Rats chasing mice in Magic Kingdom

[CraftyMommy]

I'm sure mice can get in anywhere, even nice places.

We built a brand new house. Everything was new and clean. So imagine my shock and horror when, after 3 months of living here, I find a mouse in our basement. I was horrified. How can a dirty mouse be in my clean house? My husband said it was no big deal, he just wanted to come in from the cold to get warm. Not in my clean house he wasn't!

So I can imagine, even though its a wonderful and happy place, even Disney World can get mice.

 

[fla4fun]

I've seen rats at Epcot in the past. People don't think Florida has a huge rodent population, but we do. In fact, as part of my sister's first job with a local city, she got to hand out rat poison to any citizens who asked for it. The rats love the citrus groves.

The rats don't freak me out nearly as much as the palmetto bugs do!

 

[Schmeck]

There's also a rat that likes the portal area in Frontierland, right behind the DVC booth. It scampered across the path into a planter area. Maybe they are spies for Hades?

 

[nanienamou]

You can find rats in any city.

Last year, we saw some rats at Fantasia Gardens miniature golf. They just ran across the path and right in the bushes.

They don't really bother me. Now snakes and bugs are another story!

 

[Kona65]

We were at Magic kingdom on 8/30/12. when I thought I was seeing weird shadows crossing below the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom screen outside the halls of Presidents. My DD and other kids were so involved with the game they didn't notice anything. Withing 5 minutes I notice 6 rodents run from the barrel near Columbia harbor house to a stack of boxes beside the screen and from there to another stack below a window at the Hall of presidents. My DD thought I was crazy until she looked behind one of the stacks and saw a mouse, plus a rat's tail close by, and they were not Cinderella cute.

So what you are saying, is that the AK has officially combined with the MK. This is Disney's way of saving money. Look for the AK to start closing down earlier in the future.

 

[mommyrosa2]

On our recent trip a few weeks ago, we were in Epcot early one morning & were waiting by the Nemo ride when we noticed a cat had poked his head out from one of the gardens. I thought that was unusual since I've never seen any real animals in the parks before. My DH was talking to a CM & I walked up & mentioned the cat to him...thinking it was a stray that was lost. The CM chuckled & said it wasn't a stray & the cat was purposely put there to control the rodent population...he said all the parks had them. I must admit I was a little surprised but not shocked given all the restaurants & food within the parks, I often wondered how they could control rodents...now I know.

 

[Mirax]

Maybe it was the Overtakers?

 

[karen l]

Maybe it was the Overtakers?

 

[2blondeprincesses]

we have to just take the good with the bad, our kids love the rabbits and armadillos around the resorts, especially por and pofq. plus, i do believe the animals were there before Walt flew over

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Ho for the love of Pete folks...........your in the middle of thousands of acres of florida swamps and forests.....of course there are rats and all other type of rodents........

AKK

 

[ready2vacation]

I, too, can deal with mice and rodents being in the parks (provided they respectfully keep their distance from me!! )

Thought I'd share my terrible bug story that did NOT occur in Florida. Grew up in the Carolinas and woke up in the night with a "tickle". Turned on the lights pulled the sheet back and realized a PALMETTO bug had decided to cozy up with me in the bed. I can kind of chuckle about it now because that was almost 20 years ago, but it was a terrible experience!!

 

[DisLee]

seen one of the cats at Epcot once. Thought someone's cat got loose.

 

[LaurenT]

None of it bothers me. The rodents are a necessary part of the ecology.
The only time I was ever really freaked out was when I was a teenager. We were in music class in an old building in Manhattan - we had rows of old attached fold down wooden seats. They were secured together with heavy metal frames.
Well, the girl next to me was playing with her lighter. She held it up to the metal frame and, within seconds, HUNDREDS of cockroaches came swarming out of the chairs. We all jumped up screaming. They were scurrying everywhere.
After that, not much gets to me!

