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

[Indecisive]

Well, that photo doesn't look current, but Disney HAS, very recently, promoted "beaches" as a draw to these WDW area resorts. I just looked on the WDW website and I actually think they may have recently removed beaches as a listed amenity at these resorts, probably just this week (which would obviously make sense). I know I have researched the WDW-area resorts in the recent past and have done a double-take when I saw "beach" listed as an amenity. I specifically recall that they did not make it at all clear in their online advertising that these beaches are not for swimming. I remember reading on these boards (and not on the WDW website) that swimming is prohibited at the lagoon and Bay Lake, and finding it odd that Disney was so circumspect about this when advertising beaches on the website. What ordinary tourist from somewhere other than Florida would think, when looking at the advertising materials, that a "beach" would not include swimming? It is bizarre. Disney has been trying to have its cake and eat it too, promoting "beaches" for recreation at these resorts (and this amenity being one of the reasons you should pay big bucks to stay there), but then not allowing swimming and not explaining the dangers just off the "beach."

 

[Pinkos]

Given that this is the first tragedy like this in over 40 years leads me to believe most people did read, and abide by those signs. And the people that didn't were fortunate enough not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

U r obviously missing my point. I don't care if it's the first tragedy in over 40 years. It could be the first ever ( although there was a kid that was hospitalized bc of gator attack at fort wilderness a few years back do ... Not sure where u got 40 from).

The point is, it happened. A sign alerting ppl to danger can prevent it from happening again. What in the world is so wrong about that? I'm not saying Disney is at fault or the family should sue,.... I'm saying there are changes that can be made to prevent future tragedies.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

On same token though, while pic is definitely wrong to have, thst wster looks nothing like the water that is really there. Using my common sense, just me, even if pictures lured me there, I would not go in because it's filthy and has weeds and alge growing in it. No, not an excuse for the pictures , just the way I am. I don't care what a picture shows, if I am not comfortable, I am not going near it.

ITA that I wouldn't go near that water the way it looks! But I could see people assuming you CAN (just "no swimming please"!!) if they google the resort and see that pic.

 

[cgattis]

This was a horrific accident. I had no idea gators were such a problem in Florida. I knew they are in Florida of course, but did not realize they were commonly seen in cities or other heavily populated areas. I've seen photos of gators on golf courses, in parking lots, etc but I thought people were taking pictures because it was so unusual.

I cannot imagine the terror this family felt, having their worst nightmare unfold while surrounded by happy people watching fireworks. I do not see how they can recover from this. Everything will be a reminder of Lane and this tragedy- fireworks, other people's vacation photos, a kid wearing a Mickey shirt, a princess birthday party.

I also hope the signage improves. The photos I've seen say "no swimming please" which I think minimizes the danger. Other hotels have signs noting that alligators are in the area so I am surprised Disney does not.

They'll never "recover." But they will (hopefully) continue to live and love their other children. Just like anyone who's ever sadly, heart-breakingly, lost a child.

 

[Pinkos]

Such a debate about signs and what type of signs... isn't the gross murky mucky water reason enough not to go in? We walked over to the Poly and GF last week during the tropical storm and could have easily walked through the water but it wasn't even tempting because it's so full of seaweed and sludge.

Obviously the murky water isn't enough or a little boy wouldn't be dead. Thanks for the insightful comment though.

 

[quikah]

If I invite you to my home and you see a doghouse and get attacked by the dog, would you be happy if I said..."well, you saw the doghouse, right?" No, you would be pissed that I never made you FULLY aware of the potential dangers that exist IN MY HOME. In fact, the lack of clarity made you feel somewhat safe.

I would be pissed you didn't control your dog. Disney doesn't control the alligators, they are wild. Do you have a doghouse for the wild feral dogs in the neighborhood?

Swimming in the lakes used to be a thing at DW (still is in a way, you can waterski). No swimming was imposed in the '80s/'90s (don't remember exactly when), mostly because of the ameoba and all the boats. The alligators are mostly scared off during the day because of all the boating activity. I would be fine with going in the lake during the day if it wasn't for the ameoba (and the fact it is not exactly all that appealing when there is a really nice pool a few steps away). Nighttime, when the boats are mostly gone is when their is a danger of alligators.

