Have you ever been warned about alligators at Disney?

[CaliTex]

Never - I was cautious of them though after spending a night in the Everglades *shudder* - that night still haunts me. And because of that night I didn't accept the "leave them alone they'll leave you alone etc etc etc". There they have big signs along the road saying if you break down, don't even get out of your car, stay and wait and patrol will find you because of alligators in the ditches (and panthers, nevermind the snakes and bugs and yuck).

Side note - they have recently found Nile crocodiles in the Everglades too

I'll be honest that my main avoiding of fresh water has and always will be the brain eating aemeoba.

Agree on the brain eating amoeba thing. I do not go in the lakes here in Texas because of that. But then I'm not a fan of our HOA pools either, ha ha. So I might be a little germ phobic. I'm also spoiled by the fact that I grew up near the Pacific ocean and spent a lot of time at Lake Tahoe--before it was so overbuilt, so, yeah, there is that.

I always tell my grands--"Stay away from the fakey lakey, it's scuzzy wuzzy!" Disney may call those swamp water hole things names like "The Seven Seas Lagoon", but to our family they will always be "Lakey Fakey" and "Lake Scuzz Wuzz". Year before last, when we were there with our then 3-year old DGD, she pointed at the beach said, "Ooooh, barfy brain eating mickey meembas, grandma!!"But I just thought it was dangerous due to bacteria; I confess to not thinking an alligator could potentially snatch people up. (Rare as it may be...it doesn't matter, some signage should have been up.)

Pookasaurus---your night in the everglades sounds like a horror/sci-fi movie---what happened? Picturing giant alligators crawling on the hood of the car and hissing at you through the windshield, giant spiders dropping on the roof "ting ting ting" with their little spider feet, no cell service....the car slowly beginning to sink in the slime along the side of the road where you had been caught after swerving to avoid hitting a giant manbearpig...

 

[LovesTimone]

My heart and prayers are with the family and friends.

Born and raised in Fl. My brother and I were taught from the time that we were little kids about wildlife and safety. My parents, grandparents, school teacher even our Sunday school teachers talked about it. These are the things that they pounded into our heads. When it says no swimming it means just that, its not a suggestion. During mating season they will defend what they see/think as a danger to them and they hunt at night. Most all wildlife will defend their young just like humans defend ours. Never feed the wildlife ( any wildlife) this makes them less afraid of us, and then this makes them associate food with humans. If you can't see the bottom don't jump in there are lots of reason for this, logs, down trees, rocks, gators and manatees. Never ever get in the water at night except your pool, and then still check before getting in for snakes and gators. Be especially careful in brackish water ( where salt water and fresh water meet) lots and lots of wildlife options in this water. Be aware of your surroundings... really be aware. Never ever go near the water without an adult. Never get in the water without a adult. Before you go anywhere check it out...never assume anything, don't go by what someone else tells you, no second hand knowledge... you make sure you know, basically be responsible.

I know a lot of people think you can keep the wildlife out you just can't there are underground water ways, and a fence won't stop them. There is a large and fairly deep retention pond inside our neighborhood, with a side walk all the way around it, its great for walking, and biking. I take my grandson in his stroller around it early in the mornings. This morning DH and I were walking and guess what was in the pond a small gator. We changed course and walked around the park instead. I called the HOA president and he said they are posting signs this week. When I was in middle school my Best friend had a sleepover and we woke up to her mom screaming... yep... a gator in the pool about 4 feet long, broke through the privacy fence and screened pool enclosure... and was on the bottom of the pool. They think that he might have been after their dog who was a real barky little guy. Game and fish had to be called to get the gator out..

I was raised in the water, pools, lakes, rivers, ocean... I love it... DH and I love the water but I have the utmost respect for it. DH and I have a boat we swim, ski, tube, snorkel, fish, go scalloping and lobstering, fresh and salt water, lakes, rivers, and the ocean. We taught our girls and now teaching my grandson about water and wildlife safety.

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

Growing up in Florida, you are taught that alligators are in all lakes & canal ways. Though I was not directly warned about alligators at Walt Disney World, I have seen them several times. Including small ones in the Seven Seas Lagoon, in the sewer ways, and in Crescent Lake. I find it weird that WDW didn't warn tourists about the potential alligator, although they never posed a threat to people, they are there and they are active.

