Alligators and Snakes

[rdaky]

We've been to WDW many, many times and Ive never seen a snake. The only alligators I've seen have been from a distance, like on the side of a road where no one would be walking, or from a distance near a body of water. NOT at a resort. Lots and lots of tiny lizards, though. They're everywhere.

That being said, my husband grew up in Florida and is used to seeing alligators. As long as you don't go into bodies of water other than swimming pools, they will leave you alone.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

And now it's time for this:

 

[Lmans77]

You might have a slightly higher chance of seeing a snake in Florida over your home (unless you live in the Tundra). We have seen one in 7 trips. I would encourage your DH (if it comes up) to use some sort of cognitive behavior therapy exercises to reassure himself and calm his fears. Googling alligators and snakes in Florida will not allay your fears. Using good psychology to help manage those fears is your best bet.

 

[mom25kiddos]

I really should not have read this thread-those pictures though! We have never seen a snake in many years-have seen alligators on a couple of occasions but from really far away. We see bears every spring and think nothing of it, but if I saw a snake-yikes!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I really should not have read this thread-those pictures though! We have never seen a snake in many years-have seen alligators on a couple of occasions but from really far away. We see bears every spring and think nothing of it, but if I saw a snake-yikes!

I'd be fascinated if I saw a bear, but if it wasn't through the window, I'd also be freaked out! On the other hand, we had three little garden snakes make a home under our basketball net a couple of summers ago, and my first reaction was to take pictures.

 

[mrcase77]

Not from Florida, but I grew up in Arkansas. Stay away from the lakes, stay out of tall grass, and watch where you step when around big rocks (probably none of which you should be doing at Disney World anyway)

 

[MudQueen22]

I'll be the dissenting opinion here, but allow me to explain myself.

I'm rather concerned about seeing alligators in particular at WDW. I'm normally not afraid of such creatures. I live on the water in a very marshy, bayou-rich area, and I have never seen one either on the water or on land from the pier on my property. However, some tourists to WDW, who are uneducated or self-centered, have been known to FEED the alligators, which makes them lose their fear of humans and become nuisance creatures.
I truly believe that this is why that little boy lost his life a few years ago. Had that alligator retained its natural fear of humans, it would not have gotten that close.

If you are fairly close to an alligator and it doesn't attempt to get away from you, then you need to be concerned. That gator likely associates you with food.
Your best bet is to stay in the heavily populated areas, and do not go near marshy brush or bodies of water that aren't man-made and entirely transparent.

The last few times we went to WDW, we stayed at the Pop Century and the Art of Animation. I kept a look-out for nuisance alligators and snakes while approaching the bridge between the resorts, but fortunately, did not see any. You definitely shouldn't have an issue walking to bus stops at either of these resorts or while walking in the parks. The paths to the bus stops at these two resorts are very wide-open, and the vegetation doesn't leave much cover for alligators.

I'll be honest--the snakes can hide almost everywhere. However, they don't want any part of you. I know of one incident where a little boy was bitten by an akistrodon (either copperhead or moccasin, I can't remember) when he went to retrieve a toy he had accidentally dropped in the flower beds along the walking path his family was using. This kind of thing can happen anywhere in the SE part of the US, but it isn't as common as your fears might have you believe.

I think it is wise to keep your eyes open. After all, you are visiting a theme park that is built on a wetland.

 

[kandb]

I am not a fan of snakes. I make sure my family stays on the concrete paths. I would never sit in the grassy area watching moves at night at the resorts. I cringe at the thought. I can't believe people are that brave. Lol

 

[Lsdolphin]

We saw a smallish snake swimming in the lazy river at Typhoon sorry to say that was it for me! Haven't been back to Typhoon lagoon! Also saw snakes in area behind the pool lounges at POFQ.

 

[a1tinkfans]

The animals live here but I’ve not seen them at Disney last several visits. In past we ve seen a gator at splash Mtn, which they were removing, a gator at the golf course as we were going by via boat. I’ve not seen snakes there.
Since moving south... I’ve had a snake fall in front of me as I was exiting from garage under my opening garage door... lesson learned, I wait for it to open fully before walking under it. I avoid walking in the grass.. yup, and no longer trim up outside.. ever see a snake come down a tree, ugh!
Or fall from a palm tree. That was the strangest, it appeared stunned! Happened as we were driving into our community, a rattler and the palm tree was very tall. He literally fell to the street ahead of our vehicle. Of course the hubby had to take a pix!

