Over 400 Alligators Removed From Disney World in Decade Since Toddler’s Death
One decade ago this week, a dark cloud was cast over what should have been a joyous occasion. As the Walt Disney Company prepared to open a new flagship castle park in Shanghai, two separate tragedies rocked Central Florida and the Walt Disney World community.
The first occurred in the overnight hours of June 12, 2016. Approximately 300 people were at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando when just after 2 a.m., a shooter entered the building and murdered 49 victims, wounding 58 others. The FBI concluded the attack was an act of terrorism, the worst on United States soil since September 11, 2001. It also birthed the “Orlando Strong” rallying cry, signifying the resilience, unity, and compassion of the Central Florida community.
Only a couple of days later, two year old Lane Thomas Graves was building sandcastles on the beach of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. At around dusk, an alligator from the Seven Seas Lagoon attacked the boy in an unprovoked, predatory manner consistent with the reptile’s hunting habits. Despite the best efforts of Lane’s father to free him from the alligator’s grasp, the boy was killed by the severe alligator bite to his head.
According to an August 2016 incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the alligator prowled the shoreline, administered a crushing bite, and dragged the boy to deeper water. The alligator was believed to have lost its fear of humans by virtue of exposure, since it lived at Walt Disney World and was constantly near large numbers of people.
This was potentially exacerbated by Reedy Creek Emergency Services firefighters who were illegally feeding alligators at a station less than a half-mile from Seven Seas Lagoon, per emails obtained at the time by the Orlando Sentinel. There were also unverified reports at the time that guests staying at the Bora Bora Bungalows at the Polynesian had likewise been illegally feeding alligators from villas.
In the aftermath of the alligator attack, Walt Disney World quickly made countless operational changes. This included several temporary moves undertaken out of sensitivity that have since been rolled back, such as the removal of certain Audio Animatronics and figures in attractions, as well as Louis from the Princess and the Frog in stage shows.
The most visible and enduring change came to all shorelines, with fences erected and boundary rocks added to keep guests out of the water. Basic “no swimming” signs were replaced with “danger” signs warning of alligators and snakes, while also instructing guests to stay away from and not feed wildlife.
Almost one year later, on August 7, 2017, Walt Disney World installed a lighthouse at the Grand Floridian beach (near the fire pit) as a memorial presented by the Lane Thomas Foundation, an organization founded by the boy’s parents to support families of children needing life-saving implants. A plaque on the statue reads, “A Beacon of Hope – A Light of Love.” The lighthouse statue is still standing at the Grand Floridian today; the photo above is from last week.
I cannot fathom being in the shoes of Lane’s parents in any sense. What happened on the beach of the Grand Floridian a decade ago is awful and heartbreaking; it’s a tragedy that probably still weighs on them every day. Kudos to them for taking the sourest lemon that life has to offer and turning it into something resembling lemonade.
There has not been another alligator attack at Walt Disney World in the decade since following these remedial measures. However, there also was not an alligator attack in the 45 years prior to their installation. In the nearly 55 years that Walt Disney World has been open, there has been just that one incident.
Walt Disney World and Florida have also undertaken ongoing, invisible measures to mitigate risk.
In the decade since, wildlife trappers have captured and removed at least 414 nuisance alligators from Walt Disney World property, according to records from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) obtained by CBS News 6 Orlando.
Over the eight years prior to the child’s death, state-contracted wildlife trappers removed an average of 23 alligators from Disney property. By contrast, 83 alligators were removed from Walt Disney World in just 2016 (there is no breakdown of before versus after the incident). The following year, 57 alligators were captured.
From 2018 to 2025, the number decreased to an average of 36 alligators removed from Walt Disney World property annually. At least one-dozen were captured in the first four months of this year. The gradual decrease is presumably due to wildlife trappers removing the biggest and most visible offenders in the period immediately after the incident.
“In keeping with our strong commitment to safety, we continue to reinforce procedures related to reporting sightings and interactions with wildlife, and work closely with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to remove or relocate certain wildlife from our property in accordance with state regulations,” a Walt Disney World spokesperson told CBS News 6 in 2021 in response to questions about the ongoing alligator removals.
To address complaints about potentially dangerous alligators, the FWC administers the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP). According to its website, the goal of SNAP is to proactively address alligator threats in developed areas, while conserving alligators in areas where they naturally occur.
