Well…turns out it’s really a duck. Disneyland is known for its cast of characters: Mickey Mouse, his trusty companion, Pluto and larger than life Donald Duck. They’ve entertained children for over 50 years. Can you guess my personal favorite?
That’s actually a trick question. My favorite ‘character’ at the Magic Kingdom this week was, in fact, a duck. Isn’t he cute?
Male Mallard (or Drake)
Female Mallard (or Hen)
He put on a show for as well and *bonus* no line! He chased his female companions in a circle around the flowers, reminiscent of an old Laurel and Hardy movie. They quickly tired of his game and settled down with a weary eye. I wish I had video of the antics. We were in giggles.
According to my research, the Mallards are past mating season, so perhaps the chase was simply practice for next season.
We eventually glimpsed the official Disney characters along with a gaggle of five-year-old princesses. My 13-year-old male companions only had eyes for roller coasters, but even they slowed down for the Mallard show. Keeping it real at the Magic Kingdom is what makes this gardener smile.
Not much camouflage here
A pair of beauties
Quack-quack!
Gardening Nirvana 
I love the critters at Disneyland! Like you, I took special pleasure in watching the ducks. You got some gorgeous photos! See the brief video I shot with my cell phone here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4VWN9olvJw
On several occasions, I’ve also seen some of the resident cats. One in particular hangs out near the Alfresco Lounge in DCA. I posted a video of a petting session with this friendly furry beauty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfYV5Ik-Yh4
Glad you had such a great time in the Magic Kingdom!
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Oh my goodness! Those were great fun to watch. I have pretty good cat radar, but I’ve never seen or heard a cat. How great that you captured this video. What a gorgeous ginger, too. Thanks so much for sharing the links. =^..^=
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Nice little “animal memories” from Disneyland! Who knew. Nice that we have a way to capture these things on the spur of the moment like this. ;0)
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Isn’t it, though? Camera phones have improved so much. These aren’t as good as my Nikon would take, but the trade off was not worrying about a heavy camera all week. It was worth it!
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A lovely write up! And the pictures are great too! Loved your caption on Facebook:)
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Thanks so much, Nandini! I really appreciate your readership and your comments!
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What a cute couple. I guess they would have to be pretty tame. They use to go for walks down the lake road. Mr & Mrs strolling along, so cute. The first place we stayed in San Diego had several small pools and they’d always have duck in them. Just like Tony’s in the Sapranos. BTW, I’m still a little shocked about that. Looks like a beautifully manicured garden!
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Mr and Mrs. Sounds adorable.
Every bit of landscaping is perfectly manicured there. These ducks were pecking away at something in the grass (which looked healthy) so my guess is they feed them. Since they have so much water, they no doubt find lots of places to rest and relax, swim, and breed. What was nice is they have a short fence around the area, so they could ramble undisturbed. I paid close attention to all the various plants and flowers there and noticed a few things of interest. Part of the reason so many plants look great is the age. Plants that will eventually grow to large shrubs are in place as young plants. Once they branch or become leggy, they must pull them out for new ones. There isn’t a weed in site, that is for sure.
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Nice post Alys! Hope you had good weather. Leave it to you to find the “natural beauty” in Disneyland. ;0)
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Thanks, Sharon! That means a lot to me.
We lucked out the first day: it was overcast until 2:30! It made the heat much more tolerable. Our last day there was very hot so we chased the shade and indoor spots as best we could, and took a late day break at our hotel. The boys also went for a swim one day, so that helped too. Now of course we’re dealing with the high 90’s back home. Can’t wait for things to ease up.
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Alys people don’t realize that ducks have great and funny personalities. I had 6 geese and 5 ducks hand raised and they would make you laugh more often than not with their antics. I had one little girl duck who I named wiggles loved to get between your feet when your were standing and wiggle till you stepped apart enough for her settle between then just so she could fuss with your laces. Love ducks!! Geese too! These are beautiful.
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Sheila, what a delightful story. I can just picture it, too, the duck settling in between your shoes. Love it! One day you might consider your own blog and name it animal tales. You’ve got some fun ones, and the great photography to go with it.
Thanks for sharing.
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Hi Alys. I would be the same. With all the wonders of the magical kingdom all about me – I would probably get all excited about a plant in some dark corner no one goes to!
It sounds like you have had a lovely time.
Cheers Sarah : o )
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Thanks, Sarah.
I think we are peas in a pod in that regard.
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Wish I could have seen that! I love the you are “keeping it real” at the Magic Kingdom … not easy to do, I would think!
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Thank you!
No kidding. The boys had fun, but I’ve always felt a sense of forced happiness there. My older son can’t handle the place (too loud, too crowded, too much effort). I’m not far behind him. Thanks, LB.
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