Gator Watch -- Chomp, Chomp, Chomp

[DCDISNEYDC]

I notice that several resorts offer "beaches." Is swimming/wading/dipping your toes allowed at any of the "beaches?" I'm imaging not, since gators could be present.

 

[magicmouse2]

No swimming allowed. Me and the kids often waded up to our ankles though at CBR. There were cute fish and turtle that would come right up to us. I have never seen a gator at a resort (unfortunately.) Disney round them up and move them when they grow too big.

 

[Hopefully]

You used to be able to swim at the beach in FW in the early 80'2, but swimming is not allowed at any of the beaches any longer. There are several reasons, the potential for gators probably among them. There is also the issue of clean water, etc.
We saw several gators in the canals near the BCV. From what I have read, Disney does catch and move them if they get too big.

 

[NedsTJ]

If I remember right, I think swimming was allowed at the beaches many years ago, when it first opened. I can remember swimming in the water at the Contemporary and the old River Country.
But I think the beaches were closed due to bacteria or some sort (it's a man-made lake, go figure) and I think River country finally closed in 2001, probably for the same reasons although I think they sort of filtered the water they used from Bay Lake.

 

[fla4fun]

If I remember right, I think swimming was allowed at the beaches many years ago, when it first opened. I can remember swimming in the water at the Contemporary and the old River Country.
But I think the beaches were closed due to bacteria or some sort (it's a man-made lake, go figure) and I think River country finally closed in 2001, probably for the same reasons although I think they sort of filtered the water they used from Bay Lake.

Bay Lake isn't man made. It was there when Disney viewed the property before it was ever purchased. Seven Seas Lagoon is man made, and the material dredged out of it was used to help build up the other sites around it (Florida is so low, you know). Bay Lake was drained and cleaned, but the lake itself did exist before Disney.

There is a bacteria that grows in Florida lakes during hot weather, along the shore where the water is the shallowest and warmest. A few people have died from this bacteria, usually from getting it up the nose. I've never heard of anyone getting it at Disney, but it was probably one more thing the legal department looked at and thought "why take the risk when we have pools and water parks" and so no more swimming in the lake. They do hold their triathalons that include lake swimming, and I haven't heard of any health issues related to that either.

Personally, between gators and water moccasins, I'd just as leave be in a boat instead of in the water.

 

[nbodyhome]

I've never really seen swimming in ANY lake here in Florida. Gators would be a good reason not too, I know the bacteria can sometimes kill as well.

 

[HockeyMomR]

When we stayed at the Poly last year, the women's triathlon was on one of the days we were there. I was very surprised to see the race consisted of swimming in the Seven Seas Lagoon. I would take the Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay over a Florida Lake any day!

I did also swim at River Country in the mid 70's.

 

[CaipiraBob]

I notice that several resorts offer "beaches." Is swimming/wading/dipping your toes allowed at any of the "beaches?" I'm imaging not, since gators could be present.

Here's an interesting story on one person's swim across the lagoon. I was looking for stories on the amoeba that supposedly thrives in the waters of the 7 Seas Lagoon:

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http://lipman.vox.com/
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This was in the Orlando Sentinel this morning. Last thing I would do at 3:30 in the morning is get in a lake in Florida. The thought of coming in contact with alligators, snakes, parasites and amoebas is enough to keep me out.

A Walt Disney World guest with a little too much to drink couldn't swim across a lake this morning and when rescued by emergency personnel, he made up a story about a missing buddy, authorities said.

The Reedy Creek Fire Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office spent nearly three hours searching the lake next to the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, where Mark Weathersbee is staying with his family.

Capt. Steve Lang of the sheriff's office said investigators will forward charges of filing a false report against the Tallahassee-area man to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office.

Lang said Weathersbee, who is vacationing with his family, went in for a dip in the lake about 3:30 a.m. and began getting cramps and then yelled for help. He was plucked out of the water. And that's when he told rescuers that a friend was missing after they supposedly had bet on who could swim across the lake first.

"He became embarrassed and told a story...about another male who also had been in the water," Lang said. "That later was determined to be not true."

The search and rescue operation lasted until about 6 a.m. and tied up valuable emergency personnel, including a sheriff's helicopter, boats and divers.

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Here is a story about the Amoebas common in Central Florida lakes. Can't find the one that allegedly occurred at Disney so I can't prove it. :

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http://www.sptimes.com/2002/07/26/State/Boy_gets_brain_infect.shtml
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[AJKMOM]

There have been posts about the Triathalon, and the swimming route is very carefully marked and patrolled for alligators. The bacteria that can kill people is more concentrated at the bottom of the lake where ca casula swimmer might stir it up. I think the Triathalon swimmers have the route through the middle of the lake.

As far as alligators go, experts say it's a good bet that if a body of water is large enough to hold a gator, there is one in it. Also, the large gators are not "moved", they are destroyed. They have a great homing instinct, so even if they are moved from what they feel is their "home", they can make it back eventually.

 

[G8r4evr]

Go Gators! =)

 

[Kevin355]

Go Gators! =)

Ever spend anytime on GatorCountry?


GO GATORS

 

[Huff]

I have heard that the beach areas at many resorts have anti-gator methods used to discourage them away from resort areas. I have no idea what that could be though.

 

[safetymom]

It's call cast members. If they are under 4 feet they are relocated.

 

[mickeymedic]

It's call cast members. If they are under 4 feet they are relocated.

Wow. I'd hate to be a short cast member.

 

[safetymom]

 

[G8r4evr]

Ever spend anytime on GatorCountry?


GO GATORS

All the time....My username is G8r4evr there too =)) I miss the old message boards though!!

 

[TinkOhio]

We stayed at the CSR two Easter breaks ago, and they were having trouble with a large gator there. It liked to hang out by the bridge between the Cabanas and the El centro. Our neighbors saw it crawling down the paved path right outside our rooms. The next day I ran into a CM with a dark green uniform and a large hook/noose like thing at the end of a long pole. She told me that there is water on the other side of the cabanas parking lot that has lots of large gators and that adolescent gators frequently crossed the parking lot, went downt the path and "hid" from the bigger gators in the CSR lake. (She reminded me that they are cannibals.) They set a trap under the bridge but didn't have much luck with the trap. They did end up catching it, and she said that they would relocate it somewhere far away.

 

[MBELSANTI]

I have to look for the photo of me from the Contemporary back in 1973. I was standing in the water on the beach with a small sea shell in my hand. You could see that back then the water was very clear and there were tons of people in it. When you see it today it is pretty gross looking. If I can hunt up that picture, I am going to post it.

 

[jphilhower]

We saw a gator in the small pond along the walk way at SOG this past may. It looked to be about 4 to 5 feet long. It was about 3 feet from the shore. I got some coll photo's of it. My wife freaked out. After seeing it that day for the rest of our vaction no matter how tired and late it was my wife was she always got a burst of energy walking past that pond.