Silly ? How do the resorts keep out gators?

[AJKMOM]

I read here that they do not relocate alligators once they get over 5 feet or so. The homing instinct is so great that they would return to their home in a short time. Most large gators are destroyed, but I'm sure Disney doesn't want people to know the gators are being killed, "relocated" sounds better. It would be best if no one fed them and they retained their fear of humans. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out that way.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

OK. I am a city girl and this is kinda freaking me out. We are going to be staying at the Poly and I have three kids that will want to play in the sand. Has anyone ever heard of one coming out of the lagoon? OK, I know I am a little over the top, but I was raised near Washington DC, lol.

 

[newharmony]

We saw a small (maybe 3 feet long) alligator under the bridge between DTD and SSR last September. We've seen alligators in the ponds near the MGM/Swan and Dolphin cloverleaf and one in the pond as you are approaching the All-Stars resort area. We've seen several snakes over the years and they are always much closer to the people than the gators!

 

[mom-2-3]

There is one in the water by Splash Mountain, as previously mentioned. We saw it when riding the raft to Tom Sawyer Island in June. So I would advise not missing the raft back! and if you do, spend the night on the island

Speaking of turkey legs, we saw one of the storks/cranes/herons (don't know the difference) eating one right by the gator, swallowed the bone whole! made my thoat hurt just to think about it.

 

[kim_d]

"His" name is Susie and she's supposedly well fed. A CM told us that if she gets to be too large she'll be relocated. There are grates to keep the big gators from swimming into the guest areas, but the little ones can get through and when they grow to be over 4 ft. they're captured and relocated.

Alligators are all over central Florida and you just need to be mindful of that when you're in FL. Take note of the retention ponds at the interchanges along World Drive -- if you look closely you'll see that some of the logs floating in the water aren't really logs.

Legend has it that in the MK around Tom Sawyer's Island there are no canoe rides like they have at Disneyland because of the presence of gators in the Florida park lake.

Oh...so I guess my pictures are of "Susie".

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Silly ? How do the resorts keep out gators?

The same way they teach humans.
1) They trained the older female gators.
2) The younger females listen to the mother gator.
3) The male gators won't go near the future mother-in-law.