From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

[s8film40]

As far as blame and the legal liability of Disney, it's really more about percentages. Is this solely Disney's fault, absolutely not. Is there something they could have done better to prevent this, probably. A lot of people from out of state don't believe that gators are a common thing. In fact more often than not I've seen people from out of state refuse to believe that "Disney would allow gators to be in their lake". Disney makes their beaches look very inviting and when people think of Florida they think of beaches. Had there been a sign informing people of the danger of gators in the water I think it's somewhat possible it could have made a difference. The real question though is why did Disney not have a sign. Other resorts and public areas throughout Florida have them. In fact I recently moved my mother in law into a retirement community that had them by the water. This wasn't even a tourist area. It can't be about cost they had signs up already they just conveniently forgot to mention anything about alligators. If I were the parents in this situation this is the primary question I would want to have answered. There only going to truly get that answer in court, or perhaps behind closed doors during a settlement. I'm pretty sure I know the answer though, it's because they didn't want to scare guests. They chose to maintain the tropical image and perception of their beaches over something that would have prevented what was probably viewed as a extremely unlikely circumstance.

 

[me_stitch]

In Florida, there's no sure-fire way to keep alligators out of waterways.

This incident was a tragic event and my prayers are with the family, but I don't think Disney could have prevented this.

I agree, I just didn't realize that the waterways were connected to Splash Mountain.

 

[GoofGoof]

so the movie didn't just end at 9pm then

What's your point?

 

[HouseHacker97]

all the articles i've read say the parents were watching the movie and the child was wading in about 6 in of water

 

[Marco226]

I have a question-

Can anyone tell me why you need to blame someone? Honestly, it's a sincere question.

There are not any "barracuda" or "shark" or "stingray" signs at the beach.. There can't be a sign for everything. Especially in a state like Florida. And even less of a reason to when the chance of an alligator attack is less than 1 in over 2 million.

Sometimes things happen where blame can not be placed on any side. Why is that so tough to accept?

Some people, like myself, think that it's not enough to stand around and say "I'm sorry", or "my prayers are with you" because it doesn't solve anything. Going out of your way to show empathy is the nice thing to do, but it doesn't help the family. It's just something people do when there's nothing else to do because we're mostly just a bunch of anonymous nobodies chatting on a Disney World fan site.. or whatever social media site.

Some people think that there IS something they can do, which would be getting to the root of the problem. Some people like to solve problems as soon as possible so that more people don't get hurt or to prevent the situation from getting worst. This includes finding out who did what wrong.

Disney cast member(s)? Planned event on the beach? Lack of signs? Bad judgement from parents? All of the above??

It comes off as blame because people get very defensive and emotional when fingers starting pointing and that's the word people use. I admit, I was very harsh on the parents earlier, but I think I've cooled down a bit and realize that it's a combination of unfortunate events.

Anyways, I think people blame because they want to figure out WHY something happened in order to fix the problem, educate others, and create a solution. The emotion takes over, though, and people type whatever is on their minds at the moment and it comes off as rude.

Saying that there's no one to blame is kinda... I dunno, like a "let's forget this and move on" kind of thing, which doesn't help anyone. There has to be accountability somewhere. Otherwise, no one really learns anything if tragedies like this are just swept under the rug. We need to know why.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

When you are on their property, they have a legal obligation to keep you safe. You are definitely wrongly assigning blame to the parents, and I am personally repulsed by it.



The MAN-MADE beach at the Grand Floridian is NOT the "natural habitat of a predator".



So what? Like you said, you don't know if the people in question saw them. In which case exactly how are they supposed to know better? Let's say I'm a mailman. I get to your house, which is fenced in all-around the perimeter. No signs, no locked gate; the mailbox is on the front porch. I deliver the mail. As I'm leaving, your dog attacks me. You can bet your life that you would be 100% liable for my injuries. The duty was on you to warn me or notify me. That's how liability works.


Yeah, and who are you to question their judgment? The father was right there, the child would not have drowned in three inches of water with the father right there. I'm assuming you don't allow your children to bathe or go swimming then, since three inches of water can be so deadly.



He didn't feed his child to the alligator. He let him wade in the water, something I would venture to guess thousands do per year at the resort (or at least hundreds).


I don't even know how to respond, but your sentiments are beyond despicable and repulsive.


While I will not argue that it is the responsibility of parents to keep their children safe, you really make it sound like these people knowingly risked their child's life.



Not only do I think you are sanctimonious, I think you're a delusional with no understanding of the real world or the U.S. legal system and how it works. I also think if you were in this situation, you'd already be at the courthouse filing the lawsuit against Disney.

Ok. Well I would advise you to never go to Vegas if you think I'd be suing. We were eating at the castle when my little boy was 9 months old. The waiter asked me if I wanted coffee and it was about 8:30am or so. I said yes but I didn't have a cup. So he says he will get me one and set the fresh pot down right in front of my little boy who grabbed it instantly and knocked it over and received 2nd degree burns. We didn't ask Disney for a dime. I actually went back over to the castle when we got back from the hospital to ask them not to fire the waiter and tell them that it was simply an accident. So no we did't go to any courthouse. I understand that we live in a society where there's no such thing as personal responsibility anymore. Everybody is a "victim" these days. Yeah Disney "built the lake" but they DIDN'T BUILD CENTRAL FLORIDA WHICH IS GATOR COUNTRY. Good grief get a clue. I absolutely let my kids play in the bathtub but I don't let them play in it when an alligator is in it. Just because "thousands" let their kids do something doesn't mean that it's right. You don't justify bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior. I honestly hope you never see people jumping from a bridge. Wow. Just wow.

