Is there a purpose to all the water around disney world at this point?

[AFwifelife]

LOL that there is no use for water around Disney. Unless you want to be swimming your way through the parks back to your hotel, the bodies of water that are there are pretty important.

Oh and the whole ecosystem thing.

 

[Skywise]

All the screaming to remove the gators ....... which is absolutely ridiculous ..... Disney is closely monitored and larger gators can only be handled by the State at their discretion.

I was still amazed after this attack that I hadn't heard of that many before now at the park - especially with all the swimming and water activity that used to on in the lakes.

I was even more amazed to discover that the gators were near extinction when WDW opened and the population has only really started taking off in the last 15 years.

 

[manicstreet]

I don't have anything nice to say, so I am just going to say how excited I am to be staying at the poly in 62 days!

 

[DVCcurious]

I'm sorry..... did I just read a post suggesting we plow over a lake with concrete because it might have an alligator?

Yep. But not a nice friendly alligator like Louis. We're talking about a man-eater, kinda like JAWS.

What next? Level the rain forest due to mosquitoes?

With Zika and West Nile being spread by those vampiric insects I think that's a fantastic idea!

Oh and beware those trees and undeveloped Forrest areas. They contain snakes.

Then they should all be leveled. Have you seen Wilderness Lodge lately? Looks like Disney is way ahead of you with the clear cutting. They should change the name from Wilderness Lodge to "a place with no trees Lodge"

 

[DVCcurious]

To answer the OP and everyone else.

There is no purpose to the water being NEAR people.

There is a purpose to the water (drainage/water table, etc.)

You could have built WDW with no water near any guests, but they didn't because water is "fun". As someone else said there used to be water skiing and swimming in 7 Seas Lagoon. Shoot, they even had a wave machine at Poly (it's still there) so you could body surf in the 7 Seas Lagoon.


One thing nobody's mentioned on the DIS that I've seen is how the gator-feeding at Poly bungalows has made the gators look to humans for food and lose their fear of humans. Is it really just a coincidence that the Poly bungalows opened a year or so ago, the people started feeding gators from their deck, and then a gator hears humans and goes over to find food and finds....a little boy who gets murdered?

 

[HopperFan]

I was still amazed after this attack that I hadn't heard of that many before now at the park - especially with all the swimming and water activity that used to on in the lakes.

I was even more amazed to discover that the gators were near extinction when WDW opened and the population has only really started taking off in the last 15 years.

Yup, when Disney opened they were dying out. Not sure you are old enough to remember all the tourists bringing home stuffed baby alligators. My DH got one from his grandparents. Seemed everyone knew someone with one. All those babies being killed meant no growing up. Government stepped in and they are highly protected. DH goes on alligator hunts every few years, your name is in a lottery, his name gets picked once every four years. Very limited and regulated. And yup, I have an alligator head in our house ............

Disney has staff, they deal with the smaller ones. State folks have to come in and deal with the bigger ones. It's a huge job as they are growing in numbers. Florida is a delicate ecosystem and there are some major problems right now, and I think the gators are one of their least worries since with care to stay out of the water etc you are safe.

HUGE PROBLEM if the Nile Crocodiles that have arrived are reproducing and we better hope they don't make it to Disney.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/science/crocodiles-in-florida.html?_r=0

Oh and now they have PYTHONS ......... http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/python/faqs/ in the Everglades.

Did you know the Everglades start in Orlando? Yes, the everglades in S Florida waterways connects all the way to Orlando. That is scary!!

 

[jaceraden]

Built on a swamp. The end.

 

[Skywise]

Yup, when Disney opened they were dying out. Not sure you are old enough to remember all the tourists bringing home stuffed baby alligators.

Stuffed.

Baby.

Alligators?

I had to read that twice because I first thought "plush toys".

Wow.

(It's just a hair before my time! )

 

[bryanb]

I've gotta think there's got to be some engineering solutions that could be made to both keep the gators and other dangerous vermin out of the lake and make it safe for swimming so the beaches are all viable again.

The problem is the WDW heads don't think on that scale or want to undergo that much effort (because it surely would have an environmental impact of some sort). They've got the money engine and they're just trying to figure out how to keep it going and speed it up.

Yes it is a money engine. But that's not why you can't keep the gators and vermin out of the lake. It is probably better now not to have a false sense of security, when the simpler solution is to keep people away from the gator's habitat.

 

[AFwifelife]

Just because you can't put any body part in the water doesn't mean that there is no purpose for it. I know I wouldn't be alone in feeling upset if they moved the water away from guest areas (if that was even a possibility). One of the most magical things for me when I was younger was believing that Magic Kingdom was on an island, far from everything else. Taking the ferry ride across SSL and seeing MK get closer and closer has always been a favorite.

