What Happens When a Massive Snake Slithers Into Disney World?

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A large snake with cartoon mouse ears edited onto its head is superimposed in front of a fairytale castle, resembling the entrance to Disney World in Florida, under a cloudy sky.

Credit: Disney/Canva

Even though Walt Disney World Resort is known as the “most magical place on earth,” sometimes even Disney can’t control natural occurrences like the weather and wild animals that inhabit the Florida area.

Split image: Left side shows EPCOT’s geodesic sphere at Disney World, with a blue sky background. Right side displays a traditional, multi-tiered Japanese pagoda illuminated at dusk, surrounded by trees.
Credit: Disney (left) / Lee, Flickr (right)

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It is no secret that Disney park guests and cast members alike have reported sightings of both alligators and snakes from time to time at different spots at Walt Disney World, including at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Florida is notorious for its high humidity and intense heat, but it’s also infamous for its “interesting” collection of wildlife. The Orlando resort was built on swamp land, so seeing a few creatures makes sense, whether we’d like to see them or not.

It’s not super surprising to see a cast member shoo off an alligator or snake at the Florida resort, though these animals rarely get as close to guests as a snake did a few years back.

A post on Reddit went viral in 2022 after a guest encountered a large snake slithering around EPCOT. You can check out the picture below, but be warned, it may trigger your fear of snakes:

Snake at Epcot

Snake at Epcot
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This specific snake was reportedly a black racer, a type of snake that may look dangerous but is actually quite harmless if left alone. Still, just the thought of a snake this large slithering around the resort gives us the chills! Cast members quickly took care of the situation, going to great lengths to make sure the animal was properly relocated.

Going back in time a little bit to 2016, a family sued Disney World after a snake allegedly fell from a tree and onto an elderly woman. The woman suffered a fatal heart attack.

Another wild snake was spotted entering the Gorilla enclosure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom a few years ago, with guests also capturing that experience. More recently, a Disney cast member reported spotting a 10-foot snake sneaking through a line of more than 200 Disney park guests.

Have you ever seen a snake or other creature at the Walt Disney World Resort?

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