Animal Kingdom - which attractions have snakes?

[Disney.fan]

From someone terrified of snakes, wondering which Animal Kingdom attractions have snakes and if it is easy to avoid seeing them or to take another route to avoid seeing them but still be able to go to the attraction. Thanks!

 

[Ursula J]

Ok I GET THIS. I won't even stay on the ground floor of hotels in Florida because of those legless bastards! From what I recall, you actually have to go out of your way to find them. In a couple of the pass-through buildings on the trails, there are small exhibits (aquariums, etc) that have them. Easy to avoid! Just don't look in any of the glass cases. I don't have any trouble at Animal Kingdom, and my snake fear is about level 11. Enjoy!

 

[leebee]

The only time I've ever seen a snake at AK was once, in the parking lot, at a BIG distance. Still not a pleasant experience... but if you don't look in the glass cages in the room with the naked mole rats (on the Pangani trail) you won't see snakes at AK (and I think there is only one in the NMR room, but I have NEVER looked to see if this is true or not!).

FYI... they used to have animal handlers at park entrance, just after you scanned your park pass, and sometimes these folks had tarantulas! Almost as big an UGH as snakes for me! However... I think Disney has gotten cheap and they don't have animal handlers at the entrance areas anymore.

 

[AgentMama]

Saw a TikTok video the other day of little Itty bitty snake in with the gorillas at Animal Kindom. A little gorilla was trying to get it out of hiding in their hay. Turned into an entertaining family affair with one of the bigger ones coming over to "supervise."

We've never seen a snake in the wild at Animal Kingdom ourselves

 

[leiaorgana]

Sometimes the animal handlers over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch/Conservation Station have some out for the kids to come and touch and interact with but I’m not sure if they’re still doing that because of Covid as we didn’t make it over there this summer.

As someone else mentioned, it’s quite common to see snakes around just generally in Florida. We’ve seen them down at Fantasia golf hiding in the bushes around the holes at night and this July when walking back to the Contemporary from MK one actually darted out the bushes just before the bus stop in front us to get across the path and gave us all a shock so I’m just giving you a head’s up that they’re around even when you don’t expect them to be.

 

[Ursula J]

Sometimes the animal handlers over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch/Conservation Station have some out for the kids to come and touch and interact with but I’m not sure if they’re still doing that because of Covid as we didn’t make it over there this summer.

As someone else mentioned, it’s quite common to see snakes around just generally in Florida. We’ve seen them down at Fantasia golf hiding in the bushes around the holes at night and this July when walking back to the Contemporary from MK one actually darted out the bushes just before the bus stop in front us to get across the path and gave us all a shock so I’m just giving you a head’s up that they’re around even when you don’t expect them to be.

This is why I won't ever move to Florida!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

From someone terrified of snakes, wondering which Animal Kingdom attractions have snakes and if it is easy to avoid seeing them or to take another route to avoid seeing them but still be able to go to the attraction. Thanks!

I would be more worried about finding one walking around your resort than avoiding caged ones in AK. been years but still remember walking by a double stroller that had been left outside a resort room and seeing a snake in the basket under the stroller

 

[lovethattink]

AK is the park I’ve seen the most snakes in the wild. My mom is terrified of snakes like you. I live in Florida so I’m use to seeing them.

My suggestion is to stay away from bushes, planters, and rocks. They are always looking for water. In heat, they are looking for shade. In cold, they are looking for sun. I haven’t seen any on the walkways. They feel the vibrations and sense it’s dangerous.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I've been to WDW about a dozen times and I have never seen a snake!

 

[GPC0321]

I've only seen one snake at AK and it was a few years ago when there would be cast members after you entered the park holding animals (someone mentioned the tarantula up-thread). We pet a little python named "Noodle". She was cute.

I don't mind snakes that are being held or are in exhibits. It's the ones that come wiggling out of nowhere that give me the heebie-jeebies. To date, I don't think I've seen a wild snake at WDW. Lizards galore, but no snakes. I'm sure they're around.

I remember years ago there was a thread on here by a person who had a severe bird phobia. That would be a nightmare at WDW I would think.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I’m phobic of snakes and my daughter birds. She has to suffer through tons of wild birds and run through the aviary that doesn’t have a bypass. I can’t even talk about the flock of parrots at AK that has had her fall to the ground screaming. I have never seen a snake in all my trips. I don’t go looking for them. I don’t look in aquarium tank type exhibits and certainly don’t look in bushes or anything. FYI my daughter has gotten a little better at dealing with birds as she no longer runs for cover screaming. She usually does one or the other. I feel so bad for her.

 

[supersnoop]

I had a snake try to crawl up my leg while waiting outside a bathroom after dark at Animal Kingdom. I saw CM's shielding an area and capturing a snake along the queue for the safari. They can be anywhere.

 

[Duck143]

There was a snake in the Everest queue last week. It caused quite the scene.

 

[asmit4]

Terrified of them. I don't do the Rafiki animal shows b/c of it. I have seen a couple over the past 20 years but luckily NOT in a Disney park. I also avoid 1st floor rooms for this reason ---could be stupid on my part but I'm terrified!

 

[goofyernmost]

After 48 trips to WDW since 1983 I have seen only two live snakes on property. Both were swimming in the moat allegedly surrounding Cinderella castle. It was after dark while I was waiting for the fireworks. I would think that the odds of seeing one, although possible, is quite slim.

 

[glocon]

What kind of snakes are the usual ones seen at WDW?
Any poisonous ones?
I know for a phobia it doesn’t matter, but just wondering…
I have plenty of my own phobias so understand.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

black racers are most common - non venomous

 

[Lumpy1106]

The only time I have seen a snake in WDW was in the queue for Splash Mountain. There was a black racer in the planters in the queue area just the other side of the railroad trestle. I don't mean to worry you, but snakes are pretty good at hiding. If you see one, well...chances are pretty good it's got plenty of friends you do not see.
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/snake/north-american-racer/

 

[sponica]

I think I saw a small one at Kidani while waiting for Sanaa to open, or it was a lizard. All I remember is scales and I don't like scales so I didn't pay attention as to whether it had legs or no legs, just that my 20 month old was interested and I was like "NOPE, I'M MOVING YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE"

 

[Simba's Mom]

If you go to Conservation Station to see the veterinary procedures happening, remember that they work on a very wide variety of animals. One day when I was there they were trying to draw blood from a snake that's usually on Gorilla Falls Trail in a cage (albino something, I think). Every time they'd try tom stab the snake with a needle, it would writhe around-I'm also terrified of snakes and I wondered why they had to do it the day I was there. The only other time, I never saw the snake, I just had a close encounter. I was at what was then the "UP!" Bird Show, and apparently there was a snake in the bushes on the other side of the theater. Disney's resident snake catcher (what a job) was over there with a cloth bag and a big hook, trying to catch it. When he finally did, he put it in the bag, then hurried out of the theater, trotting right behind me. I was so sure that snake would choose that moment as they passed me to find a hole in the bag and leap out. Fortunately he didn't.