2 Year Old Dragged into Water by Gator at Disney Resort

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pictures of the area. This was a tragic mistake, but the child should not have been playing in a foot of this water. The moment the child was heading towards it, the parents should have intervened. It's a sad mistake all around, but this is obviously not play-able water area.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3642167/Two-year-old-child-dragged-water-alligator-near-Disney-s-Grand-Floridian-resort.html

That water looks scary during the day (too dark to see what's lurking), let alone at night.

And there are lot of clear signs. I realize the parents probably just wanted to relax and let their guard down, but the moment their child was heading towards the grassy/rocky division between the sand & the water, they should have pulled their child back.

It is obviously not wading area. It's obviously not where a young child should be. It's a sad mistake, but I don't think the resort should be blamed. All parents make mistakes and I have sympathy for them, but it does sound like they were not paying attention.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always thought those lagoon beaches were gross. Why would you set up a beach for kids to run around on next to an alligator infested lagoon. The Disney "illusion" is that all is safe. There are no warnings about alligators.

Lots of things have the illusion of being safe. You still need to use your head. I can't believe people want a warning about alligators in FLORIDA.

If Yellowstone and Yosemite can go to great extent to warn people about wild animals in a wilderness park where one of the main attractions is to see animals in the wild then, yes, a company attracting visitors from all over the world to Florida should know they should provide warnings about alligators!

Not really comparable.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I always thought those lagoon beaches were gross. Why would you set up a beach for kids to run around on next to an alligator infested lagoon. The Disney "illusion" is that all is safe. There are no warnings about alligators.

Lots of things have the illusion of being safe. You still need to use your head. I can't believe people want a warning about alligators in FLORIDA.

How many times does this bear repeating? PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SIMPLY IGNORANT OF ALLIGATOR BEST PRACTICES.

This is not something we are taught in the Northeast, Midwest, or West coast. I know about alligators and to stay away from them. But I had no idea that they eat in the evening, that they could be lurking next to a white sand beach on a seemingly "safe" Disney property that they encourage families to use, that they could snatch a toddler in only a few inches of water. Parents from Nebraska will not know any of this. I'm well educated, an Eagle Scout and very outdoorsy (love to hike, camp, surf, etc) and I did not know about these rules. Absent information about gators lurking nearby, I'd probably let my kids dip their toes in the water at this "beach" given the setup.

Disney did not properly communicate the risks.

Well, then you're an idiot. If you're visiting an area, you should always learn about the dangers, what to avoid, what to expect, etc.

Seriously, STFU troll. You're basically calling the parents idiots, too.

Families pay LOTS of money to stay at the Disney resort because they want a safe, hassle-free experience. When they go camping in the Everglades, they realize that they need to take more precautions. Families let their guard down and do not have a defensive mindset when they are on a Disney resort property. In fact, I would argue that Disney encourages people to relax their defensiveness.

This. You are absolutely encouraged to go down by the lake and frolick while watching the boat parade, fireworks, movie, etc. I have been there many times and kids are always wading and running and splashing around the edge of the water. Grand Floridian especially, is an idyllic place. It's upscale and perfect seeming. When we go it feels like we're in a Rockwell painting come to life. No one is ever hanging out there thinking...gators. It could have happened to anyone.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How dumb are these parents? Who in the United States doesn't know that ANY body of water in FL (besides the ocean), no matter how pretty or inviting it may seem likely has gators and/or venomous things. I love that we're splitting hairs between swimming and wading, when this child shouldn't have been touching water, period. Even if the signs don't say it - why risk it?

Wonder how close the dad was to the kid - bc I would think a dad standing right there could grab the kid under the armpits end pull hard enough to pull him out. Though I guess that also depends on the gators grip.

Sad but I don't want to see Disney paying out huge sums here.

Okay, for one thing, if you believe that every single person in the US is aware of the dangers of alligators in Florida, you are a moron. Full stop.

Secondly, even if this kid was standing 12 inches away, not touching the water, the alligator still could have gotten him.

