Florida Wildlife at WDW

[grnflash]

This was about 2 weeks ago at a shopping center in my sister's town. If you were visiting as a tourist , would you demand they put signs warning you? Just wondering? ???
http://www.mynews13.com/content/new...ticles/cfn/2016/6/6/alligator_takes_a_st.html

No. I would pretty much just expect them at places that are on the water with tens of thousands of out-of-state guests visiting daily, particularly in areas hosting nighttime waterside events on the beach.

 

[kittyab]

This was about 2 weeks ago at a shopping center in my sister's town. If you were visiting as a tourist , would you demand they put signs warning you? Just wondering? ???
http://www.mynews13.com/content/new...ticles/cfn/2016/6/6/alligator_takes_a_st.html

Could put a big sign as you enter Florida, we have gaters & snakes watch out!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

This was about 2 weeks ago at a shopping center in my sister's town. If you were visiting as a tourist , would you demand they put signs warning you? Just wondering? ???
http://www.mynews13.com/content/new...ticles/cfn/2016/6/6/alligator_takes_a_st.html

Not the PP you were addressing, but I just think this is vastly different than attracting guests to a "beach" where they are living right offshore, AND where guests have been known to be feeding them.

Doubt those are the circumstances at the shopping center.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I guess for me, it boils down to this, I see myself as living IN nature. I don't see any of as living OUTSIDE of nature, at any time. There is an entire biome INSIDE all of us, and another that lives ON our bodies. If you live on this planet, you live in a biosphere.

The idea that we are outside of nature has always baffled me.

As big a corporation as Disney is, they can't control nature. They can kill gators, put up signs and fences, sure. But trying to stop nature is like trying to stop the weather. Rats, roaches, and nasty microbes...

Gators aren't always on my mind at WDW, but it doesn't remotely surprise me that they live there.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

No. I would pretty much just expect them at places that are on the water with tens of thousands of out-of-state guests visiting daily, particularly in areas hosting nighttime waterside events on the beach.

This isn't on water..not at all, it's a shopping center. The SSL is water? So you only want to be warned if by waters? ?? It wouldn't concern you that a gator could possibly be under your car in a parking lot at night? Just saying you should be aware anywhere in FL..
Ok let me rephrase lol since FL is known, it's a good idea to generally be aware of your surroundings every whee you go as well as for anything unsafe. I am not a paranoid person but an observant one. Gators, snakes...you just don't know. I also never leave my purse in a shopping cart either when I shop

 

[grnflash]

This isn't on water..not at all, it's a shopping center. The SSL is water? So you only want to be warned if by waters? ?? It wouldn't concern you that a gator could possibly be under your car in a parking lot at night? Just saying you should be aware anywhere in FL..

Yep, just near water where large groups of people congregate. Certainly not run-of-the-mill parking lots.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Not the PP you were addressing, but I just think this is vastly different than attracting guests to a "beach" where they are living right offshore, AND where guests have been known to be feeding them.

Doubt those are the circumstances at the shopping center.

But they are natural habitat to FL's environment is all I am trying to point out. That shopping center is just off I-95 between St. Augistine and Daytona Beach. It does happen to get quite a bit of tourists. Nothing like Disney but it is a known spot for some tourist to shop when in town.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

But they are natural habitat to FL's environment is all I am trying to point out. That shopping center is just off I-95 between St. Augistine and Daytona Beach. It does happen to get quite a bit of tourists. Nothing like Disney but it is a known spot for some tourist.

I'm sure that you're right!

I still think that Disney's setup -- 1) knowing FOR A FACT that they are right offshore where Disney is drawing people, AND 2) that people are feeding them -- makes this in a distinctly different category than that shopping mall.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I'm sure that you're right!

I still think that Disney's setup -- 1) knowing FOR A FACT that they are right offshore where Disney is drawing people, AND 2) that people are feeding them -- makes this in a distinctly different category than that shopping mall.

Disney does need to put up the no feeding signs and quote the statue

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Well fence is going up, and new signs will follow. In light of what has happened, they have no choice. Will it stop all? No. There will alwas be the select guest who feel since they paid x amount, they can and will do what they want. Will it help? Sure. It will help those on here and many others who generally follow rules. It's a shame it took a toddler's death for eyes to open on both sides of train of thoughts. My prayers go out to the family for their life will never be the same. Their loss has saved someone else's child and heaven gained an angel

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Snakes can be pretty much anywhere. There have been numerous reports on the DIS of snake sightings at WDW.

If WDW has to warn us about every possible act of nature via wildlife, then the signs would be everywhere.

Florida is home to brown recluse spiders and black widows, 6 types of venomous snake (another site said 5 in the WDW area), and wild boars! Yes, wild boars live on WDW property.

