Camping with.... Snakes :O

[MystikaFaith]

So I've been reading the boards and it it seems as though there are A LOT more Disney World snake encounters then what I had initially presumed

It's kinda making me at the thought of camping. I'm a tad terrified of snakes... We have snakes around here, but none of them are poisonous. Last month I found a snake in my garden shed.... I ran away screaming... and have not yet been back to that shed.... full well knowing that it wasn't a poisonous snake.....

And while I know that this may sound absolutely foolish to those used to such creatures.... the idea of camping at Fort Wilderness is making me feel as though I'm putting my family in a very vulnerable position where encounters with potentially deadly snakes is inevitable.

Is the area relatively lit up? I worry about trudging in the darkness to the comfort stations for before bed pee breaks and not having the visibility to spot such creatures in our path.... Or even worse having them jump at us unexpectedly from in the shrubs.....

I was/am really excited about our Disney Vacation and the idea of Fort Wilderness.... but after reading so many snake stories I'm feeling to my stomach. Do copper heads really fall down from the trees?????

Damn you google! Damn you!

 

[Lyndria]

I am also terrified of snakes...and bugs...and creatures in the night lol! That said, I have not seen a snake at WDW when we have camped down there. I know they are there, I just haven't encountered one.

We did see an armadillo once. He was between our campsite and the bathhouse. I just kept walking and praying and he didn't bother me.

So, maybe they aren't as common as you might think!

Forgot to add, be sure and take a flashlight when you are out and about at night. That helps!

 

[MystikaFaith]

I'm not too bothered by armadillo's... in fact I really hope I get to see one! I'm not even all that scared of alligator's for that matter. I'm pretty okay with larger animals that are more obvious to spot and stay a respectable distance away from. But snakes (and spiders) freak me out because they are so silent and often keep themselves so well hidden.

I was viewing some video's of the campsites and it seems as though the vegetation around them is kept so that it's not that dense..... That's a tad comforting. I was a bit scared of being surrounded by dense jungle like bush (eg my backyard!) where snakes could be lurking..... not that they're not there... but I think they'd be a little more easy to spot than what I had originally thought??? maybe????

still scared...

And yes of course I'd bring a flashlight... though in my experience flashlights are still not as good, especially for spotting things in the peripheral, as daylight.

 

[KimIce]

We are regulars at FW & have been for years. I have only seen a snake on a few occasions while walking my dog on the dog walk by the canal. I always see a gator in the canal but rarely snakes. I don't believe you have anything to worry about. I have never seen them anywhere else & I walk a lot with the dog.

 

[2goofycampers]

I've been there many times never seen a snake. Try googling "died of snake bite at FW" I bet nothing comes up.

Go, have a blast and relax.

 

[Lyndria]

I've been there many times never seen a snake. Try googling "died of snake bite at FW" I bet nothing comes up.

Go, have a blast and relax.

Haha. I will not google that b/c if something does come up, I can't go back to the Fort!

 

[Disney Bunny]

So I've been reading the boards and it it seems as though there are A LOT more Disney World snake encounters then what I had initially presumed

It's kinda making me at the thought of camping. I'm a tad terrified of snakes... We have snakes around here, but none of them are poisonous. Last month I found a snake in my garden shed.... I ran away screaming... and have not yet been back to that shed.... full well knowing that it wasn't a poisonous snake.....

And while I know that this may sound absolutely foolish to those used to such creatures.... the idea of camping at Fort Wilderness is making me feel as though I'm putting my family in a very vulnerable position where encounters with potentially deadly snakes is inevitable.

Is the area relatively lit up? I worry about trudging in the darkness to the comfort stations for before bed pee breaks and not having the visibility to spot such creatures in our path.... Or even worse having them jump at us unexpectedly from in the shrubs.....

I was/am really excited about our Disney Vacation and the idea of Fort Wilderness.... but after reading so many snake stories I'm feeling to my stomach. Do copper heads really fall down from the trees?????

Damn you google! Damn you!

I, too, am terrified of snakes but I love camping and understand that you sometimes have to take the bad with the good. We were camping up in Maryland one night and getting ready to put out the campfire and go to bed when my husband looked over at me and said "Don't move." I very quietly asked "Where is it?" He looked at me and said "Under your chair." Every instinct told me to make a run for it, but I sat quietly and about a minute later he looked at me and said "It's gone." That was more than 20 years ago and we are still camping.

The paths at Disney are lit up at night, but just take a flashlight with you when you walk about at night. You can also string some clear Christmas lights thru your campsite to help keep it illuminated at night. Just don't go overboard and make it look like a landing strip so that it will keep your neighbors awake. Never try to pick up something that looks like a colorful beaded necklace......could be a coral snake and those are the ones that you really need to be worried about. I used to live in Florida and that little piece of advice has stayed with me all these years.

