A decade after toddler's death, Disney World has removed 414 nuisance alligators

A decade after a 2-year-old was killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World, newly released state documents show how frequently the animals are still found on resort grounds.

The records indicate at least 414 nuisance alligators were trapped and taken away from Disney property since the 2016 event.

What happened?

ClickOrlando reported that trappers working through Florida's Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, known as SNAP, have removed hundreds of alligators from Walt Disney World.

Lane Thomas Graves was attacked by an alligator in shallow water while playing near a beach at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

ClickOrlando reported that there were 23 removals a year on Disney property during the eight years leading up to the attack. The number rose to 83 in 2016 and was 57 in 2017. From 2018 through 2025, the yearly average was 36, and at least 12 alligators were trapped in the first four months of this year.

After the attack, Disney changed its shoreline safety measures, adding fences, rocks, and warning signs.

Before then, guests had been discouraged from entering natural water, but many resort shorelines remained easily accessible.

Why is this an important step?

The issue goes beyond one resort. Across Florida, people live alongside large wild animals in densely developed areas.

Through SNAP, more than 8,700 alligators were captured in 2024. Wildlife officials say that still did not meaningfully reduce the state's estimated alligator population of 1.3 million.

American alligators once neared extinction, but protections helped the species recover and come off the endangered list in 1987.

That rebound is widely seen as a conservation success. At the same time, it has created more opportunities for conflict in places where homes, hotels, and recreation areas overlap with lakes and wetlands.

Experts have long warned that feeding wildlife or getting too close to natural shorelines can increase the likelihood of dangerous encounters.

What are people saying?

"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 ClickOrlando in 2021.

Hailee Seely, communications coordinator for the FWC, said: "The goal of SNAP is to proactively address alligator threats in developed areas, while conserving alligators in areas where they naturally occur."

Some of the captured alligators are transferred to Ian Hall, owner of Florida Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Adventures in Okeechobee.

"We received them all alive, and they are released on our hunting preserve where our clients can hunt them," Hall told ClickOrlando. "Then they are processed for eating."

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