 

[pa. dad]

Some seem to be missing my point and intentionally so.
When i see water , I'd like to swim in it or fish in it or water ski in it. Not just look at it. I've seen water before.
If they wanted to reopen the River Country water park, they could not as the water quality is not sufficient for that purpose. same with swimming and water sports.If they wanted to do a sub ride, water quality wouldn't allow that either. Do SOMETHING with that space is my point. If SOME of it has to be water, then put on a fountain show like they do at the bellagio in las vegas. Or put on a pirate show like they had at TI in Vegas. Or put in some gondolas like Venice.
And get the gators out. if people want to see gators, they can go to gator land or go to the everglades.
The original plans had this water designed serving many functions and that has been lost over the years.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Yup, when Disney opened they were dying out. Not sure you are old enough to remember all the tourists bringing home stuffed baby alligators. My DH got one from his grandparents. Seemed everyone knew someone with one. All those babies being killed meant no growing up. Government stepped in and they are highly protected. DH goes on alligator hunts every few years, your name is in a lottery, his name gets picked once every four years. Very limited and regulated. And yup, I have an alligator head in our house ............

Disney has staff, they deal with the smaller ones. State folks have to come in and deal with the bigger ones. It's a huge job as they are growing in numbers. Florida is a delicate ecosystem and there are some major problems right now, and I think the gators are one of their least worries since with care to stay out of the water etc you are safe.

HUGE PROBLEM if the Nile Crocodiles that have arrived are reproducing and we better hope they don't make it to Disney.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/science/crocodiles-in-florida.html?_r=0

Oh and now they have PYTHONS ......... http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/python/faqs/ in the Everglades.

Did you know the Everglades start in Orlando? Yes, the everglades in S Florida waterways connects all the way to Orlando. That is scary!!

Dh was just saying he remembered the gift shops that had the stuffed gators.

 

[DLgal]

Some seem to be missing my point and intentionally so.
When i see water , I'd like to swim in it or fish in it or water ski in it. Not just look at it. I've seen water before.
If they wanted to reopen the River Country water park, they could not as the water quality is not sufficient for that purpose. same with swimming and water sports.If they wanted to do a sub ride, water quality wouldn't allow that either. Do SOMETHING with that space is my point. If SOME of it has to be water, then put on a fountain show like they do at the bellagio in las vegas. Or put on a pirate show like they had at TI in Vegas. Or put in some gondolas like Venice.
And get the gators out. if people want to see gators, they can go to gator land or go to the everglades.
The original plans had this water designed serving many functions and that has been lost over the years.

Have you ever heard of scenery? THAT is the purpose of water at WDW. It is pleasing to look at. It causes feelings of happiness and relaxation in most people. It is synonymous with "vacation."

Walt chose the spot for WDW from an airplane fly over. He saw Bay Lake and said "right there!" He was not thinking "Oh, this would be a great lake for waterskiing on." He was thinking, "That lake is beautiful, and I want my kingdom there."

Most resorts utilize water features solely as a scenic element. You don't have to make the water "do" something. It carries boats nowadays, both for transport and recreation. People still go fishing on the lakes. They still serve a purpose.

 

[scrapquitler]

I first attended Disney World around 1985 or 1986. To remind me of what it was like then, I bought a 1986 guidebook online.
One thing I noticed is that back in the early days, they were using the water from their manmade lakes in a lot of ways:
-swimming
-Water skiing and other water sports
-the water was feeding the River Country water park
-the water was being used at the discovery island animal refuge (that closed when the Animal Kingdom opened up)
- and of course there was a lot of people on the beaches.
- the 20.000 Leagues ride used a small manmade lake for its subs.

It seems that today the water is just a backdrop and it really isn't used for much other than pretty backdrop to photos.
The water can't be used for a waterpark anymore. It rusts out the subs so no more 20000 Leagues or nemo subs rides. It really hasn't been used much for swimming in years. The recent tragedy surely will end any beach access either.
So why dont they just remove it and make the parking lot closer to the MK or put in some more rides or make the roads wider or do something with the space now? They really are not getting much productive use out of it for many years. The original design had that water serving many purposes but that doesn;t seem to be the case for quite a while now.

I think it's a place for rainwater to go so that it doesn't flood everywhere else. So yeah, no purpose but decoration

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't think the water features actually have to do something for us..it's nature we humans don't have to make everything do something for us.

I don't see any reason to make the water in all of Disney go away and in fact I am willing to bet it would mess with a lot of things in the nature world.

It's like people in my neighborhood who buy treed lots and then take out all the trees in the lot. A) What a way to destroy nature B) Those treed lots are coveted largely in part to their aesthetics but also they provide natural shade and wind blocking C) Majority of the time treed lots are more expensive than non-treed lots.

Thankfully there are areas that are considered green space (like just beyond my property line in my backyard) in our neighborhood (meaning they currently won't be disturbed) and should be eventually deeded to the city's parks department and still at that point will be largely undisturbed.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Some seem to be missing my point and intentionally so.
When i see water , I'd like to swim in it or fish in it or water ski in it. Not just look at it. I've seen water before.
If they wanted to reopen the River Country water park, they could not as the water quality is not sufficient for that purpose. same with swimming and water sports.If they wanted to do a sub ride, water quality wouldn't allow that either. Do SOMETHING with that space is my point. If SOME of it has to be water, then put on a fountain show like they do at the bellagio in las vegas. Or put on a pirate show like they had at TI in Vegas. Or put in some gondolas like Venice.
And get the gators out. if people want to see gators, they can go to gator land or go to the everglades.
The original plans had this water designed serving many functions and that has been lost over the years.

