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Maseca!
01-21-2009, 12:10 PM
I apologize if this has been asked before, but whatever happened to the two swans in the moat around the castle?

disneylandgirl
01-21-2009, 12:48 PM
Real swans?

Well, I'm not sure if this applies to the swans, but I know that all the ducks and geese were not put there by Disney, they are just regular ol' birds who decided to live at Disneyland. (There is lots of water... no wonder they like it) I'm guessing it's the same with the swans...?

Drince88
01-21-2009, 01:04 PM
Yes, there used to be real swans in the castle moat.

I thought they'd relocated them when the drained the moat a while back, but hadn't kept up on them after that.

cstephens
01-21-2009, 02:23 PM
I'm guessing it's the same with the swans...?

As I recall, the swans actually had non-Disney owners.

DisneyDustin22
01-21-2009, 02:25 PM
Maybe they took a swan dive into unchartered waters.

candles71
01-21-2009, 02:41 PM
they were there in April. I was making a comment to my DD on how they used to have swans in the moat, and there they were.

Bytebear
01-21-2009, 04:13 PM
Whenever I saw them they were always in the water that's on the Snow White's Grotto side of the moat, but more toward the hub. They were never in in the main water areas, which may be why they are not seen often. Haven't really looked for them in a while though.

DisneyFunFamily4
01-21-2009, 05:02 PM
I was going to point the swans out to the kids when we were at DL in Dec, but alas, no swans, it had been quite some time since I looked for them... And if I was a duck, I'd live at Disneyland....:D

kelli1rose
01-21-2009, 06:25 PM
I will be there tomorrow, and I will look for them.

bennette
01-21-2009, 06:30 PM
Let us know if you do. I haven't seen them in years and I always look.

tod
01-21-2009, 06:51 PM
Look for the duck pond off Matterhorn Way. Just off the Plaza, toward the Matterhorn, maybe 10 yards up on the left. Alternately, start at Snow White's Wishing Well and follow the moat upstream toward Pixie Hollow.

There's a pond, and a sheltered area up the hill. The ducks and other water birds take refiuge there.

--t

swcrazy
01-22-2009, 06:52 AM
I'm guessing that the fireworks make it too dangerous for the swans to be in the moat, but I know I've seen them on the Snow White side just not recently.

Malcon10t
01-22-2009, 07:01 AM
They've been out there during fireworks. Just like the ducks on the River's of America during Fantasmic! I thought we saw the swans over Christmas, but back by the Wishing Well area.

Tan Da Man
01-22-2009, 02:02 PM
I dont remember if I looked for them or not over the holidays..but I know they were there back in July

kelli1rose
01-22-2009, 02:15 PM
I have the answer to our mystery about the swans. They are named Walt and Lillian. The swans are currently being housed in the backstage area, and will return in the late spring, early summer, depending on the weather. The swans are not fans of the cooler weather, and prefer their heated home in the backstage area, near the horses.

bennette
01-22-2009, 05:51 PM
Well that explains why I haven't seen them in a while. We don't like to go when it's crowded, which also tends to be when it's warmer. Having recently figured out where they keep the horses backstage, we'll have some fun trying to spot them there. (With my bad vision, I "see" birds all the time, whether they are there are not so I think my chances are pretty good. ;) )

Thanks for the info!!

Tink Collector
01-22-2009, 08:57 PM
Thank you so much for this. I know I have seen the Swans so many times and did not realize that they were missing. I guess I just figured they were there and I was on the wrong side of the moat. Also, it is so nice to know that they have names. Does anyone know how long swans live? Are they the originals or decendents of them? I will look for them more intently now and say "hello".

Malcon10t
01-23-2009, 06:16 AM
Does anyone know how long swans live?12-20 in the wild, 20-30 in captivity.

Maseca!
01-23-2009, 06:44 AM
Thanks kelli1rose for checking on this for me. Glad to hear that they are still around. "The swans are not fans of the cooler weather..." I was at the park last weekend and it was in the low 80s. I guess that's cool for SoCal. LOL.

Drince88
01-23-2009, 10:27 AM
For those of you missing the swans - here are a pair of black ones, with their three babies, from my local park. (The babies are about the size of mallards, but still clearly babies!)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d159/cesowa/HPIM3951-1.jpg

potzbie
01-23-2009, 09:26 PM
Not to change the subjects, but keeping things fowl ...

The ducks which live near the moat are fearless.
One day, a parade of baby ducks following their mother passed right by me, and passed through the iron grating.

If I had been an 8 year old child, I'd be tempted to reach out and take one home with me, they were that close to me, and were that uninterested in their immediate surroundings.

Perhaps the swans got too friendly, and were scared off by a child who didn't have self-discipline to leave them be?
:(

bennette
01-24-2009, 09:36 AM
In my experience, swans have no fear and they will rip your finger off if you mess with them. They are mean, like geese. And they are BIG. (I can show you my scar from getting too close in childhood, if you want.)

I'm sure Disney has done something magical with their swans to make them sweet and cheerful but all the same, if they ask for your sandwich, give it to them! :0

houseofmouse
01-24-2009, 06:11 PM
We saw the swans last summer in the moat by the castle. I have never seen them wandering the park. They are so beautiful though. I hope we see them again and Disney has not given the boot due to budget cuts!:eek: