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The Nebraska child reportedly was playing just a foot or so in the water when the gator -- estimated at four to seven feet long -- dragged him into the lake near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa around 9:15 p.m.
"The father entered the water and tried to grab the child from the gator, but was not successful," Orange County Sheriff's Jerry Demings told reporters.
A recovery effort involving members of Florida Fish and Wildlife, Reedy Creek Fire Rescue and the Orange County Sheriff's Office continued into the morning with no results, according to authorities who said they were seeking to give the family closure.
"Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident," Jacquee Wahler, vice president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the family.
"We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement."
A noon media briefing was scheduled.
It's the latest tragedy in the Orlando area in the span of five days.
On Sunday, a gunman killed 49 people at a local nightclub before police killed in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
On Friday night, a killer shot "The Voice" singer Christina Grimmie at an Orlando theater before turning the gun on himself.
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