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.

And it is not just about being in the water, either. It's not safe to stand within a couple of meters of the edge, especially at night and especially for a young child. None of which is conveyed by a 'no swimming' sign to anyone not from an area where there are crocs/alligators.

Alligators are leary of humans and usually keep away, but if they are fed by people they may lose their fear and become a dangerous. I wonder if people have been feeding the alligators in the local area?

So so sad. We stayed at the Polynesian about 8 years ago and I have a framed photo of me and my two dcs stood in that lake up to our knees. We stayed at the Floridian 3 years ago and had a ground floor room with a balcony which had a wall round it so you couldn't go out from it iyswim which overlooked the lake. I'm a bit of a wildlife nut and loved watching the birds etc out there but one day I took some photos of a really big gator swimming in the lake and was very shocked to see it there. It made me shudder to think of my dc paddling in that water years before and today I have felt really sick about that. I do recall no swimming signs but assumed that was because the water was dirty and I don't remember alligator signs (not saying the weren't any just I didn't see them). My heart goes out to everyone affected

Thing is, dreadful as this has been, I'm not entirely convinced that "clearer" signs would make much difference. When someone's got an excited toddler desperate to cool off in the water - and when they're not used to the mindset which comes from sharing space with alligators - it can so easily become "just another sign" in a place already full of them

Sadly, no matter what warnings are given, it can take a tragedy like this to ram the message home ... after all, does anyone imagine there'll be any children in that water today?

Truly awful I have been to Disney many times and even married in this beautiful hotel.

They place is full of lakes and its normal to relax on the beeches at these

This is heartbreaking. There is sadly, very little chance. Disney may try to keep aligators out of the water but when we lived in Florida we used to go on the lakes and rivers and they are FULL of aligators, we would see them everytime we went out on the boat. I knew people that had close encounters. They can move really really fast, even on land.

Apparently four alligators have been killed in the search. I wonder how long before the animal rights nuts start sending this family death threats like they did in the gorilla case?

I have to say, that while there are no swimming signs, people would not think anything of standing at the waters edge. No swimming might need to be replaced with KEEP OUT OF THE WATER.

Awful

no swimming means no swimming

do not enter the water danger of alligators means do not enter the water, there are alligators in it

1000% WDW liability imo. i hope they learn lessons from this.

Cant believe anyone could think the family are in anyway to blame. I feel so utterly desperate for them and am still hoping the boy is found safe, Ive seen and heard a lot of stories of animals ghat dont behave how youd expect, please let this be one of those cases.

Sad but this is what happens when humans overrun habitats and relentlessly develop wild land. Other species have a right to Planet Earth as well.

the cynic in me is wondering if the signs skirt around the issue as Danger Alligators doesnt sound as 'fluffy and WDW' as a cursory " no swimming"

The villa we stay at has a lagoon area with a bridge next to the club house and pool. There are lots of fish and DS goes fishing there whilst we are at the pool (literally three steps away from us) two years ago DS caught a Clarke cat fish that needed help from my DF to reel in so we kind of all stood watching them, when the catfish was out the water and a lot of people had gathered as he was huge!! A bloody alligator surged out of the water and ate the bloody fish line and all!! I swear everybody there nearly lost control of their bladders! The pool attendant just kinda shrugged and said "yeah someone said they had seen a gator in there a couple of weeks ago!!!! Last year we were walking from the villa behind a maintenance man who was shepherding a gator along the road with a stick towards the lagoon!!!!!
The guy said that just about all the lagoons are connected and the gators just amble on in there. I was a bit as clearly they can just walk out of the water and wander about so we are extra vigilant but really wouldn't have thought twice about standing at the edge of the water previous to these incidents.

I'm so so so sad for this family.

dont think this is the time or place for tree hugging Lilac

Apparently they were all on the beach watching the film and the mother may have been in the water as well?

Four alligators have been trapped and euthanized but they didn't show any signs of being part of the attack. And the article said the parents are "receiving counseling". :(

So many people questioning why a two year old was out at that time. Uh, because that's when the movie showing was! I just had my three children out later than that for an outdoor screening of the same movie that was apparently playing when this happened. You can't really do things like outdoor films and fireworks if it isn't DARK.

I really don't understand what's happened to compassion.

This is heartbreaking. Even though you have the knowledge that alligators are a possibility/ highly likely, I think Being in Disney gives you a sense of safety/security IYSWIM

I've been to Florida several times and seen alligators (been on trips to see them), they are quite prolific but as people say they don't generally attack. To my knowledge I knew before I went that the area was known for alligators.

There was a case about 10 or more years ago where apparently some old people in an old people's home in Florida were feeding the alligators (yes really!) and an alligator got hold of and killed an old man...

The signs and information by Disney should have been more prominent though re warnings of them.

Love disney

But their signs are obviously completely inadequate, they should say do not enter the water and why

In my opinion, based on over 30 years of going to WDW Florida, Disney underplays the risk of alligators and encourages guests to feel they are in a fun, safe, magical playground. The man made lakes have man made beaches and hammocks on the beaches etc. Guests are encouraged to be out around these lake edges on the evenings with children's movies being shown and other activities.

I know alligators are a natural art of the habitat, and attacks on humans are relatively rare, but I think Disney deserves to have its pants sued off.

The fact is that this is a tragedy, but people do lose all perspective when these things happen. Given this is the first death of its kind in a WDW resort since it was opened, the reality is that billions literally billions of people have visited the resort and this is the first time a child has been killed by an alligator.

It is horrifically tragic for the family, and there is no doubt that procedures and protocols will be updated as a result. But to start saying that Disney/the family were irresponsible is ridiculous.

As I said previously, what are the statistics for children having drowned in swimming pools on the resort. There is no doubt that children will have drowned there. Who is responsible then?

It is possible to have empathy and compassion for the family without becoming hysterical over the bad risks and lack of signs and daring to allow people on the beach when millions of them will have been there previously and not come to harm.

I think Disney have been negligent in (1) encouraging people/ families to go to sit beside lakes in the dark and (2) to have signs saying "no swimming" and not "do not go into the water, dangerous alligators live here. Danger of death". Even if there are some alligator signs, there are obviously not enough if the number of people on this thread who have been and not seen a sign are anything to go by.

This thread is interesting: forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/bay-lake-seven-seas-lagoon-swimming.15405/page-3. It appears you used to be allowed to swim in the lake, and then they stopped it and no one really knows why. It also appears that there have been alligators there for a long time so it would appear that this was an accident that was waiting to happen which Disney did nothing about. Therefore it was preventable.

Poor family :(

Such an awful story. I've never been to Florida and wouldn't have had a clue about alligators.