Bay Lake & Seven Seas Lagoon Swimming??

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eroller

New Member
It's been quite a few years since I've been to WDW, and I've been reading that swimming is no longer allowed in Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon.

I'm just curious why this is no longer safe, and was it really safe when swimming was allowed? As a child, I loved swimming in the lakes from the beaches of the Contemporary and Polynesian Village hotels. I'm curious just when this was stopped, and for what reason?

Also, is water skiing still allowed, and if so, do you have to wear a wet suit since in essence you will be swimming in the lake?

One last question! Since River Country is really part of Bay Lake, is this the reason it was closed.... due to unsafe swimming conditions in the lake?

Ok... I lied... one more! :) I remember when fishing was also allowed in Bay Lake from FW. I believe Disney stocked the lakes with fish when they were originally drained, cleaned, and refilled (also making Seven Seas Lagoon in the process out of a swamp). Are there still fish in the lake, and is fishing still allowed (of course I know you always have to throw the fish back.... as least this was the rule in the past)?

Thanks so much for all your help with these questions. I'm really impressed with all the WDW knowledge on this board!

Best regards,
Ernie Roller
Atlanta
 
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T

TURKEY

New Member
Water Skiing is allowed, not sure on the wet suits, but I would think you have to have them.

River Country just wasn't that great of park. It seems like people want more and more thrill slides/rides in the water parks just like theme parks. The water wasn't that great and was pretty dirty.

Fishing is still allowed.

As far as swimming from the beaches, it's not that great of idea. The water is probally very nasty (I don't have reports of what's in it), but just think of what would be in it. I'm pretty sure that you'll find a good number of alligators in the water. I'd rather not take the chances.
 
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Sherm00

New Member
Originally posted by turkey leg boy
Water Skiing is allowed, not sure on the wet suits, but I would think you have to have them.

River Country just wasn't that great of park. It seems like people want more and more thrill slides/rides in the water parks just like theme parks. The water wasn't that great and was pretty dirty.

Fishing is still allowed.

As far as swimming from the beaches, it's not that great of idea. The water is probally very nasty (I don't have reports of what's in it), but just think of what would be in it. I'm pretty sure that you'll find a good number of alligators in the water. I'd rather not take the chances.
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yeah in floriday they have gator services. I am pretty sure that disney gets rid of them when spotted but you never know.
 
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TURKEY

New Member
Originally posted by Sherm00


yeah in floriday they have gator services. I am pretty sure that disney gets rid of them when spotted but you never know.
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I'm pretty sure they leave the alligators alone as long as they aren't in guest areas. Only then will Disney move the alligators themselves.
 
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Cosmo

Cosmo

Member
considering that that area of the parks has now been open for 31 years, i seriously doubt that there are (or ever were) any alligators in that water. Just because this is florida does not mean that we have alligators walking la-de-da down the streets. Those bodies of water (one of them man-made) are surrounded by buildings and developments and its not like an alligator is just going to stroll through the polynesian to take a dip in seven seas lagoon. The reason for the ban on swimming is probably due to ameobic infestation of the water. It does happen sometime in central florida. A kid died last year (though not at disney) due to complications of exposure to ameobas (it was in orldando, but at some public lake). Waterskiing is still allowed while swimming is not probably because ameobas will usually reside in the silt (read muck) at the bottom of lakes. If you go swimming, you're walking on that muck and stirring it up, releasing amoebas into the water around you which can then get into your gi tract or other areas you'd rather not have them. When you go waterskiing, you're out in the middle of the lake and will probably never touch the bottom and therefore not stir up the muck and wake the nasty amoebas. A wet suit won't make any difference whatsoever unless you're covering your nose, mouth and ears too (space suit anyone???). All of this probably also relates to why river country is closed. Sorry this was so long, hope it helped.:wave:
 
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DisneyKrazed

DisneyKrazed

New Member
Is there a way to treat eather of the lakes for amebas or will it just turn into one giant pool? It's a shame people can't go in the lakes anymore we've got those pesky micro organisms to deal with.
 
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Lance

Lance

Active Member
I'm a former Bay Lake swimmer from years past, my dad would always take us to the FW beach and go out to where the end marker's were. It was always very clean, I never worried, it was a great time.......of course now they have those stupid "no swimming" signs posted all around both lakes.......

Discovery:

I was at FW about a week ago, and there was a private party down by the volleyball nets.....and there had to be about 50 people in the water out to the signs, now the signs are about 10 feet from the beach no farther, but there still were kids up to their necks in the water.........so I guess it's ok to go in the water, but you can't actually go like "lap" swimming in the water? Same thing was true for the POLY, I saw numerous kids in the water, and making sand castles, so the lake water problem can't be VERY serious, I just think Disney wants to stray away from any lawsuits from drownings and all that stuff.....
 
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Cosmo

Cosmo

Member
I don't know anything about the swimming at ft. wilderness maybe they're not supposed to? Don't know, i just know that there have been no swimming signs up for a while and i'm making a guess as to the reasons. I wouldn't think the lawsuit issue would be that strong, i'd think you'd be more likely to drown while waterskiing or something like that, but who knows.

