Accident of sorts at Disney in Florida, may be upsetting

[CheerfulYank]

A two year old was dragged into the lagoon by an alligator a few hours ago and hasn't been seen since.

It's so awful I feel like I can't breathe. I cannot imagine how scared he/she was and what the parents are feeling.

Accounts vary but apparently they were sitting on the beach either waiting for fireworks or having movie night. It's just too awful. I'm sure it was supposed to be a wonderful trip and now this.

I know the chances that child will be found alive are almost nothing, but I am hoping against hope that he or she is. I just cannot imagine.

The child wasn't swimming, the authorities say.

If the family had known that there were gators in the water, I doubt they'd have been anywhere near the lagoon, especially with a two-year-old. Disney is completely at fault. This should not have happened. In what universe is a body of water that contains deadly predators at all appropriate for a park aimed at families and young children? And if that can't be avoided, why wasn't there a fence or at the very least an explicit warning to stay away from the water's edge?

In what universe is a body of water that contains deadly predators at all appropriate for a park aimed at families and young children?

Well yes, but on that basis the same could be said for practically the whole state - after all it's absolutely littered with areas of water, most of them containing gators. Appalling as this was, should we all avoid the entire place because of an infinitesimal chance of being attacked?

Statistically the long flights there and back probably present more risk ...

Disney themselves have said that although the signs say no swimming that the signs at the grand Floridian do not mention alligators. They are reviewing this. I was there in the last few weeks and nobody mentioned alligators to me and although outside Disney parks in Florida in general there are many signs re alligators I saw none in Disney. Although it says no swimming people do paddle or play at the shoreline it doesn't say keep away from waters edge. I expect this will all change now.

The whole state isn't a theme park aimed at families and young children.

Disney is in the wrong here. I have no doubt that they didn't mention gators on signs because it might put guests off coming back. There is no excuse for having missed out this crucial piece of information which might have saved a precious child's life.

Even if I knew that Florida is teeming with alligators (this is how it is described in one Florida-based report - yes 'teeming' - they are very common and rising in numbers) I would assume that a man made lake which looked man made and was within the Disney network of hotels, was not 'wild' and would therefore be alligator free. UNLESS I saw a specific notice warning that there may well be alligators.

And alligator bites are not particularly rare in Florida, and two deaths have been reported within the last few months. So I am not sure about the relative risk from plane crashes. Especially when a key factor in avoiding alligators and therefore keeping the risk factor down is to be given information such as 'don't paddle in ANY body of water'.

My daughter has played on this beach a few times. No where near the water. I did know the water had alligators because I have seen picures of them that people have posted on the Disney forums. I have seen one in the Magic Kingdom and guest were throwing Turkey Legs at it. They are many videos on YouTube that show people teasing small alligators at disney.

The fact that people are debating the no swimming signs meaning show that they were inadequate and disney is to blame for not having clear signs up.
They are a lot of people surpised there are alligators in the waters at disney, even people who have been many times.

Also, people who visit Disney theme parks come from all over the world - they are not necessarily Florida locals and wouldn't know that there are alligators in the area. I would also certainly - until now - have assumed that Disney wouldn't have a body of water unless it was alligator free, and also would have assumed that if there was a chance of alligators there would be a fence and at the very, very least, a sign and a warning from members of staff upon arrival.

I mean, how can anybody suggest with a straight face that there shouldn't at least have been a sign to warn about alligators?

I've been to WDW dozens of times since I was a child. We now own DVC Disney timeshare) at the Wilderness Lodge Villas which is on Bay Lake. I know there are alligators in the lagoon thanks to the DIS Boards which frequently mention gator sitings. I've also seen an alligator in a waterway at Animal Kingdom.

In all of my trips, there had only been one time that a Cast Member has mentioned the presence of alligators and that was on a boat going between the Lagoon and Bay Lake. I've lounged in the hammocks at the Polynesian at sunset and then gone further down onto the beach for the fireworks. I've had countless breakfasts on the sun loungers on the beach at the Wilderness Lodge, my children have watched the films on the beach at night... Not once has a CM mentioned alligators while I've been at a resort.

I wouldn't go into the water because of the brain sucking amoebas nevermind the alligators. I also won't let my DC go off the path and into the grass anywhere because of the poisonous snakes. A child almost died a while back after he dropped a toy car into a bush and was bitten when he retrieved it. I initially found out about the brain suckers and snakes from the DIS boards and (though I was vaguely aware about the snakes anyway) I do think WDW should make the risks far more clear.

Sightings, not sitings!

I've been to Florida twice a year every year for the last 25.
I know there are lots and lots of gators. I also know that in the southern part of Florida there are crocodiles.
I've been to Disney only a couple of times but staying at the Grand Floridian I always thought that the No Swimming signs were on the lagoon for other reasons than gators. If I see a No Swimming sign I assume it's there for a very good reason and I don't swim. But I can easily understand that a parent may allow a toddler to paddle there.

