First off, I can't even get my head around this tragedy, and as a parent myself, don't even know how the parents can go on, just amazing.
With that said, I was at the Beach Club last week. My kids' favorite activity is the movie on the beach. We were watching "The Force Awakens" and my 6 year old son was playing on the shore of the lake with 3 friends he had made. He was at the waters edge, sometimes in the water, but below his knees. The employees running the show came over to the kids and said when it got dark that they shouldn't go out too far as there was a deep drop off. They never asked them to get out of the water, or tell them that no swimming meant you were not allowed to be wading in the water. I don't think Disney's "rules" here are as clear cut as some people think. We have been to Beach Club many times and have seen some of the same employees working there year after year. They know what they are doing and what the rules are (we couldn't roast a marshmellow in bare feet, for example).
Here is a post I found from 2010.....
woodkinsDIS Veteran
Joined:
Feb 6, 2009
Messages:
2,680
↑
This is kind of freaking me out! My family swims in Texas in the summer in alot of freshwater pools/lakes. (We live in Colorado now but visit fam in the summer.) It sounds like it could be anywhere, not just certain marked areas. Or are the marked area where they have actually found it for certain?
Click to expand...
The marked signs simply say no swimming, when we inquired if it was okay for our dd to wade in and get buckets we were told by the lifeguard and pool staff that it was fine, the reasons for the signs were because the beach area is close to where the boats come in and where the sea racers go as well. He said that there are also sometimes snakes or a potential gator that could wander over so that was the reason for the sign. At the time we allowed her to wade in no one had ever spoken of any amoeba born disease so we had no ideas, no saying you should let kids do it, just letting you know what the Poly staff was offering as an explaination.
woodkins,
May 8, 2010
I camp in the National Parks and unfortunately bear attacks happen, I will be back to Disney, and if my son wants to play at the waters edge and Disney allows it, fine with me. You can't live your life around risks that are 1 in 2.45 million form happening. You do your best to be careful (keep a clean camp around bears, watch for wildlife when swimming) and enjoy your life. I swim in lakes, camp in bear country and hike in the desert. If I believed in 1 in 2.45 million risks I would play the lottery.
Terrible tragedy, no ones fault, live your life like you want to live.