I Have To Believe That Disney Made A Conscious Decision Not To Post 'Danger:Alligator' Signs.....

[global1]

on their property and just defer to 'No Swimming' signs.

After all they want to give the impression to people of one of 'Disney Magic' - the happiest place on earth. People feel safe there.

Posting a 'Danger:Alligator' sign would scare people. It would make people feel less safe if they knew there were alligators that can possibly attack them - and on Disney property. That would be sacrilegious on the part of Disney to admit danger.

I believe that Disney Corp should be sued for big bucks here because of negligence on their part for not informing the public of the potential of dangerous alligators.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. What surprises me that fencing and explicit warning signs were not put up by

a requirement in Disney's liability insurance policy.

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. There are signs posted warning guests not to swim in the lake.

I guess they need to be more explicit about staying a specific distance away from the lagoon. Horrific story!

[no_hypocrisy]

7. I agree. But on the other hand, I understand how anal insurance carriers can be.

They will not issue a policy unless every single contingent danger has been addressed, even the remote ones.

For instance, if you own a home and your walkway has imperfections that would theoretically permit someone to trip and fall as a result, you either fix it or you don't get a homeowner's policy.

So my point is that I'm surprised that someone at any level didn't consider the possibility of an alligator threatening if not injuring or killing a guest and a barrier would have been erected.

[Ilsa]

80. Disney built a beach next to the alligator habitat.

IMO, they should have either gotten rid of all of the gators, or built a fence around the lagoon to help prevent gators from seeking the warmth of the beach, and people from wanting to wade in the water.

A friend works at a wildlife refuge in Texas. He constantly has to remind visitors to keep their dogs leashed and away from the alligators. They are fast and deadly, and he's seen them grab and swim away with medium-sized dogs.

Disney has a problem, IMO. I've visited several times. I don't recall any big signs or speeches about the gators being everywhere.

[elljay]

81. The alligator habitat in central and south FL

is anywhere there is water. Gators will also walk over dry land to get to the next canal or lake.

[gratuitous]

17. Disney may be self-insured

Which might make a certain financial sense.

[Ex Lurker]

84. Whatever Disney has to pay will be a drop in the bucket compared to its revenues.

The damage to its brand image is another story. Disney will make a generous out of court settlement in exchange for an ironclad nondisclosure agreement. No books, no movies, no interviews. They want this story to drop off the radar ASAP.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Yeah, I imagine Disney brass is planning

a huge out-of-court settlement to make this story go away very quickly..

[pnwmom]

3. Thank you for not blaming these Nebraska parents for not realizing the danger.

I just read about another visiting family who had been playing on the same beach the previous day.

"No swimming" doesn't mean "no wading" or "stay away from the water" -- and it sure doesn't mean "Don't feed the alligators."

[ksoze]

5. You would need alligator danger signs all over Florida

The "No Swimming" is a general warning that covers all dangers. Anyone can sue for big bucks, but to win "big bucks" will take proving the intent to mislead. I suspect that did not happen here and that Disney's large contingency of lawyers likely have vetted every sign, staircase, pool and ride at the parks with a fine tooth comb. It is a tragic event and assigning blame will be tough.

[global1]

9. Maybe People In Florida Know That "No Swimming" Signs Cover The Dangers Of Alligators - But.....

we're talking Disney - a vacation destination - where people come from all over the world to visit. I don't think that Disney can assume that the people know when a sign says 'no swimming' that it also means that an alligator could attack you.

There is no excuse for not informing people of the inherent dangers. Disney acted irresponsibly on this and I still believe they will pay in big bucks.

[avebury]

49. You do not have to live in Florida to know that Florida (and

a few other states) have alligators. Heck just a few days ago there was a big story on the news about a jumbo giant gator on a Florida golf course.

Based upon how people are reacting to this story it seems like the State of Florida should post at all entryways into the state something along the lines of:

CAUTION - Florida is an alligator habitat
Be aware of your surroundings

Airlines could include alligator awareness warnings on every flight that lands in Florida (or Cruise Lines include alligator warnings could include alligator warnings on their disembarkation paperwork).

[2naSalit]

53. That implies the same for the

people who do stupid stuff and get hurt in Jellystone and other places... it's not like they aren't TOLD upon entry to the park, they often choose to ignore the warnings and, more often, defy them overtly.

People go on vacation and usually forget to check on personal safety concerns, especially in a self avowed fantasy environment. They also seem to leave any common sense, if they had any to begin with, at home.

[global1]

56. Great Idea - I Think You Should Work With The State Of Florida And The Airlines To Get Your .....

suggestions implemented.

[tblue37]

67. Not to mention having movie night on the beach during what would be the

alligators' feeding time. Of course nonnative tourists would assume that if the resort invited them to relax on the beach and watch movies with their kids, it must be safe to do so!

