Alligator Incident Discussion/Fence being built at Grand Floridian?

[HopperFan]

Walt Disney World should be doing what millions of the guests expected they have been doing since the 1970s; trapping and removing the alligators.

Again?
- Virtually impossible
- For every one gone, it's replaced with another
- NATURAL to the ENTIRE State
- Alligators were on the endangered species spectrum
- Gators are protected by law
- That means against the law
- Disney has no authority to move the bigger ones
- State must come in, evaluate and move bigger ones
- Disney can and does move smaller ones when they feel a nuisance
- Something like less than 30 deaths in 70 years in the state = LOW priority and not a problem
- They have much bigger problems, google Nile Crocodile and Pythons ... in the everglades ... guess where the everglades go to, yup Orlando.
- Greater danger from poisonous snakes and amoeba
- As always Disney World is an optional vacation, don't like it's wildlife, don't go
- Gator attacks are more due to reduced fear because people feed them and people entering their areas, aka people are the problem.
- "Millions of guests expected" ............... nothing whatsoever to support that statement.
- We get it, we've heard it over and over, you don't want alligators at Disney.
- Not gonna happen any more than getting rid of all the birds.

http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/disney-ignored-gator-problem-to-keep-high-end-guests-happy-report/

AGREE.... NY Post is the equivalent to Enquirer so junk journalism with no real regard to facts.

To follow up on the CSR guest .... his story has not been consistent. He first stated his son was out in the water to top of his calf .... note that CSR water is not accessible like GF so he clearly entered water he was not supposed to go in. He was so upset, so shocked, so livid that the manager didn't do anything ........... so he, a lawyer, did nothing either. He didn't make any calls or write any letters when he got home - kinda his specialty. What he did was wait until now to get his "story" to the national media, which for all we know is made up, and loving his 15 minutes of fame. Maybe he is hoping to represent the family.

 

[Belle0101]

I don't know for certain what happens to nuisance wildlife at Disney but having visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at least once a year for the last 10+ years, I do know what happens to most, if not all, of the habituated bears. They're captured and euthanized. A couple years back the park put up this sign letting visitors know what happens when they lose their fear of humans and / or look to humans for food.

I'd like to think that if Disney were to put up similar signs on property that people would think twice about feeding the wildlife.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

And Disney is not allowed to trap and remove any alligators. By law, that job falls to the State Wildlife dept. Which they do, once a gator has reached a given size. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the State of Florida.

I think Disney should have been monitoring their property and waters for alligators and been working with the State Wildlife Dept, if they are the appropriate agency, to make sure any alligators were removed promptly for the safety of their guests. Im sure they must have a duty to monitor their property, report promptly to the State Wildlife Dept that gators have been seen and warn guests of the possible presence of alligators on their property. Although they may have been monitoring their property, they are now reporting that 7 alligators have been taken from property and counting. That's not acceptable especially since they failed to warn visitors of the potential presence of alligators. They also should have included a warning to not feed alligators in their literature along with a hotline to call if someone should see an alligator. Sorry but it looks like Disney dropped the ball here.

 

[boltjames]

I would like to know what exactly Disney has kept from anyone. Have they ever declared the waters to be alligator free?

No, but by not posting alligator warnings on their signage they haven't alerted anyone to the potential presence of alligators.

Understand that people not indigenous to Florida have never even considered alligators as a problem outside of the Everglades which we might have been educated on when we were little kids. If you visited Hawaii, you would be aware that there are active volcanoes there because someone told you about it in grade school. But if you were sitting by the pool at a world-class resort and a sudden lava flow killed your toddler you would be outraged because your assumption would be that no company would put anyone in harms way or have the gall to not post a warning about it.

 

[Don_Air]

AGREE.... NY Post is the equivalent to Enquirer so junk journalism with no real regard to facts.

Noted Honestly have no idea about American news. I just read it, and thought it was an interesting take. That said, I assume there are people feeding from those bungalows, since it's not the first time today I've read it. The next thing we're going to hear about is the gators are hanging out on the decks in their private hot tubs.

 

[boltjames]

From previous threads, I thought the majority of visitors (before this week) didn't even know there were alligators at WDW.

