Disney Facts, Disney World

Why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?

February 8, 2021
mosquitoes disney world joe potter

Are you wondering “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World”? Read ahead for everything you need to know about why you’re always bite-free after visiting the Florida parks.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?”, you’re part of a large group. Seriously, no matter how long you spend trekking around the parks during high season, you always come home bite-free!

It’s super odd, as Florida’s climate and natural landscape make it an absolute slam dunk for those pesky bugs. So, you wouldn’t expect to walk around Disney World for a week or so and head home completely bite-free.

But you do.

If you’re wondering why this is, then you’ll want to read ahead. This guide covers the ins and outs of mosquitoes at Disney World and why they simply don’t exist.

So, let’s dive right in and answer that question: “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?”.

Why Are There No Mosquitoes at Disney World?

“Joe” Potter

Photo credit: D23

When the concept of Disney World first came to Walt, he hired retired Army Major General William E. “Joe” Potter who had proven experience dealing with pesky mosquitoes on the Panama Canal project.

He’s not the first person you’d expect to tackle mosquitoes at Disney World, but he certainly nailed it. I mean, he totally had experience with pesky mosquitoes on previous engineering projects after all!

The stakes at Disney weren’t quite on par with wartime battle. But ensuring that there were no mosquitoes at Disneyworld was a top priority for the Walt Disney family.

It’s worth noting that mosquitoes tend to breed when there’s stagnant water lying around. So, “Joe” Potter removed all stagnant water before it got to this stage on all construction sites.

Basically, those poor mosquitoes wouldn’t even have the chance to breed before they were brutally removed.

Oh man, so that must be why there aren’t any mosquitoes at Disney World!

Well yes – but they didn’t stop there!

Water in the park is constantly moving and building roofs are often constructed to allow for adequate runoff. Guests usually don’t notice this (realistically who would in somewhere as full of excitement as Disney World!).

But the park is truly intuitive in its use of flowing water, and the property’s excellent drainage gives no mosquito in Florida the chance to settle. 

So, if you’ve found yourself asking “why aren’t there mosquitoes at Disney World?”, you can thank good ol’ Joe!

Why Are There No Mosquitoes at Disney World – The Buildings

Disney World’s buildings are stunning, and the design of the parks is groundbreaking in more ways than one.

Disney’s buildings designed to look amazing, but the architecture of Florida’s parks makes sure that mosquitoes don’t stand a chance.

The shape of the buildings at Disney World just doesn’t allow water to collect. As we mentioned earlier, water pooling is no Bueno when it comes to mosquitoes.

To avoid this happening each building at Disney World is curved or designed in a way that doesn’t let water sit.

Who’d have thought?

Not only is Disney’s architecture pleasant to look at, but it serves a purpose for pest control too!

Plants and landscaping

Not only are Disney’s buildings expertly designed to make sure there are no mosquitoes at Disney World. But the landscapes and plants are all part of the plan.

Any plants that you see in the area have been expertly selected to prevent any stagnant water.

Yup – the floral arrangements at Disney aren’t just decorative!

Oh, and that’s not the only answer to the question “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?”!

Disney even fills water-based plant areas with goldfish and mosquito fish to keep the mosquito issue to a minimum.

Garlic

Disney World uses liquid garlic around the park to ensure that there are no mosquitoes in the parks. You really can’t smell this stuff (however surprising that may seem!).

So, it’s the perfect way to keep the parks mosquito-free without creating a potentially dangerous situation with the overuse of pesticides.

Why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World? It’s the famous sentinel chickens!

If you’re asking the question “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?”, then someone may respond with chickens.

Yes – chickens.

Sentinel chickens are a special mosquito-fighting chickens with one job and one job only: to get bitten by mosquitoes.

This might seem a bit sad, but the chickens are really taking one for the team.

Many of the viruses mosquitoes carry aren’t harmful to chickens.

So, their blood can be regularly tested to see if the mosquitos in Florida are carrying anything harmful. Hooray for disease prevention!

If you want to find out a bit more about the glorious sentinel chickens, check out the YouTube video below.

Adorable, aren’t they?

Insecticides

Another reason for there being no mosquitoes at Disney World is because of insecticides sprayed through the park.

Liquid garlic is the first port of call for use inside the parks during the day, but they’re not the only thing Disney uses. They use fleets of trucks to spray insecticides early in the morning and in the evenings.

The result? No mosquitoes!

Disney never sprays insecticides in a way that would disrupt the guest experience (this is Disney we’re talking about!).

But they spray enough to ensure that the parks stay as mosquito-free as possible.

There you have it! The answer to the question “why are there no mosquitoes at Disney World?”!

You might spot one or two o

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