Alligator Incident Discussion/Fence being built at Grand Floridian?

[tink'smom2B]

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

Not anywhere near me.

 

[wdwrule]

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

Calm down. I was there when the incident happened and it sounds like she was as well. It's a different feel when you're right there living it. My eyes were constantly looking around for alligators during the next few days afterwards. Very sad to be at magic kingdom and seeing recovery helicopters circling. I think that's with any tragic incident. We want to protect more and think of what-ifs. During my numerous trips to Disney this was the only trip when I was happy to be going home during my last day of vacation there.

 

[boltjames]

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.

When WDW opened they were the only attraction in town and alligators numbered in the low thousands as an endangered species.

Today, WDW is among scores of attractions and alligators number in the millions as a thriving, recovered species.

The over-development of Orlando, the lack of natural ecosystem, and the explosion of the protected alligator population are going to make things far more risky in the future than it ever was in the past. And unlike another statistical-favorite, air travel, it's not like this is something that is getting safer or more predictable. Walt Disney's strategy appears to be put up signs and hope for the best. What they should do is come up with an innovative way to redirect the population elsewhere, hire trappers, and get them off the property.

This week's event is the beginning of the next 45 years, not a statistical accident reflective of the last 45.

 

[KBinCO]

well, Disneyland is lovely. Slight chance of a large earthquake, but the parks are great!

 

[boltjames]

The resorts and parks were built on swamps. Everyone knows gators and bugs are native to the area. It is completely ignorant to think Disney has any control to keep these things from happening.

The only thing that surprised me about this attack is that people honestly thought Disney could and did remove all dangers from existing.

If you live in Florida or took a college course in ecology, congratulations, you know what the vast majority of us never knew- that alligators live in almost every body of water in Florida and that Disney World was not exempt from such an infestation. This is new-news to the rest of us.

And the big story here is once you get past the "No Swimming, Please" sign as a non-informative non-deterrent, and once you get past the "there are alligators all over Florida" epiphany, you're down to this simple fact: Disney was actually doing nothing to prevent their guests from being in danger and, in fact, were luring them to the very spots that were the most dangerous in each resort. They live down there. They knew the dangers. Their own cast members were voicing concern. They didn't do anything to give anyone a clue that alligators were there let alone uncontrolled.

 

[disneydreamer781]

Go away gator, not buying what you're selling.

Looks like the "Jaws Land Shark" skit from SNL.

 

[Splashboat]

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

I hope you realize that you can get bit by a deer tick transmitting Lyme Disease. I know people that live with this debilitating disease and it is awful -and yes, it can eventually kill because it can strike the brain and/or heart. Bambi is beautiful but not safe. I say this with all seriousness.

 

[boltjames]

NOTHING will keep a gator off a beach. They are tanks. Covered in scaly armor.
It's to keep people away from the water so they don't splash around and get mistaken for something the gator can eat. I get that people who don't live in the south don't get it. I do. I didn't live in the south until about six months ago. But if you don't like the idea that there's a minuscule chance of a gator encounter then don't go to GA, FL, LA, MS, AL. Period.

Disney can throw people and money at this problem and while they might not eliminate the threat entirely they can reduce the alligator population on the property markedly.

We're talking about an innovative company, a company that built an underground city that powers the property. Surely they can hire professionals who know where alligators are likely to nest, likely to hunt, likely to find entry, and build a process to fortify the resort from them. This isn't rocket science. It will take manpower and money and cooperation from the wildlife commission, but it can be done. In 24 hours they caught, what, 8 alligators in the Lagoon with a limited staff. It's a big property, but it has entrances and exits, it can be controlled if Disney simply decides to take the concern seriously enough.

 

[KBinCO]

If you live in Florida or took a college course in ecology, congratulations, you know what the vast majority of us never knew- that alligators live in almost every body of water in Florida and that Disney World was not exempt from such an infestation. This is new-news to the rest of us.

Honestly, I think I learned this in grade school and I grew up in NY. I just assumed kids learned about US ecosystems early on, and people knew about the places they visited. I do not blame these parents ONE BIT. I don't blame Disney either. I just wasn't surprised to hear a gator took a kid at Disney because, you know... Florida.

 

[KBinCO]

If you live in Florida or took a college course in ecology, congratulations, you know what the vast majority of us never knew- that alligators live in almost every body of water in Florida and that Disney World was not exempt from such an infestation. This is new-news to the rest of us.

