Two Year Old Dragged Into Lagoon By Alligator At Disney Resort

a reply to: Irishhaf

This is a resort not a nature preserve. You can spend more etc on solid steel plate fencing. You can also monitor it's repair state on a daily basis.

You can also not design a beach area to spill into the water but rather have a ledge a little higher and harder to climb.

You honestly think Disney making millions a month can't engineer this area better than they did and there isn't a level of design negligence here. I would bet in Vegas they settle this out of court for money and change the design now.

You guys are crazy!! As tragic as this is you can't stop nature from being nature. While Disney maybe should have or could have done more to help prevent this type of accident I don't know if they really hold any liability for mother nature.

Fact is Disney world and the most of the southern part of Florida is swamp...Disney World was built smack in the middle of Florida swamp lands/everglades. For some of our ATS members not familiar with Alligators and where they live they live in swamps...Where Disney World was built.

Another fact is alligators have been around for millions of years because they are very good at adapting to their surroundings. They are very good climbers, walkers, swimmers and explorers. They can live in lakes, rivers, streams, SWAMPS, ponds, bays, swimming pools, ditches, sewers, salt water and even Disney swimming holes.

Another fact is smaller Alligators like the one mentioned in this attack are nomadic and are often looking for new areas and territories they can grow up in and eventually claim. No matter how many you take out new ones will always be coming in. Lager gators tend to be in the more secluded areas as they are shy of humans and usually enjoy solidarity. Until mating season that is. For this reason alone most smaller gators are pushed into new areas all the time.

Another fact is alligators attack small animals, fish, and yes even babies in shallow areas near where live. This is what they have done for over a million years and will continue to due. They are stealthy and almost invisible in the shallowest of waters.

The parents or even Disney World are not to blame for the ACCIDENT. This was and is mother nature.

PS the chances of the child or even the gator responsible for this act being found in the next 24-72 hours is slim. This gator is probably already back at this den cut in the bank digesting. He wont be back out for a while.

a reply to: veracity

The signs could have prevented this.

Really? You absolutely certain of that? In what way would a sign stop an alligator from being an alligator if people don't pay attention to the sign in the first place?

VENICE, Fla. – A Tennessee man survived an attack by an alligator while retrieving a golf ball at a Florida golf course Monday.

...

The pond at the sixth hole has a "Beware of Alligator" sign posted because the staff is aware that a large alligator likes to hang out there.

"Unfortunately, that's part of Florida," Parry said. "There's wildlife in these ponds."

Fox News story from 2007

Want more examples? I can find them for you if you don't like the source.


Pretty sure there are "no climbing on the enclosure" signs at zoos, too.

a reply to: GuidedKill

Living in SC and Texas I understand alligators. Would I have let my kids near the water no.

However when I saw the layout of the resort and having knowledge of alligators I said to myself yep, no wonder. On fact I can't believe a drunk person hasn't been mauled. When I heard the stories of customers feeding them it was even worse. If you know there are gators and people are feeding them the layout of their lounge beach area is just asking for it.

I think the do have liability and I think the courts will too. They set up that area.


If you went to a resort in Alaska and the resort was selling hotdogs near the edge of the property where bears are and a lounge area is.... I would hold them liable as well. The owners of the businesses should know what dangers are in the area. If this business was not based on hosting customers I may agree with you but they bring people to that location specifically as there business and didn't do there redundant safety obligations necessary when dealing with volumes of people.

a reply to: luthier

Have you been to Alaska?? Or anywhere out West like say Yellow Stone or Yosemite National Park?? All those places and many in Alaska are set up near and smack in the middle or bear country. Several people a year are attacked and mauled and even eaten in and around all the areas I mentioned on top of dozens more. I have yet to hear of Yellow Stone being held accountable or any other place I mentioned.

While I'm sure there are a hundred sleazy lawyers drooling at the chance of getting in Walt's pockets, I'm sure a multi national conglomerate like Disney has tons of warning signs about the potential wild life in the area and the dangers they pose. There will probably be litigation and a settlement but any level headed person knows this is just an accident.

Like blaming the beach front hotel you're staying at for a shark attack that took place in the ocean behind it.....Ridiculous.

