Bay Lake & Seven Seas Lagoon Swimming??

E

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
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
G

Grimone24

New Member
I just was reading old threads so I decided I would clear things up! They do not allow swimming in the lakes for two reasons! 1. In late 1997 two boys were swimming in a nearby lake off Disney property and one turned up dead two days later. Florida lakes have a micro organism, believe this or not that live in muck at the bottom. These get stirred up and if they get into your nose they can go into your brain and kill you in a matter of hours. Little else is known and it is rare. Disney would be in deep crap if this happened here so they keep people out of all non filtered water now!

2nd there are alligators in all of the lakes and Disney only removes them if they get near hotel areas. I have seen them by the Swan and Dolphin and they have them in bay lake! They use concrete like walls under the shoreline that go out rather than up. This prevents them from going on land! If you ask Disney they will even tell you this and tell you also not to worry! They claim they are timid and scared of people! I wouldent take a chance eighther but would be more worried about the micro organism.

This whole thing happened on a trip there in eary 97 and we asked a CM why no swimming is allowed. They then later the next year closed all the lakes to swimming!
 
Upvote 0
gsansone

gsansone

Member
I think there are many reasons swimming has been stopped in the lakes. A) drowning lawsuits. We're a far more litigious society. We sue over the most insane reasons, like not having enough fun and coffee that's too hot. B) health hazards swimming in the water, which brings you back to A. C) Does anyone realize how much boat traffic there is on those lakes? Transport, shuttles, fishing, pleasure, fun, ferries. Too dangerous. Someone buzzing around in one of those little speed boats could kill someone. D) there are definitely gators around. I saw one sunning itself on the side of the road between GF and MK. It was along that canal where they store the light parade on the lake, which leads right into Seven Seas. There's also one that lives in the small Lake next to Space Mountain. A private tour guide pointed them out to me.
 
Upvote 0
BigRedDad

BigRedDad

Well-Known Member
There is an amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri, that can enter the body. Once in, it feeds off the brain. It enters the body through ears, mouth, eyes, and any other orifice of the body. Because of the potential for danger, WDW found it best to just not allow any swimming in the lakes. They built the magnificent pools for people to enjoy and the for-pay water parks.
 
Upvote 0
JenLovesContemporary

JenLovesContemporary

New Member
Everyone in my family (and pretty much everyone else staying there!) went swimming off the gorgeous sand beach in Bay Lake when we stayed at the Contemporary in '86 (and also at the Polynesian on previous trips to WDW). Beyond-normal thing to do then, and the water actually seemed very clean to me. I was about twelve and had swum in some pretty dirty water, but Bay Lake did not seem that way to me at all: clear water, SANDY bottom (NO MUCK!), etc. No gators -- no way, no how. It just wasn't like that back then. No plants growing out of the water, either. It actually felt more like a small ocean beach, oddly enough.

I'm sure that was what they were going for, actually, something like a mini version of swimming off a real Florida (ocean or SW Gulf) beach: there were cabanas to rent and lounge chairs galore, tons of snacks to be had at the concession stand, sand sculptures and castles everywhere, sun-tanners (back when people did that), people swimming out as far as the buoys/rope (including at the Grand Floridian, for a few years)... these things were such a huge part of the Disney experience back in those days. When I was a kid, I even surmised that they had some filtration system running because the water seemed unusually clear for a natural lake like Bay Lake. I think people who never experienced swimming on the beaches at the Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian get confused and picture something like jumping into a muddy, gator-infested, cattail-sporting pond at some random location in central Florida -- possibly in part because of the internet's peculiar fascination with the abandoned River Country. The pictures I've seen of River Country in its latter days (a year or two before it actually closed) make me think it wasn't being terribly well maintained at that point.

Seeing the algae (not brain-eating amoebas) build-up near the WDW beaches on Google Earth just saddens me now. Even if Disney is not going to treat the beaches as themed swimming beaches (complete with concession stands; sand, sand, sand [I repeat, no muck!!]; cabanas and lounge chairs everywhere; fun, tropical theming) anymore, can't they at least deal with this?

