeons. Social dilemmas like these are really more of a topic for TP, wouldn't you say?

 

[Luke]

Re: Luke,

Originally posted by FellowWLover
But what would Bert say? I dunno... a few dead pigeons versus all those out-of-work pigeons. Social dilemmas like these are really more of a topic for TP, wouldn't you say?

**** - Yeah this is a controversial issue which i don't think has been fully realised. Millions of pigeons unemployed, a national 'Pigeon Food' shortage, thousands of pigeons with nothing to do but poop on car windows - against the plight of a few widowed mother and child pigeons and i'm sure we can get Britney and Christina to do a fundraising gig for them or something.

I agree, this is really hard hitting, gee, and i thought 'Toughpigs' was the adult forum ..... all they talk about nowdays are ugly muppet toys, and Jack and the Beanstalks Emmy nominations. It's a good thing we've got good ol' MC to talk about HIV, and Pigeon mutilation.

 

[FellowWLover]

I'll just bet you would love to see 'ole Britney "Doin' the Pigeon!"

 

[radionate]

Will this carry over to the weddings held at WDW as well? And what about Disney land? I always thought they looked cool.