Heartbreaking news...a big reminder to be aware of wildlife on property

[lovethattink]

I just watched a live report. They've already taken 4 gators out of Bay Lake, but they don't believe any of them were THE gator.

They are treating the area as a crime scene.

 

[kmb584]

This is so sickening, heartbreaking, and tragic. I can't begin to imagine what this family is going through and what the little boy went through.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Uhm... Is this common knowledge?
I consider myself pretty Disney Educated but would've bet money on the fact that there are no gators in the Seven Seas Lagoon...
Yes, I am aware it's Floriday, yes, I am aware Disneybis mainly build on swamp land but I am also aware that it is a man made lagoon.. So...

I just wouldn't expect gators on Property (especially not around the GF or other resorts)...

Wow... How absolutely heartbreaking :/ I would've never expected this to be a possibility... And I am overly cautious and won't even let my kids play alone in the backyard (they are 5 and 7) for the fear of them getting hurt or whatever...

Any body of water can have gators in it, natural or man made. Gators travel on land. I live in SW FL and they have even been found in salt water in the Gulf of Mexico. Normally, they don't go in salt water. I say normally, I am not saying never.

 

[anniebean]

I'm surprised at the lack of thought to gators. I don't live in Florida, but it's pretty common knowledge. And that water is nasty and murky....there's a reason that there are no swimming signs up, and at 9:30 at night???? If they were ignorant about the gators, you have to at least worry about the snakes!

If they sue, it'd be nuts. Parents need to take a some responsibility.

And, how the heck are they supposed to keep the gators out of the water? That is their home! WDW was built on top of a swamp!

Don't get me wrong, I feel horrible for the parents, and I can't even imagine what they are going thru, but to blame Disney for parents not doing their job is just unfair.

 

[sunshine1]

I am from the UK and have never been told by Disney about the threat of gators.

Where the signs telling guests to be vilgiant?

Have Disney not had signage up as to not burst the Disney bubble?

Poor child.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

One year we were staying at the Poly, we were at the pool and a little boy and girl, about ages 8 or 9, were playing in the water, running in and out of the water with buckets, playing in the sand-something kids would do on any beach anywhere. The parents were sitting at a table next to ours enjoying a drink and their day at WDW. I knew that it was none of my business, but I had to make a comment to the mom. I very politely told her about the amoeba thing and that gators were common and could be in the water, half expecting her to tell me to mind my own business. She looked shocked and sent her husband after the kids immediately. She did not know about or think about either of those things. She did see the no swimming signs but since her kids weren't in the water to swim, just grabbing water to build sandcastles, she did not think they were in any danger nor doing anything wrong. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

The signs need to be more clear, while no means no to some people, others will read and do what they want. Just a sign that says no swimming with a picture of a gator would be enough for most folks I would think.

My thoughts and prayers go to this family, such a tragedy

 

[phabric]

My thoughts and prayers are out to the family. You plan on a vacation to Disney with happy times and then this happens.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

But do the signs say there are alligators? Forgive me if a picture of the sign has been posted and I'm wrong, but I thought the sign just says no swimming? No swimming to me means don't submerge yourself due to the brain eating amoebas, not don't go wading to your ankles. Some might have thought no swimming meant because there's no lifeguard. No swimming is not the same as don't enter the water at all.

I also heard reports there was a lifeguard on duty at the movie at the beach. Was it close to the pool or was it in case kids went into the water?

Amoebas enter your body through any opening. If you have a cut on your foot, it can enter your blood system. As far as lifeguard, it was for pool

 

[TitanBrett]

What a terrible tragedy. I've lived in Florida since 2002 and when I first heard my thought was, *** was that kid doing wading in a lake at 9:30pm??? Don't they know that there are gators in basically every freshwater body of water in Florida? Don't they know that this is mating season when gators are most active? Don't they know that gators target small prey? But then I thought, I knew none of these things before I moved here and there is no reason to think someone from Nebraska would either. "No Swimming" is a far cry from "Dangerous/Deadly Wildlife---No Swimming!"

 

[DisneyOma]

I knew the rest of Florida had gators, but I always thought they were joking about WDW. I can't believe they allow them in the waters. This is horrific and terribly unsafe. Brought back memories of DS the first time we stayed at Poly. I remember him being near the water. We won't be going near that at night anymore. What a terrible thing to happen.

"Allowing them in the waters" - there's no way to prevent them from being in the water. That's where they live. It would be like trying to keep sharks out of the ocean.

I am from the UK and have never been told by Disney about the threat of gators.

Where the signs telling guests to be vilgiant?

Have Disney not had signage up as to not burst the Disney bubble?

Poor child.

When traveling to a new country, my husband and I do a lot of research - types of crime, dangerous situations, political issues, local customs, etc. One cannot afford to be an ignorant traveler anymore. This poor family - what a horrible, horrible way to learn this lesson.

Disney has alligators on property, poisonous snakes, poisonous spiders, flying insects that carry deadly diseases, and many other hazards.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Of course, the parents will sue! I honestly can't believe that there are alligators on property and I don't know if there were "Beware of alligators" signs out. People go out to that beach believing that it's safe, so I think that there's some liability there.

But this got me shook. I remember staying at the Port Orleans-Riverside resort and a bullfrog took up residence there last year. I thought that it was a part of the ambience, but then I saw some CMs seeking it out to remove it from the property. And I remember saying to the family that if a bullfrog can take up residence, then what would stop an alligator. This is simply tragic!

 

[nroush313]

Alligators live in any body of water in Florida. Even after hurricanes, alligators will be found living in swimming pools here in Florida. For me, if a sign says no swimming I do not go in that body of water. Alligators in Florida are known to snatch small dogs from yards on canals and such. So tragic but could have been avoided.

 

[IrishNYC]

This is what nightmares are made of. That poor baby and that poor family. I cannot imagine going home without my baby after a tragedy like this. My heart breaks for them.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Understood about the "No Swimming" thing. But the child wasn't swimming. The child was playing NEAR the water and the alligator took the child that was on land and drug the baby into the water.

 

[nroush313]

Understood about the "No Swimming" thing. But the child wasn't swimming. The child was playing NEAR the water and the alligator took the child that was on land and drug the baby into the water.

It was reported the child was at least a foot in the water from the shore.

 

[lizzytizzy]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/index.html

 

[poeticdiabetic]

It was reported the child was in at least a foot in the water from the shore.

According to WDWinfo, he wasn't. But on CNN, he was wading in the water. I'll take CNN's report then.

 

[ArwenMarie]

So sad
I don't blame anyone but I do hope they upgrade the signs now

 

[nroush313]

According to WDWinfo, he wasn't. But on CNN, he was wading in the water. I'll take CNN's report then.

I heard it from the press report from Orange County Sheriff and News reports here in Orlando.

 

[TitanBrett]

There is no way to keep gators out of that water or any water. Even this tragedy can't change that. Freshwater in Florida has gators.