ALL BEACHES CLOSED

[Mom2Stitch]

Here is one of the signs by the water on the path from the Shades of Green to the Poly.
View attachment 175835

Even this sign, on that beach where this horrible accident occurred may not have been enough. It states not to go near or feed the alligators. The signs need to specifically state not to go into the water due to the natural wildlife including alligators and snakes. Yes, to many the "no swimming" is enough, but to others it's not that obvious. And yes, people should be aware of their surroundings , but it's easy to forget while at WDW. So sad we have to be reminded in this way.

Anyone ever read the warning labels on various products? I know not use my hair dryer while sleeping, but someone (or someones) must not know this because right there on my hair dryer is a warning label. Google crazy warning labels and you will be shocked to find some things that seem to be common sense, yet the manufacturers of these products have had a reason come up to place these labels.

 

[aleksandr]

I saw a response to a thread on Facebook, amongst all the extreme reactions and other vitriol which has stuck with me.

This is not the fault of Disney, nor is it the fault of the parents. People tend to forget, in this modern age, that the world is a very dangerous place. Life is full of risks. Everything we do is risky, yet we tend to go through life mostly ignoring those risks until one meets us face to face. And sometimes, no matter how much we might prepare, we are still not ready for those risks.

This is a very sad affair, but blaming anyone won't change anything or make it any easier to cope. The fact that it occurred at Disney where a family was building happy memories makes it even worse. The parents will forever question whether they could have done something more and that is a burden I'd never wish upon anyone. But it still doesn't change the fact that a wild animal attack, just like a natural disaster such as a tornado or earthquake, can strike at any time. Danger lurks everywhere.

 

[cruisingtwins]

I saw a response to a thread on Facebook, amongst all the extreme reactions and other vitriol which has stuck with me.

This is not the fault of Disney, nor is it the fault of the parents. People tend to forget, in this modern age, that the world is a very dangerous place. Life is full of risks. Everything we do is risky, yet we tend to go through life mostly ignoring those risks until one meets us face to face. And sometimes, no matter how much we might prepare, we are still not ready for those risks.

This is a very sad affair, but blaming anyone won't change anything or make it any easier to cope. The fact that it occurred at Disney where a family was building happy memories makes it even worse. The parents will forever question whether they could have done something more and that is a burden I'd never wish upon anyone. But it still doesn't change the fact that a wild animal attack, just like a natural disaster such as a tornado or earthquake, can strike at any time. Danger lurks everywhere.

But disney knew there were alligators in the lagoon and encouraged guests to play in the beach without any warnings. How could it not be their fault.

 

[LSLS]

But disney knew there were alligators in the lagoon and encouraged guests to play in the beach without any warnings. How could it not be their fault.

They know there are far more dangerous spiders and snakes along the paths and still put those in too with no warning.

 

[rteetz]

But disney knew there were alligators in the lagoon and encouraged guests to play in the beach without any warnings. How could it not be their fault.

You cannot expect something like this to happen. The beach is not he problem and you just aren't understanding that. Yes Disney should have an alligator sign but that's still not going to prevent every attack. Alligator attacks are very rare. We should not be placing blame on Disney or the parents. This thread is regarding the beaches being closed. Let's discuss that and the beach procedures.

 

[Founders Fan]

The more comments and posts I read on this the less hope I have for humanity.

 

[aleksandr]

But disney knew there were alligators in the lagoon and encouraged guests to play in the beach without any warnings. How could it not be their fault.

The Seven Seas Lagoon, while man made, is connected to other natural bodies of water. Animals move around and migrate. I'm sure Disney knew, or knows, that there are alligators somewhere in the lagoon. But can they reasonably have expected that one would be on the beach at the Grand Floridian? Animals are animals. You cannot account for their whereabouts or actions. They are wild and unpredictable. Some are even dangerous predators. People have been mauled by lions on African Safaris.

To put it another way--I've seen armadillos at the Winter Summerland mini-golf course. Armadillos are one of the very few species other than humans who can carry leprosy. They can even transmit it to humans through contact, or eating one. Should Disney put up a sign at all of their golf courses to not go near or touch the armadillos?

