Alligator Signs ... inside Magic Kingdom! :(

[Melwhit16]

Wow Disney just can't win! When it happened there was uproar about no signs warning specifically about alligators and now that there are signs everyone is angry because it is over the top and a reminder of a tragedy. Can't please everyone or sometime anyone!

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Do you really need to have native alligators to know they are dangerous animals?
I don't live near them, sharks, bears, cobras, boas, tigers, lions, (need I go on) and I know all of them are dangerous.
Are there really people, adults specifically, that don't?

You would be surprised to learn that people move here from the North and have no clue. They are shocked when one comes up onto the lawn from the pond in their back yard. AND there are signs stating "beware of gators".

As for lightening....Fl is the top spot in the country for lightening strikes. This happened just recently http://www.wesh.com/news/woman-killed-by-lightning-strike-in-daytona-beach-shores/40247812

 

[RainbowCrow]

I'm walking through the Frontierland waterfront area now and the signs are very prominent. Doesn't look like anyone is paying them much mind though. Definitely more along the lines of behind covering than actual deterrent of any kind.

We've been here 10 days and I haven't seen any reptile wildlife. Usually I see some snakes or alligators each trip, so I the they are being more aggressive with management.

I did see traps in out of the way places in Frontierland when we were on the train. Those were also new to me. I'm a zoologist and would have noticed if they were there on previous trips.

We checked in Thursday June 23rd and did not get a warning flier, although I expected one. We're staying at French Quarter and the signs went up on the walkway along the river during our stay. It's all very interesting.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't understand how people from other parts of the world don't know about alligators. I've never been in Africa but I certainly know that Lions and Rhinos aren't exactly friendly animals. Are people really that oblivious?

As for the signs, they're not very attractive but I think that they are necessary. After the tragedy I saw so many people saying that they didn't know there were gators in WDW or that they were surprised that Disney allowed them to be there. People need to be reminded that they are there and Disney can only do so much.

 

[GPC0321]

I think the signs are to protect Disney more than the guests. That sounds bad, but guests are going to do what guests are going to do, and so are alligators. The best Disney can do is warn people that there are gators (and snakes) on the property and keep their eyes out for nuisance animals and guests making poor choices. If another incident happens, Disney stands less chance of being held responsible.

I know I never thought about the possibility of gators around the area when we were there. And I even read a post about "the gator" at CSR and replied "What!?!" But I still didn't think about it when I was there. I think it's safe to say that people are distracted while at Disney and aren't really thinking about what local wildlife is there. I mean, the birds, ducks, and squirrels kind of make their presence known, and I think I saw about a half trillion lizards at CSR, but I still never thought about alligators. Now, that said, had I gotten attacked by one while at Disney, I would not have blamed Disney anymore than I would have if I'd gotten bitten by a snake. Animals do what animals do, and I don't expect Disney to banish wildlife from their 40+ square mile property.

I'm glad to hear reports of people carrying on with their vacations despite this tragedy and the new fences and signs.

 

[RainbowCrow]

I watched a family feeding a small alligator at CSR from the seating area outside the Pepper Market. If they spoke English I might have said something but they were speaking Spanish and I'm not very fluent. So, I stayed quiet.

Every time we've stayed at CSR I've seen small alligators in the water.

 

[wdwrule]

I think the signs are to protect Disney more than the guests. That sounds bad, but guests are going to do what guests are going to do, and so are alligators. The best Disney can do is warn people that there are gators (and snakes) on the property and keep their eyes out for nuisance animals and guests making poor choices. If another incident happens, Disney stands less chance of being held responsible.

Yes I totally agree. The signs are there to stay. We'll all get used to them just like we did our seat belts, amusement ride signs, etc etc. I think it's just the newness of it all for some people to get used to. Disney at least did their part now so people can do what they want to do, but at least now they are warned and made aware of this big potential/actual danger.

 

[Sammie]

This no feeding sign is the one that needs to go up and then enforce it.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I don't know. I've seen far more people running around in a storm carrying umbrellas or wearing ponchos than I've seen wading/playing in the man-made lakes. How about you?

FWIW, I was born & raised in a different state. We still knew there were alligators in FL. The highlight of our first trip to FL was my sister's & I looking in every puddle to lake we saw hoping to spot one. Naturally, we did it from a distance. Our parents wouldn't let us get really close to the water. You don't have to be a Floridian to know alligators can be dangerous.

 

[MeganMango]

Just got back late last night. There were signs all along Tom Sawyers Island. I think they were great and really caught attention. At first I thought they were to go with the island, to add some "outdoor feel" and then realized they were real warning signs.

 

[Klayfish]

Disney only needs to hang one sign throughout the park...to quote one of the best movies of all times...

"Stupid is as stupid does"

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Really wish they would ban the next person that starts one of these threads.

There's a simpler solution: DON'T CLICK ON THE THREAD.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Far more people have grown up around lightning than the wild animals particular to Florida. That's why they understand what to do and what not to do when there are storms.

Yes and Disney keeps many of their attractions open during thunderstorms which encourages people to stay in the park. When we were there a storm passed thru and the rain was gone but the coasters and outdoor rides stayed down for an hour. I have enough experience around lightning protocol to know that probably meant there was lightning within either 5 or 10 miles (depending on what Disney used as its threshold). Didn't stop me from walking around doing other things. If one of my family was hit by lightning I like to think I would say freak accident, not Disney's fault but I'm not sure that what people say hypothetically holds when they're in a grief stricken state.

I don't understand how people from other parts of the world don't know about alligators. I've never been in Africa but I certainly know that Lions and Rhinos aren't exactly friendly animals. Are people really that oblivious?