 

[photogal06]

Another snake-a-phobe here. They scare me. I had not seen snakes at the Fort until our trip last October. There was a huge black snake living in the area behind our camper in the 300 loop. We saw it a couple of times during our days there. I think these are pretty common in FL and not poisonous, but I'm not certain on that. That area was dense with trees but not ground cover, so you could see the ground easily, which is how we spotted that huge guy sunning himself out there! The snake wasn't aggressive or anything, but I did keep our dogs far away from there after I saw it.

The only other snake I've seen at WDW was a large yellowish one crossing the path at Wilderness Lodge one evening. I don't know anything about large yellowish snakes, but that one gave me the creeps....and we were lucky we didn't run over it on our bikes, it appeared so suddenly.

The Fort is dimly lit at night, but I think you'll be fine. Make sure you stay on the paths, keep a light with you at night so you can see what's in front of you, and do not stick a hand blindly under a bush! The one account of WDW snake bite that I read was when a child dropped a toy and bent down to pick it up at the edge of a bush where it had rolled...he was bitten. Whether that story is true or not, I don't know, but it makes sense that it could happen, so I warn dd every trip not to go poking around in the bushes!

I'm still hoping to see an armadillo...maybe our next trip in November! Dh and dd have both seen them, but I never have. If you like deer, make sure you walk or bike the path to Wilderness Lodge, because as the daylight wanes, they come out by the dozens, and they are beautiful.

 

[Butterbunkins]

It's amazing what terrifies us sometimes and we still go camping. I'm terrified of bugs. Anything with more than 4 legs bothers me so you would think I would steer clear of camping, but no I love it.

When I was a kid we always went up to Wisconsin to camp and I never once got a tick. The very first time I went camping in Southern IL with DH I got one on the back of my neck. It really freaked me out because I couldn't see it and it was bad position for me to try to take care of it myself. Good thing for DH! I also got pooped on by birds twice that same trip. But it didn't stop me from falling love with that beautiful place. We still camp there as much as we can and it's even where we got married. And we'll be camping there on our way to FW in November!

 

[Mary2e]

In March while walking in front of the Trails End from the boat dock, a garden snake slithered across the walkway. A man picked it up by the tail and hurled it over the bushes hiding the golf cart parking lot.

A woman had just sat down in her cart and had a snake come flying at her. Needless to say, the screams were almost blood curdling.

After my initial shock wore off, I almost double over laughing. Not that I didn't have sympathy for her, I would have done the same, but at the lousy luck this poor woman had to be sitting down just as a snake was tossed her way.

 

[Tink415]

I understand how your feeling! I'm scared of snakes too, not so much from encounters in real life, more from pictures & movies

I think its a matter of how observant you are and right place, right time (or is it wrong time??!!) as to how many snakes you'll see at WDW, or anywhere really.

I've been camping my whole life (mostly in the NE) and can name the few times I've seen snakes.

We've cabin camped at FW a few times, never saw any snakes during our stays - but we didn't go running around in the brush either. We usually visit FW at least once every trip to WDW (over 30 trips) cause we love it. Only once have we see a snake at FW when day visiting, and it was enlightening to me. Myself and younger dd saw a little lizard on a shrub next to the path we were walking on and told older dd 'look how cute' - older dd said 'what are you talking about that's a snake'.. sure enough both creatures were in the bush. I admit I ran away screaming but I've been back because that bush was bordering the Meadows Trading Post!

At a place in NY where we often camp, I've never seen any snakes, but last year while trick or treating at the camp ground, a snake slithered over my niece's foot while they were in the road walking from site to site, she picked it up and carried it around I would have died And the road was full of people walking around trick or treating!

At home, I saw a snake sunning on the blacktop at the bottom of our front stairs once, and my dh has seen one once there too. When I remember, I make noise when I'm going to use the stairs - silly huh?! And one day walking on the path in our local park next to some hills, there were massive piles of baby snakes on the hills everywhere, it was unbelievable. Not sure what that was, I didn't look it up cause I don't want to know!

Use common sense, don't go poking around bushes or brush, and don't let the fear get to you

 

[luckycharm19335]

I have, on a number of occasions ended up standing on top of the picnic table. My poor boyfriend doesn't even have to ask what? He just asks where?

 

[becky1960]

I am not a snake fan either, but in all the years we have been going since "73" I have never seen a snake around our campsite. I have seen snakes in FW in other locations and two years ago I saw one on the sidewalk by Meadows Trading post. I think there is to much activity in the campsites and snakes dont like motion.

 

[Cals dad]

There is nothing to worry about in regards to the snakes you will see at Ft. Wilderness. If you see one out in the open, it is most likely tring to quickly get back into cover. They will not jump out at you(they have no legs for jumping), or fall on you from a tree. If one does, it is purely an accident. They see humans just as they see any other large animal, as a predator of them. I've been bitten by non-venomous snakes when I was younger, but that was always due to me picking them up.

Venomous snakes that are common in Florida also make a good show of it to warn you to stay away. They will not try to bite you unless you fail to recognize these warnings, and attempt to touch them, or step on them. Most of the time, they too will just slither away from you. If they have to waste their venom on defending themselves, then they can't use it on potential food. Biting us is a last resort for them.

