Poll What was your alligator awareness?

[disney world dreamer]

i've been going to florida since i was in the womb.
we not only went to disney when i was growing up but also places like silver springs, weeki wachee springs, homosassa springs, cypress gardens... so i was always well aware of alligators.
so i've always known there's a possibility of them at disney but just never really thought about them while there.

 

[englishrose47]

Polling a Disney discussion board after an alligator attack will have skewed results. Certainly people who didn't think about them before are aware now. Many of those people will say they were aware/thinking about them before the attack, but it is almost impossible to confirm the validity of the mindset pre-attack. In addition, since it is on a Disney discussion board, the assumption is you are polling a group significantly more educated in Disney World than the average guess. In short, I would assume the general awareness is at least 10 points worse than the poll results and the probably is vastly underestimating the difference.

You are so right !! I knew about alligators in Florid BUT not at Disney other than on the Safari!! Now I am very well aware as is most everyone !!

 

[goofyernmost]

I definitely positively knew alligators existed in Florida, IMO in today's day of social media, youtube with the alligators being filmed randomly in people's houses, inground pools and golf courses, I think most people in the country would know nowadays that alligators are in Florida.....but...actually, myself I would have not known that they are living in the lagoon by Magic Kingdom. I guess I live in the happiest place in the world bubble.

I am originally from Vermont, so if any alligators existed there they would be frozen stiff. I did know about them even as a kid and I knew that they were in WDW, but, like someone said they don't usually hang around people if they don't have too. In this case I think it is a direct result of guest feeding them that attracted them to that part of the property. They usually stay in pretty isolated areas. The ones seen in the parks are more then likely lost souls that took a wrong turn in Albuquerque. Disney, overall, does a good job of keeping them away from their populated areas, but, there are millions of gators in Florida, so understandably, it can be an impossible task to keep them all away. This was a freak incident and I believe that after 44 years this is the first fatal encounter that I am aware of. Some have been surprised or been in the wrong place at the wrong time and have had scary encounters with them, but, usually nothing more the being frightened.

It's a sad thing to have happened, but, I think that if they can find a way to keep brain dead tourists from feeding them for their amusement, it might be the only one, especially in that area. The problem is keeping control of the brain dead. More signage and more complete descriptions of what can happen if they kept on feeding them, might go a long way in preventing this from being an ongoing problem.

It might be a bit of a downer for us to see lots of signs and warning in the, so called, Happiest Place on Earth, but, it is a small price to pay if it can eliminate the terrible tragedy that this place gave one unfortunate family.

 

[nerdydisneygirl90]

I'm from Florida and know that if there is a body of water there is a very good chance alligators will be there. For Disney specifically I knew they were there, I have never seen one myself but have heard the stories/seen pics.

 

[perkinsrose]

Yes. Of course this is a very small sect of the public with a skewed perspective influenced by emotions, experience, etc. Just interested in seeing the succinct percentages. I know I can say how I felt/was aware or unaware and quite sure that some people change their view in hindsight but interested anyway how that will be shown in responses. This is by no means a scientific study.

Clarification: Yes this poll is of disboard members after- the- fact. The question is posed in past tense so I had been asking what WAS your awareness of alligators (meant to insinuate prior to tragedy) for those that can recall / relate that state of mind. I suppose I could have made that clear.

My interest in the poll was to see succinctly a snapshot breakdown of some of the disboard perspective minus all of the back and forth arguing and vitriol of all the other stuff; attacks on parenting, specifics of definitions of swimming, is Disney at fault, etc.

Obviously, you're welcome to ignore or pass on by if think it is pointless, statistically inaccurate, etc.

Thanks for those answering and responding.

 

[rwcmath]

Years ago ( in the 1980's)we stayed at FW and the Meadows Trading store had a poster with a gigantic alligator on it. The alligator had been on the grounds. The poster was taken down years ago, but the image has remained with us.

About 4 years ago, we alerted a CM about an alligator that was by the Liberty Tavern, in the water near the paddle boat. We were told it would be removed.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I am from the Midwest and have never ever ever let my kids wade in the water there, mainly because of the brain eating bacteria but also because of gators. As a teenager when doing the WDWCP, I didn't even put my feet in the water.

 

[Kathryn777]

I am from Canada but live in SC. I knew there were gators there, BUT I had never heard of one attacking a child. I am always cautious of my dogs but never dreamed that my kids were at risk

 

[Rylee]

poll: What WAS your alligator awareness?
(prior to all the media attention and tragedy of recent weeks)

I saw "Tripod," a 3 legged alligator, nicknamed by CMs, in the water near Frontierland, in Magic Kingdom. When I pointed him out to a couple of different CMs, their response was, "Oh yeah, that's Tripod." I watched him for a long time and wondered what would keep him from roaming onto TSI. I had also seen the video of the alligator near Splash Mt.

I'm from Central NY, and have been traveling to FL and Disney World for 42 years, (since I was in my early teens.) I have ALWAYS been aware there are alligators in Florida, and therefore, at Walt Disney World.