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DISNEYLAND/KISSIMEE:TRIALS & TORTURES (1 Viewer)

Steve G

Steve G

RAINBIRDER
I have been coerced & brow-beaten into a Florida Disneyland family holiday in the first fortnight of July. Two gruelling weeks of heat, humidity & crowds with Goofy & co (baah-humbug!)! I have been warned that there will be no daytrips to Birding sites & whilst the family haven't quite placed an embargo on binoculars the only birding I will get is in & around the theme parks & perhaps in the Kissimee area.
I appreciate that early July is about the worst possible time for birds but I am in desperate need of some cheering up- I need someone to tell me that some passive birding is possible & that there will be more to see than just Grackles. On the plus side having never been to the States since I started birding almost everything I see will be new. Even Black or Turkey Vultures would be welcome as would any of the Florida waterbirds.

So what's the chance of seeing anything?
What can I expect in & around the parks (apart from Grackles)?
Are there any other typical family attractions in the area to which we can visit which on the face of it seem innocent but just also happen to have good birds around (thought about Gatorland but perhaps the birds will have gone by July)?

Any help & advice would be appreciated (bear with me whilst I swallow another Prozac). :h?:
 
When I was looking at a similar holiday years ago (which incidently never happened so i can't speak from experience) I did a bit of birding background research!! and places like Bush Gardens and SeaWorld looked pretty good for 'passive' birding.
Also I seem to remember Bill Oddie enthusing in one of his books (or was it on TV??) about seeing Swallow Tailed Kites over Disney!!
 
Jeez, Steve, I'd rather have multiple root-canals without anaesthetic while listening to the Spice Girls than have to endure two weeks of Disneyhell, at any time of the year!

Is a quickie divorce out of the question?

-Adam
 
I've got a book called "A birdwatching guide to Florida" which is part of the Arlequin Series (are they still existant?- haven't seen any for ages) In the foreward Bill Oddie enthuses over the number of birds he saw during pre-breakfast walks whilst staying in Disney village. Lake Kissimee State park is a recommended site. If you can't get hold of the book I could send some of the details it gives about this area if that would help. ( I got the book in a sale but haven't made that part of the states yet). I don't think that you should do too badly to judge from a quick scan!

Graham
 
graham_t said:
I've got a book called "A birdwatching guide to Florida" which is part of the Arlequin Series (are they still existant?- haven't seen any for ages) In the foreward Bill Oddie enthuses over the number of birds he saw during pre-breakfast walks whilst staying in Disney village. Lake Kissimee State park is a recommended site. If you can't get hold of the book I could send some of the details it gives about this area if that would help. ( I got the book in a sale but haven't made that part of the states yet). I don't think that you should do too badly to judge from a quick scan!

Graham
Click to expand...
Thanks for the uplift Graham, perhaps all is not lost after all -I'll try & order up a copy of the book.
Thanks Allen, if Bill Oddie got Swallow-tailed Kite over Mickey's pad then here's one Scotsman whose gonna get "wryneck" in the Magical Kingdom -anyone got Bill's phone number? ;)
Do you know a good Lawyer or Dentist Adam?
Andrew-does amitriptyline not play havoc with your prostate? ;)
 
Blackstart said:
Jeez, Steve, I'd rather have multiple root-canals without anaesthetic while listening to the Spice Girls than have to endure two weeks of Disneyhell, at any time of the year!

Is a quickie divorce out of the question?

-Adam
Click to expand...

Adam beat me to it there ;) ......a friend of mine is out in DisneyLand now and I told him he was stark staring bonkers to want to go THERE!!!!!! :eek!:
That place WOULD be my holiday from hell!!!!!

I remember that bit in one of Bill's books - I think he was actually watching birds whilst standing in the queues for the rides so perhaps all is not lost ;)

I think you should be entitled to a holiday on your own later this year ( during autumn migration perhaps?) where you can do nowt BUT go birding after enduring Disney!!!

Gill
 
Gill Osborne said:
Adam beat me to it there ;) ......a friend of mine is out in DisneyLand now and I told him he was stark staring bonkers to want to go THERE!!!!!! :eek!:
That place WOULD be my holiday from hell!!!!!

