Bay Lake & Seven Seas Lagoon Swimming??

[eroller]

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

 

[Chris Gustafson]

Surely he's not the first nor last toddler to play in the water? Yes the signs do say no swimming, but if they don't want anyone to even touch the water it should read "Do not touch water"... Have there been any deaths related to the amoeba directly from seven seas? I know the river country accidents years ago, but what about the lagoon?

 

[KLinder7]

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:

There were gators by the Grand Floridian when I stayed last year. At least two of them.

 

[mouse_luv]

Surely he's not the first nor last toddler to play in the water? Yes the signs do say no swimming, but if they don't want anyone to even touch the water it should read "Do not touch water"... Have there been any deaths related to the amoeba directly from seven seas? I know the river country accidents years ago, but what about the lagoon?

Where do you think they sourced the water from that used to run through River Country? Try the Lagoon.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Have there been any deaths related to the amoeba directly from seven seas? I know the river country accidents years ago, but what about the lagoon?

It's throughout Florida and other southeastern states
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/health/amoeba-case-florida-warning/

 

[CaptainAmerica]

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.

Not this.

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.

This.

 

[muse1983]

A pretty chilling to go back and read in light of the recent tragedy...

 

[JohnD]

First of all, let me say:

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.

Again because of the alligator attack.

 

[JohnD]

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??

In light of recent news, it turns out you were right to worried. Maybe not from bacteria. . .

 

[JohnD]

There were gators by the Grand Floridian when I stayed last year. At least two of them.

For all we know, one of them killed that child and both gators are dead while wildlife officials examined them for remains.

 

[JenLovesContemporary]

The recent news about the alligator attacking the boy (which eventually led to his tragic death -- I *really* feel for his family) in the Seven Seas Lagoon struck me as quite surreal, since I can recall what swimming on the beaches at the Conteporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian was like back when the Walt Disney company apparently had very different priorities. My suspicion is that there was not a single alligator anywhere near either of those two lakes back in the pre-Eisner days (and even in the early Eisner days -- with the exception of River Country, which seemed to have been looking quite seedy towards the end of its run, based on YouTube footage -- not surprising, given the priorities of Michael Eisner and his successors).

Back in the 1980s and prior, the swimming beaches at Walt Disney World's original monorail resorts had about as little to do with "alligators" as any body of water possibly could. I don't know if Disney was involved with (and successful at) managing the local wildlife back then, or the alligator population has exploded in very recent years to the point that even Disney, with its astronomical budget, can't possibly prevent their overpopulation at the park. Somehow I doubt it's the latter. The environment at the monorail resorts' swimming beaches back in the 1980s and prior was exquisitely manicured and tropical-beachy, not swampy. (The water was crystal clear, the bottom was covered with fine sand, and there were ropes quite close to the shoreline preventing you from going out very far into the lake.) No marine plant life whatsoever, including aquatic grasses. It was one of those "grand illusion" sorts of things that Disney still does very well, though their focus is quite different these days (as is American culture in general, but I digress). I've even been told that Disney was filtering the water off the beaches at the three monorail resorts when maintaining them was a serious focus of park management. (At one time, there were even wave pool machines hidden discreetly under the water not far from shore, generating a gentle surf, to further simulate an ocean beach sort of environment.) Again, there were no plants whatsoever in the water *anywhere near* the resort hotels, and certainly no tall grasses for alligators to hide in.

On satellite maps these days the beaches look like a mess of algae and other marine plant life. What on earth happened there? If Disney had been willing to pay for it, the swimming beaches at the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian could have been just as safe and pristine as they were when those of us in our 30s and up were children. Instead, Disney chose to fail a family like the Graves family in a way that no wrongful death lawsuit will ever be able to fix (though one is certainly due).

 

[Linseyjo26]

Disney knew there were alligators in the lakes but gave us no warnings of them. All while encouraging us to bring our kids and enjoy the fun family activities on the beach each night. Feeling betrayed and sick to my stomach.