Exactly. Because the assumption is that if there were such a threat Disney would never allow it to occur. Because it's their job to keep their guests safe.

Everyone knows there are alligators in the state of Florida. What very few people knew who lived out of state is that alligators are all over the Disney World property and that there is no strategy to control that population. And the news gets worse today because now everyone is finding out that there are guests who feed these beasts and condition them to interact with humans at an alarming rate.

After this weeks events the issue will no longer be that guests are unaware of the alligator infestation; the issue will be that guests aren't comfortable with Disney's inability to deal with it.

 

[HopperFan]

Noted Honestly have no idea about American news. I just read it, and thought it was an interesting take. That said, I assume there are people feeding from those bungalows, since it's not the first time today I've read it. The next thing we're going to hear about is the gators are hanging out on the decks in their private hot tubs.

No doubt those folks and their lack of common sense think it's cute to feed the wildlife. The reason there are tons of birds by some of the outdoor restaurants is because they are conditioned by people feeding them fries. Folks just think it's okay to feed wild animals, and aside from the danger it brings, often the food they are feeding them is not healthy.

Yeah, NY Post is like NYC's very own Enquirer. Hey gossip rules over here. I mean they had the core of the story but it makes it so much more sensational to talk about $2000 a night rooms .... that aren't even at the resort where it happened but implied. And the lawyer looking to make his mark making the circuit with his "story". Just sad folks want to make something off someone else's nightmare.

 

[BK2014]

Understand that people not indigenous to Florida have never even considered alligators as a problem outside of the Everglades which we might have been educated on when we were little kids.

I would agree if you had said that some people not indigenous to Florida would have considered the risk of alligators. But a lot of people who do not live in Florida are aware that Florida is built on a lot of swampland and alligators tend to live in that habitat.

If you visited Hawaii, you would be aware that there are active volcanoes there because someone told you about it in grade school. But if you were sitting by the pool at a world-class resort and a sudden lava flow killed your toddler you would be outraged because your assumption would be that no company would put anyone in harms way or have the gall to not post a warning about it.

I cannot agree that I assume that no company would put anyone in harms way, or have the gall not to post a warning about it. I don't believe companies have a duty to protect from, or warn about, every possible risk that may be present. Risks are inherent in life and accidents happen. Alligator attacks at WDW are so infrequent that most of us were unaware of the one in the mid 1980s until this week.

 

[minnie mum]

After this weeks events the issue will no longer be that guests are unaware of the alligator infestation; the issue will be that guests aren't comfortable with Disney's inability to deal with it.

You really seem fixated on the idea of Disney needing to exterminate every alligator on its property. Firstly, it's never gonna happen. Nor should it. Secondly, as I said in my previous post, alligator control rests solely with the State Wildlife folks. Take this up with them.

 

[lpereira]

Walt Disney World should be doing what millions of the guests expected they have been doing since the 1970s; trapping and removing the alligators.

You can't. It is an impossible task.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

And you can't fix stupid. Last year I witnessed parents handing kids food items to throw to two alligators about three foot long in front of the Lego Store.

Did you report this?

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I never understood the attraction of feeding wildlife. Messes up their wild instincts!

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

There is no getting around Disney's failure to warn it's guests about the presence of alligators which is unacceptable!!!! They have people there from all over the country and world who are not familiar with the the alligator issues in Florida and more specifically in Disney World.

 

[momofkids]

No, but by not posting alligator warnings on their signage they haven't alerted anyone to the potential presence of alligators.

Understand that people not indigenous to Florida have never even considered alligators as a problem outside of the Everglades which we might have been educated on when we were little kids. If you visited Hawaii, you would be aware that there are active volcanoes there because someone told you about it in grade school. But if you were sitting by the pool at a world-class resort and a sudden lava flow killed your toddler you would be outraged because your assumption would be that no company would put anyone in harms way or have the gall to not post a warning about it.

You can't be serious. All of Hawaii is on top of active volcanoes. Lava could absolutely burst up out of the ground in a previously "safe spot" at an expensive resort or an opening could appear spouting deadly gases. No there aren't warning signs, the risk is low. Hopefully, geologists would notice that there was a weakening in the earth, but there is no guarantee.

I don't know why anyone would assume a company would plan for every possible safety risk to its consumers. It is just not possible.

