From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

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R W B

Well-Known Member
You have no clue how to operate a resort. If your answer to tjis situation is seriously you don't need people holding your hand, swim at your own risk, you will not be operating your resort very long. It's your responsibility to have all the I's dotted and t's crossed, especially in regards to safety. You have to carry the burdon of responsibility. When we owned a golf course, we really should have had to put no swimming or fishing signs on our water hazards and canals, but we had to.

And I agree with you, you're acting like an insensitive jerk.
I never claimed to know how to run an entire resort but I do own a few business so I do know a little bit about liability. I have a garage bay where I do work at and I have a nifty little sign posted at both entrances "Employees only beyond this point" so in case a customer walks in and trips on an air hose that's their fault, not mine and I will not be held responsible for it. Your argument kinda makes my case for me though, you said you had to put up signs at your golf to prevent people from doing things, I agree with that. Well Disney has signs posted about not swimming so where is our disagreement at here? My statement about not needing a guard or barrier at the lakes edge was about how people should have common sense to not get in the water when it's posted not too. That we shouldn't have to hold people's hands just to make sure they follow the rules. I never meant swim at your own risk, I simpley meant multiple signs saying don't swim should be enough for any parent to follow the rules.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
while I don't blame the parents or Disney for that matter... personally I wouldn't trust wading in a lake in my home state at night, much less in Florida... I think that is where some people are coming from..... but I will say Disney makes the "beaches" appear so inviting, of course people will dip their toe in there

You don't think that allowing your child in the water at night in an area clearly marked "No Swimming" isn't poor judgment? I feel bad for the parents, but I'm also not ready to allow tragedy to somehow absolve them of responsibility or accountability.
1. The kid wasn't out swimming laps. He was standing one foot in. Which like I said previously, if you have been to that beach you would know that it is a zero entry right there. So one foot in is ankle deep.

2. Why are people focusing on "Night"????
Have you even been to the Everglades? Ever been on an airboat tour? Do you think these run at night? No, they are a huge tourist attraction and the run all day long.. Because guess what- an alligator doesn't Only come out at night.
 

senor_jorge

Barbara Eden+? Bring it!!
Premium Member
Disney World is built in the middle of an alligator habit and you think it's acceptable to kill all the alligators that live there?? How about humans just use some common sense instead. Stay out of the water.

You know nothing about my views on wildlife or game management. I think that it's reasonable to continue to search for the alligator that took the child. Unfortunately determining which one it was is an invasive process. For whatever reason that animal has a reduced fear of humans. It's a greater danger at this point, not a lesser one.
 

Baltar

$4 billion for EPCOT
I am curious what other changes were made just for decorum sake. If I was in charge of the Jungle Cruise I am certain there would be an edict to ignore the Ginger jokes for awhile. We would be pointing out something on the other side of the "river"

I don't mean this as permanent things but poor taste for awhile.
 

DuckTalesWooHoo1987

Well-Known Member
Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you. It's just that many are defending being in the water with the "The sign said 'No SWIMMING'; they were WADING!" Either way, if your little one wanted to splash around in the water, GF has a pool with children's areas specifically designed for that purpose.
Oh I agree. I know we are all speaking in hindsight here but hopefully going forward people become aware of the risk.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Until now, most of us wouldn't have thought twice about letting kids splash in the water. These people were from the middle of the country. They don't have to worry about alligators like people in Florida do. Heck, I live on the banks of one of the biggest lakes in my southern state and I don't even think about it. We certainly have them here. It's easy to arm chair parent after the fact, but the reality is that the vast majority of on property guests have no earthly clue that the native fauna poses such a threat. This is a horrible freak accident. I can only imagine that the parents of this poor child are in the darkest parts of their minds right now going over and over the same exact arguments some of us are making against them.
Has nothing to do with where they are from. People from Florida let their kids do it as well. No one would ever expect this to happen.
 

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
1. The kid wasn't out swimming laps. He was standing one foot in. Which like I said previously, if you have been to that beach you would know that it is a zero entry right there. So one foot in is ankle deep.

2. Why are people focusing on "Night"????
Have you even been to the Everglades? Ever been on an airboat tour? Do you think these run at night? No, they are a huge tourist attraction and the run all day long.. Because guess what- an alligator doesn't Only come out at night.