Coyotes that seem to like to roam thru the community ( and gnaw on the gutters as the rabbits run from them to hide) so...we ve saved a rabbit, lost a downspout lol.

Or A black bear that sat on the curb enjoying a snack from a food container ( construction on a new home, didn’t the close dumpster)
Lots of lizards, some cute, others Huge and def not cute.
And gators... one was walking down the middle of the cul de sac... to get back to the lake. Talk about crazy! They are in our lakes and Part of sw fla.
I don’t like them at all, but they were here first.
Just be aware of ur surroundings, don’t go near lakes or into the grasses ..

Likely you ll see Nothing.
Just returned, saw nothing but a bunny and birds!
Despite all the encounters/wildlife, I’d still choose this paradise over cold lol
Enjoy ur visit!

 

[Shaun176]

Good Evening Everyone,

I am taking a shot in the dark that this is the appropriate board. If it is not, please move accordingly...

We have a family trip planning for September. My DH is terrified of snakes and is very worried of alligators and snakes. So much so that I am afraid it will ruin the trip for him. I tried to Google information that could help alleviate his anxiety over this and only found a story on the snake that they trapped at MK and the amount of alligators they catch every year (with a reflection on the poor family who lost their 2-year-old to an alligator a few years ago).

Neither of these are stories I want to share with him for obvious reasons. Does anyone have tips, advice, thoughts on the matter that I could share with my DH to help ease his anxiety at all?

Thanks in advance.

I have been to WDW many times and live in Louisiana. For alligators, just stay out of the lakes and you will be fine. For snakes, there is a 99% chance you won't see one and most snakes in Florida are not venomous. If you do see a snake, you are most likely to see some sort of king snake, banded water snake, or garter snake. All harmless and actually helpfull because they eat rodents.

 

[DisneyOma]

I have been to WDW many times and live in Louisiana. For alligators, just stay out of the lakes and you will be fine. For snakes, there is a 99% chance you won't see one and most snakes in Florida are not venomous. If you do see a snake, you are most likely to see some sort of king snake, banded water snake, or garter snake. All harmless and actually helpfull because they eat rodents.

We've seen snakes pretty much on every trip. The CM told us the one he was trying to wrangle out of the lazy river wasn't poisonous, but it liked to bite.

Oh, and there was that story about the family that was trying to sue WDW because a snake fell out of a tree at AK, landed on a boy, and supposedly that freaked the grandma out so much that she had a heart attack some hours later and died.

 

[Shaun176]

We've seen snakes pretty much on every trip. The CM told us the one he was trying to wrangle out of the lazy river wasn't poisonous, but it liked to bite.

Oh, and there was that story about the family that was trying to sue WDW because a snake fell out of a tree at AK, landed on a boy, and supposedly that freaked the grandma out so much that she had a heart attack some hours later and died.

I have never noticed snakes, but I am to searching for them because I know they are harmless unless they are provoked. More people die from slipping in the bathtub than snake bites in the US every year.

 

[DisneyOma]

I have never noticed snakes, but I am to searching for them because I know they are harmless unless they are provoked. More people die from slipping in the bathtub than snake bites in the US every year.

Huh? What does that have to do with the OP's husband's issue with being terrified of seeing a snake?

 

[KenHutch]

Four trips since 2006. We have seen a ton of those little lizards especially at POR. We have seen 2 snakes both doing their best to get away from children chasing them and exactly one gator. We were taking the bus from FQ and I cannot remember what park we were going to but we passed one of the many small ponds and their was one sunning itself besides the water. The driver got on his horn and told us to look because by the time we got back Disney will have come and evicted him. Got one blurry picture.

 

[omniscientmommy]

ophiophobia - is an abnormal fear of snakes. I have this. To the point I cannot look at even a picture of a snake because they freak me out. That being said we've been to WDW 2x with an upcoming trip in Jan 2019 and we haven't seen any snakes or alligators. Just be smart and stay away from places that are likely to have snakes and alligators like ponds.

