Crocodiles on International Drive??!!

[LorraineH]

A quick question from my fiance!!! (I think this would be his first post!!!)......

We are staying at QII on I-Drive and he wants to know the likelihood of seeing crocodiles out and about, maybe by the pool, maybe by the side of a road.....

What sightings has anyone had??

Also - from me...... - snakes and spiders ?????


Thanks again!


Lorraine

 

[Night-train]

We've been to Florida 6 times over the years and the only alligators (for it is they rather than crocodiles who inhabit Florida!) we have ever seen have either been in captivity or have been spotted during an airboat ride. They rarely venture into built-up areas.

I've never come across a spider any bigger than what we have here in the UK and the only snake I've seen got himself run over while crossing the road at the entrance to Typhoon Lagoon.

Don't expect to see them, pure and simple!!

 

[Rain]

Never seen a croc or alligator other than in Animal kingdom park.

In 14 trips we saw a snake for the first time in November. We were eating outside in the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. We were just about to sit down and this thin black/brown snake slithered out from under the table!!! scared me silly. I don't know what kind of snake it was, it was not very big.

 

[floridalol]

In 1991 when at a hotel on the 192 we spotted a rattlesnake just off one of the pathways on the way to the pool, I stayed to keep watch on it while DW went to reception to report it. A couple of staff members came to join me while we waited for the help they had called. Twenty minutes later two men arrived to capture the snake but it became extremely agitated and they ended up chopping it's head off. I wasn't happy about this but they said they couldn't risk anyone being hurt.

 

[peewakio]

We've been plenty of times and have never seen a single one. Now and then you may see a snake (usually quite harmless) especially around the Disney waterparks As for creepy crawlies you never see anything other than the odd ants nest (watch out for the tiny red ones, fireants, as they pack a nasty bite, and some people have a bad allergy to them).
Going back to Alligators, we were walking near the Orlando convention centre (2 minutes walk up the road from your hotel) just on the grass verge lay a 10 foot alligator, being the smart Alec that I am I immediately realised that it was a statue. I turned around to the wife and kids and shouted 'LOOK AN ALLIGATOR', I've never seen anyone run so fast in all my life.
Mind you they had the last laugh when we were in the wave pool at typhoon lagoon, when I turned around in shoulder high water and there in front of me was a dead frog about 10 inches long heading straight for me.

 

[Penny12]

I've never heard of anyone seeing one on International Drive, there simply isn't the habitat for them to live in, but, without wanting to make anyone nervous, to say 'no chance' is plain wrong

I've seen 'gators several times on Disney property....including this last trip in May where I couldn't have been more than 20 feet away from one at the Beach Club Bus Stop (there was a fence between us so there wasn't any danger being so close) - he is something of a permanent resident there and if you run a search on either the Resorts or DVC boards you'll see plenty of mentions of him! You may also find a picture of the 'gator that was spotted recently at the Magic Kingdom dock

I've also seen one at the Coronado Springs resort, sitting beside a small lake and under some room balcony's (I joke that he was waiting for lunch to fall out ) and even one by the side of the road...can't remember where that was though...I was on a Disney bus on some back road somewhere.

On the other hand, they are reclusive creatures, usually small and will usually dive straight into the water (that's always very nearby) if approached (as witnessed with the Coronado Springs 'gator when the Disney bods turned up to try and move him!) - not at all like Crocodiles who view everything that breathes as their next meal

Spiders - never seen any!

Snakes - just caught the tail of one shooting into a bush (again at the Beach Club) once but I know there have been several reports of seeing them at the Water parks.

Now...what you have to understand next is...I'm a critter lover...seeing any and all of these animals does nothing but make me happy as punch...infact I actively <i>look</i> for them! And still, my encounters with anything reptilian, in many trips, can be counted one hand *sigh*

So I'd not worry at all, whilst they certainly exist your chances of seeing something is slim, and the chances of actually getting to close to one virtually non-existant.

 

[vernon]

You're unlikely to see a gator on I-Drive, but spiders and snakes are possible.

I've had scorpions in the house (dead ones) , various spiders ( there are some dangerous ones about so do take care. I think Black Widows are sometimes found in Florida) seen a number of Indigo snakes in and around Disney. They are non venomous and a protected species. I've also seen gators at OKW, BC, in the lakes outside MK. There are American Crocs in Florida, but they are relatively rare and I don't think their area extends to Orlando. The more away from built up areas you get the more likely you will come into contact with critters. Disney has a huge amount of nature wetlands and plenty of animals make their homes there. Most of the building development is being done ( or was done) on former farms and wetlands so again there are plenty of animals about looking for a home.

