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Credit: DisneyAs iconic as that castle is, Florida is home to more than just the Walt Disney World Resort. How soon we forget that families in Mickey ears aren’t the only guests entering the park, nor are they the only species.
A common factor that even some of the most decorated Disney park veterans forget is that the entirety of the property sits on one of Florida’s wilderness preserves, which means that the parks also share space with dozens of other forms of flora and fauna. Of course, what would a Florida preserve be without a few alligators?
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Anyone who’s ever visited the Sunshine State knows that gators are a prominent species, some even getting their own theme park. However, just because Disney built in the middle of their territory doesn’t mean that the reptilian population doesn’t want to take a bite out of a Mickey bar… or Mickey.
Gators Spotted in Disney World Lagoon
u/Additional-Tip-9778 took the image above this week at the Magic Kingdom from the deck of the Liberty Square Riverboat after multiple guests near Alligator Swamp saw a “medium-sized” alligator lurking in the water. Naturally, it soon went to social media.
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It is undoubtedly amusing that this image surfaces just a short time before Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in Frontierland, but the idea of one of Florida’s most dangerous predators being so close to families and children is certainly troublesome, especially given Disney’s history with them.
Further down in the comments, other guests on r/WaltDisneyWorld share their encounters and gator sightings on the thread. While some have seen them in waterways on the preserve property, others claim to have seen them as near as their Disney resort hotels!
u/indipit shares,
“I was staying at Caribbean Beach back in 1990 or so, and someone shined a flashlight at the little island under the bridge over the lake. About 6 pairs of eyes shone back at us. It was neat!”
Further down, u/dudedadsadeadhead adds,
“Even as a local, I still enjoy seeing gators in the park. Only ever seen them in the water that surrounds Tom Sawyer Island.”
To which u/JannaGard replies,
“Same! We’ve only seen them around Tom Sawyer Island, too. We look there every time we are there, the last time being two weeks ago.”
The thread goes on for dozens more comments, all of which consist of other guests either wanting to see gator activity or reporting their own experiences. That might prompt many potential travelers to ask, “Are alligators really such a big deal in Disney?” Take a look at the footage seen here.
Reptile Wrangling
In the aftermath of the 2016 alligator attack at the Magic Kingdom, Disney is working with the Florida Wildlife Commission to relocate any gators that get too close to guest-filled areas. While gator interaction with park-goers is certainly rare, an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.
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Disney World might be the place where dreams come true, but it still sits on a swamp that’s an active and thriving ecosystem. Although Disney has still made many strides in the name of conservation, like at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the company is still playing in the reptiles’ backyard.
Have you seen gators at Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!