[Sure enough, there's multiple tours you can pay- right near WDW- to take you boar hunting! or gator hunting, "in the swamps of Kissimmee from an airboat", if you prefer. You can also hunt coyote. You don't have to go far from WDW.]

What about rabies? May 26, 2016- rabid deer found in Sarasota, FL. Another one was issued for Pasco in April, and Tampa in Feb (these are a bit from WDW, but still - that's 3 in FL this spring so far)

What about the armadillos? They harbor leprosy, and are fairly common in the WDW area they are also very hard to keep out, because they burrow under fences and climb over them. I think WDW must have removed many of them, because a few years ago we saw them all over WDW, but more recently we haven't seen them.

 

[Disney Dad 88]

I haven't posted in a long time, but this tragedy is unlike anything I have seen in a long time. I am an attorney in Florida. I am an AP holder for a long time, and have stayed at almost every resort at WDR. I know alligators and all sorts of wildlife are present, however, a person from Nebraska may not. Disney is obligated as a "resort" to make their hotel reasonably safe and have a affirmative duty to make guests aware of any reasonable danger. It is unfortunate but their "signage" is not good enough, plain and simple. International and tourists from states without gators just are not informed enough, and guess what legally it is not there obligation to do so. It's Disney's. I am beyond understanding what these parent's are going thorough, but to blame them is unconscionable. Mark my words....this case will be settled quickly because Disney will do the right thing, theY NEVER want this to see a court room. They would get buried. Pray for the parents and remember it can happen to anybody...

 

[aristocatz]

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.

Agreed. & it seems pretty reasonable that most people, who are not from that region, would not expect an alligator grabbing someone on the edge of a loud & populated resort beach. Not everyone studies up on the habits of wildlife in every region they visit. The state this family was from could not be more opposite to Florida.

 

[sunshine1]

Signs and wooden posts have gone up:

 

[leebee]

I am phobic about snakes (even harmless little ones) so I am ALWAYS on watch when at Disney World. After all, it's Florida- basically a giant swamp. I also know that there are alligators in Florida; one of my big fears when renting a pool home is we'll get a gator or snake in the pool (even with the screen house built around the pool). There is TONS of water around the Disney parks, so I have always assumed that there are gators (and water moccasins) in there somewhere. However, it's confusing. If there are gators and snakes in the water, why are there so many boat rentals, jet skis, etc., happening in these areas? Why are there beaches? It's kind of a mixed message, allowing folks to participate in boating/water sports while posting "no swimming" signs. I've always looked down from the monorail at all those folks in the sea racers and such and thought, "No freaking way am I going in the water around here," because of my phobias. Having said that, and knowing there are gators in the water, I honestly would NEVER have thought that a large gator could come within a foot of the water's edge (where that poor child was standing) and NOT BE SEEN. How did that gator get that close to the water's edge and nobody saw it, nobody knew it was there? I would never have thought a child at the water's edge would be in danger of gator attack, especially in an area where Disney encourages families to relax, hang out, and play. Even KNOWING that there are gators in the water, I never would have expected that a gator could be so invisible from such a close vantage point.

Also... and this point has been made elsewhere... Where I am from, when our beaches are closed (Atlantic ocean), they usually post a reason that the beach is closed- riptide, jellyfish, shark sighting, red tide, etc. When I see a "no swimming" sign without further explanation, I follow the rules and don't swim, but my brain makes the connection that this sign is CYA and there's probably no lifeguard on duty, so that would be why you couldn't swim. I do think it's negligent to just post the words without further warning as to why you can't swim, or as Disney is an international vacation destination, without putting some cute little snake and gator icons under the "no swimming" language.

 

[Kristine316]

[/QUOTE]


Ok I know this isn't "magical" and I do understand why Disney didn't want signs like this all over their property.
It's a little too much reality for the Disney Bubble.. I get it.
I can just hear some bigwig saying.. Oh no, we can't do that, we can't alarm the guests, this is a happy place, there's no danger here.. And besides we haven't had an attack in 45 years, it's a non issue.

Unfortunately there's a first time for everything.. Especially when you build bungalows over the lagoon and guests think the gators are like ducks and you can feed them. Ughhhh.

in my opinion this is what should have been there all along warning guests. This makes it crystal clear why you don't go near or in that water! It also tells parents.. Hey, there are nasty critters around here, keep your kids close and follow the rules!!

If any guest disregards this sign and these fences they are responsible for anything that happens after that. It's all made very clear and responsibility falls back on the guest then.