And the big story here is once you get past the "No Swimming, Please" sign as a non-informative non-deterrent, and once you get past the "there are alligators all over Florida" epiphany, you're down to this simple fact: Disney was actually doing nothing to prevent their guests from being in danger and, in fact, were luring them to the very spots that were the most dangerous in each resort. They live down there. They knew the dangers. Their own cast members were voicing concern. They didn't do anything to give anyone a clue that alligators were there let alone uncontrolled.

The rest of this is just dramatic.

 

[Sammie]

I have vacationed here for over twenty years and alligators were never on my radar. We even spent nearly half of those years in the campground. Snakes are everywhere in the Wilderness resort. So many, in fact, that I won't stay there anymore. Now alligators, and you all are telling me it's just something I'm supposed to accept and get over. Well, I'll just take my money elsewhere, thank you!

That is certainly your right but where will you go that does not have some danger. There is no where. Traveling anywhere by car is so much more dangerous than gators at Disney World.

 

[brertoad]

For the rest of us, this week was a shocking epiphany.

Man hiding from police eaten by gator Dec. 2015.
http://fox59.com/2015/12/08/florida-burglary-suspect-eaten-by-alligator-while-hiding-from-police/



Gators are Florida's "thing", sorry if the world hasn't caught on yet. I'm being genuine, I thought people knew Florida is famous for its alligators. It's not like Florida is hiding that they have gators, as the writer Darryl Fears in the Washington Post had said:

"Alligators are as much a part of the state as pelicans, dolphins, sharks and hurricanes. Like ancient gods, they are celebrated and feared. The flagship university’s mascot is a giant gator wearing a turtleneck."

I'm sure Disney is going to do their best to prevent anything from happening again, they pretty much have to.

 

[Lynne M]

It's a big property, but it has entrances and exits, it can be controlled if Disney simply decides to take the concern seriously enough.

It has entrances and exits for cars. It is not fenced around the perimeter. The local wildlife comes and goes as it pleases, and there is no way that Disney is going to put an alligator-proof fence around nearly 50 square miles of property.

I get that you've realized that your image of WDW as a 100% safe area wasn't correct, and that's bound to be disturbing. But it will never be 100% safe. That's not a reasonable goal.

I look at comparative risk. I know that bad things can and have happened at WDW. Children have been hit by buses and killed. People have died on rides, been bitten by poisonous snakes and spiders, been raped, robbed, had cars and resort rooms broken into. All of those incidents are highly, extremely unusual, and there is probably more chance of any of them happening to me in my home town than at WDW. Because Disney goes to great lengths to keep guests safe. The bottom line: I feel safer at Disney than I do at a lot of vacation destinations. Am I 100% safe? No. I'm not 100% safe anywhere, unless I build a safe room in my condo and never leave it. I look at Disney's record of crime, accidents, etc, and I judge it to be safe enough for me.

And in the end, that's all you can do, too. You judge whether an area is safe enough for you. You seem to feel that WDW isn't safe enough, and that's entirely your decision to make.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

The rest of this is just dramatic.

That poster is like 3 (maybe fewer) posts away from "Disney feeds babies to man-eating alligators at a nightly event on the beach!"

 

[disneydreamer781]

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

Why can't you leave?

You're not alone thinking this. Why does she keep saying it? Geez!

 

[Jeslynb]

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.

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.

This is not correct. A duty of care may arise if you know a dangerous wild animal frequents your property. I'm not sure what case law your referring to with "most jurisdictions".

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

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)

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Are you kidding me!!! A child just died and it will be Disney executives and attorneys who will be making these decisions. Too bad if people are inconvenienced!

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

This is not correct. A duty of care may arise if you know a dangerous wild animal frequents your property. I'm not sure what case law your referring to with "most jurisdictions".

Yes the original poster doesn't know what they are talking about! They have a duty to warn their visitors when they have knowledge of these gators on their property especially since there are so many children visiting at all times.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

I hope you realize that you can get bit by a deer tick transmitting Lyme Disease. I know people that live with this debilitating disease and it is awful -and yes, it can eventually kill because it can strike the brain and/or heart. Bambi is beautiful but not safe. I say this with all seriousness.

What does that have to do with this topic?