Putting a sign up warning of alligators probably wouldn't have prevented this, it just gives Disney an out for the lawsuit. They should probably actively enforce closing the beaches at night though (someone should patrol each one to keep people off).

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Sure. But I think the issue here is that even those of us that know there are alligators in the wild in Florida and are careful at lakes and rivers would not know that there could be alligators at Disney. I don't consider Disney as "in the wild" and I thought of it as a private, controlled environment. My mistake and a real eye-opener. But a mistake that's easy to make and probably made my many.

My friend lives in a City outside of Tampa, not on water. Her house backs up to woods, there are deer and wild horses behind her house...yes a City...this is what was in front of her house..

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Obviously the murky water isn't enough or a little boy wouldn't be dead. Thanks for the insightful comment though.

I would also add that it might not be obvious that the water is murky at 9 or 9:30 at night?

 

[sunshine1]

Mother posted a pic of the little boy a couple of hours before it happened.



If there had been proper alligator signage would parents have let their child paddle??

I think Disney will pay for this. In more ways than one. They wont be able to let this slide.

 

[DebbieB]

Exactly!

Now I can see why someone in another thread said that the "beach" at GF was a real draw for them when they booked! This really does not strike me as ok.

A month or two ago someone posted that they planned to spend a day at the Polynesian beach. I replied do you know that you can't go in the water? They were shocked. What do you mean we can't go in the water?

If this family sues, Disney will be paying big time, most likely an out of court settlement. Mostly for the ambiguous sign (no swimming means no wading?) and also the fact that they knew there were alligators in the lagoon and they didn't take further steps to warn people, knowing that people were going into the water.

 

[Disney for Life]

Funny how people think putting up a sign, having pamphlets or having a CM advise guests of alligators would have prevented this accident. I'm not saying it would or wold not, I just think a tragedy like this was going to happen sooner or later (this time is was an alligator, but it could have been a lightning strike, a snake bite or any other reason). Like I said in my other post, I agree having a sign may have helped in this case, but we all know people avoid reading or paying attention for that matter.

Let me give you another example: How many of you had to fly to come to Orlando/Disney? I'd say it's in the millions each and every month. How many of you listened to the air stewardess when he/she was giving vital information on safety, exit locations and what to do in case of emergency on water? Like most, you probably got on the plane, put on your headphones to listen to music, watch a movie or try to fall asleep before the plane actually moved. Most of your probably didn't pay attention because it's not your first time flying so you think it's safe without any risk because nothing ever happened before right??

I think this would be no different on Disney property if they try to notify guests of such risks. For most of the guests, it's not their first time so they do not listen or follow the rules for anything. Just take a look at selfie sticks. First they put a sign preventing people taking them to the parks but people still did it and now they need to take them away from guests trying to enter them. Some people still try to sneak them in. Why is that? We all know of the dangers and what it could lead to but people still do it.

Trust me, I'm not defending Disney here. The last thing I would want, and I'm sure Disney as well, is to have another tragedy like this to happen again. Disney could never 100% of the risk. Even a year or 2 ago, a small child drowned in on of their pools (AoA I think). They have sufficient signage, lifeguards and even a fence surrounding the pool, yet it still happened. Having these safeguards may have reduced the risk but it did not prevent it. Will another tragedy like this happen again, I would have a tendency to say; yes it will, it's just a matter of time.

Will things change at Disney because of this tragedy? Of course it will. all tragedies do. However; no matter what changes will be made, one family will think it was too little too late.

 

[kellyjeanie]

Mother posted a pic of the little boy a couple of hours before it happened.



If there had been proper alligator signage would parents have let their child paddle??

I think Disney will pay for this. In more ways than one. They wont be able to let this slide.

Just so you know, that isn't the little boy who died. This is another little boy who was out there about an hour before the incident, the mom posted it to show how common kids wading in that area is, and to empathize with the family.

 

[snoopboop]

Obviously the murky water isn't enough or a little boy wouldn't be dead. Thanks for the insightful comment though.

Snark aside ... I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about this, since it's common knowledge where I'm from that you don't enter stagnant water, for a variety of reasons. Add to that the (apparently not as common as I'd previously thought) knowledge that there may be alligators in ANY body of water in Florida... and I do think it's fair to say that many people wouldn't consider touching that water.