 

[disneydreamerinny]

A couple of years ago at the CBR there was a gator by the bridge that everyone was feeding for a few days. Then one day he disappeared. We asked a CM where he was, and CM stated that they regularly "relocate" (he actually used air quotes) the gators once they start to become too friendly with the guests. This one was just hanging around waiting for someone to feed it every day. I just figured it was a very rare thing. Never did I ever imagine that these things were all over property. The worst thing we have to worry about up here is hitting a damn deer with our car and an occasional skunk in the back yard.

 

[kreckl]

Never. And I asked why there was no swimming at the Poly beach on our first trip there.

 

[maxiesmom]

I never had to be warned. I know there are gators in Florida just like I know there are sharks in the ocean. And rattlesnakes in Arizona, and bears in Tennessee. I too am mystified that people didn't consider that an outdoor theme park would have wildlife on it's grounds. Is there a state in the union where all of the wildlife is friendly and can't hurt you? Why would people think Florida would be any different? If not a gator than a snake, or a cougar.

 

[kjw42]

I have family that lived in Florida and was well acquainted with stories about the wildlife. However " Disney Florida" doesn't seem like real Florida, it seems man made and controlled. I live in an area home to bears, wolves and coyotes but I'm not on high alert when I'm at the local theme park. On my first Disney trip, my room mate and I spotted a couple baby gators on the shores by the Poly, we got pretty close admiring them and we soon joined by several other spectators until someone had the common sense ( not myself) to say aloud " Wonder where the mother is?". After which we all slowly backed away. If I hadn't had that experience it would have never dawned on me that they could be around, especially outside of the wilder areas like Fort Wilderness.

 

[EvilQueen2018]

I haven't been warned at Disney, but I wasn't warned at Gatorland or any other place in Florida. Do you need a warning to stay away from strange dogs? Staying out of a foreign body of water should be a no brainer but somehow it isn't. I mean I don't just walk into a stranger's home, this is the same thing. Its their home. It isn't just Florida's lakes that you should not blindly play in, I don't go to Yellowstone thinking there are no bears. I also know there are sharks in the ocean. This is grammar school information.

Lets name some famous sports teams that get their name from things commonly associated with Florida: The Florida Gators, Seminoles, Hurricanes, Heat, and Dolphins, just off the top of my head because I don't do sports. Why wouldn't you expect to encounter any or even all of the above while you are there?

 

[kreckl]

Because it is a theme park.
Because it is a man-made body of water.
Because when I asked "Why no swimming?" I was told "Because there are no lifeguards."
Because people are jet-skiing in the water.
Because in over 10 Disney trips, we had never seen a gator.

 

[maxiesmom]

Because it is a theme park.
Because it is a man-made body of water.
Because when I asked "Why no swimming?" I was told "Because there are no lifeguards."
Because people are jet-skiing in the water.
Because in over 10 Disney trips, we had never seen a gator.

But it is outside. Did you really think Disney could completely control the wildlife? Not just gators, but snakes.

 

[EvilQueen2018]

Because it is a theme park.
Because it is a man-made body of water.
Because when I asked "Why no swimming?" I was told "Because there are no lifeguards."
Because people are jet-skiing in the water.
Because in over 10 Disney trips, we had never seen a gator.

Because its Florida and outdoors.

Wildlife doesn't avoid certain water because someone dug a hole and filled it with water vs nature doing it. They don't care where it came from.

My daughter asks why she can't touch the top of the stove. It could be hot. I don't also tell her that it could cause severe injury, she might reach up and grab something sharp by accident, or anything else. Why do you need more than one reason to follow a rule? "Because I said so" should be enough when its a general rule.

People are in the ocean too and there's sharks all over it. Do you need to be told they could bite you?

Were you looking? Have you seen a feral cat in MK? Hurricanes can happen there too. Just because you have never seen something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It has never rained for more than a few minutes any time I have been there but I know it could storm on any trip.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Back in 2010 We were on the boat from POFQ to DS and happily relaxing, enjoying the ride.. The captain alerted us to the presence of a "rather large gator" sunning himself at the waters edge on the golf course. We were asked to move toward the centre of the boat & reminded - all hands and arms to be kept within the boat at all times.

