Alligator Incident Discussion/Fence being built at Grand Floridian?

[HockeyMomR]

Of course it is unrealistic. There are dangers at Disney World, real and man-made. The little boy that was hit by a Disney bus was an accident. It was no less horrible than this but we don't want to take away all the bikes and all the buses to try and prevent another "accident".

If they remove the sand it would simply be a move to keep people with kids from playing near the water in the sand. I don't have any idea what their plans will be. I think signs are enough.

Agreed. This was a terrible accident. I think signs of warning are enough.

The fence construction is to keep people out of the water as a backup to the signs.

 

[DLgal]

Unfortunately, at this point I think Disney should just write a check for however many millions the lawyers agree on. The signage wasn't enough to let someone know that there were dangerous gators. It's like if you had guests at your house, and you told them "don't go swimming in the backyard pond or pool", and then a gator got in and killed someone- you would still be liable.

No, you wouldn't be liable. Property owners are not liable for wild animal attacks, unless they were keeping said wild animal as a "pet" or the wild animal was not indigenous to the area, and the property owner brought it there.

 

[boltjames]

I also consider it common sense that there is potential for gators anywhere in Florida....but that's just me.

Exactly. That's just you, and anyone who lives in Florida or took a course on amphibians in college.

For the rest of us, this week was a shocking epiphany. The overwhelming majority of tourists going to this tourist destination didn't know that Florida is teeming with alligators and that Disney is teeming with alligators. Then add to it that they didn't bother to warn any of us out-of-towners and it's been a very bad week for those who never in a million years imagined we were sleeping and playing in the Everglades.

 

[boltjames]

Herein lies the problem! You should NEVER let your guard down if you love your kid. Their safety is YOUR priority, NOT Disney's or any other place for that matter.

Maybe this is the city girl in me talking....

Do you realize how many horrible things are out there? From human predators to nature.

This is what bugs me most: parents who let their kids run and not worry about the repercussions. No where is safe. It is your job to protect your loved ones and use common sense.

Listen if these parents ignored their kid in a swimming pool and he drowned, I get your point. If these parents put this child on a ride that they knew he was too small for, I get your point. If he were in New York City and allowed to cross 5th Avenue by himself without adult supervision, I get your point.

That's not what happened here. Disney invited guests to an alligator lair at feeding time and simply had a sign that said "No Swimming, Please". Absolutely not enough. The boy wasn't swimming. He was kicking his sister's sand castles when he was stalked and drowned to death.

 

[amg35]

But, would that be the same as closing them then? I mean, if it's landscaping that still provides a place to relax near the lagoon (just not TOO near the lagoon), then aren't the dangers the same? Maybe even worse, since landscaping with foliage and such is prime snake territory. If gators are going to come up onto land, they won't care if it's sand or landscaped areas. They get into swimming pools. They get into the middle of Magic Kingdom.

I'm just not sure when people will be satisfied that "enough" has been done to reduce the risk of a run-in with wildlife on the property? Some people's ideas that Disney can somehow eradicate the entire gator and snake population from the property (a place the size of San Francisco) and keep them away is just completely unrealistic. I can only assume folks with these ideas have very little knowledge about wild animals in general.

Yep.

So, I'll say it. If they do anything more besides a fence and warning signs because of this I would find that very annoying and it would bum me out. I won't say I'll be angry because that's a tad dramatic .

No loungers, no beaches??? People....please, use rational thought. An alligator is not going to crawl up on to the beach, away from the water with all the people there and attack you.

Why, why do we always have to give in to the irrational fears of a few. Ruin everything. (There's the drama)

 

[melissapealo]

Exactly. That's just you, and anyone who lives in Florida or took a course on amphibians in college.

For the rest of us, this week was a shocking epiphany. The overwhelming majority of tourists going to this tourist destination didn't know that Florida is teeming with alligators and that Disney is teeming with alligators. Then add to it that they didn't bother to warn any of us out-of-towners and it's been a very bad week for those who never in a million years imagined we were sleeping and playing in the Everglades.

Actually it is not just people that live in Florida or took a course in college. I am also in NY and was well aware of the alligators in Florida. All it takes is a little research about the are you are visiting for vacation and you will learn of wildlife dangers. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Everglades and everything to do with actually taking some time to educate yourself before traveling.
It is horrible what happened and yes I believe Disney should have had proper signage warnings in place before this. However it doesn't take long to search for information about any location you travel to.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

This new fence isn't much of a deterrent. It may be a reminder to keep people off the beach, but I'm very concerned about what can come out of the water onto the beach. These little poles and a few ropes are not going to stop a gator from coming up on the beach. And, I have heard reports of people seeing alligators on the Poly beach! Maybe people who live in Florida can find all this acceptable but I can't wait to go home

I've read the comment about wanting to leave, a number of times from you.

Why can't you leave?

 

[wdwrule]

yes I believe Disney should have had proper signage warnings in place before this.

Bingo....not parents' fault. Up until now I assumed the "no swimming" sign was due to lack of lifeguard. Disney really wants to keep people in the "happy bubble". They can't even stand the thought of a guest seeing a spilled soda or dropped napkin so I'm sure they didn't want "keep out: warnings of alligators and snakes" signs. Should've been done a long time ago.