I have little knowledge of Nebraska... I've driven through it once... but I don't believe they have many lakes or other bodies of water...? Is it possible that this family simply didn't have any knowledge/experience with either of these ideas?

 

[IrishNYC]

Mother posted a pic of the little boy a couple of hours before it happened.



If there had been proper alligator signage would parents have let their child paddle??

I think Disney will pay for this. In more ways than one. They wont be able to let this slide.

That is not Lane Graves. That was posted on Facebook by another mother that was there 30 minutes before.

 

[Pinkos]

But I have yet to see a response as to where the signage ends. In previous posts, it was mentioned that perhaps bees and mosquitos need to be warmed about as well, but the response was that this is "silly". Why? Where is the dividing line between what needs to be warned about and what doesn't? Why isn't it the responsibility of the state to warn people once they cross state line or why aren't there signs at the airport? People are in Florida before they get to Disney property and there are gators between the airport and passing through the gates.

For the record I am not opposed to more signage and just because I'm questioning it doesn't mean I'm not compassionate, which has also been implied on this thread.

I'm not positive so feel free to correct me, but bees would only pose a huge threat to your life if u were severely allergic... At which point you would already be well aware and not need a sign. Mosquitos... Unless they are carrying some deadly virus I think they are safe, at which point I'd assume the state would be issuing warnings through media.

Gators are a part of Florida. It is what it is. No one is arguing that. They cannot issue daily warnings via media to alert all tourists. Orlando is a HUGE tourist destination. Mainly due to Disney. I do think it would be responsible for both Disney and the state of Florida to put some signs up where there might be risks. They could just say beware of wildlife and include pics of alligators/snakes as not everyone will read English.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Who's property is it? Mine or Disney's?

If I invite you to my home and you see a doghouse and get attacked by the dog, would you be happy if I said..."well, you saw the doghouse, right?" No, you would be pissed that I never made you FULLY aware of the potential dangers that exist IN MY HOME. In fact, the lack of clarity made you feel somewhat safe.

No, I wouldn't. And FYI, this DID happen to me as a young child. My face was completely ripped open by a dog.

Life is risky and precious. I accept that. I have to. I've had multiple rushes with death over the course of my life. I suspect most of us have. You've never been in a traffic accident?

Second, your house almost certainly poses a DEATH risk for several member of my family. They have SEVERE food allergies to several very common foods.

No, we don't expect you to WARN us.

We accept that the world is risky.

 

[Indecisive]

Mother posted a pic of the little boy a couple of hours before it happened.

I agree with the substantive point. But, to be clear, this is not the boy who died. This is another child who was likewise playing at the water's edge just an hour or so before Lane was killed. As we can all see, the sand extends at least a few feet into the water. It is normal that a small child would want to splash his feet in that water, and normal that parents would allow their child to do that.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

http://www.fox4now.com/news/gator-snatches-yorkie-whole-next-to-port-charlotte-lake
.....and another. ...
http://www.nbc-2.com/story/32200388/service-dog-dies-defending-port-labelle-vet-from-gator

While not small children, it could have been, and not out in the wild either...people just need to be aware of surroundings in all of FL. What happened was a tragedy, an accident...

 

[Seeker615]

"I'm so glad the hotel in Connecticut warned me to check for Lyme disease carrying ticks, and the hotel in Texas warned me about dangerous snakes, and the one in Chicago warned me about the dangers of driving in snow" - said no one ever.

Stop holding Disney to a higher standard.

Disney is a resort and one that is made for families. Of course you would have an expectancy of not encountering alligators on the property or at least been made aware of it. What you are saying is totally different then what happened. If there was one rogue gator on the property then it would be different but Disney knew that there were gators on the property and people were encouraged to enjoy the beach area. If you were on similar property in Texas and they knew there was a snake problem on their resort then yes they should let you know. I was in Virginia and we went to a wildlife sanctuary and we knew there was a risk of encountering wild animals and they let us know before we walked one of the paths that there was a good chance we could encounter venomous snakes. We did not take that path! Educating the public is important!

As far as the snow - Does the hotel own the roads?

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

That was probably from 1988 before swimming was banned.

So let me guess, the onus is now on travelers to determine what year that promotional picture was taken? And to update themselves on the history of swimming at Disney resorts?

Wow, Disney vacation sure sounds like an awful lot of research….even before you get to ADRs and Fastpasses.