Disney World is home to plenty of different hotels for plenty of different tastes. You want to stay in a bungalow over the water? Check. Want to pretend you’re on an African safari? You can do that too. Heck, you can even go camping at Disney World.

Welcome to Fort Wilderness

Why not get in touch with Florida’s natural beauty while you’re on your Disney vacation at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground? You can rent a cabin, bring an RV, and go tent camping — and there are a TON of recreational activities available here. But, one of those activities was suddenly closed when we stopped by recently — and you won’t believe why.

We were hoping to rent some kayaks and canoes to explore the Florida waters at Fort Wilderness, but as of February 26th, these activities were CLOSED! We spoke with nearby Cast Members to see what was up, and they advised us that the rentals were closed due to some “friends” in the water.

Kayaks and canoes

“Friends” is a loose term, and in this case, it’s Disney-speak for “there are alligators close to the kayak and canoe launches, so it’s unsafe for guests at this time.” YIKES!

Fort Wilderness

Doing this activity has always been at your own risk, and Disney even gives you a little laminated warning card advising you to beware of alligators and snakes when renting kayaks and canoes here.

In some cases, though, when alligators have actually been spotted close to guests, Disney will close the activity down altogether if they deem things ultimately unsafe.

Do not feed the wildlife

The Cast Members shared that these activities will remain closed typically until the gators move and guests’ safety can be ensured, or they’ll call local authorities who can safely relocate the alligators to another area — away from hotel guests. They advised that in this case, they would likely need to get someone to come remove the gators, which means the kayaking and canoeing could remain closed for a couple of days.

Plenty of fun

This is something to keep in mind if you’re planning a visit to Fort Wilderness. Make sure you listen to Cast Member instructions and keep an eye out for any potential creepy crawlies. And, don’t forget that there’s plenty to explore at Fort Wilderness! You can check out Tri Circle D Ranch, the Archery Experience, Segway tours, and a whole lot more.

Horses at Tri Circle D

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest news from Disney World hotels. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog so you don’t miss any important updates!

These Disney World hotels will have brand-new rooms in 2025!

Have you ever seen wildlife at Disney World? Tell us in the comments.