 

[opaleyes]

As a fervent rat lover, and former owner of domesticated rats, I can firmly say that as long as you're not feeding them (and they're not being fed by people on a regular basis), they will likely be avoiding you as much as you want to avoid them. Rats keep themselves pretty clean, and while they can leave mess behind, as any animal would, I'm pretty sure Disney keeps their kitchens, and really all areas of the park, very clean, so there's nothing to worry about.

Now would I try to catch or pick up a wild rat? Heck, no. Not anywhere. It's a wild animal. But it doesn't worry me any more than a feral cat would, or a squirrel. The only reason I wouldn't be tossing it popcorn is for its own safety.

Rats get a really bad rap. They are wonderful, intelligent, loving animals.


Things That Make Me Happy 2 by opaleyes, on Flickr

 

[ryrysmom14]

I cannot believe how much that rat's hands look like humans. Never really saw a picture like that or wanted to get up too close. That picture is really cute though!

 

[GS for life]

We have seen all kinds of wildlife in the parks... The best was the turkey under the monorail tracks. We have seen rabbits in both MK and Epcot

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

None of it bothers me. The rodents are a necessary part of the ecology.
The only time I was ever really freaked out was when I was a teenager. We were in music class in an old building in Manhattan - we had rows of old attached fold down wooden seats. They were secured together with heavy metal frames.
Well, the girl next to me was playing with her lighter. She held it up to the metal frame and, within seconds, HUNDREDS of cockroaches came swarming out of the chairs. We all jumped up screaming. They were scurrying everywhere.
After that, not much gets to me!

I can feel them scurrying over me!

As a fervent rat lover, and former owner of domesticated rats, I can firmly say that as long as you're not feeding them (and they're not being fed by people on a regular basis), they will likely be avoiding you as much as you want to avoid them. Rats keep themselves pretty clean, and while they can leave mess behind, as any animal would, I'm pretty sure Disney keeps their kitchens, and really all areas of the park, very clean, so there's nothing to worry about.

Now would I try to catch or pick up a wild rat? Heck, no. Not anywhere. It's a wild animal. But it doesn't worry me any more than a feral cat would, or a squirrel. The only reason I wouldn't be tossing it popcorn is for its own safety.

Rats get a really bad rap. They are wonderful, intelligent, loving animals.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9589251@N07/5882650770/
Things That Make Me Happy 2 by opaleyes, on Flickr

How...lovely.

- MouseEarsForAll (via my iPod touch 4G)

 

[scjo68]

I get that there is wildlife everywhere.
What surprises me is that Disney doesn't seem to be so concerned about their presence. I remember reading a post about someone who found a dead mouse in their Disney resort. They told the front desk, and they were very casual about it, like it wasn't a big deal.

Here is why I am surprised. Remember the Pochahontas show where paper leaves were released into the audience at the end? They were so careful not to let anyone touch the the leaves that touched the stage. They passed out the leaves before hand to the kids in the front, and told them not to get more. Once I was sitting in the back while DD was up front with the kids. There was a child in a wheelchair behind me, and when they released the leaves, she told her mom she wanted one.When the show was over I offered to get her one, but the man passing them out was not around. So I grabbed a couple from the floor in front of the stage. The man jumped out, and freaked out that I touched the leaves that came in contact with the stage that the animals were on. He fussed at me that they were not clean and it was dangerous to touch them. I explained who it was for and he handed me a leaf from his little pile.

So they were so worried about what we could catch from these animals that are in their care- they control their food and the cleanliness of their habitat. Meanwhile, they have wild rodents who they have no control over, and they don't seem to freak out about them at all.

 

[larryz]

Rats get a really bad rap. They are wonderful, intelligent, loving animals.

As are most tourists (including TOUR GROUPS) at Disney.

Nice photos: cute rat, handsome marine.

 

[opaleyes]

He fussed at me that they were not clean and it was dangerous to touch them. I explained who it was for and he handed me a leaf from his little pile.

So they were so worried about what we could catch from these animals that are in their care- they control their food and the cleanliness of their habitat.

I would assume that it's related to allergies, or if an animal may have gone to the bathroom in the general area. They wouldn't have cleaned the stage yet. I'm sure the animals weren't carrying disease, and if they were, you couldn't have gotten it just by touching a paper leaf.