Raccoons at Disney World – Raccoons feature heavily in Disney animation– the forest animals in Snow White and Bambi, Agent R in Phineas and Ferb, and Apollo the Raccoon, one of the musicians in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Of course, Disney’s two most well-known raccoons are Meeko, the mischievous raccoon from the 1995 film Pocahontas and Rocket the Raccoon, the genetically modified mercenary raccoon who is a key member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meeko’s presence as a character in Pocahontas is appropriate given that the name raccoon is an anglicization of the Powhatan word aroughcun which means, “animal that scratches with its hands” something that was first recorded by Captain John Smith.  

Raccoons are curious and adaptable mammals and are easily identified by the black fur around their eyes that looks like a mask as well as the black and brown rings that are on their tails. Racoons are common throughout North America and into Central America and the state of Florida is home to five of the recognized 22 sub-species of raccoon although if you see one on Disney property it is most likely a Florida Raccoon, the largest variant found in the state with the other four smaller sub-species concentrated in southern Florida on the islands of the Florida Keys and in the Everglades.

Raccoons are often present in areas populated or frequented by humans because of the presence of human food waste. Raccoons’ intelligence and manual dexterity enable them to gain access to even seemingly secure trash bins containing left over food. This has earned racoons the nickname of “trash pandas.” Sightings of racoons on Disney property have included guests seeing them on the golf course and even on the Jungle Cruise as well as at the Typhoon Lagoon waterpark.

The presence of racoons in the vicinity of humans and their comfort level with humans is the problem. While they may seem cute and even docile, like any wild animals they can still be unpredictable or even aggressive when startled. Additionally, raccoons are known to carry deadly diseases, including rabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control, raccoons normally account for over 1000 of the approximately 4000 rabies cases reported in the United States each year and are considered to be one of the highest rabies risks in the United States, particularly in the eastern portion of the country. If you see a raccoon while Disney World, definitely do not approach it or feed it and if it is inside a theme park or any other guest area, notify a cast member so they can determine if the animal needs to be removed.