Disney World removes gators from shows and rides

[aristocatz]

I didn't mean in a way like they would HATE Disney. I meant more in a way of do they possibly blame Disney or just consider it a horrible freak accident. from everything I have read the parents do not seem like vengeful or hateful people who would want their horrible experience to ruin all the things of Disney that are Disney. Hopefully sometime in the future they will be able to look back at his last few days and have some happy memories. Again someday, because you never truly get over losing a child.

Either way it was a horrible accident and some alligator and crocidile references should be removed. The jungle cruise joke just isn't funny any more now that it has happened that close. If they remove tic toc from Peter Pan....that I feel is just too much. But they also need to let guests know about the dangers while still maintaining that Disney Magic. It's a tough line of what is too much and what is not enough. Obviously before Lane it was not enough.

I'm sure the family are not vengeful or hateful people, but I also don't think its about that. I think its purely about response to trauma. This was a very public and traumatic event that affected this family first and foremost. But it also affected WDW staff, guests, & the media is keeping a very close eye on WDW's next steps, which will inevitable affect their brand and their business. I'm also quite sure they are preparing for the inevitable settlement negotiations that will be made with this family's lawyers. I'm sure Disney has a team of strong lawyers and other professionals guiding them through this process & I"m going to guess they had no choice but to make these changes, at least on a temporary basis. When things quiet down, I'll bet they will quietly bring some of these things back....though I'm guessing the JC joke is gone for good.

As for me, sure I liked all of these accents that WDW had, but that is all they are were one of the gazillion accented details of the park. These things come & go all the time & although it always upsets people when things change, people get over it & they still go to WDW.

 

[Hikergirl]

Of course, there are people that will be offended over anything, the DIS proves that.

I'm not offended but I don't think there is anything wrong with WDW showing a little sensitivity after what happened at one of their resorts.

 

[Hikergirl]

It's not about "being offended" by the joke. It's about recognizing that it's a joke insinuating something that just is NOT funny given that a 2 year old boy was just snatched out of his parents' hands and killed by an alligator literally right across from the Magic Kingdom.

I wouldn't be "offended" by the joke, but I'd think it was pretty crass of Disney World to continue to make that joke in light of what happened.

The fact that people are even arguing about the removal of the joke boggles my mind.

I agree, its just common decency in light of what happened.
Everyone complains about how WDW is just a big bad corporation, and then they go and do something that (I feel) is showing a more human feeling side they are blasted.
The joke was never funny but now its just in poor taste. I applaud them for removing it.

 

[lillygator]

this is just ridiculous...to take them out of the rides??

and what kind of fences were installed? a 6 foot gator a little south of me was filmed climbing a fence on a golf course this week...

 

[JenM]

this is just ridiculous...to take them out of the rides??

and what kind of fences were installed? a 6 foot gator a little south of me was filmed climbing a fence on a golf course this week...

They didn't take anything out of the rides. They updated the language on the Jungle Cruise and the Safari at AK so there are no jokes about guests being potentially being killed by a crocodile/gator. Since a child was killed by an alligator on their property last month, management decided that these jokes are simply inappropriate at this time. They also removed the alligator characters from a parade and a show at MK, for now.

Of course Disney won't be able to pretend that alligators don't exist in their stories, or in FL, for that matter, but what they're doing now is just showing some common decency in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy.

And I don't think anyone at Disney anticipates these new fences will keep a gator out...I think the hope is that it just sends a clearer message to guests to stay clear of the water. God willing, this won't happen again, but if it does, they'll probably have better legal footing to stand on as far the guests being properly warned.

Overreaction? Maybe. But a child was killed. They don't want this to happen again, and they certainly don't want any glaring reminders of it around their parks for their other guests right now. I'm fine with it. Having a deal with fences on the beach and a missing alligator joke hardly seems like an inconvenience compared to what the Graves family went through.

 

[bcla]

I agree, its just common decency in light of what happened.
Everyone complains about how WDW is just a big bad corporation, and then they go and do something that (I feel) is showing a more human feeling side they are blasted.
The joke was never funny but now its just in poor taste. I applaud them for removing it.

WDW isn't the corporation though. I'm thinking a lot of the changes had to go through Disney Corporate in Burbank.

 

[Hikergirl]

WDW isn't the corporation though. I'm thinking a lot of the changes had to go through Disney Corporate in Burbank.

Really? Are you that bored that you need to nitpick for the sake of arguing.

