Disney Gator

[rabyoga]

While on the riverboat, we saw a little gator in the water by Tom Sawyer's Island. It was a small one- 4-5feet. He popped up and floated a bit (around the white picket fence), a minute or so and then went under water. I asked a few cast members about it- they didn't seem to really know much about it. I talked with the train cast member- he said that Disney has gators in the water. Disney allows the gators to live there-provided they don't get too big or lose their fear of people.
Any one else see the Disney Gator???
It made my trip...

 

[zen1]

No, I have never seen or even heard that Disney has little gators swimming around by Tom Sawyer's Island. I will have to look for them when I go this October. And thanks for telling us about it!

 

[Baloo]

We saw one several times in the lake a Coranado Springs two summers ago.He was about 4-5 feet long too.

We've also heard them by the Boardwalk and in the MK.I thought they were bullfrogs but DH,Joe, told me they were gators,they sound sorta alike,but bigger!

We spotted several bunny rabbits a couple weeks ago in Epcot.Hope they don't become gator food!

 

[Noelle]

I know there's one in the canal at the Beach Club. I've heard a lot about him and can't wait to see it. From a distance, of course!

 

[Rhonna]

Central Florida is swampland - they wouldn't be able to keep out all the wildlife. If an animal was a danger, I'm sure they'd send out someone to try and relocate it but otherwise, as Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park: "nature will always find a way" (to break out).

I've been in the lazy river at Blizzard Beach twice when a snake joined us. The lifeguards don't worry about it too much until a guest starts freaking out. As long as they tell me it isn't poisonous, I can deal with it. They said it happens all the time. We were there in the fall but I can imagine in the heat of summer the animals would want to cool off in the water just like us.

I think part of the charm of the area is seeing wildlife that isn't in the parks. I'll have to keep an eye out for the real gators - haven't seen one of those at WDW yet.

Rhonna

 

[mamahauldren]

Okay, I may not be doing the lazy River at Blizzard now...Call me silly but I have a terrible fear of snakes...little, nice, big, mean, poisonous or not...I have fainted before inside of a boot store when I saw one inside a tank. Embarrassing !

I would be one of the freaking out people and have the kids in a panic or I would faint and drown. Maybe I will skip Blizzard in our plans now....Thanks for the info, I would not have wanted to have been taken by surprise.

 

[SamanthaL]

The only one we saw was at the Beach Club Villas. He looked lonely.

 

[flyinglizard]

No gator in the BCV canal the first week of May this year. I was disappointed...

As mentioned in a previous post, Disney Animal Control moves them to a remote part of property when they get to a certain size- I think 4 feet but I'm not sure.

The thing is about Gators, when you move one out, it leaves a vacancy for a new smaller gator to fill. Keep in mind, it is against the law in Florida to feed them!

 

[wannabee princess]

Yep! We've seen it (or at least one of its' relatives!)! We were on the bridge walkway between Liberty Square and Splash Mountain and I was keeping my eyes open for it (think I had read about it on the Dis). After we stood and looked, other people stopped too.

 

[8caliace]

Prior to the construction at SOG, we would see several gators each morning in the ponds near the driveway. It was tradition that on the morning walk to the Poly to see how many we could find. Sometimes they would even be up on the banks right near the sidewalks. I think the most we saw at one time was 4 or 5. I hope they are still there even after all the SOG construction.

 

[Mom2R&D]

I spotted a gator once from the monorail...it was thirteen years ago but if memory serves me he (or she) was lazing in a ditch filled with water.

On our last trip we saw a baby bunny at the ASMo resort.

 

[auntie2jaylynn]

I've seen gators a couple of times at MK. We had an armadillo walking right in front of us at ASMU, was pretty cool, being from the frozen north, I had never seen one

 

[mommystieg]

Originally posted by flyinglizard
No gator in the BCV canal the first week of May this year. I was disappointed...

As mentioned in a previous post, Disney Animal Control moves them to a remote part of property when they get to a certain size- I think 4 feet but I'm not sure.

The thing is about Gators, when you move one out, it leaves a vacancy for a new smaller gator to fill. Keep in mind, it is against the law in Florida to feed them!

We saw him last year so I wonder if they moved him. People were feeding him He was so used to people that he would swim up to the bridge whenever anyone walked by in the mornings.

 

[elmo2wdw]

We saw the gator at Magic Kingdom on May 4th. We have looked during our 5 trips over the last 3 years and never saw it until........May 4th.

My family thought I was nuts but they are believers now. We saw it at the dock area around Splash Mountain. A CM was watching it because someone had fed it a turkey leg and it was about a foot from coming up into the walkway. The CM said they sent for Disney Pest Control to come get it because it showed no fear of humans and it was getting too big.

I even took pictures so my son could include it in his report for school.

 

[Gramto6inPa]

We saw one too. A small one.In April 2002 at MK.It was between the Liberty Bellle landing and Slash Mountain along the walkway bridge.I have a picture of it,but I don't know how to post them.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Yup, I've seen a gator at MK floating along in the water by Tom Sawyer Island. Took some pictures for Maddy since she loves gators for some reason.

I've seen tons of rabbits around there...mainly in the grass by the Crystal Palace and Cinderella Castle.

 

[dizneycc]

Originally posted by 8caliace
Prior to the construction at SOG, we would see several gators each morning in the ponds near the driveway. It was tradition that on the morning walk to the Poly to see how many we could find. Sometimes they would even be up on the banks right near the sidewalks. I think the most we saw at one time was 4 or 5. I hope they are still there even after all the SOG construction.

Earlier this month I saw the gator at SOG. He has moved up to the new water area in front of the lobby and bus parking area. I saw him two days in a row, sunning himself on the shore!

 

[currycook]

We live in Florida. Once you live in Florida for several years gators are not big thing. We usually have one in the lake out in front of our house.

 

[kilee]

We look for them every trip from the moment the plane lands!! We have one that we've seen every trip in the same retention "pond" on International Drive-- always from the car. But he/she looks to be a big one. I guess it's the novelty because we don't have them here.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Originally posted by 8caliace
Prior to the construction at SOG, we would see several gators each morning in the ponds near the driveway. It was tradition that on the morning walk to the Poly to see how many we could find. Sometimes they would even be up on the banks right near the sidewalks. I think the most we saw at one time was 4 or 5. I hope they are still there even after all the SOG construction.

I am really hoping that they're still there - will let you know!