Alligators at Shades of Green/Polynesian?

[Jetapss]

We are going to be staying at Shades of Green this summer & I had planned to take the walking path to the Polynesian for transportation to/from Magic Kingdom & Epcot. Then I had a thought. How often are gators seen on/near the trail between the two and how far away is any water and/or shrubbery? How lit is the path at night? How heavy is the foot traffic between the two (particularly after dark)? Would you feel safe to walk between them after a park day or are there too many hiding spots for gators to jump out. I know it's probably an irrational fear but they are way scarier than sharks to me (the don't run, they don't let go, they will drown you and/or eat you). If we had flashlights, would that be enough or do we just need to plan to take the bus back in the evenings (not ideal with 3x kids & a double stroller)?

 

[SamFaniam]

We are going to be staying at Shades of Green this summer & I had planned to take the walking path to the Polynesian for transportation to/from Magic Kingdom & Epcot. Then I had a thought. How often are gators seen on/near the trail between the two and how far away is any water and/or shrubbery? How lit is the path at night? How heavy is the foot traffic between the two (particularly after dark)? Would you feel safe to walk between them after a park day or are there too many hiding spots for gators to jump out. I know it's probably an irrational fear but they are way scarier than sharks to me (the don't run, they don't let go, they will drown you and/or eat you). If we had flashlights, would that be enough or do we just need to plan to take the bus back in the evenings (not ideal with 3x kids & a double stroller)?

You will be fine. It stays light until late in the summer and that walkway is lit. Others will be using it. There are 2 small golfs ponds on either side of the entry road, but no big lakes. The path is relatively open and easy to see if anything is near. Disney does keep at eye out for gators and moves them when necessary. If you happen to see one, turn around and walk away. But, I would be very surprised if you see one. Gator interactions are so rare that they make the news.

 

[DrunkJam]

We saw one alligator in the lake - in the distance from the WL dock - and one basking in a kind of run off place, but none on walking paths etc.
The paths are well lit and maintained.
I did, however, remember to teach my children to NEVER put their hands into plants or hedges etc, if they could not see where their hands will end up, even if that means losing a ball or whatever (not that they ever played with one in WDW) but that was more because of snakes. We only saw one snake over all our visits though.

 

[Jetapss]

Great to know! Thanks for easing my fears! Snakes don't worry me too much as they won't carry me/kids off in the locked jaws! lol. But we will definitely keep our eyes open & kids close!

 

[Magic Mom]

We've only ever seen one alligator along the walking path between SOG and Poly and it was in the water on the far side of the pond. The foot traffic is heavy on that path and it is right alongside the drive to the resort. But we did see a huge raccoon near the path raiding a trash can (the raccoon, not us.)

 

[jbehr12]

You’ll be alright on the walking path, just stay out of the damn lakes!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And if you golf, in Florida you never go after the ball in the water hazard.

 

[only hope]

Generally, alligators are like nearly all other wild animals: afraid of humans. They do not actively seek people out. The exception, like all animals, is when humans have been feeding them.

Above poster is right- alligator and human contact is so infrequent it makes the news. Gators who have been fed and gators whose space is invaded by a human (swimming near a gator, for instance) are nearly always the ones who attack humans.

Out of all the ways you could get hurt at WDW, an alligator attack is one of the least likely, especially if common sense is used and you don’t go into their habitats. When an alligator does become a nuisance, Disney is still not allowed to remove it. They are a protected species. Only licensed alligator trappers are allowed to remove them, and only under specific conditions.

 

[DonnaL]

Never kid yourself though.....WDW was built in the FL swamps.....if there is a body of water...there are alligators and snakes nearby. Ask anyone who has lived there. You must use caution when you are near bodies of water, shrubbery, etc. ALWAYS stay on paved pathways and do not allow your children to wander off them. Several years ago there was an incident, I believe at Caribbean Beach Resort, where a young child dropped a toy which rolled off the paved walkway into some grass/shrubs. When he reached to get it.....he was bitten numerous times by a venomous snake which was under the shrub. The child suffered extensive injury, was hospitalized for several weeks and left with medical issues caused by the venomous bites. And, there was the terrible tragedy two years ago in the beach area of the Grand Floridian where the child was pulled into the water and killed by an alligator. I have seen both snakes and alligators on property over the years..... one alligator actually inside Magic Kingdom, at the bottom of Splash Mountain, sunning itself right on the shoreline near the bridge next to the Rivers of America. And, I've seen snakes on the walkway from Saratoga Springs going to Disney Springs. As others have said, in most cases, if you leave them alone and skirt around them, they will not bother you, however, you still need to use common sense and be cautious.

 

[SamFaniam]

When an alligator does become a nuisance, Disney is still not allowed to remove it. They are a protected species. Only licensed alligator trappers are allowed to remove them, and only under specific conditions

Sorry, poor phrasing on my part. I should’ve said if they are a problem, Disney has them removed instead of making it sound like Disney removes them themselves. I did read somewhere, perhaps in the Sentinel, that gators removed from the parks and resorts areas are moved over to the nature conservancy wilderness preserve.

 

[Disneypro1]

Well. You can always run faster than they can walk. Lol.
Yes, if one gets you. You are not in a good situation. Personally. I have never seen one at WDW.

 

[Disneypro1]

They aren’t that protected. You can hunt them legally in Florida... county dependent.

 

[Tangled Pink]

Don't laugh. I have only seen garden snakes, not the venomous ones. If I came across one on the trails what am I supposed to do? Run the opposite direction?

 

[Pyotr]

I have alligators in the pond behind my house. They leave us alone and go in the water when we get near them. If you have small children, keep them far away from the water.

The problem with Disney is that you have tourists who think it’s cute to feed the alligators. They end up losing their fear of humans and can become a problem.

I am far more worried about snakes. Turtles are mean too. They’ll bite off your fingers.

 

[Disneypro1]

Wild boar also. Those have killed of late.

 

[SamFaniam]

They aren’t that protected. You can hunt them legally in Florida... county dependent.

Gators are absolutely a protected species in Florida. And it’s only through these protections that they recovered from being an endangered species. County laws about gator harvest do not vary, as all harvest is controlled by the Florida FWC.

 

[Disneypro1]

Gators are absolutely a protected species in Florida. And it’s only through these protections that they recovered from being an endangered species. County laws about gator harvest do not vary, as all harvest is controlled by the Florida FWC.

Right but they are still hunted. I was just saying it’s not like a bald eagle. You can legally kill an alligator if it’s in your property and feel in danger. Or hunt legally with permit. It happens a lot. In Hillsboro county anyways lol

 

[SamFaniam]

Right but they are still hunted. I was just saying it’s not like a bald eagle. You can legally kill an alligator if it’s in your property and feel in danger. Or hunt legally with permit. It happens a lot. In Hillsboro county anyways lol

This is way off track from the OP’s original question, but I would suggest that just feeling in danger would likely not protect you from a felony charge if you kill a gator in Florida. If a gator is viewed as a nuisance, you should call the FWC, they will come out and remove the gator.

OP, If you are still reading this thread, I want to again reassure you that you and your children will be fine walking from the Poly to Shades of Green.

 

[only hope]

Don't laugh. I have only seen garden snakes, not the venomous ones. If I came across one on the trails what am I supposed to do? Run the opposite direction?

There’s six species of poisonous snakes here. I’ve seen one once, on our property. If you’ve accidentally cornered the snake, slowly back off so it can escape. Otherwise just keep your distance. Again, snakes don’t normally chase people down and only attack if they feel threatened...so don’t be a threat.

 

[friendoffigment]

lakes. you mean to tell me that when i was swimming at river country back in the day there could of been gators.