Snakes

[rob_and_kate]

Hi, I have searched for some info on this issue but couldn't find anything on this board. I am quite scared of the thought of a snake getting into my hotel room - I have read a thread on this issue on another website and now it has put allsorts of horrible images in my head (so much so that I am thinking I may have to cancel the trip as I won't relax). I have been to WDW twice before - Stayed at Coronado in 07 & 08 and never saw any snakes at the resort, I am aware that it is Florida and that there are going to be snakes as they are part of being in Florida.

What I was hoping you could tell me is;

How usual is it that they get into the hotel rooms?

What precautions should I take when in my hotel room (if any)?

I really don't want to have to cancel my trip (we are booked to go December 18th-January1st at POFQ) but I am worried that I will not sleep or feel comfortable and relaxed in my room.

Thanks

 

[DisneyNut7578]

You might as well cancel your trip. You have so much anxiety built up, once you get over the snakes you'll replace it with something else. I'm going to assume you suffer from anxiety all the time. Get some help. I went to WDW with someone that was suffering from anxiety. They stayed in the room about 80% of the time. They were miserable.

Ok, this is overreacting a bit. It won't ruin the trip becasue someone is afraid of snakes. I am mortified by snakes, probably just as much as the OP, but after reading this post, I still will be going to Disney and will not have an anxiety breakdown as you describe above.

That being said, back to the original OP. I live in FL and have been to Disney 20+ times. I have never seen a snake at WDW. I have never heard of a snake in a room. And we have stayed at many resorts. Disney has phenomonial animal control services that work each resort and the parks to ensure that guests are not put at risk by a snake, or any other creature. I would not worry

Your trip is goign to be great and have a magical time!!

 

[Spirit of 76]

Having grown up in Appalachia, I am quite familiar with snakes. I find them around the house quite often. In the last twelve months I've killed three 8+ feet long black king snakes in my yard where my kids play. I have a great phobia of snakes. Hate them. I get made fun of at work because of my fear.

Last September, we arrived around noon and checked into our room at POR - building 25. Took my girls for a quick swim then went back to the room and got ready to head to EPCOT for dinner. As we were walking on the path from building 25 to the West Depot, a six foot black snake slithered across the cement path just in front of us. My girls screamed (I just let out a little yell and my wife rolled her eyes). I don't know if it were a black snake or a water moccassin. Either way, a freaky way to start our vacation. Thankfully, I never saw another one the entire week, but you can bet I had my snake radar on high beam!! :ROFLOL:

 

[KDAC]

I grew up in Florida and have been going to WDW since the 70's. I can't remember a time that I have seen a snake at WDW and that includes the campgrounds. I have stayed in hotels all around Florida and have never had a snake in our room. Growing up we had snakes all around the neighborhood, it was converted swamp land, and we never had a snake get in the house.

 

[Master Yoda]

Having grown up in Appalachia, I am quite familiar with snakes. I find them around the house quite often. In the last twelve months I've killed three 8+ feet long black king snakes in my yard where my kids play. I have a great phobia of snakes. Hate them. I get made fun of at work because of my fear.

Last September, we arrived around noon and checked into our room at POR - building 25. Took my girls for a quick swim then went back to the room and got ready to head to EPCOT for dinner. As we were walking on the path from building 25 to the West Depot, a six foot black snake slithered across the cement path just in front of us. My girls screamed (I just let out a little yell and my wife rolled her eyes). I don't know if it were a black snake or a water moccassin. Either way, a freaky way to start our vacation. Thankfully, I never saw another one the entire week, but you can bet I had my snake radar on high beam!! :ROFLOL:

Just an FYI but king snakes are not venomous and pose zero risk to humans. In fact king snakes are one of the few species of snakes that actually eat other venomous snakes such as the coral and rattle snake. If you kill them you run a good chance of allowing snakes that actually do pose some risk to you to have a predator free environment in which to live.

 

[rob_and_kate]

Thank goodness they seem to prefer to keep out of the houses/hotel rooms - they probably are as scared/fed up of us when we are invading their space (the swamp/outdoors areas) as I would be if it came into my hotel room.

