Any areas allowed for "wading"

[Jaime4004]

I've been in new england my whole life but I still equate florida lakes/swamps/other little bodies of water with gators, snakes, amoebas and other nasty things. I was there in May with some friends and we were parked near some water in the EPCOT parking lot. I was joking about us being "gator-bait" when we were walking by it. My kids love playing on the beaches in WDW also, but never allowed in the water because of the signs, the potential for creepy crawlies, and the fact that it looks nasty. No swimming to us meant no touching the water, they didn't question it either. But from these threads I guess that's open to interpretation...

 

[Shanti]

I thought they can enter through a cut in your blood stream too. Is this not correct?

I've never heard of that method, but can't say that I know. The only method I'm aware of is through the nose. They swim into the brain from there. It's actually hard to accidentally snort water that high up the nose, which is why the condition is fairly rare, especially in comparison to how common the deadly amoeba is.

 

[cbs0006]

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:
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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.

 

[holden]

For me, the "no swimming" signs always meant "don't go in the water." We've been to WDW twice a year for the past 11 years and I always wondered why people thought it was ok to go in the water when the sign clearly indicates that you shouldn't.

 

[Boopuff]

I also take "no swimming" to mean no going into the water. At what point does wading become swimming? Are you only swimming if the water is at your knees? or perhaps your belly button? Do you have to be able to float? I just take it to mean stay out. I can see where some folks play loosy-goosey with rules and all that...

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I took no swimming as don't go in the water. But I always wondered why they had these nice looking beaches with chairs that go right up tot he water if they don't want you in it.

I know alligators are not the only danger in those lakes. Although there are no real confirmed cases, the brain eating bacteria has been a concern as well for many years and another reason to stay away from swimming in the lakes.

I just always felt they shouldn't have a beach if they don't want you to use it.

 

[Bay_Lake_Tower]

I took no swimming as don't go in the water. But I always wondered why they had these nice looking beaches with chairs that go right up tot he water if they don't want you in it.

I know alligators are not the only danger in those lakes. Although there are no real confirmed cases, the brain eating bacteria has been a concern as well for many years and another reason to stay away from swimming in the lakes.

I just always felt they shouldn't have a beach if they don't want you to use it.

The beach can and is used, they don't want you in the water.

The water is disgusting looking, if we're talking about things looking appealing I'm certainly not itching to jump into the Seven Seas Lagoon with it's murky water and no swimming signs.

 

[tecdavidt]

When I grew up "No Swimming" = do not get in the water. There was no explaining why. Just like my parents would tell me no and when I wanted to know why the answer was, "because I said no, end of it." For me, Disney signs reading, No Swimming means stay out, the water is not safe.

My children now are 35,32,32 and 24. When they were growing up and they wanted to go to the pool, or play in the hose/sprinkler in our yard, they requested, "Can we go swimming?" They never asked, can we go wading, can we go splashing, can we go floating?" Swimming is a generic word for playing in water. Apparently today, people want it all spelled out in words or pictures on why they can't use the water. Disney is going to have to change the signs but they will still get a guest who will ignore the warnings. It probably is time for Disney to put up a wall around the lagoon. It always spooks me walking back to BW from DHS at night. The walkway is close to the canal the water taxis use.

The Disney World lagoons and ponds are gross water. Nasty creatures for people live in that gross water. Disney provides wonderful pools and splash zones. This whole situation was horrible and the Grand Floridian has one of the best toddler splash zones behind a fence behind where this horrible accident took place. It just is a horrible accident and in the photos of that night I would see the great toddler area right behind the accident area, it brought tears to my eyes.

Kathy

 

[HopperFan]

I took no swimming as don't go in the water. But I always wondered why they had these nice looking beaches with chairs that go right up tot he water if they don't want you in it.

I know alligators are not the only danger in those lakes. Although there are no real confirmed cases, the brain eating bacteria has been a concern as well for many years and another reason to stay away from swimming in the lakes.

I just always felt they shouldn't have a beach if they don't want you to use it.

A beach is not defined as swimming, it's just a type of landscaping. Many people love to lay on the loungers for sun or reading a book. I see groups sitting and visiting. The pool areas are wet and loud - and if you aren't going to swim, the beach is a nice relaxing spot. It's also a place kids can dig in the sand next to their folks relaxing.

They are fine with you using the beach, they just don't want you going in the water. If you want to play in the water then go to the splash areas or pool.

 

[kittyab]

When we were there last October, that water looked nasty. No way I would stick a toe in it.

 

[mommycrawford]

I completely and utterly disagree. Every body of water in FL will have a gator or more in it. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with Disney's fault. This is Mother Nature, this is us as humans NOT understanding or being ignorant to the facts of how and where animals live. Unfortunately it always takes tragedies like this for signs to be posted, because as seen by so many of us, assumptions are made that people are aware of the dangers of water in the South. I have only live here for a couple years, but I have known since I was little and growing up in WI that there are gators in the lakes, ponds and rivers in FL. Never knew people thought differently. That doesn't make this in any way Disney's fault. This has never happened before.