I feel a bit silly now because until yesterday, I assumed I was quite knowledgable about Florida wildlife and on my trips have learned about how to avoid, or worse case deal with, encounters with bears, snakes, crocodiles, alligators. Yes, there are bears in Florida.
However, it's never occurred to me that there are gators in that lagoon in the middle of Disney.

I think 'No Swimming' is very misleading. I would take that as no 'swimming' but not excluding splashing about or paddling.

Again, I'm from a southern coastal state. Gators are there. They even go into saltwater to clean parasites from their hide (they can live in saltwater for up to a fortnight) or get washed into the Gulf of Mexico after heavy rains. Last July, there was one on the beach we visit every year. There are also sharks in there. But hey, it's a huge, open body of water.

Freshwater I'd avoid due to gators and water moccasins. Fire ants can also swim in freshwater.

But a world-renowned resort has a responsibility to warn guests of dangers like this because there's no way to protect against such wildlife getting into any body of freshwater unless it's entirely fenced off (the way home swimming pools in Florida are.

Poor parents. All the twitter/facebook messages blaming them are giving me the rage .

Blu a quick skim through the FAA numbers shows that about 982 folk onboard have been killed in aircraft incidents in US airspace since 2000 ... and in the same time 18 have been killed by alligators

No less awful for those attacked of course, but maybe it helps to put it in proportion just a bit?

If you look at the NY Times footage, after the sherif talks, you get some birds eye view footage from a helicopter. You can see that there is an I fenced children's playground, then just across a level path there is the man made beach, specifically designed for people to relax on. People are encouraged to be out as families enjoying the balmy evenings watching free outdoor screenings of classic Disney films.

Disney uses architecture to subtly control people's behaviour. To unnoticeably influence your secessions and experience. Disney created "nudge" long before David Cameron and his gang came along.

Now, if they didn't want little kids at the lake's edge they would not have created the beach or put the children's play are twenty feet away. Instead, the would have put a sea wall with an attractive iron fence.

Link: www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004473345/search-continues-for-boy-grabbed-by-gator.html

Me too. Can you even imagine? What kind of callous dickhead would direct anything other than the most profound sympathy at these poor, poor people right now?

Am I fuck ever going to Florida by the way.

Alligators, crocodiles, snakes, bears and madmen with assault rifles? No thanks.

80Kgirl did you miss the news that his body was found? The alligator did not eat him. But it did drown him, sadly.

MrsHardy1

Poor parents. All the twitter/facebook messages blaming them are giving me the rage

Stupid people make stupid comments on fb ect everyday.

It's all good on that high horse until they fall off and something happens to them.

How anyone can see it as anything other than the worst kind of nightmare for a parent is beyond me.

microferret Florida is lovely, deaths and injuries are very rare. You forgot Panther/Puma! Does that mean you would never go anywhere that has deadly animals? Spain and Portugal have 5 venemous snake species. There are brown bears in a lot of Europe. You even run a risk in New Forest from the wild ponies. Unfortunatly accidents happen. No one is to blame and I feel for these poor people. It is the unpleasant side of the internet. People who have suffered unimaginable tragedy are ridiculed and picked apart.

Madmen with assault rifles can happen anywhere, but I give you, the risk is greater in the USA at the moment.

I found London more dangerous than Florida, give me Florida anyday, Heck in fact I find London worse than rural South America and we have Jaguar!

Alligators, crocodiles, snakes, bears and madmen with assault rifles? No thanks

And raccoons - don't forget the raccoons [win] They're one of the biggest carriers of rabies, too ...

[win] should have been - sorry

It's a shocking news, so heartbreaking for that family. I've been to WDW several times since I was a kid, but we never stayed at the Disney Resorts. I've only ever seen the lagoon from the monorail as we crossed it to go to Magic Kingdom. I didn't know about these beaches at the Disney resorts, and never gave a thought about alligators in that lagoon.

However, I remember that the last time we went there about four years ago it was my first time to go with a small child (DS was 3 at the time). So I did a lot of research like previous posters mentioned, about queues, best way to avoid the crowds, best time to go, fireworks, parking... and in one forum one of the tips someone gave was to avoid parking near the canals at all the parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, etc) because of alligators! I never imagined that could happen, a risk of alligators at the car park in Disney!

dizzyfucker - it's the guns that I'm most bothered about to be honest. Random tragedies can occur anywhere, but in a country full of easily obtained killing machines any nutter can translate their murderous fantasies into long-distance, large-scale murder. I know you can't eliminate risk completely, but some places are definitely statistically safer than others.

All those who say you go to Florida you expect a gator. Fair enough

But it's like saying you go to Africa you expect a lion. But would you expect that lion wandering around your hotel resort?

No. So why would you expect an alligator to be in a man made lagoon in a hotel where there are children's parks and films being shown next to the beach

Need alligators travel all over to people's pools etc in Florida of course it can get into a man made lagoon.

Disney should patrol more really.