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

[vadersprincess12]

This is so tragic; the child has not been found yet please take extra precaution with your little ones!

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...-dragged-alligator-disney-20160614-story.html

 

[nugov2]

It wasn't MY post that your were responding to!! I was just curious what you meant.

Oh lol..sorry. Not enough coffee and have a sick kiddo keeping me up. I'm not firing on all cylinders

At my beach club, no there are only signs that say you are not allowed in the water if the lifeguards are not on duty. Totally an apples to oranges situation, but I thought the poster was saying it is never appropriate for a 2 year to wade in the water and thought that was extreme.

 

[vadersprincess12]

Just heartsick over this. Sending prayers for the family.

 

[IrishNYC]

Parasailing, tubing, wake boarding, water skiing, watercrafts...even the kayaks. All of those (except the kayak) will get water splashed on your face where you can potentially breathe it in, and if you fall out of any of those devices, you will be in the water where it can go up your nose or splash up your nose, just as it would if you were swimming.

I honestly didn't know they allowed these activities. It makes no sense to offer them.

 

[J'Adore Disney]

Yeah, I do think more specific signage is needed. Sometimes you do have to spell it out for people. Especially people from other parts of the US and Canada as well as foreign countries.

And clearly (after reading some of the posts on this thread) Walt Disney World needs to invest in proper signage for guests who believe Walt Disney World is practically perfect in every way!

A lawsuit will be filed and a settlement will be made on courthouse steps mainly due to improper and ambiguous signage on property, but nothing will ever bring back the innocent and defenseless young boy who suffered from this perhaps foreseeable event.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Crocs not Gators

And we have crocs in Fl too...http://www.floridaadventuring.com/american-crocodile.html

 

[ArwenMarie]

My point was it's Florida and there are gators everywhere. Just because it's Disney World doesn't mean gators stay away. In no say was I blaming the parents in this tragic situation. I lived near Telluride in the 70's, so yes, I am familiar with "moose country".

Sorry, I should have written that more generally. My point was there are regional differences in wildlife dangers (and weather risks etc) and I think the fact that this family is from Nebraska means they may not have understood the gator risk, even if they knew there are gators in FL in general.

 

[Robo]

A lawsuit will be filed and a settlement will be made on courthouse steps mainly due to improper and unambiguous signage on property

Do you mean, "improper and ambiguous signage on property?"

 

[aprilp]

While I would never get in the water because it looks gross to me and I much rather prefer pools, I can totally see the draw to a beach-like area. They probably should've done docks and plants and other things to keep people from being able to get to the edge of the water rather than the white sand that draws them to it. And it does seem like the signage is not adequate. Question: does anyone know if they verbally tell you anything about the beach/water when you check in? Or provide any pamphlets about the resort that mention not getting in the water due to wildlife etc? I was just curious, as I had read something somewhere that mentioned something about being advised of it at checkin but I dont really believe everything that I read because news reports are often conflicting.

 

[amg35]

I also don't blame anyone. It's a tragedy.

My hope is that Disney puts up signs that no one can misunderstand. My other hope is that there isn't an overreaction and they don't do something like canceling everything that involves being near the beach...movies, campfires, the water parade.....

 

[Toad_Passenger]

This thread shows that sometimes a simple sign change won't help.

Disney changes the sign to "No water entry." And some people will say, "Well, the sign didn't tell us why? And it never said we couldn't be close to the water!"
So, Disney changes the sign to, "Dangerous wildlife." Some people will say, "Well, you didn't specify, and I never expected a brain eating amoeba?"
So, Disney changes the sign to include specific animals such as "Alligators." Oops, a kid gets bit by a poisonous snake, and it wasn't on the list.
and so on, and so on.

Do we really need to end up with sign that reads like a contract? Is that what the human race has devolved into?

 

[ArwenMarie]

While I would never get in the water because it looks gross to me and I much rather prefer pools, I can totally see the draw to a beach-like area. They probably should've done docks and plants and other things to keep people from being able to get to the edge of the water rather than the white sand that draws them to it. And it does seem like the signage is not adequate. Question: does anyone know if they verbally tell you anything about the beach/water when you check in? Or provide any pamphlets about the resort that mention not getting in the water due to wildlife etc? I was just curious, as I had read something somewhere that mentioned something about being advised of it at checkin but I dont really believe everything that I read because news reports are often conflicting.

I have stayed at the monorail resorts many times and they have never said anything about the beach at check-in.

 

[chmurf]

as gator spotting seems to be trending, and since some here have mentionned the gator at CSR, here is a couple of pictures from the little fella.
They've been shot (by me) on October 31 2015. They're from the sitting area in front of El Centro
If you look carefully at the second picture, you might see a snapping turtle to the right of the aligator. It could easily severe one toe of your foot if it ever got near its beak (one more animal to be aware of)

 

[DnA2010]

This thread shows that sometimes a simple sign change won't help.

Disney changes the sign to "No water entry." And some people will say, "Well, the sign didn't tell us why? And it never said we couldn't be close to the water!"
So, Disney changes the sign to, "Dangerous wildlife." Some people will say, "Well, you didn't specify, and I never expected a brain eating amoeba?"
So, Disney changes the sign to include specific animals such as "Alligators." Oops, a kid gets bit by a poisonous snake, and it wasn't on the list.
and so on, and so on.

