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

[dnkmmw]

im from california and we never knew this was an issue at WDW and we have been to WDW many times. it is not the duty of tourists to know about things like this. It is the duty of the host (WDW to let tourists who come from all over the world, know about these dangers and what not to do....a sign saying "no swimming" simply is not detailed enough for us to know what the actual dangers are. As far as I know "no swimming" could mean that there are no life guards so swimming is not allowed due to possible liability.

Does DisneyLand tell people what to do if there's an earthquake?

 

[John Paul]

No words so sad!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Actually west Nile and zika virus do get mentioned in the media ... There has been an abundance about zika since its outbreak. And I've heard about west Nile lots. I have yet to hear anything about gators. I knew they were in Florida but I was not aware how common it would be to come into contact with them ... I've been to Florida ten times the past 7 years and I have yet to see one outside of Busch gardens. So I was not aware I had to assume there could be one in any water even though I know they exist in Florida. And as a side note I did not know Florida had poisonous snakes. Maybe I'm dumb. But since there are a lot of ppl here saying the same thing I guess a lot of us are dumb. Or, maybe a few signs here and there could go a long way in educating ppl. Again, what is so horrible about that?!

I believe, can be wrong, but every state beside Hawaii has some form of poisionious snake. ..Hawaii doesn't have any snakes.
If I am wrong on the other states, it is better to error on the side of caution than be oblivious and think I am in a snake free zone

 

[SoarinSC]

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.

But that's you..and that's the problem with all these arguments about well they should have known...you can't assume you're perspective for EVERYONE...WDW is far too national/international.

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."

Thank you..well said.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Does DisneyLand tell people what to do if there's an earthquake?

Yes, they have protocol.

 

[DOOM1001]

Before we moved to the Gulf Coast I never gave gators a second thought. The worst thing you would encounter in the murky waters of TN was snakes but you were raised to know that they were there. Now that we live where we do, we know, any body of water can or will have a gator (and a snake). It just happens. They are everywhere. Just like the Gulf with the sharks, it can happen.
I do wonder if this gator was being fed or had been being fed by visitors.? Because I know now that that is a big no no. You want them to be afraid of people. Maybe that is why is was not afraid to come up near a spot that people hang out.
Either way it is just a tragic incident. No one is to blame. Disney, parents, no one. The family just needs to be lifted up in prayer and love and positive thoughts. My heart just breaks for them.

A gator I saw in the lake on Market street in Celebration came from the far end of the lake and went up to a little bridge with a railing people were hanging out at.It was like it was expecting someone to throw it food as it just sat there looking at the people looking at the gator.Anyone who gets caught feeding a gator should be heavily fined.

 

[rg35]

im from california and we never knew this was an issue at WDW and we have been to WDW many times. it is not the duty of tourists to know about things like this. It is the duty of the host (WDW to let tourists who come from all over the world, know about these dangers and what not to do....a sign saying "no swimming" simply is not detailed enough for us to know what the actual dangers are. As far as I know "no swimming" could mean that there are no life guards so swimming is not allowed due to possible liability.

It is also the duty of a traveler to be aware of potential dangers in locations to where they are traveling. Florida is mostly swampland, and there are 1.6 million alligators in Florida. I don't really understand how people don't know that Florida is essentially filled with alligators. (I am not from Florida, but am well aware of the wildlife that lurks there.)

 

[IrishNYC]

I heard River Country is closed...

But I just saw this picture online!

 

[momofkids]

As I am reading all these posts, that some of you are saying it is justifiable for people to be ignorant as long as they don't work for Disney. I am also reading that under no circumstances is it acceptable for Disney (still just an organization of humans) to be ignorant of the ignorances of their guests. My goodness we sure like to set unreasonable expectations for everyone but ourselves.

 

[dnkmmw]

Actually west Nile and zika virus do get mentioned in the media ... There has been an abundance about zika since its outbreak. And I've heard about west Nile lots. I have yet to hear anything about gators. I knew they were in Florida but I was not aware how common it would be to come into contact with them ... I've been to Florida ten times the past 7 years and I have yet to see one outside of Busch gardens. So I was not aware I had to assume there could be one in any water even though I know they exist in Florida. And as a side note I did not know Florida had poisonous snakes. Maybe I'm dumb. But since there are a lot of ppl here saying the same thing I guess a lot of us are dumb. Or, maybe a few signs here and there could go a long way in educating ppl. Again, what is so horrible about that?!

I never said anyone was dumb or that posting signs was horrible. I am asking honest questions here. What needs to be warned about on the signs, where and with what frequency do they need to be posted?