I wholeheartedly agree! I think going to Florida, one can have a reasonable expectation that gators are present or near any body of water, just as bears or coyote wander into cities that are close to woods. (I live in NY, and didn't we have a raccoon on the scaffold around our building which had wandered over from Central Park, where they live in the trees around Harlem Meer at the North end?!) That said, I think one can have a reasonable expectation that they can go out to a night club with without being riddled with bullets: but what do I know.

 

[4forthemouse]

My brother & I swam in Bay Lake during my first few WDW trips. My first trip was in 1979 & I'm not sure when they banned swimming. I also remember the buoys marking off where we were allowed to swim to. Not sure if they still offer water skiing, but I also remember that as a pretty popular activity for guests when we stayed at the Poly. We were too young to do it, but I remember watching others doing it while we played on the beach. & I definitely remember my parents buying us pails & shovels at the hotels & using them to fill water from Bay Lake for our sand castles. & we visited River Country several times, as well as Discovery Island. I am almost positive we swam in the lake at River Country. As a kid, I thought nothing of it. As a grown up, I get grossed out by swampy murky water.

I think you still can water ski in Bay Lake . We went tubing there last year.

 

[mjkacmom]

When I grew up "No Swimming" = do not get in the water. There was no explaining why. Just like my parents would tell me no and when I wanted to know why the answer was, "because I said no, end of it." For me, Disney signs reading, No Swimming means stay out, the water is not safe.

My children now are 35,32,32 and 24. When they were growing up and they wanted to go to the pool, or play in the hose/sprinkler in our yard, they requested, "Can we go swimming?" They never asked, can we go wading, can we go splashing, can we go floating?" Swimming is a generic word for playing in water. Apparently today, people want it all spelled out in words or pictures on why they can't use the water. Disney is going to have to change the signs but they will still get a guest who will ignore the warnings. It probably is time for Disney to put up a wall around the lagoon. It always spooks me walking back to BW from DHS at night. The walkway is close to the canal the water taxis use.

The Disney World lagoons and ponds are gross water. Nasty creatures for people live in that gross water. Disney provides wonderful pools and splash zones. This whole situation was horrible and the Grand Floridian has one of the best toddler splash zones behind a fence behind where this horrible accident took place. It just is a horrible accident and in the photos of that night I would see the great toddler area right behind the accident area, it brought tears to my eyes.

Kathy

If I tell my kids they can't swim in the pool, I have no problem with them wading on the pool steps. No bathing suit needed, no towel, just getting their feet wet. If we are at the beach, and the lifeguards go off duty, no swimming, but a lot of people still stand in the surf. Apparently, Disney allows wading at this beach - maybe the sign means what many here think - no swimming. There is a big difference between submerging your whole body in water vs your feet.

 

[kittyab]

I wholeheartedly agree! I think going to Florida, one can have a reasonable expectation that gators are present or near any body of water, just as bears or coyote wander into cities that are close to woods.

I expect any body of water that is not a pool to have some sort of wildlife in it.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Call me crazy, but if assign says, "No Swimming" and you are unclear about what that means, wouldn't it be wise to ASK a cast member BEFORE entering the water in any way?

 

[SadieDawn90]

I only read the first page of responses, so I don't know if this has already been stated...but someone said something along the lines of "ok so no swimming, wading, splashing...what other stipulations do they have to list?"

But they really do need something more encompassing. "Do not enter water due to dangerous wildlife" or something. Saying no swimming doesn't spell it out for everyone that they really need to stay away from the water. I'm not saying that rudely to the people who misinterpret. It really is too vague.

 

[Pmlocke]

Technically, the term "No Swimming" means you are not allowed to enter the water. Swimming is a generic term for entering a body of water to play, sit, soak, swim, snorkal, etc. In today's litigious society I am afraid that general terms of understanding are no longer acceptable.

 

[Dreams0308]

This story is tragic and so sad. I feel so bad for these parents having this happen to them. I can't even imagine

There have been so many comments and statements I've heard by people about the "No Swimming" signs. I'm starting to get confused and a little concerned. One of the most common responses I've heard from people online and in person is "No swimming doesn't mean no wading". Maybe I just think differently than others, but to me "no swimming" means "stay out of the damn lakes!" It doesn't mean "no submerging your head in water but it's ok to frolic through and get wet".

When did this definition change for people? Do signs need to spell out exactly what you can and can't do? Does the sign need to say "DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER" for people to understand not to go into these lakes? It just frightens me because so many people continue to go into the water, not just this poor family.

And---- what in the world is drawing people to these lakes??? I guess I just don't get it. The water is Gross!! It's murky looking and there's things floating in it. The boats are on the water almost all day long everyday and who knows how much gasoline and others things get spilled into the water. Even if you didn't know about wildlife or aemoba, it just doesn't look very clean at all! Even the aerial photos of the scene make the water look disgusting. I just really don't get the appeal that everyone is talking about. Just because there's sand in the area doesn't mean you shouldn't at least look at the body of water near it and not just assume sand = beach oasis

This story is a horrible tragedy, and it freaks me out that this many people are actually doing similar things daily at WDW.

 

[drew64]

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).



Terrible tragedy, no ones fault, live your life like you want to live.

Maybe the employees expected the parents to parent their children and tell them to get out of the water! Does no one take any personal responsibility anymore for themselves and their children.

 

[kittyab]

I would imagine there are other wild life that are in that water too that I would not want to see either.