An alligator is deemed a “nuisance” under SNAP if it is at least 4 feet in length and believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. There are also situations when smaller alligators wind up in places that are not acceptable, such as swimming pools, garages, etc., and must be removed. When someone concerned about an alligator in any of these situations calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), the FWC dispatches one of its contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the situation.
More than 8,700 nuisance alligators were captured statewide under the program in 2024 per FWC.
SNAP pays contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators from locations where they are unwanted. The amount per gator is reportedly $50, which strikes me as a very low number given the effort involved.
Complainants must be able to grant legal access to the property on which the alligator is located. SNAP does not permit the removal of nuisance alligators without first obtaining permission from the property owner or management authority. In this case, that would mean Walt Disney World management as opposed to guests.
According to FWC, SNAP typically does not involve relocation of alligators, which is due in part to Florida having a healthy and stable population of approximately 1.3 million alligators. Alligators live in all 67 counties, and they inhabit all wild areas of Florida that can support them.
Moreover, relocated alligators often return to their capture site, creating problems along the way. If released in remote areas, there would be fighting among alligators and death due to established social structures.
Some alligators captured under the state program are sold to animal exhibits or zoos. Other alligators, including some of those captured at Walt Disney World, are transferred to licensed alligator farms and private hunting preserves. The $50 stipend per alligator now seems more reasonable in light of this, as the reptile presumably has resale value to the farms or preserves.
“We received them all alive and they are released on our hunting preserve where our clients can hunt them. Then they are processed for eating,” said Ian Hall, owner of Florida Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Adventures in Okeechobee told CBS News 6.
As a parent to a toddler, horror stories like this keep me up at night. This type of tragedy is gruesome and paints a vivid mental picture. But it’s also worth taking a step back and acknowledge the objective reality, however difficult that might be, that this is an exceedingly rare occurrence.
Over the last 10 years, Florida has averaged 8 unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment. The frequency of these serious bites is variable but there has not been a significant trend in the past 10 years.
The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1 million per the FWC. From 1948 to 2022, 453 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of these bites resulted in human fatalities. In the improbable event of attack, the survival rate is 96%. Suffice to say, if you are not alligator wrangling, your chances of a fatal alligator attack are close to zero.
That puts alligators behind lightning strikes in risk factor. You’re more likely to die of heart disease–by orders of magnitude–than all of the improbable causes of death people tend to fear.
Statistically, homicide, bus accidents, heat stroke, West Nile virus, drowning, malaria, and literally hundreds of other causes of death are far more likely in Florida than alligator attacks. In terms of animals, specifically, the most feared animals (like sharks and bears) are actually the most unlikely killers. Cows, spiders, bees, and snakes are all leading killers among animals. Even a fatal whitetail deer (also found on property at Walt Disney World) encounter is more likely, either in the form of a car collision or unprovoked attack. In fact, you are far more likely to crash your vehicle into an animal than be attacked by one (excluding insects).
I can understand why the alligator incident resonated so much with parents. It’s a heart-wrenching story with lurid detail, ghastly imagery, and a sense of helplessness. Many parents can imagine themselves in the shoes of Lane’s parents. It is scary to envision, provokes a emotional response, and plays to our deepest fears.
Ultimately, it’s good to see Walt Disney World place an increased emphasis on alligator removal following the deadly attack a decade ago. Likewise, discouraging guests and firefighters from feeding wildlife was a welcome mitigation measure.
I certainly can’t fault Disney for acting swiftly and installing all of the fences and rock perimeters along the shoreline, even as ugly as that is. After the second tragedy in the span of a week a decade ago in June 2016, it made sense to err on the side of caution and reassure apprehensive guests that it was still safe to visit Central Florida and Walt Disney World.
Those measures might move the needle a little bit, but the objective reality remains that alligators do not pose a significant threat to guests of Walt Disney World. Despite their nefarious appearance and protruding teeth, they are relatively timid creatures that usually fear humans. And anyone who has lived in Florida can tell you that avoiding alligators would require avoiding all fresh bodies of water in the state, which isn’t exactly realistic.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of Walt Disney World’s increased alligator removal efforts? Have their mitigation measures since 2016 been appropriate, insufficient, or excessive? Do you agree or disagree with our analysis? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
One mistake in your article Tom. There was an alligator attack at Fort Wilderness in 1986 – https://people.com/celebrity/man-attacked-by-disney-world-alligator-in-1986-recalls-trauma/
I will never forget this story. We were staying at the Grand Floridian in the DVC building the night the boy was attacked. We had come back from the Magic Kingdom, and there was a storm in the distance. The cast members were considering stopping the boat service due to the weather. We were able to take the boat and decided to go to the quick service for a late evening snack. After finishing, we noticed something was going on – we were not allowed to take certain walkways because they were blocked, and cast members were everywhere directing you on how to get back to the DVC building. Rumors were that there had been a drowning. There were several emergency vehicles and a helicopter flying overhead. It was only after we turned on the TV that we knew what was going on outside. I reached out to my parents to let them know we were okay considering we have two boys, and we were staying at the resort. It was heartbreaking news.