I'd estimate the "rather large gator" to have been in excess of five feet long and a decent weight. It was the first time we have ever come that close to a gator in years worth of trips to WDW.

I've seen others in Florida, most were small. As we are told, it's to be expected - Central Florida is built on reclaimed Everglades swamp land...

 

[kreckl]

Oh I certainly understand now I was naive. I didn't think that we would be encouraged to enter water for jet-skiing if there were alligators and dangerous snakes there. I would never do that in water outside of Disney in Florida, so I see the problem NOW. But when I asked, was it dangerous, and told NO, we just don't have lifeguards....well- that felt different. I have sat with my son on the Poly beach at night watching wishes, while many children ran about on the sand. Some splashing in the edge of the water. My tired kid on my lap, thankfully. But I'm quite certain the many loving families sharing that moment with their little ones would have been away from the water had the cast members right there with us mentioned the danger.
I will never be convinced that "no swimming" equals enough of a warning. Remember, I asked why.

 

[Srbright]

I've never needed to be warned. The "Disney Bubble" is all in your head. Frankly the view that "It's Disney World!" Is naive at best. We still warn our children about it not talking to strangers at Disney; just because we are at Disney world doesn't mean you don't take normal precautions.

I'll use my example from when this first happened.

Did you know there have been 17 dog related fatalities in the UK since 2005?

Did you know that there have been only 22 recorded alligator fatalities in Florida since 1948?

I don't remember a sign at the Brittish Museum, Tower of London or on my Jack the Ripper tour (all of which had dogs on or near it) warning me of the possibility of being killed by a dog. Do I get to sue the Crown for not warning me of the dangers inherent in my visit there?

Stacy

http://www.outsideonline.com/1917111/surviving-alligator-attack

http://www.planetdeadly.com/animals/uk-dangerous-animals

 

[burberryplaid]

I never received a warning from Disney but even before my first trip in 2008 I knew not to go in or even vet near the water due to alligators, snakes and bacteria. However, every trip I continued to see people go into Bay Lake, oblivious to the fact that the water was not safe.

 

[maxiesmom]

Oh I certainly understand now I was naive. I didn't think that we would be encouraged to enter water for jet-skiing if there were alligators and dangerous snakes there. I would never do that in water outside of Disney in Florida, so I see the problem NOW. But when I asked, was it dangerous, and told NO, we just don't have lifeguards....well- that felt different. I have sat with my son on the Poly beach at night watching wishes, while many children ran about on the sand. Some splashing in the edge of the water. My tired kid on my lap, thankfully. But I'm quite certain the many loving families sharing that moment with their little ones would have been away from the water had the cast members right there with us mentioned the danger.
I will never be convinced that "no swimming" equals enough of a warning. Remember, I asked why.

The why shouldn't matter. No place of business should have to explain to you why they don't want you to do something. That is a child's excuse. As adults we should all be capable of being told No, or Don't Do It without coming back But Why???? I want to!!!!!

 

[kreckl]

Wow- ease up. I asked why there wasn't any swimming. Not " Why? I want to!"

 

[Dashzap]

On a recent podcast Jim Hill mentioned that when Walt bought the land for WDW, alligators were on the endangered species list. Interesting to think that this is a concern that has grown over time.

 

[Leelo]

I live a couple of hours from the Gulf Coast and I have read a lot of history on Disney World and knew that it was built on swamp land. So to me, it was rather obvious but to someone who isn't from an area near bayous and swamplands, it might not be something they think of. I have never been "warned" per se. But it was something I knew based on my own experiences and was taught growing up. I feel so horrible for the family that lost their little one. I hope that upping their efforts to make their guests more aware will prevent another tragedy like this one.

 

[VolvoManiac850]

I have never been warned about alligators, but have actually eaten alligator at WDW.

This was on my October 1989 trip at Flagler's, a restaurant which used to be at the Grand Floridian. It's pretty tasty, actually. Kudos to my uncle for convincing me to try it!!

Apparently you can't get it anywhere in the resort's restaurant system anymore. It's a shame, since I haven't eaten it since that trip nearly 27 years ago and could go for some right now!!