Yes, you just might see a bear at Disney World. This is not your average country bear and doesn’t play in a band. The Florida Black Bear is a subspecies of the American Black Bear, and it ranges throughout the state of Florida as well as portions of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are over 4000 Black Bears in Florida today.

Okay, bear sightings are not common at Disney World, but they are there. (We have never seen one at Disney World. We took the pictures featured in this post during a Disney Wonder port call in Juneau Alaska). Although when they are seen, they can cause problems. In September 2023, several media outlets including National Geographic reported a female Black Bear was spotted in a tree in the Magic Kingdom and portions of the park were shut down until the bear was safely captured and relocation to the Ocala National Forest north of Orlando. Bears are also occasionally spotted at Fort Wilderness Campground.

However, you want guaranteed bear sightings at Disney World there is always the Country Bear Jamboree and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure featuring Claude the Musical Black Bear. In February 1953 Disney produced a True-Life Adventures short film entitled Bear Country about a family of Black Bears and an educational film entitled Bear Family in April 1970.