Because they were concerned about the image of some fences and clear warning signs, Disney has now been engulfed in horrific press. Most people are not Disney enthusiasts and right now this story is a very hot topic with the general public and people are genuinely horrified. And the settlement on this will be brutal for Disney. Yeah they can afford it and they will bounce back but, all of this could have been avoided. It's tragic and stupid.

I do believe in personal responsibility, I just feel in this tragedy Disney did not do enough to warn guests about specific dangers that Disney was well aware of and had been warned about.

 

[dfb]

They have all those signs around the attractions because they can control them. They cannot control mother nature and FL Wildlife. The majority of places do not warn of these. Yes, some resorts do have gator signs but not all do. If we were getting technical here, every single property in the State of FL that has a ditch, drain, or any type of water near or around it's property need to warn you then. On your next trip to FL, look around, take note that they don't. They feel if you are coming to the State, you should know this. Is it right, maybe not, but it's not a law for them to tell you unless they are keeping a gator there to show you. In that case, it's not wildlife

Snakes can be pretty much anywhere. There have been numerous reports on the DIS of snake sightings at WDW.

If WDW has to warn us about every possible act of nature via wildlife, then the signs would be everywhere.

Florida is home to brown recluse spiders and black widows, 6 types of venomous snake (another site said 5 in the WDW area), and wild boars! Yes, wild boars live on WDW property.

[Sure enough, there's multiple tours you can pay- right near WDW- to take you boar hunting! or gator hunting, "in the swamps of Kissimmee from an airboat", if you prefer. You can also hunt coyote. You don't have to go far from WDW.]

What about rabies? May 26, 2016- rabid deer found in Sarasota, FL. Another one was issued for Pasco in April, and Tampa in Feb (these are a bit from WDW, but still - that's 3 in FL this spring so far)

What about the armadillos? They harbor leprosy, and are fairly common in the WDW area they are also very hard to keep out, because they burrow under fences and climb over them. I think WDW must have removed many of them, because a few years ago we saw them all over WDW, but more recently we haven't seen them.

Lived in FL for 6 years. NAS Pensacola, NAS Milton and NAS Mayport. Lived on base housing with a lake in our back yard, a river or an ocean nearby. Gator signs were everywhere. Local parks had gator signs most places with a good chance of gator / human interaction had a sign.

I was not aware of the previous gator attack at WDW, guests feeding gators at WDW or the numerous gator interactions described on the dis. All you wildlife experts have informed us that water = gators. I'll let you in on another one - guest feeding gators at WDW = a gator problem at WDW. That is a recipe for disaster. WDW has an obligation to inform guest of a gator problem!

Wild boars, snakes, spiders are in the area. I would say you are correct. If there have been issues with those pest, then yes guest need to be informed. If there have not been any issues an no warning warranted guest can reasonably assume the guest access areas should be safe.

There are spiders, snakes and various other critters in or around your house. A snake or deadly spider could be in your bed. You've taken precautions with pest control and you don't expect a snake or spider to be in your bed and you probably don't check under the sheets before you get into bed. If you ever found a snake in your bed you'd check. A spider could crawl across your face while you sleep at night. If you ever felt that you would take extra precautions!!

A sign is a minimal precaution!!

On your next trip to Disney, look around, take note signs will be everywhere!

Previous comments pertaining to the family should have known better because gators are in FL were out of line.

 

[danc18]

Signs and wooden posts have gone up:

Great sign. It's easy to read and complete. At beaches, post a cm to be sure people don't go in the water. It doesn't cost a lot. The fence, signs, a 'guard'/cm and room pamphlets are all that's needed. It can be implemented in days and this type fence doesn't ruin the view.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Great sign. It's easy to read and complete. At beaches, post a cm to be sure people don't go in the water. It doesn't cost a lot. The fence, signs, a 'guard'/cm and room pamphlets are all that's needed. It can be implemented in days and this type fence doesn't ruin the view.

My two cents: posting a CM at each water location is overkill and redundant. The sign with the obvious universal "DANGER" look and symbol, plus pics, should be enough to inform people. If someone STILL decides to jump in there, that's really on them.

 

[minniemous]

I'm sure that you're right!

I still think that Disney's setup -- 1) knowing FOR A FACT that they are right offshore where Disney is drawing people, AND 2) that people are feeding them -- makes this in a distinctly different category than that shopping mall.

And then there is this..if true they were aware even if it did happen some time ago. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...tor-1986-disney-tragedy-not-article-1.2676459

I understand that people say the florida wildlife is something people should make themselves aware of but Disney was actively drawing people to the edge of the water where the dangerous wildlife is and I just can not understand this? They are themselves are aware of the alligators and dangerous wildlife so why have those activities so close to where they know these potential risks are?