Heartbreaking news...a big reminder to be aware of wildlife on property

[bumbershoot]

This is just horribly sad. I'm reminded of a tragedy not even a year ago in Anaheim, when a 3 year old got out of her hotel room while mom was showering, and fell off the inside balcony of an Embassy Suites near Disneyland. It's all just unthinkable.

I knew the rest of Florida had gators, but I always thought they were joking about WDW. I can't believe they allow them in the waters.

As others have said, there's no "not allowing" them.

And I'm officially really weirded out by all the people who didn't realize that this was a possibility.

WDW was literally built in a swamp. Everything that comes with swamps should be expected there.

And just for anyone wondering: if you see a body of water, assume there is a gator in it. Seriously.

Exactly.

Why do the police believe a gator took the child?

Honestly, that's the first sort of thing I thought of (wondering if it was *just* the parents reporting it) (wondered it just before thinking about the child in Anaheim last July). But I was in South Carolina during the Susan Smith tragedy, and remember very well what it was like for a parent to lie straight to the police and news cameras, when she had done it. I'm a bit jaded after that.

If this is a problem that Disney knew of (presence of gators) AND they did nothing AND also invited people to the beach to watch a movie, then they will be liable for this incident.

Unlikely. Might as well just sue nature. And sue the people who sit on the edges of water at night in a swamp.

I definitely saw a giant alligator by the GF when I was passing by on the monorail in April. I couldn't believe how big it was and pointed it out to my hubby. I wasn't surprised to see it but a lady overheard me and basically scoffed at the idea that there was an alligator in Disney.

FWIW I wouldn't have scoffed at the existence of the alligator, but that it was showing itself so obviously.

But I might owe my son an apology, because he has said a couple times that he saw them, and I didn't believe him. (again, I believe that they are there and that they exist, but I didn't believe that he saw them)

 

[warrenz1963]

Signs are like metal detectors and security guards: they are deterrents, not absolute protection. I've worked in national parks with safety and wildlife warning signage literally everywhere, and folks still miss the information. And even if you do "know before you go", awful things can happen. There is no negligence on anyone's part in this situation.

This is a horrible, unfortunate confluence of circumstances during a really awful week for Orlando. I'm so sorry for the family going through this.

 

[gracelrm]

So terribly sad for this family and all who were witness to it.

 

[Hazelon]

This is a horrible, horrible event.

However, if I have to read one more random account of what happened where the child switches ages and genders on facebook I'm going to be sick. There's so much conflicting news on this event right now. It's zero help to speculate or pass stories around. We'll know soon enough what happened.

I'm shocked and amazed at the amount of people who thought gators couldn't be in man made bodies of water or thought WDW had none. I thought the gators and the gator team were pretty well documented and known. There are also signs up. I really thought it was common knowledge even if you only did a little research about where you're going. I guess if there's anything good from this it's awareness.

I really can't wrap my head around a toddler being plucked off a beach if they were near a bunch of people and a loud movie.

 

[karatstravels]

As with most other posters I am sick and heartbroken by this news. Staring at my own sleeping toddler one cannot help but think this could have happened to us. It is a horrifying thought, I cannot even imagine what this family is going through.

 

[soniam]

T
As others have said, there's no "not allowing" them.

And I'm officially really weirded out by all the people who didn't realize that this was a possibility.

WDW was literally built in a swamp. Everything that comes with swamps should be expected there.

They pretty much don't have mosquitos at WDW, so I figured something like gators would be pretty much nonexistent too. I bet there's all sorts of stuff in other states and countries that can be harmful that you never thought about. Would have have thought you would need to watch for rattlesnakes or coyotes in an urban neighborhood in Texas? The coyotes actually harmed a large dog here. Some small dogs have died from rattlesnakes. What about scorpions? We find poisonous scorpions in our house. Some neighborhoods have problems with tarantulas that are so prevalent they can completely cover a wall of a house, making it look black. We also have giant, like 6 inches long, poisonous, multicolor centipedes. Most people I know here in town wouldn't believe that one, but I know multiple people who have found them in there homes. It's just lack of experience with things.

 

[Dis703]

This is so incredibly sad and scary. My heart breaks for the poor child and the family.