Very sad for the little boy and his parents. I remember this tragedy well. For those in the comments terrified of being eaten by an alligator – if you stay out of the water you will be fine. My family lives in areas which are inhabited by alligators. Don’t go in the water. Don’t wade in the water. Enjoy relaxing on the beach out of the water and swim in the pools – you will have a lovely and safe visit!
My Heart was so broken for Lane and his family. If I understood correctly the family was from Nebraska, it was their first time to Florida, was unaware of alligators in bodies of water. I cried for 3 days and prayed for the family. I love children, and when something tragic happens, to them I hurt too. It was so very sad, it happened on their first day of arriving. I am so happy that the family moved forward and settling up the foundation and the excitement the family has. I know that Lane is in Heaven, with Jesus and what a reunion it will be when his family and loved one’s are united again! ❤️
Thanks Tom for writing about this. It is hard to believe 10 years has gone by already and I can not imagine what the family has gone through. I was happy to hear what the parents did in memory of their son. We go to Disney often and years ago saw a gator in the (former) waters between Frontierland and Tom Sawyer Island. Haven’t actually seen one on property for a while now, even though we are watchful, especially when we have a young child with us.
I read a lot of your blogs and thought this was one of the best one you have written. Thanks Tom.
We were there when these terrible incidents happened ten years ago. It was heartbreaking to say the least. You could tell cast members were hurting deeply even though they did a wonderful job of keeping things as normal as possible in the parks. My daughters were there with their dance studio and many others to perform in a parade at Magic Kingdom. I can remember checking my phone constantly until they found that little boy. The rocks, ropes, and warning signs were needed but that still doesn’t stop people from going in the water at times. In fact, just a few days after the little boy was killed, we saw cast members trying to get people out of the water that had gone swimming in the lagoon near the Swan and Dolphin!
I remember this well, and can’t believe it’s been ten years. My heart aches for the family.
As a side note, I observed several times over the course of the 8 nights we spent at CBR two weeks ago, official-looking folks “patrolling”, for lack of a better word, the bay in the early mornings as we were walking to the skyliner/bus stops. My first thought was to wonder if they were looking for gators.
I was at Pop Century on hourglass lake very early enjoying the sunrise in October about 5 years ago. I saw a team of folks removing two gators right in front of me on the bench near 60’s building. They were removing them very carefully. I was so surprised by this I just stayed there to see how they do this. I then remembered the family at Grand Floridian and felt very sad as it was a horrific tragedy. I was, however grateful to see that they are very watchful and taking safety seriously.
Amazing that there was only ever the one fatality. I remember swimming in Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon from the 70s through the 90s at the Contemp, Poly, and Fort Wilderness beaches, plus River Country. There were lots of small boats you could take out. Also, remember the characters who would ski past the ferry boats.
I forgot about the skiing characters! Thanks! Good memories.
Yes I remember swimming at ft wilderness beach. Apparently the gators had been hunted to near extinction so back then they were scarce. However they’re made a terrific comeback.
Maybe use tragedy in the title instead of death.
Any particular reason why?
I actually debated a few of the word choices in this post (murdered, terrorism, and a description of both events), but ultimately opted against using any language that could be construed as minimizing the horrific nature of the tragedies. I don’t think anything here is sensationalized; it’s a pretty straightforward accounting of the incidents.
I thought the article was one of Tom’s best. It was factual and interesting while honoring the victims. As an aside, we have walked past that area a hundred times and never noticed the statue. Thanks for pointing it out!
Curious if they could guesstimate what percentage they leave behind; as I know they have to leave some according to Wildlife Commission rules. A vlogger showed one by the Pandora bridge at DAK and he had a squirrel in his mouth. Hope the kids didn’t see
Your guess is probably as good as mine. My guess would be most of them given that criteria for a “nuisance” alligator.
Although I would also speculate that Disney and Florida have an understanding that the threshold for a nuisance gator is lower at Walt Disney World than it would be in a random subdivision. And for good reason.
The timeliness of this article is uncanny.
