DVC's Beach Alligator problems?

[Tigger031266]

OK lets face it we are in overreaction mode after the GF incident. But it seems to me that DVC's strategy and really all the hotels is to offer water as part of the theme. We have the Beach Club (which used to have it own Alligator), we are building rooms right out on the water in Poly and WLV.

While Disney has always closed the beaches to swimming, its putting its guests closer to the water.

We all understand, this is Florida, never an issue in 35 years, kids not supposed to be in water..... The fact is Disney is moving its guests on that very water. Movie and smores nights targeted at kids on the beach may not be the idea???

 

[chalee94]

45 years.

In retrospect, all tragedies appear preventable. Adjustments will be made, as with the monorail crash but you can't eliminate 100% of risk - even at fantasy resorts that charge $500 per night.

 

[Missyrose]

As long as you stay out of the water (like the signs instruct you to), there won't be an issue. It's not like there's a epidemic of gators crawling up the beach at these resorts. Something like this hadn't happened in four decades. It was a tragic accident, but it's by no means a trend to be wary of.

 

[Baklava]

A gator attack in the shallows, in the dark is not a reason to fear a gator attack farther up the beach in a crowd with the bright lights and noise of a movie or a bonfire. It's really, just not the same and the people posting broad daylight pictures of people on the beach and pretending that's what happened are being dishonest about important details.

The safari at AK is potentially dangerous too. I was six feet from a rhino (amazing moment, something I'll cherish for life) and sure, I could have made some bad choices in that open sided vehicle, surrounded by wild animals. There's a point at which the difference between safe and dangerous is a matter of freak chance or poor choices. I hope Disney doesn't remove all the beach activities. They are not inherently dangerous.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Florida is full of gators and invasive snakes and insects. Nature of it.

If you want to avoid the primary risk of gators, AKV is your best bet. It is the driest of the DVC resorts.

 

[CarolMN]

People contribute to the problem by feeding the alligators. From now on, when I see that happening, I will politely ask them to stop and tell them why it's a bad idea.

 

[Tigger031266]

Do the signs say "No Swimming" or "Stay out of Water" or both? I only remember "no swimming". I get that it is rare. But Disney itself has closed all beaches at the same time that they are putting guests right on the water.

If you guys think its a great strategy for DVC to build right on the water and host all their events at the same time alligators like to eat, I am not sure its the greatest strategy.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Do the signs say "No Swimming" or "Stay out of Water" or both? I only remember "no swimming". I get that it is rare. But Disney itself has closed all beaches at the same time that they are putting guests right on the water.

If you guys think its a great strategy for DVC to build right on the water and host all their events at the same time alligators like to eat, I am not sure its the greatest strategy.

Please look at a map of Disney. It is on reclaimed swampland. It is impossible to build anything there NOT on shoreline.

 

[Missyrose]

Do the signs say "No Swimming" or "Stay out of Water" or both? I only remember "no swimming". I get that it is rare. But Disney itself has closed all beaches at the same time that they are putting guests right on the water.

If you guys think its a great strategy for DVC to build right on the water and host all their events at the same time alligators like to eat, I am not sure its the greatest strategy.

Until yesterday I never thought people would read a no swimming sign and think "well, as long as I'm not swimming laps in the water, I'm fine."

No swimming means stay the hell out of the water.

 

[erionm]

People contribute to the problem by feeding the alligators. From now on, when I see that happening, I will politely ask them to stop and tell them why it's a bad idea.

Feeding them is also illegal in FL.

 

[Baklava]

What I wonder (and this is pure speculation) is whether Disney will leverage this into permission to remove them from the parks before they hit the required size. It seems like an opportunity they might seize on. (No, it wouldn't actually have fixed this one, but it's an excuse to demonstrate that gators in the parks might be a problem.)

 

[erionm]

What I wonder (and this is pure speculation) is whether Disney will leverage this into permission to remove them from the parks before they hit the required size. It seems like an opportunity they might seize on. (No, it wouldn't actually have fixed this one, but it's an excuse to demonstrate that gators in the parks might be a problem.)