 

[NedLand]

Perhaps you should ask this man to accompany on your trip:

 

[cdunbar]

My number of Disney resort stays is pushing three digits and while I have seen snakes at WDW I have never had one in my room. I have lived in Florida for 38 years and the only time I have had a snake in my house was when my cat brought one in. To sum up you are worrying about nothing.

The trick to keeping snakes out of your room is close your door and leave your cat at home.

Like Richard said your chance of seeing a snake at WDW is very very low, now you might see one near the swapy area by the Contemporary or near the wilderness lodge but not in your room, like one poster said about it being on the deck at the pool at one of the resorts that might happen as it has been VERY rainy lately but that will more than likely be a black garder snake that will eat the things that will cause more harm to you like mice and rats. Though Mickey is exempt from the snakes menu...:lookaroun

There really is not an "issue" with them in Florida. Sure they are common but for the most part they are far more afraid of you than you are of them. 99% of them will try to get away as soon as they see you. Also the majority of snakes in Florida are non-venomous so even if you were to see one chances are they would be completely harmless. As long as you are not tent camping in Ft Wilderness I would not give snakes a second thought. People with strollers are far more dangerous.

Yup, I have several that like to "sun" on my pool deck the moment that the cat walks into the back yard or I open one of the french doors they scram...

I've only once seen a snake at my resort. We were staying at WL, had been a very rainy season and one was on the deck near the pool.

We informed the life guard. Wasn't a big deal.

Exactly!

In almost 15 years of running this site I've never heard of a snake in the room situation actually happening.

Being Florida, there may be snakes in bushes etc, so don't go sticking your hands places like that, but the chances of one ending up in your room is close to 0.

Exactly Steve!

 

[WendyTinkerbell]

Hi! Another thing to think about is the time frame you are going to be at WDW. Winter is the time of the year you are most likely not going to see snakes, as they do not like the cold.

 

[Martian Crab]

The one snake I saw on WDW property was a rattlesnake that was at least 5 feet long. I was staying at the Fort Wilderness campgrounds and was riding the bus to get to one of the parks and the aforementioned rattler was slithering across the road. I was sitting up front and saw it. The driver actually stopped and waited for it to make it into the grass despite my urgings to "run it over". Despite that encounter in 1984 I've since stayed on Disney property about 20 more times and haven't seen a snake since then. I'm sure they're there, they just usually stay hidden...under the beds.

 

[durangojim]

I've stayed on property close to 30 times and have never had a snake in our room. You might want to be worried about snakes on the plane, as this is becoming a fairly promenent problem these days. There was even a documentary film made about it called "Snakes on a plane". I think it's available for rent

 

[Bronson55]

I have been staying at Disney hotels since 1982 and have only seen one snake. It was along the curb at POFQ. About two feet long. I forget the type but I know it was confirmed to be absolutely harmless. Poor thing just wanted to get back under cover of vegetation.
I would not worry at all. Why not ask for a 2nd floor room wherever you stay just to feel more reassured.

 

[Lisalyn]

With as busy and with as many people as are ALL over the place from parks to resorts to walkways to pools, etc etc - the snakes packed their little baggies eons ago and moved out!:ROFLOL:

You'll be fine - I think maybe the peeps on the "other boards" were trying to stir is all.

Don't worry about them and have a blast! You are after all - at Disney!

 

[sbkline]

I have been staying at Disney hotels since 1982 and have only seen one snake. It was along the curb at POFQ. About two feet long. I forget the type but I know it was confirmed to be absolutely harmless. Poor thing just wanted to get back under cover of vegetation.
I would not worry at all. Why not ask for a 2nd floor room wherever you stay just to feel more reassured.

Even though we're all agreed that the chances are quite slim of a snake ending up in your room, I've actually been thinking about how they get in when they do get in. If they just slither in from the bushes when mousekeeping has the door propped open, then yes, I can see it being more likely to happen on a first floor room. However, I wonder if this is really how they are more likely to get in. They could "stow away" on the towel cart, in which case, they could end up on any floor, but in my unprofessional and always fallible opinion, I am inclined to think it may be more likely that they would find their way into the water pipes and come up through the toilet. I saw something on TV once where a family wondered where a rat was coming from and they set a video camera in their bathroom overnight and ended up with video footage of a rat swimming up into their toilet bowl from the pipes, and that is how he was getting into the house.