Again, if the child wanted to splash around in the water, the Grand Floridian has areas specifically and explicitly designed for that purpose. And no, alligators don't just come out at night. They are harder to see at night. Most of us can agree that night is the time when you should exercise extra caution for just about ANY activity, be it walking or driving or whatever.
 

MississippiBelle

Well-Known Member
I am curious what other changes were made just for decorum stake. If I was in charge of the Jungle Cruise I am certain there would be an edict to ignore the Ginger jokes for awhile. We would be pointing out something on the other side of the "river"

I don't mean this as permanent things but poor taste for awhile.

Good point. Aren't there scenes in the ride of alligators (or crocodiles...whatever) surrounded by clothing or something? My memory is a little fuzzy on this ride. Interesting to see how this is handled as well.
 

scmit02

Member
My take as a FL resident and frequent WDW visitor:
1) Visitors from outside of FL don't understand gators, heck half the idiots feeding wild gators are from FL and know not to do it and the dangers it creates
2) Beaches on the Seven Seas Lagoon are outdated and from a time that is past. There is no longer a wave machine at the Poly, there is no swimming, and there are those weird and deadly amoeba things in the water. I think the beaches will go away and ideally be replaced with something better that includes seawall/boardwalk system that gators would have a more difficult time traversing. If Disney wants a beach resort they can explore the Crystal Lagoon concepts popping up around the globe. It is a closed system, with clear/filtered water.
3) You can't stop these random issues with wildlife. Gators, snakes, killer bees, scorpions all exist in FL. The best you can do is try to proactively manage, educate and make visitors aware.
4) This is bad situation for all parties but most of all the family. There is no place for blame at this point.
 

tribbleorlfl

Well-Known Member
I do wish they'd stop killing every alligator they find though. At this point, they aren't finding the child. They're just going around killing the wildlife who are just hanging out in their natural habitat and minding their business, which seems really senseless knowing the child isn't going to be saved. :/
If your child went missing, wouldn't you want some closure and remains to give a proper burial? And if we have a 4-7' gator that attacked a human because it possibly associated humans WITH food, it must be destroyed as it now associates humans AS food. Unfortunately, the other gators are collateral damage until they find the correct animal.
 

Baltar

$4 billion for EPCOT
Also I think there is some confusion. I'm not certain I know the answer either. Some people are saying the kid was in a foot deep water. I think what they are saying he was about a foot from the shore...so if that's the case, he was in water barely over his ankles considering the grade in that area. Regardless, I'm not getting into the "giving expert advice" when I don't have the facts. I'll leave that to the other people here.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Well then we agree to disagree. If you believe it is good judgement to let your kid swim or wade in water that is literally infested with gators then we will never see eye to eye on this issue.
At least be correct. The kid was standing in water. Standing. And every body of water in Florida has alligators. People still go in them. Also, if he would have been at the waters edge the EXACT same thing would have happened. Doesn't matter if he was a foot in or a foot on the sand.
 

pax_65

Well-Known Member
Years ago, I remember seeing a notice somewhere in Disney about interacting with wildlife. I think it was one of those Timon and Pumba safety notices in materials handed out by our hotel. As I recall, the notice said "Don't feed the wildlife, don't approach wildlife, and notify a cast member immediately if wildlife is seen." This type of education should be stepped up and any problem wildlife should be removed from guest areas as much as practically possible. I know Disney does remove wildlife but my sense is this was a greater priority in years past. I say that only because I've heard cast members in recent years talk about alligators, snakes and such and basically say with a shrug, "We see them, they're around, but there's not much we can do about them." Again, that's just my perception.
 

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
Years ago, I remember seeing a notice somewhere in Disney about interacting with wildlife. I think it was one of those Timon and Pumba safety notices in materials handed out by our hotel. As I recall, the notice said "Don't feed the wildlife, don't approach wildlife, and notify a cast member immediately if wildlife is seen." This type of education should be stepped up and any problem wildlife should be removed from guest areas as much as practically possible. I know Disney does remove wildlife but my sense is this was a greater priority in years past. I say that only because I've heard cast members in recent years talk about alligators, snakes and such and basically say with a shrug, "We see them, they're around, but there's not much we can do about them." Again, that's just my perception.
They were on placards in the buses.
 
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