The Reason You Can't Swim In Bay Lake...

[OKW Lover]

I'm tempted to say that the reason you can't swim in Bay Lake (or Seven Seas Lagoon) is that Disney hasn't figured out how to charge you for it.

 

[Feralpeg]

You know you would think when you check in at the resorts with the lakes they would remind you not to swim in them, since most people aren't DIS board folks that know not to swim there I mean, I am like Pegy, why would you want to swim in the nasty lake, when you have some of the most beautiful pools at your disposal.

I would never swim in a lake anywhere for any reason anyway.

Suzanne

There are signs posted on the beaches.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

Lake Erie is similar.

A few years ago, a friend and I stayed at the Hotel Breakers in Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. They have a beach front similar to GF/Poly and we went down to the shore and it was DISGUSTING.

There is a lot of traffic on that lake, and there is no outlet for all the grime. I, for one, am NOT upset about not being able to swim in that lake. Blachhhk!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

There are signs posted on the beaches.

I know that, but from the looks of it in that picture, some people CAN'T or DIDN'T read them. I would think it would be in the best interest of Disney to reiterate it at check in. It doesn't bother me for someone else to do wrong, I won't be the one that is sick

Suzanne

 

[Mickey_for_President]

A bit...

I actually had meningitis about three years ago. They said that my immune system was weakened during my midterms (because I basically don't sleep during any exam times). I was not dating and had no social life at the time (single mom with exclusive custody of a 4 year old and 2 year old) so I didn't get it from kissing a bunch of college boys... lol. It was a miracle that neither kid contracted it. Their immune systems must rock. Anyhow... I walked around for two days feeling like I was on my deathbed while the ER staff, which I visited three times, either told me I had a migraine headache or was faking it to get pain pills. I actually had to beg staff at midnight for a spinal tap... which was the best pain ever... b/c when you are ill like that, all you want is an answer. I was hospitalized for four days before they identified that it was the viral type which is less fatal. I slept around the clock. I was cordoned off... people had to wear a mask and suit just to enter my room until they determined it was viral. If I had died it would have been a very peaceful way to go... because the fatigue from meningitis makes you so relaxed and out-of-it.

 

[longing2Batdisney]

This is scary - Think I will avoid the FW Beach area and not take the chance of my 4 year old ds getting into/near the water.

This is a fresh water parasite; the water at FWB in the gulf of mexico is very salty. There maybe other reasons not to let a 4 yr old go; i.e. jellyfish, sharks (we saw a black tip not 5 yds from the shore last year).

 

[pickles]

Lake Erie is similar.

A few years ago, a friend and I stayed at the Hotel Breakers in Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. They have a beach front similar to GF/Poly and we went down to the shore and it was DISGUSTING.

There is a lot of traffic on that lake, and there is no outlet for all the grime. I, for one, am NOT upset about not being able to swim in that lake. Blachhhk!

many, many moons ago, my parents rented a cabin on lake ontario. The cabins toilets etc.. drained into the lake..near the edge of the water.9I assume they went thru some septic tank or other process first there were no "solids") The 'sand" was a soft odd texture, you had to get thru that to get out to the water where you swam etc.. luckily I was young enough I didn;t care, but it was gross.

Who knows if they still do it that way today

 

[kangaroodle]

He did the NYC tri last summer & a guy from Argentina that he was swimming right next to actually died right in front of him b/c there were so many jelly-fish in the water (hudson river ) stinging the swimmers & this guy was allergic to the stings and had an anaphalaxic reaction. They pulled the guy out but it was too late. Sad.[/QUOTE]


This is true! One of my very good friends was also swimming next to this guy and told me the whole story when he came home! I had 3 friends do that Triathlon and 2 got stung several times themselves!

 

[MNRMommy]

I'm tempted to say that the reason you can't swim in Bay Lake (or Seven Seas Lagoon) is that Disney hasn't figured out how to charge you for it.

Thanks for the laugh but who is going to clean up the rootbeer I just spit all over my monitor?

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

The real question here is why don't guests pay attention to and heed the warning signs that have been posted about no swimming?

If something happens to them, it's their own fault. If they were warned, they will pay the consequences.

 

[Klowee]

ok...completely ignorant (and probably stupid) questions here...

What makes the alligators not come up on the beaches of the resorts? How did they get there to begin with? Do all bodies of water down there have alligators? I guess that I would have assumed that the lakes there were man made by Disney and wouldn't have alligators in them, or God knows what else.

I live in Washington State, way out in the woods. Our neighbor saw a cougar the other day and we know there are black bears and other wildlife around...but they don't really come around us.

I was looking at the pictures of the hammocks by the water and thinking how wonderful it is going to be for my ds and I to go relax and swing in the hammock and look at the water...now all I can think about is Crocodile Dundee where that stupid croc lunges out of the water and almost eats her.

So much for relaxing...

Please inform the uninformed. LOL

 

[dolphindan1]

Not to mention the alligators...

I doubt this is the reason....Gators are really shy animals and will usually leave people alone...Also the more activity in the area the less likely you are to see a gator...

I live in SC on a lake born and raised and not once have we ever had a problem with gators...We know they are there too...We see them at night right where we were swimming that day....

