Lions & Crocs & Gators Oh My!....

[RavsRuleDisney!]

Ok, maybe not the lion part, but who else has had any sightings/encounters in and about the WDW complex of the reptilian kind?

Over the past decade I saw one on the golf course, one on the side of the road while riding a bus, and pretty sure one along one of those canals from a monorail - I think as we were approaching MK.

And yes, AK, Jungle Cruise, etc don't count!

[faline]

We've seen gators several times. On several occasions, we saw a fairly good sized critter underneath the wooden walkway by Frontierland. When we stayed at Coronado Springs a couple of years back, there was a smallish sized gator "begging" along the outdoor lounge area (Yes, he stayed in the water). Last year, when stayed at Beach Club, we saw a medium sized gater in the waterway behind the bus stop and over by the vacation club units.

There have been a couple of other random sightings over the years but these are the ones that stand out in my memory.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We always see gators when we get our military tickets at Shades of Green.

We once saw a snake in the pool at POR, WHILE THE KIDS WERE IN THE POOL!!!! The CMs got it out using some sort of tool. It wasn't a poisonous snake, thank goodness.

We always see what appears to be water moccasin in the lake at CBR.

Just last month we saw 3 or 4 deer at the entrance to WL. They were just roaming around, watching the cars pass.

[cather74]

I was bit by a snake running to the buses from Epcot. Kind of my fault cause I didn't see it and tripped over it. The Mickey police came and everything! It wasn't poisonous thank goodness. That's my only reptile story. If it was a gator it probably would've ended badly. I can pretty much guarantee I'm the only person with this kind of story.

[SBETigg]

I've seen lots of deer around the park, most notably between the Contemporary and the Polynesian on the monorail line (grazing near the tracks). And lots of those tiny lizards around the Polynesian. Some rabbits and ducks. All kinds of birds. But I've never seen a gator, croc, anything big and reptilian where it didn't belong. Which is a good thing, because I have an irrational fear of gators and gator-like things. (Well, maybe it's rational, I mean they could eat me, right?).

[RavsRuleDisney!]

On several occasions, we saw a fairly good sized critter underneath the wooden walkway by Frontierland.

Ooooh, that seems a bit too close for comfort!

[hauntedmansiongirl]

We have seen gators while we've ridden the train around the Magic Kingdom, usually around the back when you pass near the Steamboat waterway.

We have seen big snakes zipping across the walkways at Pop, POR and CS! We just get out of their way and let them do their thing.

In Fort Wilderness there are tons of different critters. A gator is usually in the pond by the leash free park, there are a couple of big peacocks that wander around (one even knocked on our door one morning- the previous campsites tenants must have fed him), aardvarks with their thick shells and funny gait, bunnies and ducks all over, deer in the clearings... It is really fun to see it all.

That is crazy that there was a snake in POR pool! I'm going t be more careful next time we go!!

[DVC2004]

I've seen deer, rabbits, ducks and geese over the years.

I have seen a few gators. Mostly small ones in the area around Bay Lake over by the Wilderness Lodge. If you are on the boat look around the edges of the lake and sometimes you can see their eyes.

We saw a really big guy swimming around in the River's of America in MK. The area over by Frontierland. He was big! I was told they catch these big ones and take them down south to a wildlife preserve in the Everglades. I saw another, not as big, hanging out on the little island by Splash once too. Another guest was throwing pieces of his turkey leg over to feed it (dumb!).

Funny story: later that same night after we saw the big guy swimming in the River, myself, my mother and my boys who were little at the time were at an after hours event for DVC members at MK. So there were people but not very crowded- I think the event was limited to 5,000 people or something total. Anyway we were walking on the little wooden boardwalk (no one else was there) that lines the river and my mother head something and screamed. The boys were walking in front of me and I instinctively reached out and grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts and pulled them back- only two see to startled ducks walk out in front of us, quack and jump in the water. LOL. My mother just about gave me a heart attack. I guess she was paranoid after seeing the gator earlier. I think we probably scared the ducks pretty badly too,