I was born and raised in Florida right around the corner from a lake that always had a few gators. Our bus stop was actually right at the lake and kids played there all the time. Nobody was ever particularly scared of them you just knew to give them a little distance. I know attacks have happened over the years but never in my wildest dreams would I expect one to just walk up and grab a child like that. Especially, where there was a group of people.

So very very sad.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Somebody just posted there are signs to stay out of the water. I think there should be signs saying potential danger Alligators or something. Just honestly not something I would of even thought of!

Stay out of the water should be clear to "stay out of water". It's posted for a good reason. What do people think, it's for the lightning bugs?

MG

 

[TARAMEOW]

Stay out of the water should be clear to "stay out of water". It's posted for a good reason. What do people think, it's for the lightning bugs?

MG

There are other reasons to stay out of the water such as bacteria and other issues. My concern is the stay out of water signs might give people a false sense of security while on the shore. We can't live in fear but perhaps a reminder to keeps a look out for them might be good.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

There are other reasons to stay out of the water such as bacteria and other issues. My concern is the stay out of water signs might give people a false sense of security while on the shore. We can't live in fear but perhaps a reminder to keeps a look out for them might be good.

Yes, I agree there are certainly other reasons. That said, I'm not sure how a "stay out of the water" sign can give a false sense of security.

MG

 

[soniam]

Yes, I agree there are certainly other reasons. That said, I'm not sure how a "stay out of the water" sign can give a false sense of security.

MG

Well, maybe it should say stay away from the water. In other words, get off the beach. It sounds like the water isn't necessarily the problem. I know that we will be steering clear of the water and beaches at night. We always stayed out of the water anyway. It's just too hard to see anything at night down there.

 

[kagmypts]

My heat absolutely breaks for this family and child. Such a terrible tragedy.

 

[wendow]

Somebody just posted there are signs to stay out of the water. I think there should be signs saying potential danger Alligators or something. Just honestly not something I would of even thought of!

We typically stay at resorts on the lagoon and those signs do simply say to stay out of the water. I agree they need to make people aware it is for more reasons than just the bacteria in the water, which seems to be more widely known about than the alligators by reading some of these threads. In all honesty, I only know there are gators all over WDW because of threads here on the DIS. I'm not sure the average guests has a clue about the gators.

 

[Hazelon]

Press conference is happening right now. It is a Nebraska family of 5.

 

[Twende]

I don't think the gators usually take off with children.

Sadly this has happened before but the last time the child was older and was saved.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-10-12/news/0260190168_1_hitt-alligator-fort-wilderness

 

[sgtdisney]

We are here now at the Polynesian. Helicopters have been circling seven seas lagoon for over an hour now. They are doing a live news feed on TV. They were at the movie at the Grand Floridian and the aligator got a 2 year old little girl. It sounds like she was on the shore, but it's not clear yet. They said the alligator was anywhere from 4 to 7 feet long. It's horrific. We were leaving MK late and was wondering why the helicopters were circling. They are doing a search and recover effort now (not search and rescue). Family was here from Nebraska.

 

[Hazelon]

Victim was a 2 year old boy who was wading in the water at the time of the attack. Officers say the parents went into the water to get the child but were unsuccessful. The father was apparently near by and the child was "a foot or so" in the water.

ETA this is from someone tweeting directly from the press conference.

 

[tndisneyfan]

Most people who go to WDW have zero experience with gators. I know I don't have any, there are no gators in the mountains of East TN. I think most people would just assume that some how some way WDW keeps them out. I had never thought of them until we saw one crawling out of a drain in MKs parking lot after a bad rain. It was a small one, probably not full grown, but it was there.

Still even know there are gators on property I would never have thought about a child being snatched like that on a beach with a movie playing. I could see it more if the beach was quiet.

I feel terrible for the parents and the family. How awful to go on a dream trip to WDW and lose a child.

 

[sgtdisney]

They now say it was a boy. Confusing news conference, the child was in about 1 foot of water they are saying now. It's a live news conference.

 

[soniam]

Sadly this has happened before but the last time the child was older and was saved.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-10-12/news/0260190168_1_hitt-alligator-fort-wilderness

Wow! That year it seemed there was about 1 attack a month. Luckily, all of those people survived. Guess it's more common than we know. I don't think Disney or the state of Florida wants people knowing this sort of thing.