I remember that bit in one of Bill's books - I think he was actually watching birds whilst standing in the queues for the rides so perhaps all is not lost ;)

I think you should be entitled to a holiday on your own later this year ( during autumn migration perhaps?) where you can do nowt BUT go birding after enduring Disney!!!

Gill
Click to expand...
Gill my reward is a fortnight in the Gambia this november-no kids & my wife has agreed to go wherever I wish (the trade off being a week on a Floating lodge on Mangroves at Makasutu -heaven on earth (apart from the odd Mosquito)). ;)
 
In spite of my moniker that would be my idea of a holiday in hell, I would have to smuggle in some of those pocket bins at least or how about a camcorder with a good zoom.

Mick
 
Hi Steve,

I haven't any experience of the Theme Parks, but will make some enquiries and get back to you if successful.
Merritt Island would be as good a place as any this time of year and is near the Kennedy Space Station for those who don't want birds!
I'm likely to be still in Florida for some of that fortnight and would be pleased to show you around some birding sites if you could wangle a 'pass' ;)
 
I was out there for 2 weeks in April.It was absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
I had pretty much the same restrictions as you,birding was confined to 3/4 hour or so around the hotel early mornings and compact binoculars in the parks during the days.Even so,I managed 72 lifers(first trip to the States) plus a few other goodies that I'd previously seen over here(American Redstart,Common Yellowthroat,Northern Waterthrush,etc.)
The Wellesley Inn,Kissimmee,where I stayed backs onto Lake Cecile and it was here I had some of my best birding(Limpkin,Pileated Woodpecker,Green Heron,the list goes on).
A good 1/2 day trip for the family is the Boggy Creek Airboat Ride on Lake ...something-or-other?Swallow-tailed Kite and Crested Caracara on the way there and Bald Eagles over the lake!Oh,and the airboat ride was great fun too.
As I say,this was in April,I don,t know what it's like in July but I'm sure you'll love it.Just keep off the "Revenge of the Mummy"at Universal Studios and you'll be fine!
I've been meaning to put a full trip report on but haven't got around to it yet but if you want any more info in the meantime just PM me.

Phil
 
DO NOT DESPAIR!!!!! My first ever trip to Florida was just like the one you are about to experience and Dad and I were both warned no birding at least not all the time. So we had to make do with ten minutes here and 20 minutes there. The great thing about theme parks and Florida in July is that it will tire your family out, so get up dead early and walk around the neighbourhood where you are staying you will see birds.
I laugh now because Dad and I were so happy at seeing some species for a minute wheras I see them everyday now I live over here. But you'll be amazed at what you can see at Disney, whilst subjected to the horror that is the Disney afternoon parade, full of chipmunks, Giant Rats and dogs and insanely sugar doped kids Dad and I took comfort and joy in a solitary Green Heron feeding in an ornate pond by the side of the avenue. Up above Vultures circled, Ospreys called and Grackles competed for fast food handouts.
THE best theme park though or excursion is the Kennedy Space Center, there are good birds to be had on the bus tour and you will see Alligators.
If you are allowed out for the day try the Orlando Wetlands Park or ask nicely to see if you can go to Merritt Island NWR next to the Space Center.
Dad and I were allowed 2 days birding!!!!!! And we were lucky, we saw 100 or so species mostly in the mornings.
If you need a companion and your family doesnt mind let me know and I'll come down and take you out for the day.
 
Andy & Trevor,
Many thanks for your kind offers. Unfortunately my wife & kids are resistant to me getting time off for guided birding as I am THE chauffeur & financier (& to be fair I have already been offered compensation through an up & coming Gambian holiday). However, your offers of help have resulted in them yielding somewhat so that a couple of part-day trips may be possible to eg Merritt Island as a chill-out between frenetic Disneying & to prevent Park-burnout. The kids can snooze in the back of the car & my wife can read whilst I hopefully get onto a few interesting birds.
What is likely to be around at Merritt Island in early July?
 
Thanks for the Info & the link Marek. It is particularly pleasing to see that a number of your images were taken at the Disney parks & that close approach is possible. I might just manage a triplist of 50-60 species -most of them lifers- which would be very respectable given the debacle I initially feared.
 
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