aligators / crocodiles

[catrinuk]

DH now getting worried about next trip, he saw that holiday hit squad programme and has ready articles in the paper about the number of death accreditied to aligators being on the increase. I have tried to do the reasurrance thing but not doing too well. Can anyone back me up on this one - I am sure last time we were over there that a CM told me that all the waterways were checked daily and that they had some system to stop aligators entering the disney water ways. We are staying in SSR by the water!! Please would gratefull if anyone can help. Cat

 

[tmt martins]

THERE ARE GATORS ON DISNEY PROPERTY.

Now with that said as long as you don't go in the lakes and ponds you will be fine.They will most likely not come up and knock on your door or run you down on the bus stop.

From my understanding no one has ever been attacked on Disney grounds .But they can't just capture and move them until they hit a certain size.Also watch out for snakes we saw a few going from SSR to DTD on our last trip.

I have video of some idoits feeding Turkey legs to one around the riverboat dock in MK.

I'm sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear but please be aware and you will be fine.I'll be there in JUne and again in DEC and if we can swing it a small Oct trip to boot.

 

[edenlee]

We saw a gator at Beach Club Villas last time we went plus snapping turtles. They live in the waterway that runs under the bridge to the car park. There's no way they can get out. However we have experienced palmettos (like large cockroaches) that more very quickly but are harmless and small lizards and snakes at the water parks.

This is something that there is no control over as they are indigenous species to Florida. We didn't come to any harm though!!!!

 

[MKOATEYW]

Crocs and gators are indiginous to the area and are hard to keep them out completely. That is why you are not allowed to swim in the rivers and lakes only in the pools. They do check that they aren't over a certain size or becoming unafraid of humans. Once it gets big or to courious they are trapped and moved to a wild life preserve. I several years back I got to watch them trap one on land. It was sunning on the beach area at the Fort a baby about 2 feet long. We where admiring it and thinking how cool it was, (and all the other animal they had at the Fort) when a 3 guys pulled up on a truck and threw a net on him, pinned it down, taped it up and took it away. They said that they weren't allowed to be in public areas, since he had been seen on the beach twice and he had to be removed cause he was to unafraid of humans. That they trap them anyway once they are 3-4 feet long.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Crocs and gators are indiginous to the area

Aligators are everywhere in Florida, Crocodiles are not.

There are probably fewer than 400 Crocodiles in Florida, all in the southern tip - in the Everglades and maybe a few of the Keys.

Andrew

 

[Gabby&Sean]

I never even thought about alligators being on disney property. Im getting married at disney next yr & now im really stressed!! It may sound silly but i have a massive phobia of them so much so i cant even look at a photo of them!!

Does anyone have any ideas on which hotels & areas to avoid? We were suppose to be staying at PO Riverside for a couple of nights, but may have to change that now.

Thank you
Gabby

 

[MKOATEYW]

How to tell them apart. Gators have a very fat U shaped snout, Crocs have a thinner and V shaped snout. While crocs can live in fresh or salt water. Gators are usually in fresh water, as they have problem with the gland on there tounge thats gets rid of the salt in there bodies, so they can't stay in water that is to salty for long periods.

I am in the keys! Key West in fact. While it is very much more likely that it is a gator the may remotely possibly see while at disney. There can be crocs also. (Most crocs are hanging out closer to my neck of the woods its true.) There has been reported sighting of crocs at the central florida wildlife preserve which is not that far down the road from disney. So it is not impossible given all the water in the area that they could not have followed one of the many rivers canals, springs or lakes on over to disney.

 

[AJKMOM]

There are between 1 and 2 million alligaotrs in Florida. It has been said that alligators live in almost every large body of water in the state. They are born afraid of humans, and then people feed them which makes them unafraid.

Most of the time, humans capture and kill them, because alligators have a great homing instinct. They will return to where they lived.

 

[minkydog]

I never even thought about alligators being on disney property. Im getting married at disney next yr & now im really stressed!! It may sound silly but i have a massive phobia of them so much so i cant even look at a photo of them!!

Does anyone have any ideas on which hotels & areas to avoid? We were suppose to be staying at PO Riverside for a couple of nights, but may have to change that now.

Thank you
Gabby

Take a deep breath It's not likely you'll see an alligator unless you specifically go hunting one. I've lived in the deep South(Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida) all my life--we know we have gators in every other creek. We don't swim with them. We don't look for them. If we see one, it's in the water and we leave it alone. Considering how many gators there are, and how many people live in their habitat it really is amazing that we don't have more contact--that's because gators don't really want to be around people. A gator is highly unlikely to show up at your wedding (for one thing, they won't rent him a tux ) Your chances of encountering a gator at your resort is less than your chances of winning the lottery and way less than your chance of being struck by lightning. If you are really uneasy about POR, change to a different resort for peace of mind. I think you will have a great time, no matter where you stay.

 

[Merylj]

I never even thought about alligators being on disney property. Im getting married at disney next yr & now im really stressed!! It may sound silly but i have a massive phobia of them so much so i cant even look at a photo of them!!

Does anyone have any ideas on which hotels & areas to avoid? We were suppose to be staying at PO Riverside for a couple of nights, but may have to change that now.

Thank you
Gabby

I honestly wouldn`t worry if I were you. We have stayed at POR loads of times and have never seen anything - and I look out for them!
Have a really great wedding!

 

[catrinuk]

i am getting sorry that i started this thread now, i didnt want to upset anyones plans, just trying to settle small dispute between DH and myself! sorry to have raised the issue, I am certain that it is not a problem and have never heard of any attacks near or in Disney. The issue is current in the news here in the UK, mainly due to the new orleans floods causing displacement of alligators towards Miami. Anyone who has been alared by this thread please accept my apologies!! Nothing will stop me enjoying my holidays.