 

[ktlm]

I hate snakes. I can not recall ever seeing one at WDW, although I know they are they are there. I live in the mid-west, no where near Florida and I have however seen one on my front porch. Over my lifetime, we have also occasionally had them in the yard, once in the garage that I can recall, and have seen them some other places. Unless you live in a place where the terrain is absolutely snake free, while your chances of running into them at WDW are not absent, they are probably not that much worse than elsewhere. They don't particularly care for people, so I think them being out in the open like the one at the gates at MK last month, is pretty rare. I would tell him to stay on the concrete paths and not put your hand in any bushes even if you have dropped something there. I actually have never seen one at WDW in the water- although we have seen them in the lakes at home-- but just if you are on a boat, don't put your hands in the water, and you can also stay away from the "beach" areas.

Now- as far as gators, we have seen those several times on WDW trips, including WDW property. There are just a lot of them in Florida. Probably 6 years ago, I specifically recall being on ME from the airport when the bus driver said "Wow- big gator everyone look left". There was a giant gator sitting right next to the Interstate. We have seen one on the WDW golf course from the bus. We did see one in the water by Splash Mountain- but not where you would be near him in a ride vehicle. We have seen a couple from a distance in the Bay when we were on a boat going to and from Wilderness Lodge. We have never once felt threatened by a gator we have actually seen. Again, tell him to stay off the concrete paths, don't put your hands in the water from any boat and stay away from the "beach" areas- or at least stay away from the edge of the water. Your chances of any type of gator run in are very low. We kind of enjoyed seeing them until the horrible accident at GF.

Not to try to scare him, but we did have one big scare. Based on that, I would add to my recommendations not to be anywhere near the beach areas at night if you already have a fear. This was 9 or 10 years ago at WL. We had gotten back from a park. WL had movie night at the beach going, and I took DD over to watch while DH went back to the room. It was dark. We watched for a little bit and then decided to go back to the room. The movie was not over, so we were the only ones walking back at the time. We were on the path, and something very loudly hissed at us. I would like to think it was not a gator, but it definitely was something, and I suspect it probably was a gator because I know that they hiss. I'm sure we probably startled him. We booked it down that path away from that hiss as fast as we could go. That is the only time, I have ever been critter scared at WDW... well unless you count the dinosaur ride.

I do think that with the horrible accident, they are probably being more pro-active in trying to spot and remove them, but it is Florida.

 

[FortForever]

Never seen a snake at WDW and we stay at Fort Wilderness most often. Gators are no problem, just swim in the pool and stay out of the other water on the property.

I did see the biggest rat I have ever laid eyes on, at MK, one night.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Here are a few of the critters we've seen at WDW. This alligator was at BCV in 2003. We also saw one at the MK in the water near the Tom Sawyer Island rafts.


This snake was last week at BC on the way from Beaches and Cream back to the parking lot. This was through the window to the outside (towards Stormalong Bay) walking around Cape May Café. Looks to be a black racer. We've seen one at SSR, too, on top of the bushes near the Grandstand bus stop where the birds were attacking it since it was going after a nest.

 

[brertoad]

There are snakes and gators to be sure, it is Florida. The common rule is that if there is water there are gators, you don't go swimming in freshwater in Florida.
Snakes also like water, they like to sun themselves.

I was quite afraid of snakes, I've been working on that fear for a long time, I'm okay as long as they aren't near me. I still get startled if I see one. Gators aren't really that scary- as in they usually keep to their habitat, you aren't going to be face to face with one while out and about in WDW, or most anywhere unless you love to spend time on FL golf courses.

If you go looking for them, you may see some. I'd stick on the main walking paths, avoid any of the lesser used sidewalks. I've seen snakes several times on the sidewalks or near bushes, and gators too on occasion in the lakes/waterways. Saw a 3-4 foot blacksnake over at Fort Wilderness a couple weeks ago when we went to look at the gift shop. Saw a small 1 foot black snake on the back sidewalk of Beach Club.

If you are sticking to the main theme park and main resort walkways chances are you aren't going to see anything.