Now that I have given the OP cause to fear sitting on the toilet :lol:, I will once again reiterate that thousands, if not millions of people stay on WDW property every year and the cases of snakes in the room is extremely miniscule. I'm just stating a couple ways that they conceivably could be getting into the room on those very rare occassions when they may, indeed, be in a hotel room.

 

[rob_and_kate]

My goodness, the thought of a snale coming up from the toilet:lookaroun If that happened I'm sure there are certain times when the snake might regret that decision! Both of you would get a nasty surprise.

There have been reports of that in the UK - people having dumped their pet snakes - then them making a grand entrance through the toilet/drain.

 

[Master Yoda]

My goodness, the thought of a snale coming up from the toilet:lookaroun If that happened I'm sure there are certain times when the snake might regret that decision! Both of you would get a nasty surprise.

There have been reports of that in the UK - people having dumped their pet snakes - then them making a grand entrance through the toilet/drain.

Snakes coming out of a toilet is a bit of a myth. A septic system is a closed system and full of rather toxic gases....in particular methane. The only way it can really happen is if one of the access plugs is left open or a pipe is cracked (highly unlikely as it would be spewing raw sewage) and a snake was to crawl in through it.

What actually happens is a snake gets into the house and crawls into the toilet and then tries to make a hasty exit when it is "disturbed"

 

[rob_and_kate]

Snakes coming out of a toilet is a bit of a myth. A septic system is a closed system and full of rather toxic gases....in particular methane. The only way it can really happen is if one of the access plugs is left open or a pipe is cracked (highly unlikely as it would be spewing raw sewage) and a snake was to crawl in through it.

What actually happens is a snake gets into the house and crawls into the toilet and then tries to make a hasty exit when it is "disturbed"

That kind of makes me feel sorry for them - they must be pretty scared/desperate to escape if they will go into the toilet.

 

[tampabrad]

I have lived in Florida for 14 years and have been to WDW at least once a month. I have seen one (1) snake at my house and zero (0) at WDW.

If someone saw a snake at WDW the news would be all over it. Plus the news would blow it out of proportion and say something about how it almost attacked a baby, or ate a baby, or tried to strangle a baby, or had a baby and the resort was infested with snakes.

 

[amykissangel]

I know what you mean about the strollers I got my anckle clipped a few times last trip.

It has been a relief to hear that people on this board haven't had any bad experiences, especially people with numerous trips under their belts.

I don't know what came over me - it was something I never really thought would scare me - until I read the post about someone made about one being in her bed. Glad to know I was stressing over nothing!

You're right to worry about something when someone (aka the posters in the original thread you read) made it sound like they're everywhere. I've been going to WDW for 22 years and have never SEEN a snake, let alone have one in my hotel room. And if they DID manage to get it, I'm going to guess guests were pretty stupid and propped their doors open for long periods of time - I had a former co-worker stay at a hotel in California who said there was a bird in their room...when I finally questioned her, she admitted they'd left the door propped open while walking around the resort for an hour. Why you would EVER leave all your valuables waiting to be stolen like that is beyond me...I told her it was her own fault.

Anyways, I will say with 95% certainty you will not even see a snake. No worries - have fun!!! :wave:

 

[memster]

How did the idea that you may get a snake in your hotel room even start?

I've been going to disney at least once a year since 1994 and I have never seen a snake. Not even a little one.

I've seen frogs, lizards, a gazillion birds, moths, maybe a bat, but never a snake. I've stayed on the canals at Old Key West, where I'm sure snakes live, but have never seen one of them.

It sounds like you have an irrational fear, which is caused by anxiety. Reality orientation usually works well- that's sort of tough love for yourself. Talk yourself down when you start to feel anxious and try to be "rational" about the fear.

Actually that's good advice.:animwink:

 

[MKCP 1985]

No snakes, just lizards.

(Port Orleans, 2008)