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

[YawningDodo]

Man, this guy sure loves parking lots and hates science.

 

[goofyernmost]

I just wanted to comment on a two things. 20,000 Leagues was built in a tank that most likely had some type of treated water. The ride was closed in Florida due to the fact that the tank was cracking, the ride was to costly to maintain, and it wasn't a high capacity ride - meaning it didn't allow for a large number of guests to ride per hour.

Interesting information about 20K, however it isn't true. The tank was not leaking at all. It was shutdown primarily because it cost a fortune to operate and maintain plus, as you said, it wasn't a high capacity ride. Management wanted to get rid of it and there have even been reports that they sabotaged one of the subs to take upper management on to show just how bad a shape they were in. They got their wish and when it closed down for re-furb, it never reopened again. However, the lagoon (pool) remained there for, if I remember correctly, about 9 more years, therefore there was no leak. Just as soon as they made the decision to upgrade the subs in Disneyland, mysteriously the lagoon was drained therefore ending the possibility that there would be demand to do the same thing in WDW and it was ultimately torn down for the Pooh Playground, first, and then the New Fantasyland.

 

[vicki_c]

Adam the Woo who put a video showing where the wave machines were located in the Seven Seas lagoon,expecting to have surfing in a man made lake was a bit far fetched in my opinion.

Totally off topic, Doom1001, but what happened to your I Love Appliances avatar? That was you, right? I miss it.

 

[DOOM1001]

Totally off topic, Doom1001, but what happened to your I Love Appliances avatar? That was you, right? I miss it.

Yeah that was me,I used to laugh watching those Appliance Direct commercials during trips to Orlando,as time passed they stopped showing them and I changed the avatar,just moved on.There used to be other funny commercials in Orlando that have gone away,I think you can still find some Family auto mart commercials on YouTube,that was another one I liked.

 

[vicki_c]

When I moved to Florida, my kids were toddlers and they were enamored of those infomercials. My daughter was 3 and she could sit and watch the whole thing. It's become a family joke, especially the woman announcer with her knee brace on! My husband still is always saying "how much would you pay for this washer?"

 

[DOOM1001]

When I moved to Florida, my kids were toddlers and they were enamored of those infomercials. My daughter was 3 and she could sit and watch the whole thing. It's become a family joke, especially the woman announcer with her knee brace on! My husband still is always saying "how much would you pay for this washer?"

I remember that the family auto mart ones were apparently entertaining enough that there were businesses advertising themselves on the guys commercials.

 

[StanH]

I have few words to describe my incredulousness regarding the origination of this post....Educate much???

 

[pa. dad]

To clear up a few things, when I stayed at Disneyland Ca. DCA was open both times. So I was never there before the newer park opened. As I said, I stayed directly across the street and walked across the parking lot to the main entrance. No waiting for shuttles- can't beat that. Then I went to the beach and saw lots of water.
Now more than few people seem upset that I have raised issues of convenience and safety. I didn;t know that I had to LIMIT my point to just one area. I DO think it makes sense on multiple levels so the focus need not be on just one area.

Now some have said that the water has to be there? WHY?
Does it have to be dirty and gator infested too? I get that some water must be there but isn't say 20 acres of clean water better than 100 acres of water with little or no usage? (those are just random numbers not exact of course).
I do realize that Walt's original plan called for the water as he did not want competitive fast food joints and souveneir shops in view of his place as it was in CA. They didn't exactly follow Walt's original plans when building epcot though or when they closed original rides like Mr Toad or 20000 leagues or the skyway. If you want to keep spme of walts ideas, I'd think about his better ideas.
Now my last point on this post- I must be alone in my shock that gators have been spotted on Splash Mt and not an audioanomotronic Brer Gator. Evidently from what I have learned, the gators are much more plentiful now in FL than they were in the early days of WDW when they were scarce. It appears in my view that there is a PROBLEM there and whatever they did in the old days to control that problem must be stepped up and increased many times over today. Is it me or do some seem too defensive of disney in this case?

 

[Planogirl]

Swamp water is dirty or at least seems that way. It's necessary for drainage and for environmental reasons. There's no getting around that. It's truly not complicated.