[PJMcK]

12. Too many people leap to the conclusion that a big lawsuit should be filed

First, if Disney has liability insurance, the signage very likely was sufficient for the underwriter. Regardless, there will be a financial settlement of some sort.

Second, this horrific tragedy could be just a terrible accident. Maybe nobody is at fault. Insurance companies call these events "acts of God."

Third, Disney is a fairly reasonable and wealthy corporation. They would never let this sad loss turn into a public relations mess. I expect that they will do all they can to accommodate and financially compensate this poor family.

That's my 2¢.

[rusty fender]

13. God is an alligator!

Good one, insurance bros!

[PJMcK]

14. My sick side is laughing at your interpretation!

In tragedy, there's sometimes a laugh and I'm impressed you found one, rusty fender!

For the record, I'm not in the insurance business. (wink)

[TeamPooka]

76. Disney has a Wildlife Control Team dealing with this daily so they know this is a serious issue

so it's not an act of God scenario.
It's a "did their WCT do a good enough job to protect guests?" issue.
On the face of it the answer would be, no.

[COLGATE4]

54. There is no obligation to prove an 'intent to mislead'.

This is a negligence case, where all the plaintiffs (parents) need to prove is that Disney a) had a duty to its guests to protect them , b) that it breached that duty (by not posting warning signs, among other things and c) that this breach caused damage (a dead child). I imagine that lawyers are lining up to take this case, IMO Disney will have to settle this (and for beaucoup dollars) quickly if they don't want the 'case that ate Disney' all over the media for a long time to come.

[Doremus]

62. I've been to Disney a couple of times and never knew they wouldn't constantly monitor for alligators

This is DISNEY -- they're anal about the smallest detail of ride props, food service and everything else. You can't drop a gum wrapper on property without a cast member cleaning it up post haste ... in fact they don't even sell gum on property so it doesn't dirty up the place.

WTH wouldn't they monitor for a huge danger like alligators? Their entire business revolves around little kids and families and their resorts are built on bodies of water! They're going to trust to happenstance that guests would just know that "No swimming" means no wading for fear of being eaten vs. no lifeguards? Pffft.

This isn't the first time a little kid's been injured by alligators on Disney property either. All the more reason they should have been more careful.

They are completely, utterly at fault.

[pnwmom]

63. No, the "no swimming" sign doesn't cover all dangers. It doesn't cover

"don't even put your little toe in the water."

Or, as turned out to be the case in this situation (according to "officials&quot

"don't sit on the beach with your family during Disney's "Beach Night" or an alligator might lunge out of the water and snatch you."

[ohnoyoudidnt]

65. They do at state parks.

What's so hard about a sign like that?

[Brickbat]

6. I agree with your assessment; I had the same thought.

I'm a little surprised that, as careful and thorough as Disney is, there ISN'T a sign warning about alligators, and I'm disappointed if it is the case that they let this one go just to uphold the facade of "Disney Magic."

With the amount of tourists there, it seem to me it would be vital to educate people on the possibility of alligators. "No swimming" would never make me think "alligators" -- it would make me think the water wasn't treated, and if my toddler waded in it up to four or five inches, he might get an upset stomach if he put his face in the water, no more.

[auntpurl]

10. "No swimming" to me means "no lifeguard so we can't guarantee your safety"

I would never think a man-made beach at DISNEY WORLD could possible have alligators in it.

[rusty fender]

15. Why would Disney relocate alligators

to their man-made lagoon?

[haele]

18. It's Orlando. Alligators everywhere. I've seen them in swimming pools and large public fountains...

...when I was there for Navy Bootcamp and BEE school back in the 70's. You had to watch for alligators in large drainage ditches and small catch basins when you walked by.

Watched one cross a four-lane major street to get to a large fountain out by a shopping mall side entrance early in the morning.

They decide they want to go to your lagoon, how are you going to stop them?

Haele

[lapislzi]

19. But how are we (non-Floridians) supposed to know that?

Is there no way to prevent them from getting into any body of water?

I know from living in Africa that they're quick and opportunistic, but I can't believe Disney took no measures to prevent or remove them. Or maybe there's no way to do that.

We have smart phones, but we can't keep something with a brain the size of a walnut out of a property staffed by thousands of workers?

I'm not being snarky. I really don't understand how or why this wasn't addressed by Disney. Or, if there is simply no way to keep beach areas alligator-free, then why the signage was so inadequate. I would never have inferred from "no swimming" that it meant "you may be eaten by an alligator."

[avebury]

50. "But how are we (non-Floridians) supposed to know that?"

You research the places you intend to visit. You don't just research the fun stuff but you research the potential hazards as well.

I don't go anywhere without having done my homework. And after the huge story all over the airways several days ago, a jumbo giant gator was reported on a Florida gulf course how could people not know that Florida has alligators.