As reported by the FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) during the news coverage of this event, Disney has an open permit to remove any alligator from their property.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

You you more likely to have a car accident but you don't think car parks near resorts are a hot bed of danger. Lets face it there is danger everywhere and freak accidents occur. I am sure I could be walking in MK and get hit by lightening.. But you would not put a dome over it. It's impossible for Disney to eliminate total risk.

At Christmas I was pushed out my wheelchair at the Osborne lights! I could have been trampled on. These things happen it's tragic but you must think about the frequency of it occuring and the sheer numbers of people over the years.

Just don't go in the water it's full of bacteria anyway. That might kill you more than a gator!

 

[LisaS]

Until yesterday I never thought people would read a no swimming sign and think "well, as long as I'm not swimming laps in the water, I'm fine."

No swimming means stay the hell out of the water.

To many people "No swimming" means don't go in up to your neck and paddle around but that wading in up to your ankles is OK. Personally, I wouldn't wade in that water because the water isn't clear, there are venomous snakes and because of what I've read about brain-eating amoebas in Florida's lakes. If Disney wanted people to stay out of the water completely, why not have a sign that says exactly that rather than one that is ambiguous to some guests? It's possible that Disney thought it was OK for people to wade and simply didn't want people going in over their heads with no lifeguards on duty and lots of boat traffic.

There is an interesting article on CNN's website that describes the tragic event as "a perfect storm": http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/healt...y-have-been-the-perfect-storm-trnd/index.html The main points are that a small child is within the size limits of the prey an alligator can take down, gators become very active starting around May/June after being pretty dormant during the cooler months and they are hungry after not eating much for a long time, gators are nocturnal, and they hang out at the water's edge at dusk looking for anything that is splashing in the water.

In view of those points, it seems like holding events on the beach after dark is probably not a good idea unless they have several CMs there to keep everyone out of the water and the little kids well away from the water's edge.

 

[tjkraz]

Sometimes an accident is just an accident.

 

[Donna M]

No Swimming....... That is not clear language to everyone.

We seem to have different understandings of the sign depending on where you come form. Some people think it means stay out of the water, but it doesn't say 'stay out of the water,' others think it means, 'no swimming,' which means actually don't swim-(propel your body through the water by means of using your arms to pull and legs to kick.) Some say it means it would be ok to wade-(stand or walk around in the water no deeper that your knees.)

Disney needs a clear sigh that everyone understands which does not have different interpretations. Stay Away and Out of Water

 

[LisaS]

Sometimes an accident is just an accident.

True but based on that CNN article, it appears that a small child splashing around at the water's edge at dusk at this time of year might be increasing the odds of an accident. I don't want to see the beaches closed but with the alligator population increasing I think Disney needs better signs to educate guests to stay out of the water, especially from dusk onward.

 

[freediverdude]

My interpretation of those signs has always been that it was ok to walk along the beach with your feet in the water, but not go so far in that you're swimming, like over a foot deep. So my interpretation would have been that the kid was within Disney's guidelines, although if I were a parent I probably would have said no to a toddler being there at night. But everybody is different.

 

[suebeelin]

We have waded into the water in broad daylight.

Now that I realize no swimming means stay out of the water, we are staying out of the water.

They should post unambiguous signs.

 

[bumbershoot]

OK lets face it we are in overreaction mode after the GF incident.

Not all of us are.

Until yesterday I never thought people would read a no swimming sign and think "well, as long as I'm not swimming laps in the water, I'm fine."

No swimming means stay the hell out of the water.

I am so right there with you. I am astonished at the number of people who take that sign literally.

Meanwhile, people want to know about great pools "for swimming", when their definition of "swimming" involves watersports, splashing about, and games, and not one bit of lap swimming. In that aspect people are so loose in their definition of swimming that it's the first set of questions I ask with those posts; "how do you define a great pool? what are you going to do in the pool? lap swimming? splashing? What does YOUR family do?"

Maybe it's different people though; those who define swimming as *swimming* and are totally willing to do anything BUT swim in waters, or those who define swimming very loosely. Doubt it, though.