We just stayed at the GF for the first time and used the MK walkway. Prior to using it, I had a lot of anxiety about running into an alligator. My husband thought I was being ridiculous. Of course after we used it, I realized that it feels like a very safe pathway,
But my heart will never stop hurting for that family and the future they lost with their child, and it crosses my mind almost every time we visit. What a beautiful way to honor his life with their foundation.
I use that path a lot and have actually never seen an alligator on it. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, as I’ve seen just about every other critter (raccoon, armadillo, deer, etc) on that route.
The reality is that if there’s a body of water in Florida, there’s alligators. On nightly walks in our old neighborhood, we’d see an alligator at least once per week. Never any issues.
Hi Kate,
You can tell your husband you weren’t being ridiculous because the alligator we saw, along with everyone else on our paused monorail, was at the edge of 7 Seas Lagoon right by the MK walkway, but he wouldn’t have been able to get to you.
The biggest gator we saw was in Bay Lake near the Wilderness Lodge, probably about 10 feet long. We’ve seen smaller ones in a number of other bodies of water on property including in the retaining pond outside of Magic Kingdom behind Space Mountain. I’ve also seen a coyote on DVC Way across from SSR and a bobcat on the path between SSR and OKW.
WDW is a nature preserve and always well be, that was part of Walt original intent.
Carolyn and I have seen alligators twice at WDW. The first time he was walking on green grass as we drove past him going from a park to our resort.
The second time we were on a monorail paused just outside MK and he was on the edge of Seven Seas Lagoon across from the GF.
I remember there was at least one other incident of a young boy who was almost taken by an alligator at Fort Wilderness. I think the reptile did bite his arm or had his arm in his mouth but obviously not clamped down as the sister pulled him from the alligator while his brother was hitting the gator with something. The kids had been feeding ducks when the alligator showed up. I not only read about this but I’ve heard them talk about it.
Carolyn and I have paid our respects at the monument the family and Disney have at the GF for Lane. You can only donate to the Lane Thomas Foundation by check or through the charity basket at Charity navigator. They have a 95% rating on Charity Navigator which is very good.
Of course I can’t find them now because they’ve probably been taken down but years ago there were videos posted on YouTube of idiots staying at the Bungalows feeding alligators.
I once saw a gator in the loading area of splash mountain. I like to look for them. I have not spotted any on Disney property in a long time. I do on occasion see them in the water that the Orlando airport shuttle crosses. Disney gets lots of international and out of state visitors. Not everyone is aware how plentiful the gators are here. I think the signs help that awareness.
For anyone who hasn’t done so, I STRONGLY recommend reading Bob “the good one” Iger’s memoir. He devotes a couple pages to these events, including the revelation that the Pulse Night Club shooting you mentioned was originally planned to happen at House of Blues in Disney Springs, but the concert that night brought with it additional security that persuaded the shooter to find another venue for his hate.
The whole book is great (and 100% umbrella free!) but his take on those two events and their proximity to each other is particularly poignant.
Thanks for pointing that out. I almost mentioned it here, but decided against it since certain people have, ahem, strong opinions about Iger and I didn’t want that overshadowing everything else.
That was probably my favorite part of the book. I’m sure a movie could be made about the crisis management efforts as most of Disney’s team has halfway around the world trying to navigate this all.
You don’t even have to buy the book as the situation is described in the very beginning. But I was very impressed by how Iger handled it. I was such a tragedy.
100 % umbrella free made me chuckle.
Thank you for remembering Lane. I think of him and his family often.
Amen. Thank you for saying his name, Tom. As a dad of five who has spent literally hundreds of hours on property, I cannot fathom the pain that family went through. Even something as “small” as getting back on a plane to fly home with an empty seat between mom and dad …
Unimaginable.
Bless that family. I always think of them when I see the Grand Floridian.
It has such low odds of happening but I still want to shout out to seniors walking small dogs by retention ponds in my area of Florida. You can’t get complacent by these bodies of water especially if you are a child or senior.
No matter how beautiful Disney World is, it is still built on a swamp.
We would sometimes see small alligators in the stream across the street from the Poly, on the way to the cast member parking lot. Disney would eventually have them removed.
I clearly remember when that tragic alligator attack happened and was sickened by it. To this day, I have a great (and irrational) fear of being attacked by an alligator when in Florida.
We have seen them many times at the dock at Wilderness Lodge. Usually small, less than four feet.
Ten years, I think you meant.
Nothing like having a typo in the first half of the first sentence of the post!