 

[UKDEB]

Orlando is bug city and whilst I wouldn't harm a living creature, I prefer that they stay away from me, thank you. I was once wearing an ankle length skirt at Pleasure Island and a cockroach the size of a Digestive biscuit crawled up inside it. OK, maybe it was more of a Custard Cream or Bourbon, but I screamed the place down, much to the amusement of several passers-by.

Another time we were gathered outside Epcot as the kids were about to get on a bus to MGM. Dd suddenly pointed at dh's shorts, screamed and ran away. It was a cricket (locust/grasshopper - ?) about 5 inches long and 2 wide! We all did the screaming/running thing, leaving poor dh to separate himself from Hopper. You will hear crickets everywhere you go, but thankfully you don't usually see them.

Other prolific insects are Dragonflies (pretty, but too scary for me), spiders (thankfully I've only ever seen little ones, but they can be a bit bizarre looking), and mating May bugs (in May). You'll also see quite a few little gecko type things, but they're tiny and really cute, and squirrels seem to be everywhere around the parks. They're pretty tame, presumably because people feed them, but elder dd stays away since seeing a programme on TV, "When Squirrels Attack!" .

 

[LorraineH]

Wow!! Thanks for all the replies!!

Have to say, my fiance is a little disappointed that the chances are he wont see crocs near our hotel. (Although I think we will just HAVE to find that statue one mentioned!!! We'll have some fun with the kids!!!)

The thought of spiders scares the hell out of me.

Snakes? Yeah I'll probably scream if I see one.

We have bought loads of insect repellent already - call me a panicker - but the thought of bugs the size of biscuits coming anywhere near me - no way!!!!


Lorraine

 

[Netty]

we always see frogs, big ones ,little ones, running on the path, clinging to the villa windows when it rains, swimming in the pool, aagghhh I hate them.. specially when one swam by me in the pool, i never got out the water so fast!!
jeanette

 

[vernon]

If your family are keen on seeing some of the wildlife ( and a good chance of gators) the Boggy Creek Airboat ride is an excellent "half day" attraction to go on. It's a really good chance to see some of how Florida used to be before the development.

You can run into critters ANYWHERE, as was proved on one of our early UK DIS meets when one girl was saying how she had a terrible snake phobia and an adder slithered over her foot !! . This in a pub garden in the middle of Essex !!! It did cause a bit of a stir LOL. You JUST never know.

 

[Selina]

If you venture to Kennedy Space Centre you will definitely see some alligators wandering along the road and sometimes near the buildings! We also saw an alligator just off the main road on our way to Busch Gardens - it was just having a walk!

 

[JohnnySharp]

Never seen an Alligator yet but have driven across 'Alligator Alley' - linking Naples and Miami - and seen a few snakes on the road.

You are always likely to see bugs of various description , seen the odd scorpion, frogs etc, not stayed in a hotel for a few years but often saw tiny lizards around the pool areas.

If you don't like bugs just stay clear of the Everglades! We drove through them once (never again) years ago on the way to Miami, across Tamiami Trail, at night....it was horrid , pitch black , creatures everywhere, things running out in front of the car...funny now but not at the time, especially for my wife

 

[Scottish Mouse]

In October 2003, we hired a villa (think it was in Indian Creek) and we woke up one morning to find a small snake swimming in the pool. Yeuch. I am terrified of them. I can tell you we were on the phone to the villa management office straight away. The guy who took it away told us it was harmeless and a baby one. Still unerved me. He also said that he had earlier taken a gator away from someones pool.

Hate the thought of anything like that happening next year so have booked a hotel!

 

[mkmarty]

The best place I've seen Gators is out near KSC. In the water around the centre are crocs & turtles. The crocs lay there with just their eyes above water. Creepy but fun!!

 

[ejones999]

Never seen one on I-Drive but we did see some on the road from Orlando to Kennedy Space Center.
Eric

 

[homerdog]

There is some interesting wildlife on the Disney golf courses. At Eagle Pines in January this year, we saw an Armadillo, an Osprey and (fleetingly!) some deer.

There are supposed to be plenty of alligators and Diamondback rattlers lurking around, so when you hit your ball in the jungle you don't go in to look for it