Do we really need to end up with sign that reads like a contract? Is that what the human race has devolved into?

What about the millions (? I'm thinking) of visitors from other countries who don't speak/read english? surely a sign with a person walking and swimming in the water crossed out and then an alligator picture underneath would be much more clear? I'm sure most of those visitors have no clue that there are gators present.

 

[Disneychick75]

I don't remember any alligators as part of the Safari ride.

Yep, there are either alligators or crocs are on the Safari.

 

[Moushe]

Uhm... Is this common knowledge?
I consider myself pretty Disney Educated but would've bet money on the fact that there are no gators in the Seven Seas Lagoon...
Yes, I am aware it's Floriday, yes, I am aware Disneybis mainly build on swamp land but I am also aware that it is a man made lagoon.. So...

I just wouldn't expect gators on Property (especially not around the GF or other resorts)...

Wow... How absolutely heartbreaking :/ I would've never expected this to be a possibility... And I am overly cautious and won't even let my kids play alone in the backyard (they are 5 and 7) for the fear of them getting hurt or whatever...

It shouldn't be surprise that a lagoon in Florida has alligators. As a life-long floridian we are always told to assume ANY body of water could possibly have alligators. Obviously this family would not know that since they are from Nebraska.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

This thread shows that sometimes a simple sign change won't help.

Disney changes the sign to "No water entry." And some people will say, "Well, the sign didn't tell us why? And it never said we couldn't be close to the water!"
So, Disney changes the sign to, "Dangerous wildlife." Some people will say, "Well, you didn't specify, and I never expected a brain eating amoeba?"
So, Disney changes the sign to include specific animals such as "Alligators." Oops, a kid gets bit by a poisonous snake, and it wasn't on the list.
and so on, and so on.

Do we really need to end up with sign that reads like a contract? Is that what the human race has devolved into?

I DEFINITELY take your point... and generally agree about the direction we've been moving in as a society.

However, I do think that a sign like the one below (previously posted) would warn of a MAJOR wildlife danger. If there are ALSO snakes, etc., still seems like this sign would still take care of a real warning being issued. Would some sue if attacked by a different animal? Of course. In this country we sue over a company selling us hot coffee. BUT... this would at least show a clear DANGER... not just that swimming isn't allowed. I still think this is worth Disney doing.

 

[amg35]

This thread shows that sometimes a simple sign change won't help.

Disney changes the sign to "No water entry." And some people will say, "Well, the sign didn't tell us why? And it never said we couldn't be close to the water!"
So, Disney changes the sign to, "Dangerous wildlife." Some people will say, "Well, you didn't specify, and I never expected a brain eating amoeba?"
So, Disney changes the sign to include specific animals such as "Alligators." Oops, a kid gets bit by a poisonous snake, and it wasn't on the list.
and so on, and so on.

Do we really need to end up with sign that reads like a contract? Is that what the human race has devolved into?

It is. It is what we have become. Otherwise everyone would take this for the freak, tragic occurrence it was and move on. But they won't, blame game will be played, money will be paid and more restrictions will be put in place.

 

[Robertfam08]

First off, I can't imagine anything less relevant to the story than how deep the water was. The child was two years old. That puts him at about 34 inches of height. If he had been in a foot of water, the water would have come up past his knees. I am 6 feet tall, and a foot of water would come up to my mid-calf. I certainly don't get the impression that the father was in calf deep in the water or that the child was up to his thighs. The more likely scenario is that he and his dad were walking on the sand in the area right where it meets the water. Two to three inches, tops. But that is plenty close to catch the attention of an alligator. And it really doesn't matter.

Signs. Walls. Fences. People want to find blame and assume that proper measures weren't taken. But as pointed out, this is the first alligator-related fatality since 1971, and only the second known alligator attack in 45 years. It is irrational to think that a company is going to take extraordinary measures to prevent such a rarity. Think about how many people have died or been seriously injured at WDW since 1971, and now compare that to alligator attacks. Disney has plenty on its plate before it needs to account for the once-every-45-years accident. And that is what this was. No one is to blame. The humans were doing what humans do. The alligator was doing what alligators do. When the two intersected, a tragedy occurred. By all accounts, Disney already searches for and removes alligators that it believes might pose a threat. That is a sensible reaction, and they already do that. But they weren't perfect, obviously. And a family lost a precious boy in part because Disney wasn't perfect, and in part because the family went into water that they weren't supposed to be in, three inches, a foot, or otherwise. When people and/or corporations fail in their quest for perfection, then things like this happen. But are we really at a point where we expect either the parents, the child, or Disney to be perfect? Is the lack of perfection blameworthy?

I agree that no one is solely to blame. What a tragedy! I do think Disney should change their signs to be more clear for people who have no idea of the all of the dangers, and that really shouldn't be a big deal on their part. "No Swimming" and "Stay Out of the Water" imply two very different things for a lot of people from other areas of the country and around the world. And as pointed out by someone else, when Disney offers all kinds of water activities for families and then says you can't put a toe in the water on the "beaches," that is really confusing. I can totally see how a family would think nothing of filling a bucket with water for the sand or stepping in a foot or less of water. That's not "swimming" to most people.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Yep, there are either alligators or crocs are on the Safari.

I venture a guess that he well knows that. It's that they are crocodiles and not alligators on the safari ride. That's all.