On another note the Wild Ferral hogs running around Texas are probably far more dangerous than the gators at Disney!!! That bacon is vicious!!

Best way to make sure this never happens again, catch a guest feeding the gators, immediate expulsion from the park... second offense life time ban.

the park is built in a swamp... which means water ways water ways water ways... and not all of them will be on the surface.

I will leave off with... 2 gator attacks 1 fatal are all that I have found for the 44 year history (their may be more I didnt see them)... that doesnt even rate as a statistical blip... obviously what they have been doing has worked... you cannot completely shut out mother nature, and still expect to operate an affordable business.

This was a tragedy, but once again people are focusing on the wrong aspects of the tragedy to the detriment of future visitors.

a reply to: Irishhaf

If they caught guests feeding the gators then surely, SURELY there were signs up saying not to feed the gators.

It would deeply bother me that they knew of this and there were not said signs.

Yes. You may want to bring insect repellant during the warmer months. Most importantly please do not feed the birds or other animals. As Timon and Pumbaa would say your yummies are not good for their tummies.

Here are a few helpful hints to make your vacation and visit to the Disney Theme Parks a safe and magical experience.

The above is for kids. For an adult perspective, take a look at the "Prohibited Activities" list at this link, specifically items "f" and "g" and tell me why people still feed alligators outside their balconies?

After all, it's against the rules.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Oh, so they have it in a small brochure that you might read if you have time in the hotel lobby or online?

There needs to be clear SIGNAGE all over the resort! Especially if it is known that guests are feeding the gators.

It is not dangerous to feed birds or squirrels, gators...yes!

a reply to: Domo1

I feel the same way, Domo. And at the same time I wonder if it isn't this bad around the world every single week.. We only know about what we are shown.

!

soulwaxer

A couple of news articles have said there was a movie being shown on the lawn near the lake. A 172 ACRE lake, connected to other waterways. At 9/9:30 at night. Isn't it pretty dark by then? Isn't after dark prime feeding time for gators? It could have been lurking right there & not been seen!

A no swimming sign? I might think they were covering their butts because it wasn't a designated swimming area & there were no life guards. If there are alligators, say alligators! Don't want to scare the tourists? A little fear can be a good thing! But you can't fix stupid & there are always going to be a few who think a warning is a challenge, or, it couldn't happen to them!

Never having been to Florida Disney, I don't know what I would expect. Probably that if their business is people with families, it would be reasonably safe. But we were always worry-wart parents & imagined every possible scenario when we took our kids anywhere. How do you keep gators out of a 172 acre lake?

The week before I moved to Hawaii, the movie, Jaws, came out! Ruined the water for me for a long time! And once you get older & become a parent, especially of 5 kids, some of them daredevils, you look at things differently!

One thing for sure, those poor parents & remaining child, will never, never be the same!

WOQ

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical

Yes. You may want to bring insect repellant during the warmer months. Most importantly please do not feed the birds or other animals. As Timon and Pumbaa would say your yummies are not good for their tummies.

Here are a few helpful hints to make your vacation and visit to the Disney Theme Parks a safe and magical experience.

The above is for kids. For an adult perspective, take a look at the "Prohibited Activities" list at this link, specifically items "f" and "g" and tell me why people still feed alligators outside their balconies?

After all, it's against the rules.

Here in Dallas it's a misdemeanor and $500 fine if you feed a gator. We're well aware that gators lose their fear of people ( and stupid people doing stupid things)

a reply to: maria_stardust

That's a mistake.

It's Florida and those are relatively natural waterways. You can't make sure there are no gators in them no matter how hard you try.

Even when I was a little girl and gators were a lot less common, my parents told me, "Never go near water that isn't a pool or posted as safe for swimming because you never know where a gator could be and you won't see them in time."

Ans sure enough, several times we'd be out by what just looked like roadside ditches and there they'd be gator heads popping up ... Gators are protected and they are all over now. You can even have them show up in your pool overnight.

a reply to: GuidedKill

Yeah I have travelled and hiked in many dangerous situations.

None of them poolside with a drink in my hand at a care free resort.