 

[TowMater92]

Again?
- Virtually impossible
- For every one gone, it's replaced with another
- NATURAL to the ENTIRE State
- Alligators are on the endangered species spectrum
- Gators are protected by law
- That means against the law
- Disney has no authority to move the bigger ones
- State must come in, evaluate and move bigger ones
- Disney can and does move smaller ones when they feel a nuisance
- Something like less than 30 deaths in 70 years in the state = LOW priority and not a problem
- They have much bigger problems, google Nile Crocodile and Pythons ... in the everglades ... guess where the everglades go to, yup Orlando.
- Greater danger from poisonous snakes and amoeba
- As always Disney World is an optional vacation, don't like it's wildlife, don't go
- Gator attacks are more due to reduced fear because people feed them and people entering their areas, aka people are the problem.
- "Millions of guests expected" ............... nothing whatsoever to support that statement.
- We get it, we've heard it over and over, you don't want alligators at Disney.
- Not gonna happen any more than getting rid of all the birds.



AGREE.... NY Post is the equivalent to Enquirer so junk journalism with no real regard to facts.

To follow up on the CSR guest .... his story has not been consistent. He first stated his son was out in the water to top of his calf .... note that CSR water is not accessible like GF so he clearly entered water he was not supposed to go in. He was so upset, so shocked, so livid that the manager didn't do anything ........... so he, a lawyer, did nothing either. He didn't make any calls or write any letters when he got home - kinda his specialty. What he did was wait until now to get his "story" to the national media, which for all we know is made up, and loving his 15 minutes of fame. Maybe he is hoping to represent the family.

They were but they aren't anymore, they were removed from the list in 1987. Hunting them is heavily regulated because the american crocodile is on the endangered species list and some people confuse the two. Also all animals are protected by law that's why you have to get hunting licenses. But you are 100% correct they will never get rid of them all, even if the state agrees to remove the alligators more will come in.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Post deleted

 

[HopperFan]

They were but they aren't anymore, they were removed from the list in 1987. Hunting them is heavily regulated because the american crocodile is on the endangered species list and some people confuse the two. Also all animals are protected by law that's why you have to get hunting licenses. But you are 100% correct they will never get rid of them all, even if the state agrees to remove the alligators more will come in.

Yeah, it's why I used spectrum, maybe poor wording. But to hunt alligator it's not a matter of a license only. The species is very "protected" to prevent the numbers of going back to the list. To hunt alligator in Georgia it's like a lottery with points. DH has gotten a tag once in the last four years (and yes I have an alligator head in my house) and he's hoping his brother gets picked this year so they can go again. Highly regulated.

 

[Sammie]

No, but by not posting alligator warnings on their signage they haven't alerted anyone to the potential presence of alligators.

Understand that people not indigenous to Florida have never even considered alligators as a problem outside of the Everglades which we might have been educated on when we were little kids. If you visited Hawaii, you would be aware that there are active volcanoes there because someone told you about it in grade school. But if you were sitting by the pool at a world-class resort and a sudden lava flow killed your toddler you would be outraged because your assumption would be that no company would put anyone in harms way or have the gall to not post a warning about it.

I am not from Florida and I knew all about them. And yes if I was traveling somewhere else I would be aware of natural dangers. That is my responsibility to keep myself and family safe.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

You really seem fixated on the idea of Disney needing to exterminate every alligator on its property. Firstly, it's never gonna happen. Nor should it. Secondly, as I said in my previous post, alligator control rests solely with the State Wildlife folks. Take this up with them.

Disagree .....All alligators should be removed from property if it is feasible!!!!!! Why do you think they shouldn't be??? Safety of visitors much more important than alligators. Disney will be up to their eye balls trying to remedy this situation in the future not only for the probable $$$$$$$$$ lawsuit that most likely will be coming their way but also for public relations and public safety.

 

[tink'smom2B]

I have vacationed here for over twenty years and alligators were never on my radar. We even spent nearly half of those years in the campground. Snakes are everywhere in the Wilderness resort. So many, in fact, that I won't stay there anymore. Now alligators, and you all are telling me it's just something I'm supposed to accept and get over. Well, I'll just take my money elsewhere, thank you!