One more reason I just don't recognize (Walt) Disney World (or "Disney," as people seem to call it now) these days.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
kelknight84

kelknight84

Well-Known Member
Being a native Floridian, we've swam in the local lakes forever and still do. I also remember in 2006 when I was working at WDW we had to divert watercraft service for a triathlon that swam the water part in the Seven Seas Lagoon. So they did still allow swimming in the semi recent past.
 
Upvote 0
DManRightHere

DManRightHere

Well-Known Member
I still think it is more to due with lawsuits from peoples own negligence. Not much to do with the brain eating organisms and gators, it is just not very likely those scenarios will happen.

BTW Disney does test the waters, I saw a CM sampling last year. For what? No idea.
 
Upvote 0
M

magicwand

Active Member
I know for a fact that there are lots of alligators in the water. I have seen them. Yes, they do go up on the beach. There was one just recently seen on the beach at the Polynesian. There is a picture of this posted somewhere. Also, there is bacteria in the water as stated above. Why swim in the water anyway when there are lots of nice pools at the resorts.
 
Upvote 0
mouse_luv

mouse_luv

Well-Known Member
First of all, let me say:
holy%20thread%20resurrection.jpg


Secondly, I have no idea and will never understand even if it was allowed, why anyone would have any desire to swim in that disgusting lagoon. :eek:
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
blueboxdoctor

blueboxdoctor

Well-Known Member
bearboysnc said:
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?
Click to expand...

EDIT: Just realized this post was from 2002, talk about bringing something back, I'd assume this would have just turned into a new thread topic by now.

I am inclined to agree with you on this one. Especially now that the pools have the easy access where you can walk in like a lake or the ocean. I know people swim in lakes all over the country, which is fine and all, but like you said, when there are pools all over the place, some even on the lake almost, why not use them?

As for River Country, yes it had some incidents, but I can't say for sure why they closed it (didn't research it enough). Though, by observing what was there, there really wasn't so much, so it probably couldn't compete with the big water parks.

Fishing and water skiing are still both there, but you have to go to their location and pay for them (but I'd assume you'd know that nothing, especially something like that, would be free). I haven't done either, but have seen people do them.
 
Upvote 0
Chris Gustafson

Chris Gustafson

New Member
Sorry to bring it back up again, but I've been worrying all night now! My 2 yr old nephew played in the water tonight at the Poly. He did not get submerged, nor hardly wet from it, but did pick up the wet sand under the water and throw it, splashing in the lagoon severAL times. So his hands and his feet/ankles were wet. Should I be worried for his health??
 
Upvote 0
mousehockey37

mousehockey37

Well-Known Member
Chris Gustafson said:
Sorry to bring it back up again, but I've been worrying all night now! My 2 yr old nephew played in the water tonight at the Poly. He did not get submerged, nor hardly wet from it, but did pick up the wet sand under the water and throw it, splashing in the lagoon severAL times. So his hands and his feet/ankles were wet. Should I be worried for his health??
Click to expand...

I would. There's reasons for all the signs to not go in the water. I'd get off the net and call the front desk and see what they say, and then still call your on-call physician at home or something. I definitely wouldn't wait around. Better safe than sorry.
 
Upvote 0
kelknight84

kelknight84

Well-Known Member
Chris Gustafson said:
Sorry to bring it back up again, but I've been worrying all night now! My 2 yr old nephew played in the water tonight at the Poly. He did not get submerged, nor hardly wet from it, but did pick up the wet sand under the water and throw it, splashing in the lagoon severAL times. So his hands and his feet/ankles were wet. Should I be worried for his health??
Click to expand...

I would not be worried. The water is chillier right now and bacteria doesn't really care for that. Even during the summer I personally wouldn't worry.
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom