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

[amg35]

Yeah...sorry, doesn't change my opinion.
Of course I don't want it to happen again. Who would?

View attachment 175697

See disneys above marketing piece. And all this person did was dip their toes in. If it was your kid, you'd think it was a pretty big deal and wouldn't want it to happen again.

 

[20yBWDW]

Signs are generally of limited verbiage. We can take the literal meaning of them, and add to it based on prior experiences and context. My experience with "No Swimming" signs is from a lake where we frequently swim while lifeguards are on duty, and the signs are brought out when the lifeguards leave. It is perfectly within the rules at this lake for people to wade when the signs are up. Earlier in the thread, someone asked if seeing a "no walking on the grass" sign would lead one to believe running and jumping on the grass is acceptable. I think that's backwards. To me, a "No Running" sign never implies no walking. In the same sense, a "No Swimming" sign does not imply no wading. Not to me, based on my experiences with signs. I've seen "No Swimming or Wading" and "Do Not Enter the Water" signs for situations where the water presents a danger above and beyond drowning. So "No Swimming" only means "no swimming" and playing in an inch or two of water is not a violation of that rule.

As for the gators, of course I knew gators exist in Florida, but it's theoretical knowledge. Actually dealing with them or adjusting my behavior accordingly is a different matter. It reminds me of the big snowstorm in Georgia a few years ago that shut down highways and left people stranded overnight. People around me were baffled by the reactions to a few inches of snow, but I kind of understood it. A few inches of snow when you've experienced it before and have learned to adjust your behavior in acknowledgement of the possibility is perfectly manageable. It's different when it's out of your own realm of experience.

I don't think this event was so foreseeable as to be Disney's fault in a criminal negligence kind of way. I certainly don't think it's the parents' fault. On the other hand, a similar subsequent event is now foreseeable, and so I think Disney should take strides to prevent it. Not just shrug it off as a one-time thing. I'm also not opposed to the parents getting a settlement. The sense of peace and safety they work so hard for, the views people pay for, all the things that they don't want to ruin with frank signs and absolute barricades to danger...they profit from all of that. So when the one-in-a-million tragedy occurs that could've been prevented, they should take it upon themselves to compensate the family. It won't give them their child back, but it may give them a buffer to not worry about bills, to not worry about work while their grief is at its most overwhelming. To protect the futures of the other child(ren) if the parents find themselves struggling to put one foot in front of the other in the coming months/years.

 

[dingleberry]

Disney should be without blame.

However, this is a society where a nut company feels the need to put a warning on a package of pistachios, DO NOT EAT THE SHELLS.

Since everyone needs to be a victim these days, I suppose Disney had to be negligent?

The reality is this was an unfortunate and tragic accident. Life has a lot of risks. Hanging out on the shore of a Florida lake at night is a risk. Disney should not be demonized because it could not prevent a freak occurrence of nature.

 

[Jetta8300]

Yeah...sorry, doesn't change my opinion.
Of course I don't want it to happen again. Who would?

So if your relatives with small children went to Disney, with no general knowledge of alligators, and no prior knowledge of this incident, and Disney did NOTHING to change this very realistic looking beach. Would you want them to be the next ones Out on this beach at movie night? Seriously. Because not everyone is going to know about this. Especially as time passes. Would you want your kids out on that beach?

 

[fairytalelover]

I don't even know how to reply to this....

really??? Why?? If it's dangerous to even play NEAR the water let alone in the water then a lame sign saying "no swimming" is not nearly sufficient to keep us safe. Not to mention that they should have CMs and lifeguards stationed there to let people know not to even go within a few feet of the water since apparently they can lurch or jump out and get you too!!

 

[fairytalelover]

Disney should be without blame.

However, this is a society where a nut company feels the need to put a warning on a package of pistachios, DO NOT EAT THE SHELLS.

Since everyone needs to be a victim these days, I suppose Disney had to be negligent?

The reality is this was an unfortunate and tragic accident. Life has a lot of risks. Hanging out on the shore of a Florida lake at night is a risk. Disney should not be demonized because it could not prevent a freak occurrence of nature.

without blame???? Are you kidding me???? Im from california and we have no clue there are gators everywhere in florida and they can jump out at you and if we see no swimming signs they actually mean dont even go near the water!!!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

How about simple signs about alligators and brain eating water- I guarantee a lot fewer will wade and splash!

Oh, didn't you forget the cotton mouth snakes? So does Disney need to list all the dangers or would a Keep out of Water sign be sufficient?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Stay out of the water does not equal "do not play near the edge".

Plus isn't the wording on these signs "no swimming"?

Either way, if u are not aware of the Gators and their existence, stay out of the water does not automatically make a person think "golly, there must be an alligator there".

Honestly, I find it very insulting that ppl think that it should be common knowledge that everyone visiting Florida should be aware of all this gator knowledge. Am I aware there are gators there? Yes. I was not aware that there were so many, I had no clue that I should assume "any body of water will have a gator". There is a huge difference in knowing a state has gators and knowing the extent of it. I also did not know WDW is built on swamplands. I kind of assumed there were chain fences around the properties ( obviously hidden in amongst trees, etc) that kept gators out of resorts and parks.

When I research for my previous trips, I'm researching my resort, my area, where the best shopping is, the height restrictions for the rides they want to do, best places to eat, etc, etc. I do not search - are there gators in every lake.

I highly doubt that the ppl making comments that this should be common knowledge are aware of every hidden danger when they visit other states, countries, provinces.

This was a tragedy. It was no ones fault. There is def something to be learned and I am saddened that I had to learn from this tragedy. I would've much preferred having a Disney employee mention it to me during check in, or maybe a sign about gators, etc.