If there are too many alligators then maybe Disney needs to step up and have more of them removed. They have always been there though and always will be.

 

[5kidsmommy]

OP, I don't think Florida is the place for you. Plain and simple, Florida obviously doesn't bring you much happiness so perhaps you can go to a theme park closer to you. Freak accidents happen in life, it's sad but they happen, you cannot prevent everything.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

To clear up a few things, when I stayed at Disneyland Ca. DCA was open both times. So I was never there before the newer park opened. As I said, I stayed directly across the street and walked across the parking lot to the main entrance. No waiting for shuttles- can't beat that. Then I went to the beach and saw lots of water.
Now more than few people seem upset that I have raised issues of convenience and safety. I didn;t know that I had to LIMIT my point to just one area. I DO think it makes sense on multiple levels so the focus need not be on just one area.

Now some have said that the water has to be there? WHY?
Does it have to be dirty and gator infested too? I get that some water must be there but isn't say 20 acres of clean water better than 100 acres of water with little or no usage? (those are just random numbers not exact of course).
I do realize that Walt's original plan called for the water as he did not want competitive fast food joints and souveneir shops in view of his place as it was in CA. They didn't exactly follow Walt's original plans when building epcot though or when they closed original rides like Mr Toad or 20000 leagues or the skyway. If you want to keep spme of walts ideas, I'd think about his better ideas.
Now my last point on this post- I must be alone in my shock that gators have been spotted on Splash Mt and not an audioanomotronic Brer Gator. Evidently from what I have learned, the gators are much more plentiful now in FL than they were in the early days of WDW when they were scarce. It appears in my view that there is a PROBLEM there and whatever they did in the old days to control that problem must be stepped up and increased many times over today. Is it me or do some seem too defensive of disney in this case?

I think you need to lol at my previous post on page 13. I'm guessing you're from Pennsylvania based on your username. Trust me when I say that the dirty swamp water is needed. Without the swamps, any decent downpour at the parks would cause immense flooding around the property. The reason half of the property is undeveloped is to allow for adequate drainage and natural habitats. Based on your statements, you would be perfectly fine with destroying all of wetlands and the natural habitats and cause a collapse of the ecosystem. Also. I believe there is a requirement for any construction, additional wetlands need to be created to allow for drainage. So the wetlands you want destroyed have been mandated by the reedy creek district. It is within their bylaws that they have wetlands to aid in water management. I understand you may not understand this, but realize that the water serves an invaluable purpose that without, you would not be able to experience Disney World because it would be flooded half of the year and all it would take would be a decent tropical storm to destroy most of the parks.

 

[YawningDodo]

Now some have said that the water has to be there? WHY?
Does it have to be dirty and gator infested too? I get that some water must be there but isn't say 20 acres of clean water better than 100 acres of water with little or no usage? (those are just random numbers not exact of course).

1. Drainage
2. Drainage
3. DRAINAGE
4. DRAINAGE!!!!!

It's almost like you didn't actually read a single one of the replies you're up in arms about.

But okay, now you're changing your tune to say that you want Disney to...let me know if I've got this right...create acres upon acres of pristine man-made lakes with no wildlife or bacteria or mud or nature of any kind in them. I think what you're thinking of there is a swimming pool, and one that (if it were even possible to begin with, and if it wouldn't just get full of birds and wildlife anyway) would get really unsanitary really fast anyway once rainwater and the water they use to power-wash the streets of the park at night drained into it, all full of bird poop and the remains of people's dropped food and the muck from the bottoms of shoes.

Enjoy your swim. Truly you are a visionary.

 

[Bluegrrl]

OMG, I know I have to be being trolled here b/c no reasonable person - no one smart and reasonable - would ever suggest paving over beautiful lakes and lagoons at Disney.

Why do we have lakes in Florida? We are a state of ponds, rivers, lakes and swamps. Google info about Florida's water table - so many sites I cdan't even count. Check out Florida's Sierra club. We sit narrowly balanced like a circus act on a table of water. There is no friggin' way that Orlando or Florida or Disney would ever rip out all that water. It's impossible. And gators come. Gators go. Gators hang out on the edges of swampland, waiting for a handout. That night, something horrible happened. Absolutely terrible.

