From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

[21stamps]

There is no small print that I am aware of. It is a simple fact of going to Florida. However, those who have not lived in Florida or who do not go regularly may not be aware of the alligator issue. Something else to keep in mind that has been on the rise lately is that of Anaconda snakes. They are apparently all over the everglades now. How long before those things start branching out?

The Anaconda problem has been going on for several years. It's not Breaking News.
It's because people buy snakes as pets, move or can't take care of them and then let them go.

 

[MereMickey]

On Insurance and lawsuit… this case will never see the inside of a court room. If it does, I will be shocked. Disney is going to offer up a very sizable amount of money, with a non-disclosure contract, and the family will take it. I wouldn't be surprised if a full refund for the vacation has already when given with help to get home without cost to the family. I will say this, Disney doesn't want this 'exposing' anything more to the public by being in a court room and hurting their imagine more, but they will not want the family to suffer more than they already have with lengthy legal stuff. I know Disney is a money making machine but they do have hearts. Which is why a high payout will occur. It happens a lot more than people will ever know or understand because a majority of time most deaths/accidents on property do not make it the media because of those high payouts. This case obviously was too big for no-one not to know for so many reasons.

On the flip side business had yet to suffer for this situation or the other one. Shares closed up yesterday at a good percentage. I don't see people canceling vacations because of the gator incident. The shooting incidents, yes, but not this one. I wouldn't cancel a vacation for either. I do get anxiety over these things greatly and do question going but always end up letting logic win. I have to live life.

 

[21stamps]

If it were that easy, don't you think it would have been implemented long ago, all over the tourist areas of FL?

Apparently people here hold Disney to a higher standard. Apparently people don't think they are actually in Florida when at WDW.

There can not be any alligators on Disney property or else they are negligent towards guest safety!!! Also, we all need briefings of dangerous wildlife when we arrive at WDW to educate us.

But any other resort or hotel in Florida? Apparently we don't need these things.

It's almost comical. I hate to be the one to say this- but seriously, just don't go if you are that afraid.

 

[EngineJoe]

The signs had to go up quickly. This was a no brainer for Disney. However, over time, do not rule out the construction of a low level, decorative/functional wall of some type at all the beaches that would serve as a reminder to not even wade into the water and still not obstruct the views.

Still won't keep out the armadillos with leporosy. People are only reactive. If peop really cared they would also be lobbying for those warning signs all over Disneyland instead of waiting for some kid to pet an armadillo, get leporosy and have their limbs fall off and die.

 

[Incomudro]

If Disney knew they had an alligator problem and knew guests from the bungalows were feeding them.... There's a major problem at hand.

If that's the case, people need to be fired, from George K on down.

I keep hearing Mrs. Kitners speech to Brody after she slaps him in the movie JAWS.

 

[EngineJoe]

As far as I know there was one incident involving a child being bit by a gator at WDW in 1986... 30 years ago. The kid and his family were feeding the ducks at the lake front at Fort Wilderness when the gator jumped out of the lake and bit him. He was injured but not fatally. I would not say that 1 incident in 45 years would be a pattern that would make Disney legally negligent. They have an active program too to manage these animals to the best of their ability and relocate them to a more safe location. Unfortunately it didn't help in this case. I will repeat what I said before. I would be shocked if Disney didn't at a minimum add signs around the lake and possibly even close the beaches at night permanently.

What did we say about feeding the wildlife. Peope continue to disobey the rules.

 

[EngineJoe]

They shouldn't close the beaches and they shouldn't stop people from wading at the edge of the water. Some of my best memories as a kid and some of my best memories of my kids are playing on the beaches and making sand castles. It took 45 years for this to happen. Life happens. We are going in August and my kids will play on the beach if the beaches are not closed. Has anyone here gone to an ocean beach? Here's a warning, there are sharks at those beaches. Should we fence in every ocean beach?

Yeah. You are 100 times more likely to be struck by lightning and die just walking around somewhere on the magic kingdom resor than get eaten and killed by an alligator.

 

[montyz81]

This whole thing is getting me annoyed. Heard a news report this morning of someone talking about how liable Disney is for this. That Disney has created this bubble that creates this false sense of security. Once again our signs of how greedy our society is looking for a way to make Disney liable for wildlife attacks. Soon we are all going to have to walk on walkways lined by glass bubbles. This is getting really annoying. I don't blame the parents, I don't blame Disney. This is just a wildlife accident!

 

[willtravel]

Many were asking, where are the animal rights activists on this. Here you go: http://www.globalanimal.org/2016/06...ve-alligators-killed-in-search-for-boys-body/

Here's the money quote: "“Yet now a child and four alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives,” she continued."

There is also this: "While attacks like this are rare, it does not justify the killing of animals who were only acting naturally."

That's right, the child is on the same level as an alligator. There is plenty of criticism to go around: lack of signage, guests feeding the alligators, possibly less capture and release to other areas. But killing an alligator at a time when the child couldn't be found isn't one of them.

Wouldn't be saying this if it happened to one of there family members.

