2 Year Old Dragged into Water by Gator at Disney Resort

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought that everyone knew that gators "could" be anywhere in Florida. just like sharks could be in the ocean. just like forests have bears and the sky has lightening. I know these things and don't necessarily need signs to remind me.

Yes, but you have common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not going to read 47 pages but I'm sure I'm agreeing with someone that it's horrific and tragic, but it's a freak accident. There are bears in Virginia and while I've never seen one in my yard, a bear could certainly wander onto my property and hurt or kill me.

Stupid comment.

All disney had to do was post a sign about gators being present, and nobody would have been on that beach or near the lagoon. Of course, they didn't post a sign because they wanted people on that beach.

Wrong. People would have been in the water. People break rules all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are we 100% certain that this is the first sighting or attack, ever?

Definitely not the first sighting.

Multiple threads on the DisBoards talking about seeing gators inside Magic Kingdom, near splash mountain, by tom sawyers island, near this lagoon, on trails at wilderness lodge, etc. People make it sound like they were startled the first time, but have seen them during every visit. They must be everywhere.

Disney opted to forego posting signs, but they knew gators were a present threat.

I hope disney pays through the nose. This type of negligence is horrific.

HOW IS THIS NEGLIGENCE?? Alligators are everywhere in Florida!

There's an assumption that disney would take precautions in the lagoon they built on their private property. Otherwise, there would be signs like every other resort or water area in the state.

Disney is negligent. They can't pretend it's a freak accident when hundreds of people have posted on DisBoards that they've seen gators all over disney---including inside the freaking amusement park!

That does not prevent this from being a freak accident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that everyone knew that gators "could" be anywhere in Florida. just like sharks could be in the ocean. just like forests have bears and the sky has lightening. I know these things and don't necessarily need signs to remind me.

I'm from Toronto and no I wouldn't know that they'd be in a lagoon in a huge tourist attraction like Disney.

Disney is in Florida. Florida has alligators. Why would Disney be exempt from Florida wildlife?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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."

Really? You must be either a lawyer or an Clinton supporter (definition of what "is" is)...

Gators are mobile and come and go from lakes all over Florida looking for food. No swimming means don't go into the water!

Ha! I am neither! Not a lawyer and a lifelong Republican.

You know what else I am: SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW GATOR PRACTICES. So if I see a sign telling me not to swim, I don't swim. But I might wade. Because the sign didn't say anything about gators. About which I know little.

I was just saying to a friend, two years ago, I probably would have waded, too. I moved to Florida a year and a half ago, and now I look at that body of water and see all the indicia of alligators (except the warning sign, that you'd expect here), so I'd know to stay out. Two years ago I probably woul have had no idea. I'd have waded, or let my dog wade (if dogs were allowed). I wouldn't have thought twice seeing a kid wade. And a "steep dropoff" sign wouldn't have scared me because I'm a good swimmer - so I might even have taken a dip.

Now I know better. But that's only because I live in Florida and have gotten used to things here. Tourists? It seems profoundly stupid to have an inviting body of water and not give better warnings about why they should stay out of it.

That area in the picture doesn't even exist anymore.

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Exactly. I grew up in DC and you couldn't pay me to go in that water. Looks dangerous as hell. People go on vacation and get too damn reckless.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the time gators are really not an immediate danger. You can see one lying around fat and lazy in Magic Kingdom and be in no danger. I've been within feet of them at state parks and such and they just sit there usually. They almost never lunge after humans. This was truly a freak accident.

Yes apparently an attack on a human is very rare. Its just a horrible horrible thing and I feel so bad for the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

So only Floridians know about alligators in their waters? Damn, Americans are dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

Lol!

[Anonymous]

We stayed at the Polynesian a few years ago. It's on the same lagoon and everyone was swimming, in broad daylight and full view of Disney employees. I didn't see it as a natural body of water at all -- I thought it was a fake lagoon the way everything else at Disney is fake. This family will win and win big.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stayed at that resort. I thought the lagoons by the resort were man made and that perhaps they had a block of some sort so alligators would not get in. I walked around on that beach at night with my small kids not realizing that alligators could jump out and bite you. There were only signs that said no swimming and I assumed it was because the lagoon is more like a murky pond than a cleaner lake.

My relatives have gators wander into their outdoor swimming pool in FL. Doesn't even matter if it's man-made---but that place was connected to natural waterways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

I'm from Georgia, not Orlando. My point was EVEN PEOPLE NOT FROM FLORIDA know to not go near brackish water like that. In Florida. I'm sure I could similarly detect a not safe environment in Nebraska because shit that's not safe doesn't look safe!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

So only Floridians know about alligators in their waters? Damn, Americans are dumb.

Ok. Nature's gonna nature. Then why does Disney hold water activities in or near that lake...without wildlife signs?

[Anonymous]

Well, don't make man-made lagoons and put a beach and resort next to it and encourage people to play in the sand and have cabanas. It is a "freak accident" in many ways, but Disney puts people at risk by building the resorts the way that they do. Yes, you can't expect to keep alligators completely out of populated areas, but creating additional shore lines and food sources are not a good start.

This kid didn't actually need to be in the water to have been snatched. It is a horrific way to die, and my heart goes out to that poor traumatized family as well as anyone who may have witnessed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I grew up in Georgia and this type of lagoon pond you NEVER FUCKING GO IN. That thing looks sketch as hell and all manner of bacteria, bug, water snake and gator are in that water and Disney can't do a damn thing about it. Because nature's gonna nature. I've never been to Disney but if I went I would have zero notions of entering that kind of muck pond. Can't believe people do.

Dude, have you read the thread? You know because you're local.

Now, get yourself to Nebraska and report back to us on what bit you in the ass out there. Thanks in advance.

So only Floridians know about alligators in their waters? Damn, Americans are dumb.

Ok. Nature's gonna nature. Then why does Disney hold water activities in or near that lake...without wildlife signs?

Because for the most part if you're not IN the lake the wildlife isn't an issue. Like I said, it's extremely rare for a gator even if near humans to lunge at a human. It just doesn't usually happen. There's no pressing need to warn against something ridiculously unlikely to happen. There's a word for that. Accident!