You can't treat ameobas in water like you do mosquito larvae. The amount of chemicals you'd need and their strengths would most like poison the plant life and other fishies and birds and i would imagine it wouldn't do humans too much good either. Remember, amoebas were here before humans...probably before any other living thing...they're not going to go away without a fight! One way to do it -this is complete fantasy, but would be pretty cool- would be to turn the lakes into salt water! The only problem with that (and with using chemicals) is that the natural lake probably connects somewhere into the florida aquifer (the source for all the drinking water/fresh water in florida) and then you'd contaminate the water for probably 100's of miles. Better just to tell people "DON'T SWIM" and provide them with ample pools with slides for the kids and daquiris for the adults! :lol:
 
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Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
Swimming isn't allowed bcause there is a natural forming bacteria that grows in Florida's lakes. If you are overexposed to this bacteria, it can be harmful to your health. You are allowed to wade in the water, but not swim.

Water skiing is allowed but it is something you have to pay for (expeditions leave from the contemporary). It is not something you can just do.

The mystery of River Country is...well a Mystery. I think it was partially done due to low attendance and the lake water problem, but only Disney really knows.

There is still fishing, but I don't know if there is beach fishing. I know they have early morning fishing expeditions.
 
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Cosmo

Cosmo

Member
well, they're treated for mosquitos and stuff, but we're talking about bacteria and amoebas and microbes. The water's not sterile!:lol:
 
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bearboysnc

bearboysnc

Well-Known Member
I don't understand the fascination with swimming in lakes.

I could understand if you lived in the middle of nowhere, and had no other options. But why would you want to swim in that skanky water when there are at least 50 clean pools on property?
 
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RobFL

RobFL

Account Suspended
Originally posted by bearboysnc
I don't understand the fascination with swimming in lakes.

I could understand if you lived in the middle of nowhere, and had no other options. But why would you want to swim in that skanky water when there are at least 50 clean pools on property?
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Lake swimming is common for those who live in landlocked states ;)

I used to hang out in a creek for fun when I went up nrth to visit relatives. Down here in FL though, if you swim in a river, lake, creek, or anything besides a pool or water park, or occasionally the beach, people begin to question your sanity. Down here, they're more stagnent pools with algae blooms then fresh water from the spring melt on the nearby peaks ;)

-Rob
 
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dreamer

dreamer

New Member
Florida lakes have a bacteria call neigleria, which rarely causes fatal infections in water skiers who fall so that the water is forced up their nose. Rarely it can infect the nasal tissue then invade upward to the brain. That, however, wouldn't explain the ban on beach swimming. I used to ski in N Florida and never worried about it. I was real concerned about gators however. I saw too many of them when I lived there.

I don't know about amoeba. Are they banning swimming in all Central Florida lakes nowadays?

I would bet there are alligators in those lakes, although I don't know if that's the reason they ban swimming. Alligators show up in Florida lakes all the time -- in the middle of suburban areas. There was a gator in the canal by the Beach Club Villas two weeks ago. We saw him every morning.

I would guess that they don't allow swimming because the cost of providing lifeguards and other safety precautions wasn't warranted by the number of guests that actually swam in the lakes. Most people swim in the pools.
 
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Yellow Shoes

Yellow Shoes

Well-Known Member
Last year there were CMs in boats keeping people out of the water in the lagoon at Caribbean Beach.

Kids could play in the sand, but if they so much as stuck a toe in the water, here came the boat.
 
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Lance

Lance

Active Member
Originally posted by dreamer

I would guess that they don't allow swimming because the cost of providing lifeguards and other safety precautions wasn't warranted by the number of guests that actually swam in the lakes. Most people swim in the pools.
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Yeah, I agree with that, but then again, did they ever have lifeguards, I don't remember any??? Just wondering, not trying to prove you wrong, but I don't think there were any lifeguards, then again I was only around 7 or 8, so I don't have the best recollection......
 
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M

MicBat

Well-Known Member
The last time I swam in the lakes was in 1997. When I went back in 1998, swimming was no longer allowed. When I stayed at the Contemporary in 1999, we had our own "private" lake (or at least it seemed like it) right off of our patio. We (obviously) stayed in one of the wings not in the tower.:hammer: The water seemed so peaceful under a large shade of trees, but there was also trash (cups, popcorn containers, etc) floating around in it. I would never want to swim in it now! :hurl:
 
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D

Dr Albert Falls

New Member
As a wise teacher once told me...

"If something doesn't make sense, its because of MONEY."

In today's legal culture, Disney would need to spend big $$ hiring lifeguards for each beach. But slap up a "no swimming" sign and Disney is legally covered.

Although algae and amoeba CAN cause illness, it only occurs during certain periods of the year under certain weather conditions. You CAN swim in Florida lakes. The problem is knowing WHEN. That would require numerous biologists on staff to routinely monitor the water. Again, $$$.

River Country closed-- not because of lake problems-- but because of $$$. The cost of staffing and maintaining River Country outweighed the financial gains generated by its limited capacity. More people can be entertained at the other parks for a more reasonable cost.
 
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celticdog

celticdog

Well-Known Member
According to the Birnbaum guides, the reason for not allowing swimming is because of the significant amount of boat traffic on both lakes. It's hard enough to keep out of another boater's way without then having to dodge swimmers.

River Country's waterways are kept separated by ropes.
 
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