 

[amg35]

I've read the comment about wanting to leave, a number of times from you.

Why can't you leave?

I was thinking the same thing! Is she on vacation? If you are scared of the beach....Go to the parks!!!

 

[wdwrule]

Apparently alligators are in the parks too. Time for an alligator hunting excursion. That's what we do up north with overpopulated deer.

 

[RainSW6]

I think these fences and the new signs are a good move.

I am a cautious parent and a rule follower, and I could have made a similar mistake to this family. The scary thing is that I DID try to do research on possible risks at WDW, but still was very ignorant.

I read up on bed bugs, how to prevent my kids getting lost, how to keep contact info on them just in case. I read up on child predators, stroller thieves, ride safety, pool safety, balcony safety, etc. I knew alligators populate Florida, I've been to the state a dozen times and have family there, and I also knew they sometimes wander onto Disney property. But I was very ignorant on how frequently and how many were on property, and that they would be so close to human activity and noises at the resorts.

We stayed at WL last year and the beach was closed for construction, so we never went on a beach. But I wouldn't have known it risky to allow my 2 year old son to kick some of the water at the edge, or if my 6 year old had gotten his hands sticky from marshmallows and wanted to rinse them off quickly (followed by anti-bacterial). I wouldn't have known they were breaking the no swimming rule by just touching the water, because that warning means something different in the places I've lived.

With these fences and signs in place, I of course wouldn't have let my kids anywhere near the water, even in the daytime. These are a very good deterrent for people like me, who want to practice good safety and follow the rules, but just need the necessary information.

 

[KBinCO]

The truth is, yes, it was a risk to have your kids splash around. A MINISCULE risk. A 1 in a million chance of your kid getting snatched by a gator. These people were the unlucky ones. It's horrible, and my heart aches for them, but everyone now suddenly feeling unsafe because of one incident over a 16,000+ days and millions of people... it's a bit ridiculous.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you are truly worried about alligators, Animal Kingdom Lodge is your best bet for a deluxe, and the All-Stars for a Value. Unfortunately, all Mods are on large bodies of water, either a lake or a river.

This won't mean that the one near Tom Sawyer's Island might not still be around, but every other resort is near significant drainage.

 

[warrenz1963]

I wonder... if folks put as much energy into learning about the natural environments they travel to as they do into their Fastpass choices and ADRs, would this thread be 14 pages long, and growing?

 

[tink'smom2B]

I've read the comment about wanting to leave, a number of times from you.

Why can't you leave?

My plane leaves tomorrow

 

[wdwrule]

Speaking of moderates, we sometimes stay at Coronado springs where there is a main lake in the middle of the resort....with an alligator in it. The lake there is not easily inviting to get in due to tall plants, rocks, partial fence etc around the perimeter of the lake. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how accessible grand Floridian lake was right up against the sand where the kids make sand castles, etc. Yikes! I do hope they at least put up some kind of barrier (natural or whatever) so it's not AS easy for kids to naturally want to step in water. Thank goodness also for the new non-vague signs. Poly might be the same way. Someone had posted a pic of the monthly entertainment schedule and they showed a CM with kids having fun about 2 feet where the water met the beach!

 

[tink'smom2B]

I live in Wisconsin where the worst thing in my neighborhood is a deer that eats my flowers. Can't wait and I'll never complain about Bambi again

 

[NYUBwayBaby]

I live in Wisconsin where the worst thing in my neighborhood is a deer that eats my flowers. Can't wait and I'll never complain about Bambi again

So you don't leave your neighborhood? There are bears and wolves in Wisconsin.

 

[kiford]

It doesn't matter what Disney does, Disney will be liable. Same as a person slipping in the grocery store. Someone is on your property, you are liable for pretty much anything that happens to them.

Not wild animals. If someone got bit or attacked by a fox on my property (we're very near the edge of the city near wild areas) I'm not liable. I don't own the fox and I don't have a duty of care to warn anyone even though I know that they run through my backyard occasionally and I have friends whose dog has been injured trying to chase one at night. While every jurisdiction has different regulations, most seem to agree that because wild animals are unpredictable, unless you have brought them in, you cannot be held responsible for their behaviour or have to warn anyone about them. Now we did have someone in our city who had a leopard chained in his backyard. Someone was hurt and he was held liable because the animal was not native and was brought in by the property owner.

 

[boltjames]

WDW has been open for 45 years. In those 45 years, there have been many thousand alligators roaming the property, along with many millions of guests.

In that half-century, there has been exactly ONE fatal alligator encounter. One. In nearly 50 years.

To me, that means that the risk of being injured or killed by an alligator on Disney property is astoundingly low. I probably have a better chance of hitting the Powerball than having an alligator bite me at WDW.

Just because it's possible for something to happen, doesn't mean it's likely for that thing to happen. We have all learned why it's not good to go in the lakes and waterways in FL. That doesn't mean that the entire property is a deathtrap.

In the last 45 years the alligator population has gone from an endangered species to one that is thriving. Back in 1967 there were only a few thousand left, today there are more than a million of them. So this week's incident may look 'rare' on a statistical analysis going back to WDW's opening, but in the context of a million soon growing to 2 million or more, waterside attractions in Florida have to come up with other means to protect their guests.

What happened this week is a precursor of future events far more than it is an anomaly in a look-back.