 

[dolphindan1]

ok...completely ignorant (and probably stupid) questions here...

What makes the alligators not come up on the beaches of the resorts? How did they get there to begin with? Do all bodies of water down there have alligators? I guess that I would have assumed that the lakes there were man made by Disney and wouldn't have alligators in them, or God knows what else.

I live in Washington State, way out in the woods. Our neighbor saw a cougar the other day and we know there are black bears and other wildlife around...but they don't really come around us.

I was looking at the pictures of the hammocks by the water and thinking how wonderful it is going to be for my ds and I to go relax and swing in the hammock and look at the water...now all I can think about is Crocodile Dundee where that stupid croc lunges out of the water and almost eats her.

So much for relaxing...

Please inform the uninformed. LOL

Gators will travel miles to find water, they are also terrritorial so if a gator is beaten by a stronger gator the weaker gator will go find its own area of water...thats the basic reason, they can live out of water as long as needed....think a frog....just because a body of water isnt connected to a another body of water doesnt mean there is not a gator in it...

As far as coming on the beach...too many people on the beaches...Alligators are naturally shy animals and will tend to stay away from people and activity....that being said if they are fed by humans then they are just like bears...humans equals food...also the mothers are very protective of there eggs and there young so if you come between them watch out...but overall you really have nothing to fear from a gator...I have been skiing and fell right basically on top of them....no issue...the boats and noise will scare them away....

I am willing to bet that its rare to see one in the busy areas of Bay Lake but if you move away from the resorts and the noise you will see them...

I read somewhere that the fake gators on the train ride sometimes get attacked by real gators....I would love to see that...

 

[dolphindan1]

ok...completely ignorant (and probably stupid) questions here...

What makes the alligators not come up on the beaches of the resorts? How did they get there to begin with? Do all bodies of water down there have alligators? I guess that I would have assumed that the lakes there were man made by Disney and wouldn't have alligators in them, or God knows what else.

I live in Washington State, way out in the woods. Our neighbor saw a cougar the other day and we know there are black bears and other wildlife around...but they don't really come around us.

I was looking at the pictures of the hammocks by the water and thinking how wonderful it is going to be for my ds and I to go relax and swing in the hammock and look at the water...now all I can think about is Crocodile Dundee where that stupid croc lunges out of the water and almost eats her.

So much for relaxing...

Please inform the uninformed. LOL

Dont compare a gator to a croc...

Gators naturally shy

Crocs are naturally agressive

There are American Crocs but they are, I am almost positive, exclusice to the Southern tip of Florida in the Everglades and Keys area

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/american-crocodile.html

 

[dolphindan1]

Alligator attacks on humans average about a dozen a year, officials say, although no one in Florida has been killed by an alligator in more than three years. The last fatality occurred in June 1988, when a 4-year-old girl was attacked by a 10-foot-long alligator as she walked through shallow water along the shore of a lake in Englewood.

"If you consider that this state has 13 million people and at least a million alligators and that those people spend a lot of time around water, the number of potential instances of interaction is enormous," said Kent Vliet, an alligator expert at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Yet we end up with only a handful of serious incidents, and that is because alligators are extremely shy and mild-mannered for a large crocodilian."


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa...A35753C1A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=alla

 

[dolphindan1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Alligator

 

[dolphindan1]

Gators dont kill many people but in recent years we have creeped more and more into there territory...Kinda like sharks are Bears....I would say a gator is the more docile of the 3....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_alligator_attacks_in_the_United_States_by_decade

 

[Uncleromulus]

One of my best Disney memories was staying at the Poly in the "old days" and just grabbing a lounge chair and taking it out to the shallow part of the Lake and spending a few relaxing hours. When it got too hot, just roll off into the water!! We did that on a daily basis on 4 week-long trips in a row, with no problems whatsoever.
Back then a small part of the shallow area was roped off, the bottom cleared and lots of white sand.
OF course that was then and this is now. Something must have changed.

 

[dolphindan1]

ok...completely ignorant (and probably stupid) questions here...

What makes the alligators not come up on the beaches of the resorts? How did they get there to begin with? Do all bodies of water down there have alligators? I guess that I would have assumed that the lakes there were man made by Disney and wouldn't have alligators in them, or God knows what else.

I live in Washington State, way out in the woods. Our neighbor saw a cougar the other day and we know there are black bears and other wildlife around...but they don't really come around us.

I was looking at the pictures of the hammocks by the water and thinking how wonderful it is going to be for my ds and I to go relax and swing in the hammock and look at the water...now all I can think about is Crocodile Dundee where that stupid croc lunges out of the water and almost eats her.

So much for relaxing...

Please inform the uninformed. LOL

Gators can be in any type body of water, to a big mud puddle to a pool...However you are least likely yo find them in fast moving water, they can still be there but less likely....

I would look at like this...I would being from the south would think that bears would only be in the woods, but we know thats not true...imagine anywhere you think a bear can go and that will basically hold true for a Gator...make sense

 

[Schmeck]

We've spotted gators in the drainage ditches of the roadsides on WDW property. Just another reason why people are discouraged to go jogging on the roads at WDW (few/no sidewalks as well.)

Lake swimming was permitted in the past because info about Naegleria wasn't as well publicized as it is now.