From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

[Horizons '83]

Blocking off the water is a ridiculous thought. So should we just wall off the entirety of the Florida Coastline because there might be a shark attack at some point. This was such an unfortunate attack, but it was truly a 1 in 2.5M chance this would happen.

 

[King Panda 77]

Yes we have a huge problem with gators in the canals of Scotland. The ones the pike dont eat that is.

You cant say pike It's Travelling people

 

[Master Yoda]

Terrible and it strenghtens my opinion even more: WHY do the waterbodies in the park areas like Seven Seas Lagoon have to be open to wildlife? Why don't they make them the way they once were in the early 70ies ? Biological dead as a swimming pool but crystal clear and safe? I don't see the necessity for completely artificially created lakes to be treated like natural ones, Florida CRAWLS of wildlife and there are hundreds of lakes in Central Florida which can be used by wildlife, they don't need Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake additionally. Evacuate every animal in the lake, fishes, snakes, alligators and then kill everything remaining (including the flesh eating bacterias) with chemical agents and completely seal of the lake to all wildlife with fences and barriers. It was once possible and changed, change it back.

It is simply not practical with a lake that size. Creating what would be a multi acre swimming pool would be mind blowingly expensive. You would also essentially have to destroy all the surrounding wildlife for miles. Even after all of that, wild life would still get in. Like they said in Jurassic Park "Nature finds a way".

They lakes were open to wildlife in the 70's. 7 seas has never been body of water devoid of life.

EDIT for some real numbers...turning 7 seas into a swimming pool would make it 10 times larger than the largest pool in the world. That pool cost 1 billion to build and has an annual maintenance budget of 2 million.

 

[Phicinfan]

The intent is clear. That's a bit like equating you're not guilty of jaywalking because you ran across the street.

Sorry, fully disagree. No Swimming means no swimming, it does not mean no contact with water. I am willing to bet every dollar I own a legal system would back this up. I get folks point of view, but working in a consumer products area, you must be absolutely clear on verbiage for legal protection.

Again, I fault no one here, this was a huge tragedy, this was no one's fault as no one would expect this to happen

 

[kenny279]

I don't get your point. There is a BIG difference between a completely artificially created landscape, created for amusement only (and not as a wildlife refuge) and natural waterbodies like lakes and swamps. Seven Seas Lagoon was created when they excavated soil for the mound MK was built on. It was and is no natural lake. WDW was an entire swamp area originally, is that reason enough to let wildlife run free in the parks and resort areas?

Yes, it is man made, but it is connected to a natural lake via a water bridge. Alligators also walk and migrate, and they can climb. There is no way to make it alligator proof without unsightly fences and large barriers. alligators find their way into pools in Florida, even in here in GA. They are in the coastal rivers, marshes all along GA coast. This a tragic accident.

 

[Baltar]

I don't get your point. There is a BIG difference between a completely artificially created landscape, created for amusement only (and not as a wildlife refuge) and natural waterbodies like lakes and swamps. Seven Seas Lagoon was created when they excavated soil for the mound MK was built on. It was and is no natural lake. WDW was an entire swamp area originally, is that reason enough to let wildlife run free in the parks and resort areas?

So one tragic incident in 40 plus years makes you want to eradicate an area. I'm curious. Have you pushed for the ban of cars when a child was hit?

Somebody turn back on the common sense please.

 

[WDW1974]

Makes sense until they catch this particular gator. Obviously, the gator has no fear of humans.

No, it's likely for legal reasons as well as they don't want people congregating on the beaches watching gator-hunters or even just engaging in speculation like so many here ... WDW is 43 square miles (at least that's what Imagineer Jason Grandt says on the Tweeter), they may never get this animal ... and not only is the resort likely home to thousands of these animals, but the likelihood that the marina at Dixie Landings or the one at Coronado are dangers because of this one is absurd.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I am in no way saying block all of Florida's waterways... or that Gator attacks are common... But this is Disney, they are either going to shut down the beachfronts, create fencing or barricades, or find some other way to make sure this never were to happen again.

I was just agreeing with another poster that Seawalls, such as this:

would be a good alternative to ensure people don't access the water, and gators aren't in the shallows waiting for something small to come on by.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

No matter how rare this tragedy could possibly be Disney will be forced to do something because if it did happen again the negative publicity would force people to seriously not go anymore.

 

[s8film40]

It is simply not practical with a lake that size. Creating what would be a multi acre swimming pool would be mind blowingly expensive. You would also essentially have to destroy all the surrounding wildlife for miles. Even after all of that, wild life would still get in. Like they said in Jurassic Park "Nature finds a way".

They lakes were open to wildlife in the 70's. 7 seas has never been body of water devoid of life.

The lake did used to be a lot cleaner. When they built it they cleaned out quite a bit of growth. They used to also fill the lake with water from a well near Bay Lake. I've talked with a resident of Bay Lake who described it as almost being able to see all the way down to the bottom of the lake it was so clear. It's certainly a more ideal environment for wildlife now than it used to be.

 

[Baltar]

No matter how rare this tragedy could possibly be Disney will be forced to do something because if it did happen again the negative publicity would force people to seriously not go anymore.

They do a pretty good job of getting rid of them from the get go. I'm sure they will be vigilant. But to paint this as an epidemic instead of one freak incident is naive. Poor people have died on attractions and people get right back on them the next day.