Really? I would wager that people who don't know about gators in Florida are the idiots.

Yes, I know that you would wager that. Because you don't know shit about how the world works.

We're not talking about the world. We're talking about the US. And if the US school system hasn't taught families well off enough to visit Disney that there are gators in Florida, they're morons.

I am highly educated. I live in New England and visit beaches nearly every day. I am aware that alligators live in Florida, and specifically in the Everglades. I would never dream that there are alligators at the shoreline of a Disney advertised "white sands" beach where families are encouraged to play and watch fireworks. Absent signage saying "No Wading" due to bacteria, alligators, whatever, my 2 year old would certainly have been allowed to go in the water up to his ankles as I stood nearby.

There but by the grace of God go I. Just horrifying.

+1

+2. And I find the poster calling the parents morons to be truly disgusting.

This. I am highly educated as well, and know that there are alligators in FL. But I also know how Disney controls the theme park experience end-to-end and that they installed a beach at the resort along this lagoon. Despite the "no swimming" signs, I would never expect an alligator to come out of the water and attack my child at the Grand Floridian. And I don't think it's reasonable to expect families visiting from all over the world to know about the alligators in FL and guard themselves against this while on Disney property. If the lagoon is this dangerous, Disney shouldn't have a beach there, nor hold movie nights, fireworks, etc. There should be signs everywhere. As much as I like Disney, I would absolutely sue them in this case. And my heart breaks for these poor parents.

Again, Disney can not control wildlife in their water. Can they remove them, if found? Sure. But to expect them to know at all times what lurks in their waters is asinine. They told you "No Swimming" and that should be enough. Now, if alligators were all over their sandy beaches, that's another story.

As has been explained to you numerous times, "no swimming" does not equal "don't walk in the shallows due to alligator risk". Disney hosts people from all over the country and all over the world, and there is zero reason that a family from Nebraska (or Bethesda) would know that there is a risk in allowing a child to play in shallow water on a sandy beach. I can guarantee you in that situation, my behavior would be very different if a sign said "no swimming" vs "danger - alligators".

I'm sorry you need things spelled out to you on such an elementary level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We honeymooned in Mexico and our resort had "cocodillo" signs all over the place. We didn't go near the water.

I'm sorry, but "No Swimming" is one thing and "Beware: Crocodiles" is something else. If I see "No Swimming" I can totally see my kid(s) putting their feet in the water since that isn't swimming. But if I see "Beware: Crocodiles" bet you ass my kids are not putting their feet in any kind of water.

If dangerous, life-threatening wildlife are on your property, you should probably mention that.


That poor, poor family. I am simply haunted by this whole story.

This. You just won the lawsuit. Great post in its entirety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People blame the parents because they are in denial. They want to feel in control of everything in their lives and don't want to believe that something so horrible can happen in very normal and common circumstances. They don't know how to process that. So instead they make it seem like the parents could have prevented it.

I get it, guys. It's hard to accept that we're helpless sometimes. But your words are very cruel toward those parents experiencing the worst kind of grief. Please think before you lash out at the parents. What if they saw what you wrote?

I agree with this. However, I tHink it is the same motivation that causes people to blame Disney. No one wants to believe that terrible accidents just happen. Someone must have been to blame, and if they hadn't been negligent, this would have been prevented. Some posters on here seem to believe that Disney should have somehow prevented the real world from existing within the boundaries of their property. It was a terrible tragedy. But terrible tragedies happen everywhere. That doesn't mean either the parents or Disney was at fault. THe alligator was just doing what alligators do. Now if you want to talk about those who have insisted that alligators be protected to the extent that their populations have exploded in close proximity to people, we can have a discusision.....

I guess that's true. I do think there need to be "Beware - Alligators" signs.

[Anonymous]

There are signs in the Lake that says "no swimming"

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How have they not found the boy yet?

The ugly truth is that the Gator may have eaten him. They don't normally actually eat people - the bite can kill, but they rarely actually eat people - but this was a small child.