 

[JenLovesContemporary]

Just talked to my sister, who was as shocked as I was that this tragedy took place on the pristine swimming beaches we (and so many others) loved as kids.

"But those weren't even real lakes," she said. "Weren't they more like big swimming pools with sand around the perimeters and in the parts you could swim in?" Honestly, that is what they were like back then. (Those who frequented the monorail resorts' beaches back in 1987 and prior should know what I'm talking about.) No cattails, no mud, no algae, no way. *Certainly* no alligators. The idea seemed as absurd (and shocking) to her as it did to me.

Disney, what were you *thinking*?

 

[felipenor]

The recent news about the alligator attacking the boy (which eventually led to his tragic death -- I *really* feel for his family) in the Seven Seas Lagoon struck me as quite surreal, since I can recall what swimming on the beaches at the Conteporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian was like back when the Walt Disney company apparently had very different priorities. My suspicion is that there was not a single alligator anywhere near either of those two lakes back in the pre-Eisner days (and even in the early Eisner days -- with the exception of River Country, which seemed to have been looking quite seedy towards the end of its run, based on YouTube footage -- not surprising, given the priorities of Michael Eisner and his successors).

What do you mean about different priorities? What is different about their priorities? (honest question, I don't know much about the history of the resort)

 

[rob0519]

Disney knew there were alligators in the lakes but gave us no warnings of them. All while encouraging us to bring our kids and enjoy the fun family activities on the beach each night. Feeling betrayed and sick to my stomach.

There should have been signs warning about wildlife (alligators) and I agree customers should be told at check-in to not go in the lagoon. There are no swimming signs that to me mean stay out of the water. The beach activities are just that. ON THE BEACH. No activities are ever conducted in the water and no cast member would ever suggest you go in the water.

 

[DisneyJoe]

At one time, there were even wave pool machines hidden discreetly under the water not far from shore, generating a gentle surf, to further simulate an ocean beach sort of environment.

The wave machines didn't last very long, as the waves eroded the beaches quicker than they wanted, therefore they had to replenish the sand more often. They allowed the machines to turn into a natural reef I believe.

 

[DisneyJoe]

"But those weren't even real lakes," she said. "Weren't they more like big swimming pools with sand around the perimeters and in the parts you could swim in?" Honestly, that is what they were like back then. (Those who frequented the monorail resorts' beaches back in 1987 and prior should know what I'm talking about.) No cattails, no mud, no algae, no way. *Certainly* no alligators. The idea seemed as absurd (and shocking) to her as it did to me.

Bay Lake was always a natural body of water, Seven Seas Lagoon is man made, however, they always meant for it to be a body of water with fish etc since "During construction of the Magic Kingdom theme park in the late 1960s, more than 70,000 bass fingerlings were released into Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. Organized fishing tours didn't start at Walt Disney World Resort until 1977, leaving bass to grow and breed undisturbed for years. "

 

[JillC LI]

Has anyone ever seen any alligators at the CBR "beach"?

 

[Mrhappyplace]

What on earth happened there? If Disney had been willing to pay for it, the swimming beaches at the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian could have been just as safe and pristine as they were when those of us in our 30s and up were children. Instead, Disney chose to fail a family like the Graves family in a way that no wrongful death lawsuit will ever be able to fix (though one is certainly due).

I'd be willing to bet virtually anything the reason has to do with environmental concerns and restrictions and not with what Disney is willing to pay. In the 80's there was all kinds of chemicals that you could legally use to control your environment that have since been banned and all sortsa restrictions placed on the treatment of wildlife.

 

[Electricsoup]

I'd be willing to bet virtually anything the reason has to do with environmental concerns and restrictions and not with what Disney is willing to pay. In the 80's there was all kinds of chemicals that you could legally use to control your environment that have since been banned and all sortsa restrictions placed on the treatment of wildlife.

Gators were also much less common in the 70s than they are today.

 

[unkadug]

Gators were also much less common in the 70s than they are today.

Sources please