 

[cruisingtwins]

You cannot expect something like this to happen. The beach is not he problem and you just aren't understanding that. Yes Disney should have an alligator sign but that's still not going to prevent every attack. Alligator attacks are very rare. We should not be placing blame on Disney or the parents. This thread is regarding the beaches being closed. Let's discuss that and the beach procedures.

Yes the beach is the proble because it encourages people to be near dangerous waters. If there were no beaches Lane would be alive today.

 

[Founders Fan]

Yes the beach is the proble because it encourages people to be near dangerous waters. If there were no beaches Lane would be alive today.

So if they would have shown the movie in a grassy area with water beside it then the accident wouldn't have happened?

 

[aleksandr]

Yes the beach is the proble because it encourages people to be near dangerous waters. If there were no beaches Lane would be alive today.

I'm not even sure how you can respond to a comment like that. Is it the the fault of the towns along the Atlantic coast such as New Smyrna, Cocoa, and Daytona that people get attacked by sharks? Keeping those beaches open and available to people to use surely encourages them to be near dangerous waters, doesn't it? There were 110 people attacked by sharks on the Florida coast between 2006-2010, 1 of which was fatal. If only those beaches had been closed because it was dangerous.

 

[rteetz]

Yes the beach is the proble because it encourages people to be near dangerous waters. If there were no beaches Lane would be alive today.

So what you're saying is all beaches in the world should be closed? Because all beaches have some sort of danger. That's just a ridiculous comment to make. Remove the beach and what do you do? Grass? Alligators will go on grass. Beaches are not the problem here.

 

[LSLS]

So what you're saying is all beaches in the world should be closed? Because all beaches have some sort of danger. That's just a ridiculous comment to make. Remove the beach and what do you do? Grass? Alligators will go on grass. Beaches are not the problem here.

Grass can be more dangerous because it is easier for them to camo and hide.

 

[Slayd]

I guess we live in a different world now. When my parents took me to Disney as a kid we lived in Virginia, yet my parents always told me there are gators in the water. It's Florida. There's something to be said for researching your surroundings before you travel. This is the way it was thousands of years ago, and our civilization has not evolved to the point of being able to walk around blindly and oblivious to our surroundings and expect to be fine. Pay attention to your surroundings, people, even when there isn't a sign there telling you to be.

At the same time, I want to add that I'm not saying that to place blame on the parents. I don't join the judgement-porn culture on the internet. As a parent of two now, I know these things aren't as simple as an article makes them look.

 

[npmadsen]

I saw a response to a thread on Facebook, amongst all the extreme reactions and other vitriol which has stuck with me.

This is not the fault of Disney, nor is it the fault of the parents. People tend to forget, in this modern age, that the world is a very dangerous place. Life is full of risks. Everything we do is risky, yet we tend to go through life mostly ignoring those risks until one meets us face to face. And sometimes, no matter how much we might prepare, we are still not ready for those risks.

This is a very sad affair, but blaming anyone won't change anything or make it any easier to cope. The fact that it occurred at Disney where a family was building happy memories makes it even worse. The parents will forever question whether they could have done something more and that is a burden I'd never wish upon anyone. But it still doesn't change the fact that a wild animal attack, just like a natural disaster such as a tornado or earthquake, can strike at any time. Danger lurks everywhere.

Excellent

 

[disneynutz]

I'm sure that Disney's major incident team was activated as soon as the report came in. Their management, PR, and legal team will decide what Disney's course of action will be. My guess is that they will clean the public access beach waters of vegetation, they will improve the signage, they will step up their patrols and removal of reptiles and they will settle the lawsuit.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

Yes the beach is the proble because it encourages people to be near dangerous waters. If there were no beaches Lane would be alive today.

He might be alive today if they would have put up a more informative sign. Do not enter the water, there can be alligators, snakes and bacteria. The alligators didn't just show up on Tuesday, from what has been reported they are not rare, they pulled 5 out after the incident! They minimized the danger, they knew people were regularly wading in the water but they didn't take action. Now they are forced to.

 

[Madonna3]

He might be alive today if a gator hunter had shot him on a hunt 5 years ago. He might be alive today if there was another kid in the water playing next to him. He might be alive today if he had moved just a split second before the gator attacked. If there were no alligators he might be alive today. See where I am going with this? All of these "ifs", but none of them happened and we are where we are. It is absolutely unreasonable and unrealistic to live by the "if" factor. We can't constantly look to assign blame instead of accepting what has happened as being tragic, rare, and most of all, unintentional on the part of any person.

I am a Floridian. I have played at the shores of the resorts with no fear of gators. I think people on vacation had a reasonable expectation not to fear gators on Disney's beaches. I think they have a reasonable expectation to continue not to fear gators on Disney's beaches. This is the act of ONE animal for a reason we will never know, but it was not TYPICAL behavior for that species of animal. I think it's unfair to sit and point fingers at who holds the blame rather than WHAT holds the blame: a wild animal.

I think the tragedy of the situation has caused overreaction in a lot of different directions - closing the marinas and stopping the boats is a HUGE overreaction. Disney is making changes because they feel liability, people are demanding changes because they feel Disney has liability, and people are making changes themselves because they feel the reality and gravity of the tragedy. I'm ok with some changes being made that would be for the better of all, but I'm also for the "let cooler heads prevail" line of thinking.

The waters around the MK resorts were always intended for recreation and should continue to be. I agree that if nature is starting to reclaim some of the water then Disney has the duty to warn the public. It also has a reasonable expectation to keep the public safe and if that means changing its signage to do that, then I am all for it. The public also has a reasonable responsibility to use all due caution when visiting unfamiliar areas, but anyone who sits here and tells me they've never let their guard down on vacation is not being honest; whether it be wading in water off of a sandy beach, or having a drink with dinner, or even spending more than you anticipated, everyone's guard comes down at Disney.

Be more compassionate to each other and less hateful. Don't say things on a message board that you wouldn't say to another human being in person.

 

[ParkHoppers]

He might be alive today if they would have put up a more informative sign. Do not enter the water, there can be alligators, snakes and bacteria. The alligators didn't just show up on Tuesday, from what has been reported they are not rare, they pulled 5 out after the incident! They minimized the danger, they knew people were regularly wading in the water but they didn't take action. Now they are forced to.

Exactly this.

 

[StuckInKS]

The Seven Seas Lagoon, while man made, is connected to other natural bodies of water. Animals move around and migrate. I'm sure Disney knew, or knows, that there are alligators somewhere in the lagoon. But can they reasonably have expected that one would be on the beach at the Grand Floridian? Animals are animals. You cannot account for their whereabouts or actions. They are wild and unpredictable. Some are even dangerous predators. People have been mauled by lions on African Safaris.

The point the poster made is that this danger was present with no warnings signs and Disney knew about it while inviting families on the beach with lounge chairs and movie nights. Your whole spiel about wildlife being unpredictable and Disney not being able to control them is even more reason why signs should have been up, as the poster said. To me, someone from the midwest who has never been out of the country, going on an African safari seems a little...risky...and for that reason I just wouldn't go. I do not equate the same level of risk to going on a Disney vacation, so not sure they can be compared that way. Someone going on an African safari should also know that they will encounter lions, elephants, etc as the point of going on a safari is to see the wildlife there. The point of going to Disney is not to encounter the wildlife there, save for AK (which Disney should have under control or not have it at all).

Armadillos are one of the very few species other than humans who can carry leprosy. They can even transmit it to humans through contact, or eating one. Should Disney put up a sign at all of their golf courses to not go near or touch the armadillos?

Comparing a disease that some armadillos may have to something all gators have (teeth, strength, the desire to eat) is a little apples and oranges. Now if ALL armadillos carried leprosy and they were on property, then yes I would expect some signs.

 

[ParkHoppers]

Message to those from Florida. You all know about gators because someone taught you about gators at some point in life. Probably early on. This tragedy happened to people from no where near Florida. Should these poor people been educated about gators like you all were? In a haven for very small children like Disney I am positive the answer is YES. Simple gator signs would have done this.