If we are playing WWWD? then my arm chair quarterback would say he would keep that water. As for DLC, I find it to be very Vegas/I-4 style unless you stay at one of Disney's hotels. There is something to be said about being able to walk directly to your hotel, even if you are staying "off-site". But (and yes, this is horrible to say), passing by the same homeless folk, the same folks hawking cheap souvenirs street side, the cheap food joints, etc, is not my type of vacation. I'm from Chicago originally, but even I felt really unsafe on the streets back and forth from my off-site hotel than I have ever had at Disney. (and the feral cat smell? You want to talk gross, that beats water any day). But that seems more unsafe than one incident that happened once in 45 years. (I am SOOO sorry for that little baby!) Is the water kinda gross? Can't help the swamp effect. But if tourists wouldn't through trash in it (like I have seen) and maybe it might look better. Gators? Maybe Disney should have had a nice warning, maybe they shouldn't have built out on the Poly which may have disturbed the animals?

Disney has to have the water it does because of the environment. You have to have the wetlands, the canals. It all boils down to drainage and keeping the environment. And not only are there gators, there are other endangered animals there. Alligator Gar (a fish), red headed cranes, armadillo, deers, American Eagles, Osprys, even plants that are endangered. Think about that - a swamp plant that is endangered!

Gators hang out on the edges of the water, not in the middle, not really in the deep. Like sharks sometimes do - why do you think so many folks get bit in two feet of water? Cause that's where the babies are! And personally, I stay out of the ocean because, as nice looking as it is, I know I'm not near the top of the predator chain. Not even in the middle!

BTW, what would you do about the birds? Surely you have seen the aggressive birds in Frontierland who dive-bomb people for food? There are signs saying "don't feed" but tourist still feed them.

BTW: As far as I know, Disney took out the air trams/carts because they were expensive to maintain and there were too many workers comps, and people would, as usual, throw things from them. Like idiots. Or like my husband, who would throw the blue mayonnaise from Cosmic Rays onto people.
20k was a slow loader. Check out the Finding Nemo extras and they give you a documentary about the 20k subs.
Mr. Toad - ok, I have no answer. That was an injustice.


OMG, I can't even. I just have to be being trolled. Florida needs our water and we need the parks to be beautiful with lovely water, even if it looks a little swampy. (Or, better yet, come down here and I will show you a REAL gator lake - google Lake Jessup.)

And don't feed our natural wildlife. Just don't since it turns them very very bad.

One more btw, I still feel horrible for the parents of that darling boy.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

All this talk about signs and fences...

The color of the water is more of a deterrent than any sign or fence on the planet.
Why would anyone want to even stick their toe in that stuff???

ETA: Truly, not being sarcastic, I'm not sure how the darn alligators even survive in that putrid water..
Just put a warning sign that doesn't display alligators and snakes, but rather a color picture of the water.

You would think with Disney being so environmentally friendly they would at least attempt some sort of filtration system.

MG

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Yeah that was me,I used to laugh watching those Appliance Direct commercials during trips to Orlando,as time passed they stopped showing them and I changed the avatar,just moved on.There used to be other funny commercials in Orlando that have gone away,I think you can still find some Family auto mart commercials on YouTube,that was another one I liked.

We still have those ads on TV....It's a wakkie nu nu.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

To clear up a few things, when I stayed at Disneyland Ca. DCA was open both times. So I was never there before the newer park opened. As I said, I stayed directly across the street and walked across the parking lot to the main entrance. No waiting for shuttles- can't beat that. Then I went to the beach and saw lots of water.
Now more than few people seem upset that I have raised issues of convenience and safety. I didn;t know that I had to LIMIT my point to just one area. I DO think it makes sense on multiple levels so the focus need not be on just one area.

Now some have said that the water has to be there? WHY?
Does it have to be dirty and gator infested too? I get that some water must be there but isn't say 20 acres of clean water better than 100 acres of water with little or no usage? (those are just random numbers not exact of course).
I do realize that Walt's original plan called for the water as he did not want competitive fast food joints and souveneir shops in view of his place as it was in CA. They didn't exactly follow Walt's original plans when building epcot though or when they closed original rides like Mr Toad or 20000 leagues or the skyway. If you want to keep spme of walts ideas, I'd think about his better ideas.
Now my last point on this post- I must be alone in my shock that gators have been spotted on Splash Mt and not an audioanomotronic Brer Gator. Evidently from what I have learned, the gators are much more plentiful now in FL than they were in the early days of WDW when they were scarce. It appears in my view that there is a PROBLEM there and whatever they did in the old days to control that problem must be stepped up and increased many times over today. Is it me or do some seem too defensive of disney in this case?