 

[Dead2009]

Terrible and it strenghtens my opinion even more: WHY do the waterbodies in the park areas like Seven Seas Lagoon have to be open to wildlife? Why don't they make them the way they once were in the early 70ies ? Biological dead as a swimming pool but crystal clear and safe? I don't see the necessity for completely artificially created lakes to be treated like natural ones, Florida CRAWLS of wildlife and there are hundreds of lakes in Central Florida which can be used by wildlife, they don't need Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake additionally. Evacuate every animal in the lake, fishes, snakes, alligators and then kill everything remaining (including the flesh eating bacterias) with chemical agents and completely seal of the lake to all wildlife with fences and barriers. It was once possible and changed, change it back.

Yeah it doesn't work like that today. Also am I the only one that was hoping that dude filming and (provoking) the gator got what was coming to him? Nobody in their right mind should do that.

 

[flynnibus]

holy cow.. I opened this thread wondering how on earth it could be this long over such a straight foward topic..

 

[note2001]

I am in no way saying block all of Florida's waterways... or that Gator attacks are common... But this is Disney, they are either going to shut down the beachfronts, create fencing or barricades, or find some other way to make sure this never were to happen again.

I was just agreeing with another poster that Seawalls, such as this:

would be a good alternative to ensure people don't access the water, and gators aren't in the shallows waiting for something small to come on by.

Fort Wilderness and Wilderness lodge both currently have small versions of this to keep the sand from eroding down into the lake. They won't stop a gator, but could slow one down. If that is what you're thinking, then yes, it could help deter the one in a million gator attacks on small prey like creatures near the edge.

But large ones such as the above could cause issues on their own as children climb everything in front of them and will be trapped on the wrong side. Best to leave things be as they are.

 

[flynnibus]

Terrible and it strenghtens my opinion even more: WHY do the waterbodies in the park areas like Seven Seas Lagoon have to be open to wildlife? Why don't they make them the way they once were in the early 70ies ? Biological dead as a swimming pool but crystal clear and safe?

They weren't dead nor were they crystal clear.. no idea where you got these notions.

I never thought of the day the word 'ecosystem' would be so foreign to people....

 

[kenny279]

here is an article http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/disney-gator-attack-5-things-you-should-know-about/nrgk7/

1. The lagoon reaches a depth of 14 feet and connects to the adjacent Bay Lake.
2. The 200-acre man-made lagoon was actually low wetlands. It was too swampy to be developed. So Disney opted to dig it out and turn it into a recreational area.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't often suggest a thread be closed, let alone one driving so much traffic to a site, but my God, there are so many stupid, dumb, ignorant posts here. This incident was the first in 44 plus years at WDW, despite all the gators around.

From the 70s well into the 90s, swimming in the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake were marketed as amenities and part of a MAGICal WDW vacation. I swam in those waters countless times.

WDW stopped allowing it out of a fear of drowning and liability and not the infamous urban/Internet/CM/fanboi myth (well, it exists but it was never an issue) of brain-eating amoeba and, certainly not because of man-eating gators.

To those blaming the parents. Stop. No, just stop. You come off as Disney-defending a-holes. You have no legit reason. Witnesses and the media report the child wasn't swimming and that the gator came up and grabbed him.

I am not going to keep repeating my theory about people feeding him from 'their' pricey new timeshare bungalows and I wouldn't bet my life on it, but I might bet some of my 'fans' lives after speaking to a friend at Da World earlier.

I'll also state that Disney didn't have the issues with wildlife in the 70s and 80s as it did today because most of those 43 square miles were wild pristine Central FL swamp lands and forests. Other than armadillos and a few snakes at Fort Wilderness, I never started seeing deer and gators and even a bobcat at WDW until the late 90s. Now, it's not uncommon to see a herd of deer under the monorail beams on World Drive in the middle of the day grazing. Why? Take a look at all the WDW development and then look behind the MK ... Reams Road used to be 'the boonies' ... now ... it's urban sprawl as far as you can drive. The critters have to move and adapt.

And as to closing beaches? That's like closing ones along the ocean because of a shark attack. It's insane.

Disney needs to put up signs that warn of wildlife, including gators, though. And they absolutely need to have resort Guests sign docs saying they or their children will not feed any animals and, if they do, they will be subject to removal and fines.

 

[steviej]

holy cow.. I opened this thread wondering how on earth it could be this long over such a straight foward topic..

LOL aren't you glad you did?

 

[IMFearless]

I would imagine by far the biggest risk presented from water is drowning.

Risk management generally focuses on the likelihood of an occurrence and the severity of its consequences.

This is just such an unlikely event. Many more lives would be saved if Disney were to direct resources into preventing drowning. There is always going to be a much higher risk of a death due to drowning than being attacked by an alligator.

As tragic as this is it is very unlikely to reoccur in the future.

 

[TeriofTerror]

I wasn't insinuating that you were blaming the parents but you are using your knowledge of Florida and projecting it onto people that are first time visitors to Florida who have no clue there are gators in the area. And like someone else said earlier, I would guess that many visitors would not thnk Disney would allow their lagoons to have dangerous wildlife in it especially if the are paying the money it costs to stay at the GF. And, yes I know that Disney cannot stop the gators from getting in but people from England, Japan, Brazil, etc may not know this. I also know that there are people who live in the US who still do not know about gators here just like I do not know all of the dangerous wildlfe that may be found in Ohio. (Seriously...is there any dangerous wildlife in Ohio??)

Copperheads, mostly in southern Ohio.