Do you ever see alligators on WDW property?

Oh goody, a reanimated zombie thread.

I can't remember the last time I DIDN'T see a gator somewhere at WDW. Its one giant swamp, so no big surprise there. I've seen one at POR, CBR, CSR, SOG and Ft Wilderness. DH saw a couple the last time he played golf. We've often seen small ones in the water in Frontierland. The prize though, goes to the 3-4 foot long one in the spillway at Splash Mountain. A CM just stood guard with a long pole until animal control arrived to remove it. Not sure who he was protecting - the curious guests or the gator.
 
We see them almost every trip. It's become game to see who sees the first Gator. Several different times in Frontierland in the waters around Tom Sawyer's Island. That's where our first one was. My DH spotted it, and I insisted it was a prop until it went back under the water. lol A CM told him they leave them alone until the reach 3-4 ft or if people start feeding them. At that point they relocate them.
When we stayed at Caribbean Beach we saw them every day on the edge of the lake sunning themselves.
On our last trip every time we took the MK train we saw quite a few.
 
There is a wildlife preserve just outside Cape Canaveral. There is also the Canaveral National Seashore. There is a trail through this area, and you can see all kinds of interesting wildlife. We've taken side trips there on several occasions.
 


We saw a gator at CBR...this was in 1990(ish) when we were oh so young...my cousin and I even made up a song about the gator...everyone in my family still laughs about the silly song.
 
I have seen at least one every time I have been, at SOG every time we walk the path up or down, there are quite a few living there. Also in the pond in the back, last time there was a mom and a baby and the baby did not seem to mind getting close to people and the mom did not like it, we saw wild life people from Disney out there, I think to see what to do about baby and mom. We saw then at the tree houses, and POR and POFQ, and CBR. I don't mind the alligators, they seem to stay away from humans. I do mind the snakes in the bathroom at HS, we have seen them twice now at the bathroom between tot and rrc. I also don't like the birds who drop things on your head, around SOG or poly beach. And I hate lizards and I have seen then at POR, POFQ and Fw.
 


Funny... I was going to say the same thing about SOG...usually see one there sunning himself on every trip!
 
There certainly are there hanging around resorts the most. On my last trip I didn't see one, but when I was a kid and on a trip to WDW with my parents I saw a few of them sunning themselves next to the lake.
 
See them on the canal between POR and DTD. The boat captains say they get moved if they reach 6 ft or more.
 
We have been visiting the WDW properties since the early 70'S. We have seen them in the parks, resorts,Downtown Disney but a lot more on the golf courses. The largest being one trapped from the pond between #14 and #15 greens at the Palms Golf Course. It was 12+ foot long.
 
I have never seen one on property, have seen them off property. I have seen deer, frogs, bunnies and an armadillo on property though.
 
There was one at CSR in March, every morning at the lakefront food court area. CMs were watching it, waiting for it to be large enough to relocate. [GALLERY=]image.jpeg [/GALLERY]
 
I know they are there and I have looked a bit, but I can honestly say in my 30ish days at Disney across my last few recent trips - poly and POR, neither my husband nor I have seen one.

Maybe it's because I dont hang out near the water (other than pools) unless I'm waiting for a boat.... But yeah. I actually
Find it odd I haven't so I'm not saying my experience says they aren't there but yeah. Haven't seen one.
 
We were riding the Disney transportation bus to one of the parks. We seen one in a grassy area next to a small body of water on the property. I couldn't tell you exactly where, but we seen it. That was about 4 years ago.
 
I see them all the time in the areas not near the parks , I also see deer and turkey and all kinds of wildlife. But I know what to look for to see the wildlife. It does not have to come out right in the open for me to see it.
 
That is the Merritt Island Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, one of the places that alligators were relocated to during the era when they were endangered. NASA actually encouraged their presence as extra security for Cape Canaveral. (OK, go ahead and TRY to sneak in from the swamp to sabotage the moon rocket.)



Not geckos. Those are anoles (pron. uh'no-lee). The native anoles are green and can change color like chameleons, but they are being driven to extinction by the brown anoles, which have moved in from Cuba and the Caribbean islands. When I was a kid pulling the tales off anoles was a favorite playground pastime of mean boys; anoles can shed their tails as an escape mechanism, and they then regrow them.



Tastes like chicken ... only chewier. ;)

I'm in Houston. We have similar wildlife. And, yes, that includes gators and anoles. (although far fewer gators here)

The brown anoles are encroaching here too. However, you will be happy to learn the green anoles are adapting and moving higher up in the trees. Their toe pads are becoming larger as part of the adaptation.

I saw two gators in the ditches along the highway last time I was at Disney. We were looking from the bus.
 

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