The gator struck at around 9:00 pm Tuesday (0100 GMT Wednesday) as the child was playing in roughly a foot of water at the Seven Seas Lagoon outside the Grand Floridian, which is right across the lake from the Magic Kingdom.
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Authorities identified the child as Lane Graves, who was on vacation with his family, including mother and father, Melissa and Matthew Graves, of Elkhorn, Neb.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings says the boy’s father tried to rescue him but was not able to.
“Everyone at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident”, Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said early Wednesday. Demings said he expects officials will make family members’ names public Wednesday evening.
“We’re going to hope for the best”, Demings told reporters, “but based upon my law enforcement experience we know we have some challenges ahead of us”.
Officials admitted that the unsafe animals are “routinely” removed from the grounds – and that Disney even has its own wildlife-management team – yet the signs at the Seven Seas Lagoon, just across from Magic Kingdom Park, warn only against swimming and about deep water and steep drop-offs.
Walt Disney World drew more than 19 million tourists in 2013, making it the world’s most-visited amusement park, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, an industry group.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, ” said Nick Wiley, FWC.
Both parents jumped into the water and tried to wrestle the boy away from the gator.
If it’s not, he said, officers will continue their search.
The alligator was estimated to be 4ft to 7ft long, but its exact size was not known, Mr Demings said.
Gator attacks are very rare, Wiley said, adding that his office works closely with Disney to remove nuisance alligators when they are sighted.
The alligator incident comes as the Orlando area reels after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub there on Sunday.
Wilson said Disney staff and first responders reacted quickly. On Friday night, Christina Grimmie, 22, a contestant on season six of “The Voice”, was killed as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando.
As of April, only one other major alligator attack has been reported this year, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Some people said a “No Swimming” sign is hardly sufficient if alligators could be lurking. At the time of the attack, they were relaxing on the shoreline when the alligator pounced.
Some witnesses said they saw the boy being dragged into the water by the reptile, something officials say is nearly certainly “not survivable”.
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“We have been to Yellowstone and encountered grizzly bears, but this is just freaky”, John Aho said.
