Old Grand Floridian pic in cruise brochure?

[Gillian]

Ok, I admit it. I've never read the DCL brochure! My 2 year old watches the video at least weekly (Mickey boat! Mickey boat!) but we've never even glanced at the book.

I got a new (?) one in the mail today & finally took a look. Had to read it to DS On page 52 there's this picture of the Grand Floridian with people swimming in the lake. So, exactly how old is that picture? When did they last allow swimming there? It's pretty silly

 

[Michelle]

LOL, Gillian -- good eyes! You know what, they have used that photo of the GF since the 2001-2002 brochure, and you're right, not accurate at all!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

We visited the GF last year and I noticed the "No Swimming" signs. I thought that was kinda' odd since they have the beautiful sandy beach. When did they no longer allow swimming in the lake there? And why?

 

[Michelle]

Dave, the lake is full of some pretty nasty bacteria and other stuff you don't want to be swimming in. They haven't allowed swimming in the resort water areas at WDW for LONG time, not sure how long, but it's been many years.

 

[Gillian]

The people in the water look so happy. Don't tell them about the nasty stuff!

 

[pal2pluto]

You mean Disney polluted their own lake????? Wow, that's something I'm sure they don't want to advertise.....wonder how they get away with it

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

There are lots of naturally occuring bacteria especially in tropical and near tropical inland type waters such as these. Lots of plant life around there. These aren't always compatible with humans but can't necessarily be called pollution.

Since we don't know what bacteria is being found, I'm willing to put on my pixie dust colored glasses on this one. Still not swimming in the lake though!

Deb

 

[Dave in the Frozen North]

I got a kick out of this discussion cause I've also giggled at the pictures of the "swimming" at the lagoon - the lovely female model sitting with her feet in the lagoon while the Pool CM delivers her Pina Colada out from the beach.....yeah right!

It was my impression as well that the Seven Seas Lagoon, while having a wonderful name, is only a large man-made collection pond filled with regulated incoming and outgoing waters from the groundwater swamps that surround WDW. A few years back I went on one of the old Disney Institute canoeing programs which went on one of the irrigation canals out back behind the Magic Kingdom. If I recall correctly, as we paddled through the dark brown water teeming with little gators, we were told that the Disney water engineers have, since WDW was created, engineered this amazing (but sometimes criticized by environmental groups) water control system that feeds or drains all of those natural looking waterways, ponds and lakes that make up WDW's aqua design.

And I believe THAT is what feeds the Lagoon. And since it's filled with all of the wild and wonderful bacteria and algae and and thousands of water inhabitants that grow and prosper in the warm Florida weather, I'm not sure I would want to swim in it.

And if a gazillion little amoebas aren't enough to keep me out of the water, I think the occasional gator that slips through the control dams and gates that surround the water area are enough to have ME doing my belly flops in the new Grand Floridian pool and not in the picturesque waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Dave in the Frozen North

(Who lives in very simlar swamp land (called muskeg) that differs from the Florida Swamp only by the fact that it's frozen 8 months of the year. Oh yeah, and we also deduct the Gators and add the beavers!!)

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Ok Dave in the Frozen North...you must explain the origin of that term muskeg please. I have a burning curiosity because we live in a town called Muskegon! We've always heard it derived from an Ojibway word but no one really seems to know what word! Being on the shores of Lake Michigan we do have a lot of wet land - so I'm guessing some connection?

Deb