DON"T let this happen to your family!!

[Damien2213]

First off I'm glad your little one is ok. I would have been beside myself if a child of mine got bit by a snake. I for one am scared to death of walking up on a poisonous and getting bit without me know it is there. There have been a couple of times I have walked up on a snake before I knew he was there. Not fun at all. I grew up in the Virginia backwoods and I'm telling you the Cotton Mouth is an every year thing. I was very weary of going into the woods while growing up.

As one of the above posters said having a black snake around your house can actually be a blessing. First off they aren't poisonous usually, they are very non aggressive unless protecting their nests/home/eggs, and they tend to keep worse snakes away. A black snake can and will give you a nasty bite though as I have seen so I wouldn't go messing with one thinking nothing will happen.

 

[larryz]

The pain was excruciating and his hand began to swell.

OUCH for the son!

I forgot to mention that the antivenin alone cost over $139, 000.00!!!!

Heart attack for the dad!

Seriously, that's valuable advice you shared, and I hope everyone takes note. I guess venomous snakes can be thought of as the "thorns" on the Disney "rose."

 

[LMO429]

wow that is terrible! I hope your son is feeling better

 

[Scrooge Jr]

I want to share what happened to my son on our recent trip to make everyone aware and to be very careful.

At the end of May we were staying at the Caribbean Resort. We had only been there for 2 hours when we headed toward the bus stop to go to dinner. We were walking on the sidewalk when my 7 year old son dropped a toy into the landscaping. The toy landed less than a foot from the sidewalk edge into some very manicured landscaping. He bent down to pick it up, his feet never leaving the sidewalk, when he suddenly said, "Daddy, Daddy, something just bit me!" At first we thought it was just a prickly bush or a lizard until my husband saw the snake. We immediately called for an ambulance and I scooped him up, praying all the while, and headed for the bus stop to wait for the ambulance. The pain was excruciating and his hand began to swell. He kept asking me if he was going to die. Imagine hearing a question like that from your child and not knowing the answer. He was bitten three times on the finger by a water moccasin. We were first taken to Celebration Hospital and then transferred to Florida Children's Hospital. He spent three days in the pediatric intensive care unit and received 12 vials of anitivenin. The swelling reached all the way to his shoulder, but antivenin was administered before it invaded the shoulder joint, or he might have lost his entire arm. Thankfully the antivenin worked, he survivied, and was able to keep his arm and finger. For several weeks he was sleeping over 14 hours a day, one of the side effects of the antivenin, and he still has some stiffness in his finger.

I know the chances of getting bitten by a venomous snake at Disney are very rare, but it can and did happen. I just want to make everyone aware. It is a natural wildlife area. Watch your children around the landscaping, keep them from making shortcuts through it. Would our experience keep us from Disney in the future? No, but I would definately be more cautious. Just be aware of your surroundings.

What section were you staying at while at the Caribbean Beach Resort?

 

[pocahontasgal87]

awwwwww,thank goodness ur son is fine now, thx for the warning! we plan to stay at CBR in the beggining of May, we will be very careful

 

[Becx N Gav]

OMG I am so pleased your son was ok, even seeing a snake (poisonous or otherwise) freaks me out, being biten - agghhhh I just don't think I could cope

Thanks for sharing this as a warning. In the UK there is barely any dangerous wildlife (I think the worst is bacteria that can be found after they get run over) so it takes a shocking story like this to remind us.

 

[cuches]

OMG Unbelievable story!!! Glad he didn't lose his arm of finger! I can understand the pain he must have been in after steping on a sting ray n the gulf coast of Florida in the early '90's. I couldn't walk for days and the pain was WAY worse then childbirth!!!! They wanted me to go to the hospital and looking back I probrably should have but I was in so much pain the slightest movement was unbearable. Way to end a honeymoon!!!!

I hope Disney covered that crazy bill and then some (a little pain and suffering compensation would be nice!)

Tina

 

[Leajess99]

I am so glad your son is okay and so sorry that this happened to your family. I hate snakes and hope to not see one but thank you for making me more aware.

 

[Nermel9]

Thank you for sharing this and I'm glad your son is ok!

I've read about snakes being on Disney property but I never gave it much thought. I'm staying at CBR and after reading this, I will definitely be on the lookout! If I see any type of snake, I'm running the other way! I'm terrified of snakes and I don't see many of them in CT, and the ones I have seen are harmless so if I did see something that could kill me, I'd probably freak out!

 

[GalDisney]

Just an FYI. Alot of people have been reefering to snakes as "poisonous". They are not poisonous, they are venomous

 

[Libbyt]

Scary story - we were just at that resort a few weeks ago.

Someone mentioned Disney picking up the bill........not sure how it would work for something as big as this incident, but while we were there, my dd passed out in one of the parks. EMT's were there instantly and offered to take us to the hospital (which we declined - she has a disorder that results in frequent passing out, so we're kind of used to it) and stressed that there would be no charge for their services or the ER visit. Nice to know - after frequent ambulance trips because of my dd's problems, I KNOW how much this costs and it is absurd!

 

[Flametamr]

First to the OP I wanna say Im sorry this happend to you DS. I hope he is not scared physically or emotionally from this.