As for the signs, they're not very attractive but I think that they are necessary. After the tragedy I saw so many people saying that they didn't know there were gators in WDW or that they were surprised that Disney allowed them to be there. People need to be reminded that they are there and Disney can only do so much.

Ahhh but you picked the easy cases. If you were in the middle of downtown Nairobi would you walk around like you expected to see a lion? Would you be likely to see a lion? If you saw a hippo would you know that they kill more people than lions or would you be thinking of the lazy sleeping ones you saw in a zoo and watch if for a while. How would you safely get away from a hippo if you happened across it? Most people know that big predators are dangerous but not everyone knows the details of what the danger is or how to handle it safely.

Also I think there's a difference between educating people who just don't know and dealing with those who are determined that the rules don't apply to them. Just because the 2nd exist doesn't mean we shouldn't help the first.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Telling us that the same signs that are on the beaches are in MK is not information that requires it's own thread when there are already 752 threads on this topic.

Unless a topic is banned by the DIS management, posters are allowed to discuss it. Specific to alligators and signs, the last thread on this forum was started June 16. There are 15, not 752, threads related to the CD tragedy on the Theme Parks main board.

It's absolutely fine and reasonable not to read any thread where one is uninterested in the topic.

I don't know. I've seen far more people running around in a storm carrying umbrellas or wearing ponchos than I've seen wading/playing in the man-made lakes. How about you?

Lightning generally strikes the highest point. That's nut usually the person with an umbrella.

 

[Disneychick75]

I would think the last place an alligator would want to be is near a motorboat. I imagine the tube was being pulled? You weren't just lazing along like river tubing?

Think again. In south Louisiana, people water ski in fresh water lakes all the time and it is not uncommon to hit a "bump" that turns out to be an alligator. While not an everyday occurrence, it does happen.

Does that mean Pecos Bill or Liberty Tree will be serving alligator soup in the near future?

Fried alligator is delicious.

 

[Boski]

Team sign! Gators are the worst, people should know they're inside the parks and to leave them alone. Educating the ignorant is worth the ugly signs if it prevents the creation of even 1 nuisance gator. Florida resident here, and I hate them with a passion. I wish they were extinct along with crocodiles. But they're not and people should be reminded that they are in WDW. It's easy to forget about the realities of fl when under the influence of disney.

And warning that there are apex predators and poisonous snakes in the water under the bridge youre standing on with your kids IS NOT the same as reminding people that they could choke on popcorn.

A baby is dead because of alligators on disney property. Be grateful it wasn't yours and grateful that these signs are part of a system to prevent it from happening again.

So I'm guessing you're not a member of PETA.

 

[bryanb]

Because it does nothing to improve safety, it's only there because some Disney attorney told them to put it there and I don't want them running the parks. What happened, while tragic, was a one in hundreds of millions occurrence. If you feel the need to warn people of that level of odds you will need warning signs for Lightning, bees, mosquitoes, stairs, every tree branch, anything that moves, doors, food, hot drinks, hot weather and on and on, everything and everywhere.

Years ago, I was told at DL CM orientation that we don't have signs for everything. If there were signs for everything, the whole place would be covered in signs. But yes, I suppose if my attorney tells me I should put up a sign in this case, I put up a sign in this case. I'd rather have people on Disboards upset about the sign than to be accused of not informing the public in light of recent events.

If they are going to put signs up at least theme them. If they are going for the "its a warning sign for safety and needs to stand out" idea, I want a big bright sign warning people about the food at Diamond Horseshoe.

Either they want to signs to stand out, or this is a temporary solution because it takes much longer for an artist to create hundreds of signs themed to the various places on property. Either way, they couldn't wait that long.

Okay, well, TWO incidents in 40+ years does not change the percentages that much. I still don't feel like the alligators are a threat to me inside Magic Kingdom.

Agree. If they really were a threat to people, there would be a much bigger issue that would require more drastic action. In reality, we hope that the next 40+ years will have fewer alligator incidents than the last 40+ years.

Wow Disney just can't win! When it happened there was uproar about no signs warning specifically about alligators and now that there are signs everyone is angry because it is over the top and a reminder of a tragedy. Can't please everyone or sometime anyone!

Yep... but I guess if there was no outrage, then there wouldn't be much to talk about on Disboards.

Or if you're pregnant stay off thrill rides....and keep your hands, legs inside a ride...oh wait

Due to complaints years ago from ADA rights groups (pregnancy is considered a medical condition), all of the signs in the U.S. parks have been changed to "should not ride" instead of "may not ride." A pregnant person has the legal right to insist on riding.

 

[bryanb]

I should point out that in the past 40+ years, more people have been injured driving to and from WDW than for any other reason. There should be a sign along the highway warning people not to drive. If it saves just one life, it will all have been worth it.

This is not intended to make light of tragic circumstances, but just to put things in perspective.

 

[saskdw]

There's a simpler solution: DON'T CLICK ON THE THREAD.

I'm just saying what most people are thinking.

 

[Disneychick75]

Does that mean Pecos Bill or Liberty Tree will be serving alligator soup in the near future?

I watched a family feeding a small alligator at CSR from the seating area outside the Pepper Market. If they spoke English I might have said something but they were speaking Spanish and I'm not very fluent. So, I stayed quiet.

Every time we've stayed at CSR I've seen small alligators in the water.

There were several people feeding a fairly large alligator at the Beach Club when I was there last Sept. I've also seen people throwing food to gators in the Tiana's steamboat waterway. Sadly, I expect to see this sort of behavior again regardles of signage. Disney will be protected though- probably.