Florida Wildlife at WDW

[jimmykitefan]

Not only are there alligators on Disney property, there are lots of other possibly dangerous animals like snakes, spiders, bears, bobcats and even reports of panthers.
And the excuse of " I didn't know because I'm not from here", is a crazy statement. That's like going to Africa and saying "I didn't realize they have lions and other dangerous animals because I'm not from here!"

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Not only are there alligators on Disney property, there are lots of other possibly dangerous animals like snakes, spiders, bears, bobcats and even reports of panthers.
And the excuse of " I didn't know because I'm not from here", is a crazy statement. That's like going to Africa and saying "I didn't realize they have lions and other dangerous animals because I'm not from here!"

Exactly.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Ok but was a 2nd thread necessary?

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Ok but was a 2nd thread necessary?

I think so. I was surprised that so many people didn't know there are alligators in almost every body of water in Florida. If a second thread makes more people aware, it's a good idea IMO.

 

[fla4fun]

I would have been more concerned with the possibility of a small child falling and getting water up their nose. The brain eating amoeba is more prevalent near the shore where the water is warmer and when the water is churned up by walking, swimming or falling. And the amoeba isn't just a Florida thing, so there isn't an excuse for not being careful. Please remember to pack a little extra common sense in that suitcase! There are no words to describe how horrible the situation is for the family. My heart goes out to them.

 

[Ratpack]

You run the risk of gators in the water anywhere from SC to FL. We live in SC and they are always reports of them on golf courses, in lakes and ponds and even getting into peoples pools.

 

[maltdizzy]

You run the risk of gators in the water anywhere from SC to FL. We live in SC and they are always reports of them on golf courses, in lakes and ponds and even getting into peoples pools.

North Carolina down and around to Texas

 

[Duckiedee]

I think there is a little bit of a difference between going out of doors and not expecting some danger from anything from wildlife to flora and fauna than going to a MANmade resort that is the Happiest Place on Earth with HUGE safety standards. Sure though - this incident is a good reminder to consider that in the future.

 

[WRLeGrand]

I consider myself a reasonably smart person (college graduate, relatively successful in my business field) and I honestly cannot say that I would have honestly thought any person standing right off of the beach at Disney's Grand Floridian would have been snatched by an alligator. Clearly it is naivety, but you would just have assumed there were measures in place to ensure against such an occurrence. Reading through the posts today, I understand that Disney cannot possibly prevent alligators from coming and they do the best they can to protect against this. It is, after all, the first time it has even happened. However, I think it is a little myopic to say that everyone should just know there are alligators in the water of a THEME PARK HOTEL.

Also, I really do not see the advantage of placing blame within 24 hours of a 2 year old losing his life.

 

[cjparker0110]

Also, I really do not see the advantage of placing blame within 24 hours of a 2 year old losing his life.

THIS.

 

[cgh]

I really think that is borderline offensive. I hazard a guess that unless someone is camping most people don't investigate every critter the might be in a region. It just seems like bashing the parents in this horrible tragedy. I, for one, knew there were alligators in the everglades, louisiana, and swamp areas in general in the south. And yes, anyone knows there are lions and elephants in Africa but that doesn't mean you expect them to be walking down the street in a major city. Disney world doesn't look like a swamp.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

It's a terrible incident that I really can't place too much blame on anyone for. Like WRLeGrand said, I probably would have figured that my kids were safe on the GF beach as well. And that is coming from someone who has seen gators at two WDW resorts in the past couple of years. I also don't know how much more Disney could actually do to prevent tragic things like this from taking place. I'm not sure if a caution gator sign would have done anything in this instance or not unfortunately.

I really think that it's a horrible event that serves as a reminder to us all how anything can happen at any time.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

North Carolina down and around to Texas

And MaltDizzy is correct...they pulled a 10 foot gator out of the river just outside downtown Fort Worth last summer. He was right next to all the running/biking trails along the Trinity River.

 

[Dznefreek]

going to a MANmade resort - built upon swamp and Florida wilderness
that is the Happiest Place on Earth - that would be Disneyland
with HUGE safety standards - nature does not care

 

[kerplop]

And MaltDizzy is correct...they pulled a 10 foot gator out of the river just outside downtown Fort Worth last summer. He was right next to all the running/biking trails along the Trinity River.

Same thing happened in Houston during the flooding. They were swimming down residential streets here! I stay away from all the outdoor water minus pools, it's just safer.

 

[Delirium]

This individual started not one, but two threads that strongly implied the parents were at fault in this tragedy. I can't fathom why someone feels that much of a need to continue to kick people whose lives have just been devastated beyond anything we can imagine.

I'm not sure what the goal of the OP is, but from my perspective, it is extremely misguided.

Compassion, empathy, and introspective thinking are what needs to be coming out from those not directly involved. Attempting to assess, or strongly imply, blame is unnecessary.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I think there is a little bit of a difference between going out of doors and not expecting some danger from anything from wildlife to flora and fauna than going to a MANmade resort that is the Happiest Place on Earth with HUGE safety standards. Sure though - this incident is a good reminder to consider that in the future.

Disney World was built, literally, on top of a swamp. Swamps are where alligators live. Alligators do not know or care that the "Happiest Place on Earth" exits on top of their home, nor does Disney have any way of keeping them all out, all the time. There are no "safety standards" being violated when naturally occurring wildlife show up on property.

The fact remains that you're really not safe anywhere, ever. There's no reason to live in fear, but it's important to be vigilant of your surroundings and possible dangers at all times, especially when in an unfamiliar area.

 

[thetallone101]

This individual started not one, but two threads that strongly implied the parents were at fault in this tragedy. I can't fathom why someone feels that much of a need to continue to kick people whose lives have just been devastated beyond anything we can imagine.

I'm not sure what the goal of the OP is, but from my perspective, it is extremely misguided.

Compassion, empathy, and introspective thinking are what needs to be coming out from those not directly involved. Attempting to assess, or strongly imply, blame is unnecessary.

Where is the other thread?

The one with several hundred posts I started, but I can't see where this OP started 2 threads on this topic? The one I started was NOT to imply that the parents were at fault, but to remind all of us of the dangers that are on property with wildlife and to bring this to attention of those that had no clue that gators reside on Disney property.

 

[Delirium]

Where is the other thread?

The one with several hundred posts I started, but I can't see where this OP started 2 threads on this topic? The one I started was NOT to imply that the parents were at fault, but to remind all of us of the dangers that are on property with wildlife and to bring this to attention of those that had no clue that gators reside on Disney property.

The other thread was moved to the Community Forum (see link below). It's even more blatant in suggesting the parents were at fault.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/parents-blaming-others.3519065/

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

I think there is a little bit of a difference between going out of doors and not expecting some danger from anything from wildlife to flora and fauna than going to a MANmade resort that is the Happiest Place on Earth with HUGE safety standards. Sure though - this incident is a good reminder to consider that in the future.

Wildlife don't care if favorable habitat was made by man, God, or anyone else. They go where they go, as they are in the wild. Disney can only do so much to keep wildlife out, which is why there is always going to be dangers from gators, snakes, spiders, and anything else. Are you sure that you knew Walt bought thousand of acres of swampland to build WDW? Do you think all the wildlife which called this area home just magically stopped calling it home? People surprise me with how little they know about our world.