Second I'm just amazed that this does not happen almost every day at WDW. There are thousands of people unfamiliar with wildlife going all thru all the lush vegitation planted for decoration. I know Disney does a wonderfull job landscaping but it is also a place for things to hide. Be Aware.

I am from the South and had a few run ins with snakes. Moccosins are natoriously agressive. They will not back down and run if frightened. I would guess since the gave the boy 12 vials that they gave him several different types of anti-venom. They prob did this since the type of snake was not know for sure.

I can't justify the cost since I don't make snake anti-venom but I wanted to point out that even though the law required the hospital to treat the kid regardless of insurance they will not do it for free. They will send a bill and expect it to be paid by someone. In this case I sure hope it is Disney.

 

[GSDRescuer]

THANKS FOR THE WARNING!!

I would never even think about a snake possibly being around! Where I live, I have only seen non-venomous ones (garter snakes). So, snakes never even come to mind.
Just to think that DGD(4) was with us at WL this May and posing amoungst the flowers near the ponds just sends chills up my spine!! She was also playing in the grassy and bushy area while waiting for the bus! OMGoodness! I did everything wrong allowing her to do this!!!

I hope that I remember on our next trip to be careful! I was so clueless!

I am so glad that your son is ok. Hugs to you and your family.

 

[Ktharee]

I want to share what happened to my son on our recent trip to make everyone aware and to be very careful.

At the end of May we were staying at the Caribbean Resort. We had only been there for 2 hours when we headed toward the bus stop to go to dinner. We were walking on the sidewalk when my 7 year old son dropped a toy into the landscaping. The toy landed less than a foot from the sidewalk edge into some very manicured landscaping. He bent down to pick it up, his feet never leaving the sidewalk, when he suddenly said, "Daddy, Daddy, something just bit me!" At first we thought it was just a prickly bush or a lizard until my husband saw the snake. We immediately called for an ambulance and I scooped him up, praying all the while, and headed for the bus stop to wait for the ambulance. The pain was excruciating and his hand began to swell. He kept asking me if he was going to die. Imagine hearing a question like that from your child and not knowing the answer. He was bitten three times on the finger by a water moccasin. We were first taken to Celebration Hospital and then transferred to Florida Children's Hospital. He spent three days in the pediatric intensive care unit and received 12 vials of anitivenin. The swelling reached all the way to his shoulder, but antivenin was administered before it invaded the shoulder joint, or he might have lost his entire arm. Thankfully the antivenin worked, he survivied, and was able to keep his arm and finger. For several weeks he was sleeping over 14 hours a day, one of the side effects of the antivenin, and he still has some stiffness in his finger.

I know the chances of getting bitten by a venomous snake at Disney are very rare, but it can and did happen. I just want to make everyone aware. It is a natural wildlife area. Watch your children around the landscaping, keep them from making shortcuts through it. Would our experience keep us from Disney in the future? No, but I would definately be more cautious. Just be aware of your surroundings.

How awful...I am so glad he was able to get immediate care and recover. So sorry that happened to your family.

 

[NCtoFL]

I am glad your son is ok, and thank you for the warning.

 

[pamkas]

WOW, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Bullseye]

THANKS FOR THE WARNING!!

I would never even think about a snake possibly being around! Where I live, I have only seen non-venomous ones (garter snakes). So, snakes never even come to mind.
Just to think that DGD(4) was with us at WL this May and posing amoungst the flowers near the ponds just sends chills up my spine!! She was also playing in the grassy and bushy area while waiting for the bus! OMGoodness! I did everything wrong allowing her to do this!!!

I hope that I remember on our next trip to be careful! I was so clueless!

I am so glad that your son is ok. Hugs to you and your family.

Yeah being from IL I know what you mean, you don't even think about snakes. You forget that Florida is a wild place with many creatures! As soon I read ops story I started thinking back about all the times I chased DS around off trail at POR when we were horseing around, not even thinking about what might be hidden in the brush.

OP sorry to hear this happened to your son. Glad he is doing well.

 

[MartDM]

Just be aware of your surroundings.

An excellent cautionary tale - thank you for sharing. I'm so glad your son is OK but sorry you had to go through all that!

I think people let their guard down in so many ways at WDW and this is another example to remind us that, no matter how magic it all feels, it's still the real world there and you have to remain vigilant always.

 

[luvmy3boyz]

Wow! How scary! I'm surprised this wasn't reported in the news! Were you interviewed by anyone after the incident?

 

[mickey family]

I did post this earlier under a resort thread that was already talking about snakes. I wasn't going to post it again until my niece was there recently and saw tons of kids running in the landscaping. In the past my children have done the same, but never again. Honestly the chances of it happening are so small, but they are certainly there and I would want to know for the safety of my own children.

We were staying in Trinidad, Building 39. We were actually close to the parking lot when it happened, not terribly close to the lake. Disney switched us to a different resort because my son was so terrified and I saw 2 more water moccasins in the lake that morning.

He was given 12 vials of Cro-Fab because he was bitten 3 times and received a good dose of venom from the snake. I, my husband, and my oldest daughter all saw the snake and were able to identify it. My husband's Army training kicked in and he wanted to catch it for identification purposes, but my mother instinct kicked in even harder and he was told in no uncertain terms to leave the snake and get on the phone for an ambulance.


Thanks to everyone for their concern. I thank God every night for sparing his life. Just hug your babies a little tighter.