 

[Missy1961]

Of course, there are people that will be offended over anything, the DIS proves that.

I'm not offended. I just find that joke a bit off putting.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I'm not offended but I don't think there is anything wrong with WDW showing a little sensitivity after what happened at one of their resorts.

Yes. It isn't about being offended. That's a strange word to use. It's more like being reminded. If I was on the Jungle Cruise and that joke was cracked, I can guarantee you my husband and I would side eye each other and make a remark. Not because we are offended, but because our collective reaction would be…"uh, really?"

Ironically, the world offended is better applied to everyone rending their garments over the removal of a joke and some parade items.

 

[bcla]

Really? Are you that bored that you need to nitpick for the sake of arguing.

Just saying this must have gone way up the chain of command. Wouldn't be surprised if Iger took time from his trip to China to handle this.

 

[Ndusmama]

Just saying this must have gone way up the chain of command. Wouldn't be surprised if Iger took time from his trip to China to handle this.

I believe he did. I think I read somewhere that he personally called family.

 

[jevs]

I agree, its just common decency in light of what happened.
Everyone complains about how WDW is just a big bad corporation, and then they go and do something that (I feel) is showing a more human feeling side they are blasted.
The joke was never funny but now its just in poor taste. I applaud them for removing it.

I'm baffled at how some still think the joke is funny. I personally feel sick when I think about what the kid went through.

 

[Disney Doll]

Exactly!! People often forget children are not miniature adults. I'm a child trauma therapist and people often underestimate how real and deeply just the news can traumatize many children. Just look up studies of the PTSD reactions of American children all over the country after 9/11. And just telling them not to be afraid is often not enough, because of the part of the brain that controls fear. It's preverbal. Just from watching the news and overhearing adults talk, some kids reacted as if they had been at the towers!!This alligator tragedy was certainly not 9/11, but it did take a place that many children associate with safety and joy, and mixed some very scary imagery in. For all a 5 year old knows, there could be an alligator waiting around every corner of the Magic Kingdom.

I think a lot of that depends on their parents' behavior.

If the parents go on and on about being terrified, the tragedy etc., then the kids will be the same way. Strong parents make strong kids...

 

[ols386]

Removing the joke from the Jungle Cruise ride is definitely not going too far.

I definitely agree with this.

But removing every fake alligator or reference to alligators, is going too far, in my opinion.

 

[bcla]

I'm baffled at how some still think the joke is funny. I personally feel sick when I think about what the kid went through.

Well - the original Jungle Cruise had a recorded documentary-style narration. Not sure they would go back to that. While it is primarily serious, there was a joke about a crocodile - "You'll have to keep your hands inside the boat. He's always looking for a hand-out." The jokes started in the early 60s from what I've read.

 

[Diaz]

I am wondering about the crocodile song, and the croc float in the parade that happens in the water nightly around Fort Wilderness, BLT, ect. The words to that Crocodile Song are pretty graphic.

 

[goofyernmost]

A couple of things... even though crocodiles resemble alligators they are not. Small point, I know. Second, Except for the joke in Jungle Cruise, that is all that has been removed. The fake crocodiles are still there, just not mentioned. I think that was a fine reaction. I'm not sure about the parades, but, really, at least for awhile, they won't be missed. Since those creatures are a part of the Peter Pan story and even Splash mountain. It would be inappropriate to take them out. It was a very sad thing to happen, however, none of those plastic figures had anything to do with the child's death and within a short while the incident will be forgotten by the majority. It will never be forgotten by the family, but, children have died in accidents, cars for example, and you don't see a reduced number of cars on the road. Some have died riding bicycles, but, we still have bicycles.

It is as bad as not doing anything to do to much. It becomes less of a concern and more of a drama to be lived out day after day. Just my opinion, but, for the first time I feel that Disney has not over-reacted to this terrible accident. This to shall pass.

 

[720L]

The alligators were missing from the "Living with the Land" ride today.

 

[bcla]

A couple of things... even though crocodiles resemble alligators they are not. Small point, I know.

But it's a distinction that very few people understand or care about. They're similar enough that few are going to forgive that "it's not a gator".

What's most important is that the death at the jaws of an alligator was dramatic and newsworthy because it's something so rare. I don't expect they would shut down or modify all car based attractions if someone died from an on-property vehicle collision. However, the alligator attack was just something so mind boggling that Disney had to address it even if just some sort of whitewash.

 

[P-Family]

Smart move