No one seems to want to answer these questions. There's a lot of comments saying more signs and alert about the alligators, but the alligators are not the only danger when spending time at Disneyworld.

 

[dnkmmw]

Yes, they have protocol.

Just curious, is it a pamphlet or signs?

 

[WuvEeyore]

Read through this thread. There are plenty of pictures that still are on the Disney website that advertise people near or in the water

During daylight hours and not swimming in the lagoon.

I know people just want to blame someone for this horrible tragedy, but sometimes bad things just happen.

 

[kellyjeanie]

As I am reading all these posts, that some of you are saying it is justifiable for people to be ignorant as long as they don't work for Disney. I am also reading that under no circumstances is it acceptable for Disney (still just an organization of humans) to be ignorant of the ignorances of their guests. My goodness we sure like to set unreasonable expectations for everyone but ourselves.

Maybe some are saying that, I don’t know. I don't think Disney was neglectful. I think they never in a million years thought this would happen, even though I'm sure they have many resources devoted to studying the local wildlife. However, we could cut the parents some slack. In all the multitudes of information on Disney online there is very little advising to watch out for deadly alligators. It is not a failing on the parents' part that they didn't think this could happen.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

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 water doesn't look luring or inviting. It looks dirty and nasty. You can clearly see the dark line, the alge weeds ...yuk. That is a parents choice to let their children play there, this water isn't pristine and inviting. Not at all

 

[snoopboop]

That water doesn't look luring or inviting. It looks dirty and nasty. You can clearly see the dark line, the alge weeds ...yuk. That is a parents choice to let their children play there, this water isn't pristine and inviting. Not at all

As I posted earlier, I'm honestly wondering whether tourists from areas without many natural water features might have no frame of reference for this? For ME, coming from a part of the country with a LOT of water, I wouldn't even consider letting my kids get anywhere near that water, at any time of day. But clearly that isn't a mindset shared by everyone, and I do wonder whether some of that may be because other people simply haven't been around lakes/rivers and don't know that water that looks like that is nasty and contaminated with all sorts of undesirable things?

 

[Halloweenqueen]

What if there was a shark attack at Aulani in Hawaii. Shark attacks happen every year somewhere on the islands, sometimes directly in front of a hotel, condo complex, or privately owned beach home. No one would think to sue the property owner. Why is there such a over the top response to the burden Disney shares in this tragedy? Aulani shares the a man made lagoon with other resorts on Oahu. Man made, but with access to open water where I am sure, there have been sharks.

We visit Hawaii often and know to avoid swimming in the dark or murky water. I have seen plenty of people swim when and where they shouldn't, but I never thought it was the responsibility of the land owner. It comes down to personal responsibility.

 

[nandm92574]

Well far be it for any guests to assume at a 500 a night resort for families that at movie night on the beach Disney may have increased wildlife patrol on the shoreline of their beaches. I love love love Disney but they sure didn't make the right decision. The legal standard is what do reasonably businesses in the area do

Oh I am well aware of how my money is spent and at times wasted too by them. No need for more guards at night. They have a team in place already, but being this is wildlife, it is hard to see everything all the time. Critters are always on the move. Disney does remove once they see they have reached over 4 ft. As guests, we just do not see all of this happening[/QUOTE

Well I am willing to pay for those guards to actually be there during a movie/fireworks/peak time not secret patrol.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Parents, I beg of you, stop blaming and shaming other parents.

It's not Disney and it's not the parent's fault a gator attacked. The family did make the choice to enter the water at night....that was their choice. Maybe they didn't think a gator could be in there, who knows. Msybe they felt they weren't in deep enough to be attacked, who knows. It was a tragic accident and accidents sometimes aren't anyone's "fault". Maybe better choices could have been made and that is where judgment plays a part...dark waters, dark outside. ..gator or not could anything be seen in that water at night?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Well far be it for any guests to assume at a 500 a night resort for families that at movie night on the beach Disney may have increased wildlife patrol on the shoreline of their beaches. I love love love Disney but they sure didn't make the right decision. The legal standard is what do reasonably businesses in the area do

They don't have guards? ?? We have gators in fresh water and sharks in salt, should we get the CG out on patrol at nigjt too here in FL for all our beach front resorts? Which FYI some of them put the Grand to shame, they are real 5 star resorts

 

[kim_d]

Sadly part of the issue is that guests feed these alligators and therefore draw them closer to shore to get food, lose their "fear" of humans and associate people with food. And before you say it doesn't happen at Disney...it does. About 10 years ago there was a gator who resided around the beach club and we saw it often by bridge of quiet pool and there would be bananas and other food thrown in the water. We spoke to a cast member who said once it got to a certain size it would be removed and more than likely euthanized because of its contact with humans.