I've lived in Florida my entire life. My father was the chief ranger of one of the biggest parks in the area, so I grew up outdoors. In my entire life, I've never seen a venomous snake in the wild. I'm sure a place like Disney World, you'd be even harder pressed to find one, as I'm sure they are removed when spotted and reported.

 

[GrownUpPrincess]

First, let me say that I have camped at FW at least 20 times and have never seen a snake. Armadillos, yes. Deer, yes. Gator, once. No snakes.

However, being a FL resident, here are some tricks I've been taught, to help you feel more confident:

1. Wear sneakers or boots. Don't run around barefoot in the woods.
2. Carry a flashlight and sweep the light back and forth on the path ahead of you at night.
3. Walk with firm steps. Snakes can feel vibrations on the ground and will hide from it.
4. Don't stand still next to low bushes or large rocks.
5. Stay on the path (which are plentiful and paved)

For the most part, FW is well lit and the paths are kept in good shape. Don't go wondering through the woods, near the canals or through tall grass and you'll be fine.

 

[MystikaFaith]

In March while walking in front of the Trails End from the boat dock, a garden snake slithered across the walkway. A man picked it up by the tail and hurled it over the bushes hiding the golf cart parking lot.

A woman had just sat down in her cart and had a snake come flying at her. Needless to say, the screams were almost blood curdling.

After my initial shock wore off, I almost double over laughing. Not that I didn't have sympathy for her, I would have done the same, but at the lousy luck this poor woman had to be sitting down just as a snake was tossed her way.

OMG! Just OMG! That poor poor woman!!!!!!

I have, on a number of occasions ended up standing on top of the picnic table. My poor boyfriend doesn't even have to ask what? He just asks where?

Were all these occasions at Fort Wilderness????

There is nothing to worry about in regards to the snakes you will see at Ft. Wilderness. If you see one out in the open, it is most likely tring to quickly get back into cover. They will not jump out at you(they have no legs for jumping), or fall on you from a tree. If one does, it is purely an accident. They see humans just as they see any other large animal, as a predator of them. I've been bitten by non-venomous snakes when I was younger, but that was always due to me picking them up.

Venomous snakes that are common in Florida also make a good show of it to warn you to stay away. They will not try to bite you unless you fail to recognize these warnings, and attempt to touch them, or step on them. Most of the time, they too will just slither away from you. If they have to waste their venom on defending themselves, then they can't use it on potential food. Biting us is a last resort for them.

I've lived in Florida my entire life. My father was the chief ranger of one of the biggest parks in the area, so I grew up outdoors. In my entire life, I've never seen a venomous snake in the wild. I'm sure a place like Disney World, you'd be even harder pressed to find one, as I'm sure they are removed when spotted and reported.

Thank you! That post was very reassuring. It's much easier to stay calm thinking that most bites are the result of them being provoked. Picking up snakes is the very LAST thing that would ever ever cross my mind. If I saw one I would stay very very very very far away.

However, being a FL resident, here are some tricks I've been taught, to help you feel more confident:

1. Wear sneakers or boots. Don't run around barefoot in the woods.
2. Carry a flashlight and sweep the light back and forth on the path ahead of you at night.
3. Walk with firm steps. Snakes can feel vibrations on the ground and will hide from it.
4. Don't stand still next to low bushes or large rocks.
5. Stay on the path (which are plentiful and paved)

For the most part, FW is well lit and the paths are kept in good shape. Don't go wondering through the woods, near the canals or through tall grass and you'll be fine.

Thanks for the tips!






Would you say that there are any camping spots/loops at Fort Wilderness that are more habitable to snakes? Any areas that would be best to avoid them?

Also, is there anything that attracts snakes that I should be aware of? Certain scents? Music?

 

[ob1quixote]

Those big black snakes are your friends. They eat other snakes, including the poisonous ones, and have no interest whatsoever in you. For that matter, neither do the poisonous ones.

You are too big for them to eat. In a confrontation with you, they stand to lose more than they can gain. They will generally avoid areas where people are unless traveling to get to another place where people arent.

I have spent many years in the woods cutting motorcycle trails, and seen more than a few of the "bad boys" {eastern diamondbacks} and their bretheren. Most times by accident. Most times they just watch you walk by, never shaking rattle, or slide away before you get there.

You probably stand a better chance of being struck by lightning.

 

[peimikes]

We just got back from POP yesterday and I counted 9 snakes in our 10 day stay. All where on the walkways around the pools and between the 50's buildings we stayed in and the main building. On Sunday evening the 60's pools was close and we couldn't go near it staff where keeping people away, but I could see several cast members and life guards fishing with nets in the pool chasing something a couple feet long, slender and dark.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Been going to the Fort since the 70's and have only seen snakes twice. Both times they hauled and both times it was down by the canal when I was fishing. Snakes don't want anything to do with humans. Don't let them ruin your trip.
Stay on the main paths and you'll be just fine.

 

[becky1960]

You have to look at it this way, When was the last reported snake bite at WDW, I have never read any reports of this. When was the last Fatality car accident in your area. The chance of a snake bite is very rare...