alligators???

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

We have seen gators in MK every time we've been there. It's now a game to see who sees one first.
The first time we saw one, we thought it was put in the water as a prop. The second time, my DD swore she saw the eyes blink. We told her there was noooo wayyy Disney would let gators stay. Well she asked a CM while we were on TS Island if the gators were real and he told her "they sure are". He also said they let them stay until they reach 3-5 feet and then move them somewhere else. Or they will move the smaller ones if they are more active....Well needless to say that cut out Island adventure short and we have never been back to the Island since. Now we just look from afar.

To the poster who lived in LA, I can so relate to that. My 2 DB lived there and the first thing they said was watch were you step when you walk outside in the morn.

 

[Nebsky]

I saw that little guy in Frontierland back in 03. Watched someone buy a turkey leg just to throw it in the water for him.

Saw a couple this past March while playing golf. First one I saw was about 3 ft long in the pond on the the Palms course #2 hole. Just a swimming he was. 2nd one I saw was a monster. #16 hole on Magnolia. Im on the green in two and will be putting for birdie. I had told one of the guys I was playing with about the one swimming. Well, we get up to the green and he is short. He calls me over asking me to help look for his ball. Ball turns out was about 5-10 yrds from this 5-6 foot gator. He saw his ball when he crested the green but just thought he would scare me. It worked. I ended up getting a par.

Also saw lots of wild turkeys and armadillos while playing.

 

[skyhawk]

We stayed at Coronado Springs in June, and crossing one of the little bridges there was an alligator in the water! Have heard one of the bus drivers telling another passenger that he pulled into Wilderness Lodge bus stop and couldn't park the bus in its spot because an alligator was laying right there.

We were at Coronodo Springs in August, and we saw the gator in the lake. Even fed him some bread and named him Bonnie (I guess it would be a "her" then).. As we were walking back to our room, we were wondering if he came out of the water at all, and what would we do if we saw him walking towards us. A few minutes later, my wise guy son who was walking behind me, took off his shoe and tossed it into the bushes next to the walkway we were walking on. Thinking it was Bonnie, I almost jumped out of my skin.

 

[tinaluis]

We saw a gator in the water at Coronado Springs this month. We had dinner at Pepper Market and were on our way back to our car. A lady over by the water asked our DDs if they wanted to see an Alligator. There he was, big as day. Well not really that big (maybe 3 feet), but the lady said she and her mom were consider renting a paddleboat earlier in the day but seeing the gator in the water, they decided against the idea. I would have decided the same thing!

 

[Simba's Mom]

As far as that gator in Frontierland is concerned, I looked for him when I was there last month, yet I never saw him. Alligators are very common on the golf courses at Disney. DH sees them at Palm and Magnolia often. If anyone's ever been to Disney's HHI resort, there are some HUGE alligators I saw right in people's back yards. Can you imagine with all you pay for real estate there, only to get alligators in your yard?

 

[Aidensmom]

Alligators are everywhere in Florida that there is fresh water. You can find them on any golf course. I used to live in an apartment complex that had a couple of small manmade lakes, and there were several of them in there. At night they come out of the water and wander around, especially during mating season. It was not unusual for one to be found in the parking lot in the morning under someone's car. And this was in the middle of the city.

 

[Rachie0507]

We stayed at POFQ a couple weeks ago and over heard a guest asking the boat driver about gators on the way to DTD one day. He swore that the river and lake have no alligators in them. I didn't really believe him though. But I did think it was funny when he said "Disney won't allow anything that might eat the profits"!

 

[searchdisney]

Wow, you alligator-sighters are lucky! I saw one in Celebration once but never at WDW. Would be cool but I'm sure WDW pays attention and keeps things safe.

 

[FSUGrad97]

We were at Coronodo Springs in August, and we saw the gator in the lake. Even fed him some bread and named him Bonnie (I guess it would be a "her" then).. As we were walking back to our room, we were wondering if he came out of the water at all, and what would we do if we saw him walking towards us. A few minutes later, my wise guy son who was walking behind me, took off his shoe and tossed it into the bushes next to the walkway we were walking on. Thinking it was Bonnie, I almost jumped out of my skin.