Even if I was an ecotourist in Costa Rica I would accept I am there to be in nature with the wild. These resorts attract those not exactly buying that adventure though and places like Disney are more than willing to sell it to them and then down play the environmental risk since there haven't been many incidents.

I am personally opposed to these types of resorts even existing to begin with. I think if you design in beautiful natural spots (especially wetlands) you should be required to design for as minimal impact to habitat as possible. Hey that's just me. That would certainly raise the incidents of people hanging out near the water getting eaten if it isn't treated as danger.

Bringing a people buffet to the waters edge seems like flirting with disaster when the design doesn't even require this. The water serves no function what so ever other than landscaping for the business.


They can do whatever they want with their property. I just think this design is asking for problems. I actually was indifferent until I saw it

a reply to: veracity

I think i see the problem now, you have no care or concern for the natural world in which we live.

It is not dangerous to feed birds or squirrels, gators...yes!

Feeding the birds and squirrels is indeed dangerous...to them. A lot of what we call 'food'vis anything but due to all the chemicals and additives most of what we consume contains.

The other issue you seem to have is that, accordng to you, someone else (not those actually going against the rules) is at fault.

It's (the rule against feeding animals) in what amounts to their T&C and it is the guest's responsibility to know and follow them.

Do you think if you get a post here pulled that it would be put back if you complained that you didn't read the T&C.

Ignorance is no excuse.

a reply to: wasobservingquietly

I think the family was from Nebraska and had no familiarity with gators, and some people have no real respect for Mother Nature unless they've actually experienced it the hard way. If your only experience has been to see them in a zoo, you have a hard time conceiving of them as the excellent ambush predators they actually are.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

lol, you do not know me.

I don't have to prove to you that I am an earth and animal lover...but feeding gators is dangerous to the visitors at the resort. Surely you agree with me on this.

Its a totally different issue than feeding the birds and wildlife for their safety.

a reply to: ketsuko

Seems simple to me. If you have a hotel on the Amazon and it's full of piranah you don't make a beach, party bar area spill into the Riverside with a couple no swimming signs.

Accept these guys also walk so you may want to make a few design engineering considerations when you build your resort.

One of them hear me out here. Don't make a sloping beach into the water that would make it easy for a large animal to climb out of especially if the water is not used as a traditional water use beach. Something already imprinted as a functional space to people.

These resorts usually take more than they give to anybody. They usually are germ infested rotting movie sets without much substance in my opinion so I may be biased here. I have been to the one on Hilton head. Its gross and expensive in my opinion.

a reply to: ketsuko

Yep!
I think people probably let their guard down at a resort too.
Driving around in unpopulated areas, probably not so much.
Maybe 'Swamp People' has made us all a little less fearful than we used to be! Lol!
WOQ

originally posted by: luthier
a reply to: GuidedKill

Yeah I have travelled and hiked in many dangerous situations.

None of them poolside with a drink in my hand at a care free resort.

Even if I was an ecotourist in Costa Rica I would accept I am there to be in nature with the wild. These resorts attract those not exactly buying that adventure though and places like Disney are more than willing to sell it to them and then down play the environmental risk since there haven't been many incidents.

I am personally opposed to these types of resorts even existing to begin with. I think if you design in beautiful natural spots (especially wetlands) you should be required to design for as minimal impact to habitat as possible. Hey that's just me. That would certainly raise the incidents of people hanging out near the water getting eaten if it isn't treated as danger.

Bringing a people buffet to the waters edge seems like flirting with disaster when the design doesn't even require this. The water serves no function what so ever other than landscaping for the business.


They can do whatever they want with their property. I just think this design is asking for problems. I actually was indifferent until I saw it

Very valid point luthier, I agree with you on the poor design and location of Disney World however I think we both know why the location was selected.....Swamp land is and was real cheap to buy and develop. While I also agree with you that the water being near the hotel or lounge area is dumb idea as it is not a actual "swimming" area I still think personally it is not Walt Disney World or the parents fault. Many hotels, and other businesses are near water features here in FL. The natural topography makes it near impossible to not be near water in most of the State.

Just a terrible accident in and around a Alligators natural habitat. It's a shame I'm sure we can all agree on that.