On a phone so can't pick apart your message, but as to the first part...

Unfortunately he was in the water, not on the edge.

MG

 

[MattRyan]

So can you get in a pool after it is closed despite signage against it if you make the case that you aren't swimming in the pool but merely wading in it?

 

[amg35]

So if your relatives with small children went to Disney, with no general knowledge of alligators, and no prior knowledge of this incident, and Disney did NOTHING to change this very realistic looking beach. Would you want them to be the next ones Out on this beach at movie night? Seriously. Because not everyone is going to know about this. Especially as time passes. Would you want your kids out on that beach?

I agreed that they should now put up better signs with clearer warnings. But that's it. I also don't hold anyone responsible for this tragedy. It happened, learn from it, place the signs, be done.
And yes, I would have no problem with children on the beach for movie night at that point because an alligator most likely won't walk on to the beach and grab the child, and the signs will let parents know about the dangers in the water.

 

[Robertfam08]

Oh, didn't you forget the cotton mouth snakes? So does Disney need to list all the dangers or would a Keep out of Water sign be sufficient?

Yes, that would be a lot more explicit than "No Swimming," which to many people from other areas means not to go out into deep waters because there are no lifeguards around, not "Don't touch this water."

 

[Pinkos]

On a phone so can't pick apart your message, but as to the first part...

Unfortunately he was in the water, not on the edge.

MG

Yes but I read he was wading at the edge and the sign says no swimming. There are no swimming signs at CBR, but my kids have taken their buckets and filled up water to bring back to the area they are playing in the sand.

Disney makes these beaches near water. They serve the chicken nuggets in these buckets so kids have sand toys to play with. They put the lovely hammocks there that are just inviting the parents to relax while little Johnny plays with his sand bucket a few feet away ,... They could put up a sign warning of the alligator danger. I mean they set the place up for relaxing on a beach setting ... Might as well put it out there that u shouldn't be relaxing but u should be viligant.

 

[Boski]

without blame???? Are you kidding me???? Im from california and we have no clue there are gators everywhere in florida and they can jump out at you and if we see no swimming signs they actually mean dont even go near the water!!!

So you want Disney to remove all the alligators from a lake they've lived in well before Disney was there and then build a wall?

 

[20yBWDW]

So can you get in a pool after it is closed despite signage against it if you make the case that you aren't swimming in the pool but merely wading in it?

It depends. Is the pool actually closed? Is there a sign that says "Pool Closed" or hours posted that show it's closed? Or are there organized activities around the pool and a sign that says "No Swimming"?

If the pool is closed, then I take that to mean setting foot into it is trespassing. If the sign simply says "No Swimming" and the facility is encouraging people's presence, then I take it to mean no swimming, and sticking my feet into an inch of water in a zero entry pool is not swimming.

 

[jknc]

Coming soon with your Magic Bands in the mail will be a full list of potential risks associated with vacationing on tropical swamp land.

I'm no lawyer but I would advise you take moment to read the commentary piece on CNN regarding whether Disney is at fault.

 

[fairytalelover]

Oh, didn't you forget the cotton mouth snakes? So does Disney need to list all the dangers or would a Keep out of Water sign be sufficient?

they need to list all of them just like they do at Castaway Cay. The sign there is big and has a huge list of things that are in the water

 

[magicjojo]

What a horrible tragedy. I too can easily see how this happened and I do not think the family did anything at all unreasonable. A few years ago we stayed at the Contemporary and I remember feeling surprised at all the welcoming lounge chairs and badmitton net/volleyball net on the beach. I had read on here that the water was unsafe due to bacteria so I kept my girls away...they did play on the beach but stayed away from the water. There was a child one day playing at the water's edge just as I imagine this little boy was one evening. No swimming is not interpreted by many people as "don't touch the water." These resorts make these beaches look like swimming beaches. I could see someone thinking the "no swimming" sign was posted because there is no lifeguard, not because the water is unsafe. Everything at DW is fake and manufactured! Why is someone new to the whole thing going to think the lakes aren't! Also, there are jet skiing and water skiing excursions...so how unsafe are people going to think the water is? I can absolutely see someone who is very safety concious doing what these parents did and not in their wildest dreams think they were taking any kind of risk. Disney must inform people there are alligators (and flesh eating bacteria or whatever) in the water. They know the gators are there and counting on guests from all over the world knowing fresh water lakes in Florida have alligators is unrealistic. Very sad.

 

[fairytalelover]

Yes but I read he was wading at the edge and the sign says no swimming. There are no swimming signs at CBR, but my kids have taken their buckets and filled up water to bring back to the area they are playing in the sand.

Disney makes these beaches near water. They serve the chicken nuggets in these buckets so kids have sand toys to play with. They put the lovely hammocks there that are just inviting the parents to relax while little Johnny plays with his sand bucket a few feet away ,... They could put up a sign warning of the alligator danger. I mean they set the place up for relaxing on a beach setting ... Might as well put it out there that u shouldn't be relaxing but u should be viligant.

exactly!! And your kids could have been killed by a gator while they were filling up their buckets! That's why it's Disney's fault!!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Yes, that would be a lot more explicit than "No Swimming," which to many people from other areas means not to go out into deep waters because there are no lifeguards around, not "Don't touch this water."

I can agree with this, but to list the reasons would be absurd since more than just gators. I personally take "no swimming" as keep out, but that's my interpretation. Not everyone does. Some take it literally as just "swimming" so therefore "keep out of water" covers all bases. No questions as to why, just do it.

 

[maryj11]

That's what gators do, they drown first, put whete it is wedged down, wait a few days and then eat....normally

I'm glad they found him before the gator decided to eat him