 

[EngineJoe]

You've clearly never been in a court room. A dead child is a lawyers dream because the jury always wants to blame someone, and it doesn't really matter what the law says, even if Disney were 100% in the right an over zealous lawyer on their side can put off enough jurors that they would still lose. You sound like someone that thinks justice prevails. I haven't practiced law in over 20 years but I still remember several cases where "justice" didn't prevail.

Lol. You wouldn't talk in absolutes if you were any good.

 

[Incomudro]

Hooper to Mayor Vaughn: "I can see that you're going to ignore this particular problem - until it swims up and bites you on the !

 

[EngineJoe]

Maybe someone with more knowledge about this can answer, but wouldn't there be an easier way of removing the gators from the waters on property? Maybe (don't laugh at this possibly absurd idea) using sound as a way to deter alligators from staying in the water? Some sort of sound emitting device that is only audible under the water that annoys the alligators enough to make them leave the water. Once they are out of the water Disney can wrangle them up and relocate them. Any alligator that is not caught would probably just leave since it would need a water source from time to time and the ones on Disney property would be unusable to them. I know, it sounds stupid. Just sitting here thinking of ways to mitigate this issue other than policing every guest for feeding the wildlife. Which is impossible.

There are probably ways to exterminate the alligator population or make their life miserable with brain controlling sound waves but then the blackfish/anti seaworld crowd would crucify Disney for the inhumanity.

 

[Incomudro]

Apparently people here hold Disney to a higher standard. Apparently people don't think they are actually in Florida when at WDW.

There can not be any alligators on Disney property or else they are negligent towards guest safety!!! Also, we all need briefings of dangerous wildlife when we arrive at WDW to educate us.

But any other resort or hotel in Florida? Apparently we don't need these things.

It's almost comical. I hate to be the one to say this- but seriously, just don't go if you are that afraid.

Guilty as charged. Well, years ago anyway.
People do get the idea that Disney controls everything in their artificial environment, save for the birds that fly in, and the occasional small critter that crawls in.
Disney doesn't feel like a hotel plopped down on a bit of land.
It feels like a well engineered creation, and the reality is that many guests don't think that there are alligators there.
Heck, Disney keeps the mosquitos out.

 

[EngineJoe]

I can completely back this statement. Guests I believe at times make up more of the 'magic' than Disney! It is really funny what they think is 'real' and what is 'fake'. Here's a fun one that will make you face palm. A fellow CM from AK once told me that a guest asked when the dome over AK would stop producing the fake rain storm because they really didn't like the rain. Yup. A dome over AK. How they came up with that one or who convinced them of that is beyond me. I don't know how he kept a straight face (he was absolutely cracking up inside) and explain to this over imaginative guest that this was Florida and Disney didn't need to create a dome over AK to create rain water to help the ecosystem.

The animal kingdom dome
Lol!

 

[PhotoDave219]

I keep hearing Mrs. Kitners speech to Brody after she slaps him in the movie JAWS.

I may have made several similar references to the Kitner boy. Similar situation, just swap a gator and the shark. Similar mentalities.

 

[PhotoDave219]

This whole thing is getting me annoyed. Heard a news report this morning of someone talking about how liable Disney is for this. That Disney has created this bubble that creates this false sense of security. Once again our signs of how greedy our society is looking for a way to make Disney liable for wildlife attacks. Soon we are all going to have to walk on walkways lined by glass bubbles. This is getting really annoying. I don't blame the parents, I don't blame Disney. This is just a wildlife accident!

Is it?

Gators never used to hang out over on that side of the lagoon until now.

If it's a freak accident then that's one thing. If we have constant reports of guests feeding alligators by the bungalows, then that's a problem. If management is aware of this and they've done nothing? It's no longer a freak accident.

A lot of Ifs.

 

[EngineJoe]

Here the new signage that you people demanded:

Warning: no swimming or wadding
Beware of alligators, the poisonous snakes and anacondas, electric eels, poisonous Bufo frogs, armadillos with leporosy, mosquitos with zika virus, ducks, ducks, ducks, scorpions, poisonous spiders, salmonella, listeria, Sharks peodphiles, tiger woods, Jared Fogle, Oscar pistorius, Brazilian Tour Groups, lightning, brain eating amoebas, the blob, aliens, airplanes, terrorist, mass murderes, AIDS and Gaston.

Have a great time at Disney!

The Disney management

 

[rob0519]

Still won't keep out the armadillos with leporosy. People are only reactive. If peop really cared they would also be lobbying for those warning signs all over Disneyland instead of waiting for some kid to pet an armadillo, get leporosy and have their limbs fall off and die.

In over 20 years and more than 30 visits to WDW I've never seen an armadillo, so I will defer to you one this one. If they are that big a problem on property then the signs should read something like Warning. Do not feed and stay away from all wildlife at WDW.

 

[G00fyDad]

The Anaconda problem has been going on for several years. It's not Breaking News.
It's because people buy snakes as pets, move or can't take care of them and then let them go.

I understand completely. I know it's not breaking news. I just mentioned how long it might be before it is a problem at WDW.

 

[zakattack99]

Are beaches and marinas still closed today? Have not heard one way or another. I am assuming they are but figured someone here would have the answer. Also do we know how many other gators they have pulled from the lake? I am assuming Disney is purging their waterways across property...