Just as a FYI for visitors, you should NEVER feed alligators in FL. They lose their fear and have been known to attack people.

Not too long ago, there was a man who was killed by an alligator at a lake not far from my house while he was fishing from the bank of the lake.

ETA: This lake is about 30 yards from a very busy road, and has neighborhoods all around the lake, and would not be considered a rural area at all.

 

[Mecha Figment]

Why are you people so afraid of gators? If you stay out of their enviroment they will leave you alone. They typicaly leave people alone Even if you are boating with them they will never bother you. Just make sure you don't get between them and their baby. thats when the problems happen. over all they are just creatures living their lives like they were designed. if a gator gets to a dangerous size you proably wont see them. i'm sure disney takes care of it quickly. I have yet to hear of a attack of a gator there.i use to walk by a 3 foot gators pond by the beach daily. it wasn't fenced in. Point being gators dont see us as food and as long as we don't mess with them or get the to associate food with us (this is why it's important not to feed them) they are no threat.

 

[Mecha Figment]

just thought i would point out that they are actualy breading gators at Epcot in the land pavillion.

 

[NikiM20]

To all the people talking about Louisiana and alligators...for the record I was born and raised here and the only time I have ever seen an alligator was at the zoo......Not a big problem where I live...even though we have a small creek that runs behind us

 

[Brendita]

Yes this 1 is real.
Found @ Cornado Springs.

 

[outtonight]

Just one more person to reiterate the "please don't feed the gators!"

Where I live they're fairly common, although I've only seen them rarely. And although for the most part they'll leave you alone if you do the same, remember that they ARE wild animals, and you need to be very cautious around them -- just because they're on WDW property doesn't mean they've had their teeth removed.

Sadly, people where I live don't seem to have common sense and forget that alligators are wild. Many a housepet has become lunch in my neighborhood because a lot of my neighbors don't feel the need to fence in the area between their backyard and the lake. And, the most frightening thing, is that many of these people have small children.

 

[maccalovah]

To all the people talking about Louisiana and alligators...for the record I was born and raised here and the only time I have ever seen an alligator was at the zoo......Not a big problem where I live...even though we have a small creek that runs behind us

That doesn't mean there aren't alligators in Louisiana! I lived there for several years and saw a couple in my yard, and once even one on a highway

 

[Principessa1284]

When we stayed at CBR a few years ago, we rented a pontoon boat & cruised around the lake.. at a more remote part, we were about 15ft or so from the shore & my mom screamed & said there was an alligator. No one believed her & we laughed, cuz it just looked like a tree branch. Then a guy on a water sprite came along between us & the shore, & our "tree branch" went INSANE and started thrashing all over the place. She was a good 6-7ft long.. We talked to a lifeguard and aparently, she just laid her eggs & was protecting her babies.. thats why they haven't moved her. Momma wasn't happy!!!

 

[kmkja1]

Why are you people so afraid of gators? If you stay out of their enviroment they will leave you alone. They typicaly leave people alone Even if you are boating with them they will never bother you. Just make sure you don't get between them and their baby. thats when the problems happen. over all they are just creatures living their lives like they were designed. if a gator gets to a dangerous size you proably wont see them. i'm sure disney takes care of it quickly. I have yet to hear of a attack of a gator there.i use to walk by a 3 foot gators pond by the beach daily. it wasn't fenced in. Point being gators dont see us as food and as long as we don't mess with them or get the to associate food with us (this is why it's important not to feed them) they are no threat.

People are afraid of gators because they are dangerous wild animals. It's when people think these animals are totally predictable that bad things happen.The point is is that where wild animals are concerned you just never know.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Gators, when left alone are basically harmless to humans.

The problems occur when

1. You get between them and their offspring. Problem is solved by staying away from them!

or

2. When you feed them, they begin to associate humans with food. Problem solved by NOT feeding them. (I'd like to personally smack the guy who threw the turkey leg at one)

If you see water at Disney (or anywhere in Florida for that matter), you can be assured that there are gators in it. Disney does have a policy of relocating the larger ones non guest areas. You should see one of the women who does this, she must be 5'2".......short little thing. I asked her once where she learned how to wrangle a gator and throw it in a pick-up truck to relocate it, and her reply was "I raised 7 young'ns on my own!"