1500 Women swimming in bay lake?!??!

Rob562

Well-Known Member
The amoeba/bacteria/whatever-it-is that makes swimming in freshwater lakes throughout Florida (not just in WDW) unsafe really only attacks people who have weakened or under-developed immune systems, like children, the elderly or those with immunno-deficiency diseases. Most healthy immune systems would be able to fight it off.

But rather than just saying "if you're in good health, you can swim. If you're too young, old or sick, you can't", Disney put an all-out ban on swimming in the lakes.

Plus, the bacteria/whatever lives in the sediment in the bottom of the lake. I don't know the specifics of the WDW triathalon, but most of the swimming is out in the deep water of the lake, and for entry and exit they may have a system in place where the swimmers enter and exit the water away from shore so that noone touches the bottom and stirs up the bacteria.

-Rob
 

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
I have also heard that the bacteria is really only dangerous in larger doses as well. I also think that Disney chose to stop the swimming because of how much traffic has been created in the water. There are boats everywhere now, much more than there were in the earlier days of Bay Lake.
 

sbkline

Well-Known Member
The amoeba/bacteria/whatever-it-is that makes swimming in freshwater lakes throughout Florida (not just in WDW) unsafe really only attacks people who have weakened or under-developed immune systems, like children, the elderly or those with immunno-deficiency diseases. Most healthy immune systems would be able to fight it off.

But rather than just saying "if you're in good health, you can swim. If you're too young, old or sick, you can't", Disney put an all-out ban on swimming in the lakes.

Plus, the bacteria/whatever lives in the sediment in the bottom of the lake. I don't know the specifics of the WDW triathalon, but most of the swimming is out in the deep water of the lake, and for entry and exit they may have a system in place where the swimmers enter and exit the water away from shore so that noone touches the bottom and stirs up the bacteria.

-Rob

I'd be more concerned about Alligators than anything else. I realize that it's Disney and all, but I don't see how they can possibly stop alligators from creeping into their waters, seeing as how they're located on swampland.
 

Figment632

New Member
I'd be more concerned about Alligators than anything else. I realize that it's Disney and all, but I don't see how they can possibly stop alligators from creeping into their waters, seeing as how they're located on swampland.

Yea and I heard a could of hippos escaped from the Jungle Cruise.
 

DawnBerg

Active Member
I'd be more concerned about Alligators than anything else. I realize that it's Disney and all, but I don't see how they can possibly stop alligators from creeping into their waters, seeing as how they're located on swampland.
That would be my thought also since we actually saw an alligator in the Magic Kingdom a few years back. He was just swimming around in the lake and not bothering anyone but the CM's were on to him. They were walking around on the bridges and stuff keeping an eye on him. He was maybe 3 or 4 feet long not big at all but I guess they didn't care for all the attention he was getting. We have him on video for maybe 10 minutes lol. I was talking to one of the CM's who told me they would just watch him since he was under five feet. Needless to say I am a Floridian myself and would not go near the lakes or canals or anything else without paying close attention to what else would be swimming there.:eek:
 

sbkline

Well-Known Member
That would be my thought also since we actually saw an alligator in the Magic Kingdom a few years back. He was just swimming around in the lake and not bothering anyone but the CM's were on to him. They were walking around on the bridges and stuff keeping an eye on him. He was maybe 3 or 4 feet long not big at all but I guess they didn't care for all the attention he was getting. We have him on video for maybe 10 minutes lol. I was talking to one of the CM's who told me they would just watch him since he was under five feet. Needless to say I am a Floridian myself and would not go near the lakes or canals or anything else without paying close attention to what else would be swimming there.:eek:

Ya, I think a good rule of thumb to go by in Florida is that if it isn't a swimming pool or the ocean, then don't get in the water. I've heard that gators can and do get in pretty much any body of water down there and that when it comes to ponds, lakes, etc, they could be pretty much anywhere, anytime.
 

TURKEY

New Member
Ya, I think a good rule of thumb to go by in Florida is that if it isn't a swimming pool or the ocean, then don't get in the water. I've heard that gators can and do get in pretty much any body of water down there and that when it comes to ponds, lakes, etc, they could be pretty much anywhere, anytime.


They get in pools all the time as well especially with it being so dry. It's causing all the ponds, creeks, etc to dry up.
 

sbkline

Well-Known Member
They get in pools all the time as well especially with it being so dry. It's causing all the ponds, creeks, etc to dry up.

True. But at least with a pool, you can see the bottom and know if there's anything in there that shouldn't be...as opposed to a murky pond or lake where you have no idea what kind of critters you're swimming with.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
True. But at least with a pool, you can see the bottom and know if there's anything in there that shouldn't be...as opposed to a murky pond or lake where you have no idea what kind of critters you're swimming with.

And thats also a reason why its harder to lifeguard in a lake. Most WDW pools, if not all, are already "walkable" over the entire pool by an average height adult. LIght colored bottoms in the pool make it easy to spot anything on the bottom, and guard towers with overlapping fields of vision make it safer. I can see Disney not wanting a drowning death on property.

-dave
 

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