Just because you aren't using it doesn't mean MILLIONS of other critters that are necessary for an eco-system aren't. As others have pointed out, WDW was built on a swamp. When you are walking around WDW, you are actually walking on a SECOND FLOOR. They had to build up in order to even make the park. The natural world was not put here just for our amusement. They are doing PLENTY with that space - electric water pageant, boat transportation, recreation, etc., but, really, it's only purpose should be to amuse you? Gators are indigneous to FL, TOURISTS are not. I think we need a find a way to live respectfully with them and, obviously, EDUCATE people NOT to feed them and to stay out of the lagoon.

 

[Shanti]

I first attended Disney World around 1985 or 1986. To remind me of what it was like then, I bought a 1986 guidebook online.
One thing I noticed is that back in the early days, they were using the water from their manmade lakes in a lot of ways:
-swimming
-Water skiing and other water sports
-the water was feeding the River Country water park
-the water was being used at the discovery island animal refuge (that closed when the Animal Kingdom opened up)
- and of course there was a lot of people on the beaches.
- the 20.000 Leagues ride used a small manmade lake for its subs.

It seems that today the water is just a backdrop and it really isn't used for much other than pretty backdrop to photos.
The water can't be used for a waterpark anymore. It rusts out the subs so no more 20000 Leagues or nemo subs rides. It really hasn't been used much for swimming in years. The recent tragedy surely will end any beach access either.
So why dont they just remove it and make the parking lot closer to the MK or put in some more rides or make the roads wider or do something with the space now? They really are not getting much productive use out of it for many years. The original design had that water serving many purposes but that doesn;t seem to be the case for quite a while now.

The waterways are part of the magic. They help WDW feel less like a group of theme parks, less like Six Flags, and more like another world. They're a big part of the bubble.

 

[HopperFan]

Stuffed.

Baby.

Alligators?

I had to read that twice because I first thought "plush toys".

Wow.

(It's just a hair before my time! )

They were very popular

 

[Hopefully]

Some seem to be missing my point and intentionally so.
When i see water , I'd like to swim in it or fish in it or water ski in it. Not just look at it. I've seen water before.
If they wanted to reopen the River Country water park, they could not as the water quality is not sufficient for that purpose. same with swimming and water sports.If they wanted to do a sub ride, water quality wouldn't allow that either. Do SOMETHING with that space is my point. If SOME of it has to be water, then put on a fountain show like they do at the bellagio in las vegas. Or put on a pirate show like they had at TI in Vegas. Or put in some gondolas like Venice.
And get the gators out. if people want to see gators, they can go to gator land or go to the everglades.
The original plans had this water designed serving many functions and that has been lost over the years.

Wow!!! All I can say is WOW !!!
When I see water I think of nature, of beauty, of peace. I don't think about what it must offer me.
I am sorry for you.

 

[YawningDodo]

I've gotta think there's got to be some engineering solutions that could be made to both keep the gators and other dangerous vermin out of the lake and make it safe for swimming so the beaches are all viable again.

The problem is the WDW heads don't think on that scale or want to undergo that much effort (because it surely would have an environmental impact of some sort). They've got the money engine and they're just trying to figure out how to keep it going and speed it up.

Or maybe they don't want people swimming in a lake full of brain-eating parasites. You want water that's safe and sanitary to swim in, go use one of WDW's many, many swimming pools or water parks.

Gotta love how apex predators are now "vermin," too.

To answer the OP and everyone else.

There is no purpose to the water being NEAR people.

There is a purpose to the water (drainage/water table, etc.)

You could have built WDW with no water near any guests, but they didn't because water is "fun". As someone else said there used to be water skiing and swimming in 7 Seas Lagoon. Shoot, they even had a wave machine at Poly (it's still there) so you could body surf in the 7 Seas Lagoon.

Written like someone who's never been backstage or looked at an aerial view of the Magic Kingdom. The area behind the park has significant build-up and areas of concrete and buildings due to the need for various structures and roads supporting the functions of the park and, y'know, a place for cast members to park. The park itself needs drainage; the water inside the park connects to a canal that connects to the Seven Seas Lagoon, providing drainage and equalization to the park's water levels and water access for a variety of things that go on behind the scenes. Onstage, the Seven Seas Lagoon is used for transportation, an electric light show...and scenery. Ever notice how WDW has an atmosphere that makes it feel like you're miles from the real world? Ever think about how the wooded areas and bodies of water contribute to that?

But yeah, instead of making improvements to parks and attractions, Disney needs to spend millions of dollars to ruin the views from the resorts, submit the Magic Kingdom and surrounding resorts to a much higher risk of flooding, and create an ecological disaster for which they'd never get permits anyway. You're right, that's a much more practical reaction to an isolated tragedy than implementing basic safety measures to prevent wildlife encounters.