 

[Nemo14]

all the articles i've read say the parents were watching the movie and the child was wading in about 6 in of water

You need to read better sources.

 

[Electricsoup]

The 2 year old child was sitting in a foot of water tho- its different if an adult was standing up vs when an infant is nearly submerged. Again, I don't mean to seem heartless. I'm sorry for their loss and something like this cannot happen ever again

For those that do not understand the water/depth issue. He was one foot from the waters edge. Not in 1 foot of water.

https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.venditti.18/posts/10154371872047147

 

[The Mom]

Thank you.

Let's just show some realism here please, if you are at any resort in Florida you could possibly get attacked by a gator a croc or a snake. If you're in the Keys you may even get stung by a scorpion, but luckily that won't kill you.

The point is- it could happen anywhere. It's tragic, but it isn't the fault of any establishment, regardless of Disney World, a Waldorf, or a Motel 6. And you won't see warning signs at any of these- because as the poster above said, the chance of any of that happening is so amazingly slim.

There are scorpions all over Florida - I found one (dead, thank God) when I moved my daughter's bookcase. So, if they're here in NE FL, they're in the Orlando area.

 

[TalkingHead]

It's just like little kids *never* run away from their parents in zoos or anywhere else.

The Internet is full of ignorant people with unwanted and uneducated opinions.

And amazingly several of those unwanted and idiotic opinions can be found on this very page. Justifying tasteless jokes less than 24 hours after a tragedy involving a child? Adds credence to the belief that theme parks attract some people who are absolute trash.

 

[me_stitch]

That's exactly what they're doing. I friend of mine who is on vacation there right now with his family posted on FB that there is a palpable pall at WDW right now. First the terrorist attack and now this. Every. Single. Guest at WDW knows about the gator attack and is under the cloud of the terrorist atrack. The magic is shaken. They're finding ways to cope.

no, these are just a holes on Periscope, not Disney guests

 

[LAKid53]

I think your point would work for most situations, particularly like public lakes and things like that. Sharks are a reasonably foreseeable risk of going into the water at the beach, as are gators in most public lakes and parks in Florida. What I am not certain of is whether you would hold this family to the same standard in what could be viewed as an extension of a theme park, or a synthetic environment. A white sand beach on a lake in Florida strikes me as very synthetic. I guess I expect beachgoers to understand that they are taking risks more than I would someone who is in WDW on a beach after a kids movie night. Reasonable minds may differ.

I live a mile from one of the largest lakes in NW Florida and the sand on shore near the lake is pretty light on color. Not the white powder sand you find on beaches along Florida's Panhandle (think Panama City and Destin), but not what most people think sand on a lake's shore would look like. Many of the lakes in my part of Florida are formed from sinkholes... and thus have exposed and pulverized limestone along their shores.

 

[IanDLBZF]

The Internet is full of ignorant people with unwanted and uneducated opinions.

Especially here!

 

[JohnD]

no, these are just a holes on Periscope, not Disney guests

Don't have a clue what you're posting about.

 

[GoofGoof]

all the articles i've read say the parents were watching the movie and the child was wading in about 6 in of water

https://gma.yahoo.com/child-dragged...t-florida-104853646--abc-news-topstories.html

This one said the movie just ended, but I don't think that is accurate. The media typically gets some facts wrong.

 

[oceanbreeze77]

Don't have a clue what you're posting about.

its an app where you can live stream things and people can comment

 

[HouseHacker97]

You need to read better sources.

the MSN article doesn't say the boy was sitting inches away from his family on the sand.

 

[thehowiet]

I was just watching Wishes on Periscope and I'm just shaking my head at all the people making gator jokes, at least the guy is blocking them all. How can people be so insensitive.

In general, I think we all (humankind) could really benefit from making a little more of an effort to practice restraint, compassion, and empathy. This thread alone has served as an excellent reminder of that for me personally.

 

[Disney Analyst]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sh...ck-at-disney-hotel/ar-AAh40fF?ocid=spartandhp
This article from the OS I found on MSN says posted 5 hrs ago. I hope this line in particular makes a lot people on here rethink their argument.

This quote seems to end all speculation he was even slightly in the water and the parents were not observing the no swimming signs. Can we now please move on from the "what horrible parents they are for allowing a toddler to swim in alligator infested waters at night" theory.

Please don't refer to the news agencies. If you watch the actual press conference the police chief confirms that the child was indeed in the water. It doesn't matter either way, but he was in the water.

 

[thomas998]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sh...ck-at-disney-hotel/ar-AAh40fF?ocid=spartandhp
This article from the OS I found on MSN says posted 5 hrs ago. I hope this line in particular makes a lot people on here rethink their argument.

This quote seems to end all speculation he was even slightly in the water and the parents were not observing the no swimming signs. Can we now please move on from the "what horrible parents they are for allowing a toddler to swim in alligator infested waters at night" theory.

Although the news article I just saw said that he was in ankle to 1 foot of water 10 feet from shore. Claimed that the place where he was the water didn't get very deep for quite a distance and he was 10 feet from shore with his mom near him.... If that is true then I think quite a few people will revisit the parents regard for safety.