WILD animals at WDW

[NoMoneyThanks2Disney]

We've seen deer, alligators, cranes, and various lizards at SOG. And one memorable time a snake. It slithered across a walkway I was going down, and caused me to do the weird hop, skip, jump dance accompanied by the piglet squeal. My mom thought it was hilarious.

 

[awdwnut]

I see plenty of rat traps amid the foliage at the deluxe resorts bus pick up areas.

We have seen a couple of Mickey's larger cousins in WDW. Once near the bus stop at the Poly and another time in Epcot between the promenade and the water in front of Canada.

awdwnut

 

[BrittyRo]

When I was at the Grand Floridian Monorail station there was a Raccoon stuck in the rafters above the monorail. It got up, but apparently could not figure out how to get down.
Saw bunny at Pop Century and a TON of those geckos as well as a million spiderwebs at Pop and All Star Movies (in the big structures near the stairs)

 

[perdidobay]

Lots and lots of deer on the path between Wildderness Lodge and Ft Wilderness, and a bobcat on the beach near bicycle rental at Wilderness Lodge. Lots and lots of green anoles everywhere (those small lizards). Sandhills cranes and herons and bald eagles as far as birds go. WDW is a great nature preserve.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

Lots of lizards all around the various resorts. Lots of rabbits as well and a couple of deer on the road that runs into the MK next to the Contemporary. We also watched a small alligator float around the Coronado Springs lagoon for about an hour while enjoying a drink.

 

[cgattis]

Lots of lizards all around the various resorts. Lots of rabbits as well and a couple of deer on the road that runs into the MK next to the Contemporary. We also watched a small alligator float around the Coronado Springs lagoon for about an hour while enjoying a drink.

What was he drinking??

 

[Moonwolf]

My friend and I were touring AK when we came across an exhibit with a bunch of birds in it, probably a good 2-3 dozen. I think they were either vultures or turkeys I can't remember any more. But there was a CM standing by the rail and she pointed to one of the birds with a red head. She said that was the only one that actually belonged there and the rest were local animals that realized it was a good place to hang out.

 

[mamattorney]

I saw a family of otters (3 of them) at the Riverside during out visit. They literally walked up the walking path from the general direction of the parking lot and slipped themselves into the water. The way there were three of them at the same time and the fact that they were walking out in the open on the path made me wonder whether they were Disney employees headed to work for the day.

 

[disnut8]

Here is a web page I put together to help everyone identify the wild birds seen frequently at Walt Disney World.
http://bochnik.com/disneybirds/disneybirds.htm

Thank you for this link. I forwarded it to my husband, who is a bird watcher and is always looking up at the sky while at Disney World and he loved it. But, unfortunately, now he'll be on a quest to find all the birds listed!

 

[disnut8]

The Circle of Life

Yeah, like when my husband and I were on one of the boats from the Studios and Epcot and were commenting on the lizards clinging somewhere near the water but they were on the side of a bridge or something. Ducks were swimming around in the water and I remarked that it was nice that all the nature was getting along. Just as I finished my remark, a duck stretched out his neck and snatched a lizard for lunch!

 

[avic77]

We did not see it but when we stayed at FW Cabins we had a notice left in our cabin to beware of a Bear that had been sited on the grounds. We also saw a deer at FW camp ground. Lots of ducks, lizards, geese, squirrels etc.

 

[Pigletpal40]

Late night EMH at MK my wife and I saw a raccoon in Frontierland. Alligator in bottom section of splash after the big drop. CM with a pole trying to
keep it at bay until someone came to remove it. Cats (feral?) at Poly roaming. Many Turkeys, 'gators and deer on golf courses, Palm/ Mag. Rabbits everywhere including inside parks. Right outside Coral Reef in Epcot, my son, 2 at the time, played with one in grassy area for 1/2 hr. waiting for the
rest of the adults to finish desert. It would come out of the bushes and he would chase it back in. His favorite attraction of the day at that time.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Do rats count?

 

[Magpie]

As the castmember leading our tour was giving us her welcome speech, she suddenly interrupted herself with, "Squirrel!"

We turned around, and sure enough, a squirrel was sitting on the low concrete wall, about a foot behind us, just sitting up and looking at us like he wanted to say, "Please, don't stop for me."

Another time we heard a terrible commotion by the little bridge into Camp Minnie-Mickey at Animal Kingdom. Much squawking and splashing. Looked into the water to see a hawk and a female mallard tussling. The mallard appeared to be trying to drown the hawk (and who can blame her?). Eventually the hawk extricated itself and flapped soggily away, while the lady duck kept quacking, this time like she was calling someone. Finally a male mallard in full colour made his appearance (he'd been hiding a little way downstream) and she settled down.

Then there was the little feral kitten we saw peering at us, from behind a door during the Osborne lights. Soon as he realized we were watching him, he disappeared.

And we once spent a very pleasant meal at the Yak and Yeti watching a bunny forage just outside our window, and commenting on the physical differences between Florida bunnies and Ontario bunnies (ours have longer ears and are bigger).

I love the wildlife around Disney. I get ridiculously excited over spiders and lizards and mallard ducks and bunnies.

Edited to add:

Disney bunny, AKA Marsh Rabbit

Ontario bunny, AKA Eastern Cottontail

 

[DLBDS]

There was a gator in the Otter Pond at the WL for our entire stay. Glad I didn't have a ground floor room that week!

 

[JimmyV]

And NOT those supposed to be there

I'm not sure what you mean by "NOT those supposed to be there." WDW was built in a wilderness. The "wild animals" ARE supposed to be there. The ones that are not supposed to be there are the mechanical hippos, etc. I don't think Disney ever performed, (or intended to perform) an complete eradication of wildlife within the boundaries of its land. I think the animals that are being discussed here were always "supposed to be there".

 

[JoeA]

Do the folks I see late Saturday night at F&W count?!

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

My brother and sister in law saw a black snake right outside our room at POFQ, we were on the first floor, building 7, river view....it was right on the sidewalk outside our door the night we checked in. I spent the rest of the trip looking at the ground for snakes. All I saw were tons of little lizards, and I'm ok with that!

 

[DLBDS]

I'm not sure what you mean by "NOT those supposed to be there." WDW was built in a wilderness. The "wild animals" ARE supposed to be there. The ones that are not supposed to be there are the mechanical hippos, etc. I don't think Disney ever performed, (or intended to perform) an complete eradication of wildlife within the boundaries of its land. I think the animals that are being discussed here were always "supposed to be there".

I think the OP is referring to any wild animals not cared for by WDW staff.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Here is a web page I put together to help everyone identify the wild birds seen frequently at Walt Disney World.
http://bochnik.com/disneybirds/disneybirds.htm

Thanks for this!

Here's one not on your page ... I saw a swallow-tailed kite once on WDW property. I can't remember exactly where but I think it was flying over a grassy area somewhere between Magic Kingdom and Epcot.