From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

[WDW1974]

I have never, ever heard of guests feeding alligators, so let's just stop that nonsense. If it's happened, then it's a once a year type thing. With today's media I've never seen photos or videos of guests close enough to feed alligators.

Also, there is nothing you can do to keep the gators away. Like deer, there just apart of humans and our habitat.

Just because you have never heard it means it didn't happen? I guess I imagined seeing it multiple times. I guess all the times CMs have told me about problems with idiot Guests is just BS too?

How close do you think you have to be to feed a gator? They are in the water and you throw some food and they take it. Why do I feel like I'm talking in an alien tongue?

 

[MississippiBelle]

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.

Agreed. At this point, we are just operating on a loop of arguing over where to place any blame. Time to close.

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

Disney will have to post signs that don't look themed; maybe have cuss words to get the point across.

For example: "STAY THE **** OUT OF THE WATER"

 

[thomas998]

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.

While they did allow swimming in the lagoon once upon a time... I don't think they ever installed any of the plumbing and equipment that would be required to turn it into a giant swimming pool, the only equipment I'm aware of was some pumps to create waves... I expect that even if they could drop that type of stuff into the lagoon today that it would be uneconomical to do.... The amount of energy needed to pump that much water would make it cost prohibitive... And if you can't pump the water it will soon become a huge stagnant mosquito farm.... So honestly having it was it is is the only feasible way to do it.

 

[JIMINYCR]

No judgements, no criticisms, no comments .... just a fellow parent whose grieving a tragic event.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm assuming beaches will be replaced by seawalls. Anywhere the land had a zero entry with the water near a guest area will be converted.

I say just close the resort. Between evildoers with weapons of mass destruction, killer gators and people who want to steal as much Coke as their bladders can possibly hold, WDW is just not safe for the masses.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

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.

I don't think anyone here is painting this as an epidemic, it's been pretty straight forward with the assumption it's just a freak occurrence.

My point is if another child is dragged into the water and killed by an alligator then Disney might have real serious issues that could ruin their theme park business, and like it or not they will have to do something drastic and swift to make sure this does not happen again.

You can't say this will be a one time issue, I hope it never happens again but no one can honestly say this could not happen again and if they did I would call them a liar to their face.

It's wildlife, there are no absolutes.

 

[Phicinfan]

No judgements, no criticisms, no comments .... just a fellow parent whose grieving a tragic event.

God Bless them

 

[Figaro928]

I'm assuming the officials are catching and euthanizing every gator they now find in the lagoon. I was wondering if anyone here has access to knowledge about how many gators were actually living the lagoon at the time?

 

[thomas998]

Agreed. At this point, we are just operating on a loop of arguing over where to place any blame. Time to close.

I never see the point in closing a thread..... If I get tired of where a thread is going I simply stop going to it... It is kind of easy to do, try it and maybe you'll like the feeling of taking control of your own destiny without trying to force everyone else to change theirs for your benefit.

 

[MississippiBelle]

I never see the point in closing a thread..... If I get tired of where a thread is going I simply stop going to it... It is kind of easy to do, try it and maybe you'll like the feeling of taking control of your own destiny without trying to force everyone else to change theirs for your benefit.

Wow. Calm down.

 

[s8film40]

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....

They weren't a swimming pool but they were much cleaner. The northern most beach at the Polynesian was called surf rider beach for a reason. That whole area was reserved for surfing and swimming or just wading in the shoreline.

 

[rob0519]

Look at this image below. This lady works for 13-WHAM ABC in Rochester, NY. I cannot believe she would joke about this. Soon after she did, she obviously got a lot of heat and her account was "protected". So disgusting. Just as many of the comments being thrown around here without any actual facts.

This could be considered enough bad taste to get one fired under the circumstances.

 

[s8film40]

While they did allow swimming in the lagoon once upon a time... I don't think they ever installed any of the plumbing and equipment that would be required to turn it into a giant swimming pool, the only equipment I'm aware of was some pumps to create waves... I expect that even if they could drop that type of stuff into the lagoon today that it would be uneconomical to do.... The amount of energy needed to pump that much water would make it cost prohibitive... And if you can't pump the water it will soon become a huge stagnant mosquito farm.... So honestly having it was it is is the only feasible way to do it.

As I previously stated the water used to come from a well and was clear water from an aquifer.

 

[WDW1974]

The only thing I can say is you are not paying attention. Nearly every time I have seen a gator near a public area in WDW, which is frequently, it has only been a matter of time before some one throws food at it.

It seems to happen everywhere.

I live on a lake and we get gators in it from time to time and I have lost count of the number of times I have seen my idiot neighbors throw food at them.

^^This. And you have more gators because their population has risen (after they were almost hunted by gun-lovers out of existence), less territory sans human beings and, yes, Disney building over the water accommodations. I would love to see the O-Sentinel young reporter, who is doing a GREAT job, ask Disney about these new villas ... and the ones going on Bay Lake as we speak.

 

[Figaro928]

I'm assuming the officials are catching and euthanizing every gator they now find in the lagoon. I was wondering if anyone here has access to knowledge about how many gators were actually living the lagoon at the time?

Even a rough estimate

 

[note2001]

I think it would be better to have a separate thread for people to express their sympathy for the parents and come together in that thread instead of doing it this one, which already has different opinions from different people about everything else.

Not a bad idea. I think one thread for sympathy, and one for discussion which includes a variety of opinions and tangents off of the subject would be best.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

It may be in poor taste... but that is also the way some people deal with tragedies, they make jokes of the event. Frankly the people that are acting like the kid's parents are looking at forums on Disney are more out of touch with reality than the person making light of the situation. Does anyone really think that if your kid was just eaten by an alligator that you would go poking around on forum? Sorry but I seriously doubt the parents are going to be poking around any Disney forum anytime in the near or distant future.

How many WDWMAGIC members go to Disney World?

That many and more.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I say just close the resort. Between evildoers with weapons of mass destruction, killer gators and people who want to steal as much Coke as their bladders can possibly hold, WDW is just not safe for the masses.

I think everyone agrees it would be absurd to close the beaches... but this is Disney, surrounded by Lawyer central... to assume they aren't considering this and the alternatives is ridiculous. Signs don't work... We have signs on the Men's room door at my work, and men walk past it everyday and ask where the washroom is... as they stand in front of it, practically staring at it.

It only takes one incident to make change happen. I think a seawall would be a great alternative to fencing, a random wall, or whatever else Disney could come up with to deter guests from entering the water.

Or maybe Disney will change the signage and leave things be.. but I don't buy that.

 

[thomas998]

As I previously stated the water used to come from a well and was clear water from an aquifer.

It was clear because it was being filled with well water... but it was never intended to stay that way. If I dug a pond in my backyard and then filled it with a garden hose it would be clear too.... but that would only last so long. The only place I can think of in Florida where you find a large super clear body of water would be Silver Springs state park and its only clear because it is constantly fed by the natural artesian springs... You just don't have that where Seven Seas Lagoon is.