I'm amazed at the people asking how a Gator got into the lagoon. We have two gators (that I know of) in the man made retention pond in our back yard. Wildlife control will relocate them when they reach 6 feet. Every house on our lake has kids. The kids are outside all the time and know not to play in the water. I worry more about the water moccasins than about the gators.

It's been said so many times in this thread - In Florida you assume all fresh water has gators.

You can't have it both ways - either gators are a risk in "all fresh water" in Florida, and you make that risk known at your resort where you host people not from Florida, or you don't post a warning about gators because it's such a rare and freak thing to happen. What you do not do is have an explicit "no swimming" warning, including numerous signs picturing a person swimming in a circle with a line though it, when the risk isn't really about swimming. Not everyone knows the whole state is infested with alligators.

I am in SHOCK that so many people are so ignorant.

Really? Do you know about all the wildlife in other states? Like New Mexico and Arizona?

The dangerous shit that can kill me? Yes. If I'm visiting a place, I make it my business to research the area. Now, if some rare, exotic animal gets me when I wander into their territory, I guess my time was up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pictures of the area. This was a tragic mistake, but the child should not have been playing in a foot of this water. The moment the child was heading towards it, the parents should have intervened. It's a sad mistake all around, but this is obviously not play-able water area.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3642167/Two-year-old-child-dragged-water-alligator-near-Disney-s-Grand-Floridian-resort.html

That water looks scary during the day (too dark to see what's lurking), let alone at night.

And there are lot of clear signs. I realize the parents probably just wanted to relax and let their guard down, but the moment their child was heading towards the grassy/rocky division between the sand & the water, they should have pulled their child back.

It is obviously not wading area. It's obviously not where a young child should be[u]. It's a sad mistake, but I don't think the resort should be blamed. All parents make mistakes and I have sympathy for them, but it does sound like they were not paying attention.

It's not? It's shallow water, on a family beach, at a safe family resort, that does not say, "No wading," where there are resort-sponsored movies and bonfires. That says, "It's ok to wade," to me.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, it never occurred to me that there would be gators on Disney property. A friend was there, and posted a picture of a gator in the water not far from where she was sitting.

Before we went I read a lot on Disboards and learned that yes, there certainly are gators in the water. We stayed away from the edges of lagoons. Just like at home I'm careful where bears may be roaming.

Considering that Disney guests come from all over the world maybe they will now have a lot of warnings about the alligators. In their literature online, in the guest information in the rooms etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How have they not found the boy yet?

The ugly truth is that the Gator may have eaten him. They don't normally actually eat people - the bite can kill, but they rarely actually eat people - but this was a small child.

I'm amazed at the people asking how a Gator got into the lagoon. We have two gators (that I know of) in the man made retention pond in our back yard. Wildlife control will relocate them when they reach 6 feet. Every house on our lake has kids. The kids are outside all the time and know not to play in the water. I worry more about the water moccasins than about the gators.

It's been said so many times in this thread - In Florida you assume all fresh water has gators.

Even worse - the gator may hide or store the body in its' nest or buried underwater to let it rot a bit. They do that a lot with fresh kills or larger kills.

I don't think people realize how fast and silent gators can be. They can come up on you in less than a foot of water, grab your legs, pull backwards and roll, to drown you or to then get to your neck. They take pets all the time, and even larger animal like deer. In the dark, this was probably almost over before the parents even knew what was happening. I feel so terrible for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are signs in the Lake that says "no swimming"

Yup. And they're spaced pretty closely apart - like 20 feet? You can see 2 signs in this picture.

[Anonymous]

Ban gators now !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are signs in the Lake that says "no swimming"

Yup. And they're spaced pretty closely apart - like 20 feet? You can see 2 signs in this picture.

You know what I don't see on this sign? "Gators in water. Beware."

[Anonymous]

oh I'm so so happy we planned our vacation to go to Orlando... (sarcasm)