The only answer to you at this point is...go to DL, stay out of Fl. I'm defensive of Fl, WDW is a part of Fl. I grew up here, it's my home. We have tried our best to inform you and all you want to do is go in circles. WDW is obviously not going to satisfy your crazy, yep crazy, ideas to make YOU feel safer or make it more convenient for you.

 

[IrishNYC]

You would think with Disney being so environmentally friendly they would at least attempt some sort of filtration system.

MG

Filtered water would destroy the environment for the plants and animals that need what lives in that gross water.

 

[Hikergirl]

Filtered water would destroy the environment for the plants and animals that need what lives in that gross water.

Yes! Filtered water isn't environmentally friendly to anyone other than us.
And Disney has plenty of filtered water bodies for us to enjoy, they are called swimming pools.

 

[pa. dad]

A hypothetical question:
If you made the Seven seas lagoon like the 3 or 4 seas lagoon (not convinced that ALL that water is needed for drainage) and you made the other half a parking lot close to the MK. How many people would park close to the MK, avoid the TTC and avoid the ferry ride and/or the monorail ride through the Contemporary? And how many people would still park at the TTC and continue to take the ferry and stay true to the original vision?
My guess is 90% of the people would park up close and wave to you people on the ferry.

And I do realize that people littering contributes to the overall poor water quality. that is bound to happen when you have the staggering number ofvisitirs that they get. But water can be cleaned and maybe if you had a little less water and/or they did a better job of cleaning it, they'd be able to use that water for swimming and other things not just to look at it and use it as a pretty backdrop for photos.

 

[Angel Ariel]

No waiting for shuttles- can't beat that. Then I went to the beach and saw lots of water.

The beach and swamp land are 2 entirely different things.

Now some have said that the water has to be there? WHY?
Does it have to be dirty and gator infested too? I get that some water must be there but isn't say 20 acres of clean water better than 100 acres of water with little or no usage? (those are just random numbers not exact of course).

Many people have politely explained that in this thread, and you continue to dismiss their reasons. It's clear at this point that you aren't going to believe any reasoning that anyone here gives. So at this point, google it. Do some research into the FL ecosystem. Find whatever information you need to accept that a large portion of WDW's proprety is required to be maintained as wilderness preserve. Wilderness in FL = gators and other animals.

Now my last point on this post- I must be alone in my shock that gators have been spotted on Splash Mt and not an audioanomotronic Brer Gator. Evidently from what I have learned, the gators are much more plentiful now in FL than they were in the early days of WDW when they were scarce. It appears in my view that there is a PROBLEM there and whatever they did in the old days to control that problem must be stepped up and increased many times over today. Is it me or do some seem too defensive of disney in this case?

Gators in the water at Splash or the Rivers of America is not new. This didn't just start happening in the last few months or something. It's gone on for years, and you don't hear about it because the system Disney has in place takes care of them. Guests are not unsafe riding Splash, or going to Tom Sawyer's Island, etc. Gators weren't as prevalent in the early days of WDW *not* because of anything WDW was doing, but because their population was severely low and they were on the endangered species list. WDW is not allowed, by the law that protects these species, to return them to the population levels of the early days of WDW.

This isn't a matter of defending Disney, but accepting nature for what it is. It is not physically possible to rid WDW property of gators. Bottom line. It's not possible. The measures you're suggesting might rid them for a little while, but this is the gators' home. They will return. And it's illegal to just extinguish the species (not to mention all kinds of immoral, etc).

Rather than expecting Disney to keep everyone safe at all times, it is the responsibility of guests to be aware of their surroundings and have a healthy respect for the natural habitat they are in. And that includes the gators. Learn about them, learn how to avoid them, and for the love of everything that is good, do not feed them!