From what I understand Disney has been removing alligators. The problem you face is that alligators are wild creatures and more may have the potential to move in after others are removed. Short of putting a whole lot of fencing around the entire perimeter (including all waterways) of their property I would doubt that they could prevent alligators from entering their property.

People are totally unrealistic when they say that Disney should keep alligators off of their property. I am sure the golf course was not happy to have that mammoth size guy on their property. The best Disney can to is to keep trapping them and removing them.

Even if Disney posts their own alligator warning signs that would not be enough to stop stupid.

Alligators is not solely a Disney problem it is a Florida (and other states) problem. It seems like it would be more efficient to just notify people at every point of entry that Florida is an alligator habitat and to be aware. It still may not stop stupid but they cannot claim that they were not warned.

[Arugula Latte]

55. Oh, come on. There's a big difference between knowing Florida has alligators,

and assuming that the manmade resort of an internationally famous resort has an alligator danger. I probably would have assumed Disney had taken precautions to keep families safe on their own beach.

[avebury]

72. As I said, unless Disney (or any business)

litterly locks down their property from access by wildlife you cannot assume that there might not be alligators (or any other type of wildlife) on the Disney property. Disney has removed alligators from their property and don't you think that more alligators will get on their property? If you don't, you are naive.

There are so many urban areas throughout the US that are having more and more incidents between wildlife and humans/pets. There are stories all the time. Humans destroy animal habitats all the time. Where do you think the animals will go?

In this day in age it boggles my mind that so many people expect that others will take care of or look after you resulting in people failing to do their homework. It is being flat out lazy. People who have been interviewed have said that the assume Disney will look out for them. The problem with that concept is the word assume. I don't assume anything because there are times that shit just happens. The problem with assuming that Disney will be looking after you is that you may not be as alert about your surroundings as you should be. Instead of being dragged away by an alligator the little boy might have just as easily been abducted in Disney World during the day when there are tons of people are around and parent can easily be distracted. Would you then blame Disney in that situation?

[lapislzi]

59. With respect, I lived in Africa. I wrestled a cobra.

I always know what wildlife I'm likely to encounter when I go to a place, right down to the spiders. But I'm weird that way. Most people don't do that, even if they should. Like most others, I failed in my due diligence the few times I went to Disney World, expecting, naively, that Disney management would or could prevent alligator infestations. If I had seen signposts warning of alligators, believe me, I would have heeded them. I've seen Nile crocodiles in action and those fuckers are fast.

Now I know, and if I ever find myself in Florida again, I will be 110% more vigilant. All things being equal, I'd rather wrestle the cobra. At least the thing gives you a fighting chance.

And, you're absolutely right. You can't fix stupid.

Peace and no cobras to you.

[pnwmom]

64. No. People who go to Disney go there precisely to avoid having to research

the hazards of wherever they might visit.

They spend a great deal of money to have safe fun, where all the risks are just pretend.

Disney was beyond stupid. They, unlike the visiting tourists, knew they had an alligator problem. They knew that alligators feed at night. And yet they held a social event on the beach, by the water, at night. And they have lounge chairs and tables just a few feet from the lagoon.

Few tourists from out of state would guess an alligator might be lurking that at the edge of the man-made lagoon, ready to strike. But the resort knew, and they lured guests down there.

[Doremus]

66. Blaming the victim is as repugnant in this instance as it is everywhere else.

This isn't the first time a child has been bitten by an alligator at Disney. It's happened before and, without changes, will happen again.

They knew it was a clear and present danger yet they still soft-pedaled the signage. Was it so as not to alarm guests who might be turned off from future visits? We'll never know for sure.

If it wasn't about dollars and cents though, they were utterly negligent to leave to happenstance the safety of their guests with vague "no swimming" signs that anyone could have interpreted to mean "no lifeguard present," especially northerners like myself who were naive enough to believe that a huge company like Disney would actually make sure their properties were safe from wild animals prowling for food.

Either way they're responsible.

[phylny]

85. Thank you! I totally agree.

I live on a lake. It's a nice lake. There are snakes in the water sometimes, there are snakes on the shore sometimes. I know this. I know what they look like and scan the walk from my house to the dock. I look in the water before jumping in. I know once we jump in, any snakes will be long gone - they don't want to mess with us. I also know there are eagles, ospreys, and birds of prey. My dogs are too big now, but when they were little, I stayed by their sides to protect them (and one of our puppies was indeed "swooped down" on by a hawk, but I was close enough to scare it off).

Do I expect my guests to know this? No. People just don't think about that sort of thing. Certainly not without a sign. I've been to Florida many times, and if it's a concern (near water), places post alligator warning signs. I've traveled I-95 and there are warning signs for snakes and alligators in the south at places along the highway, too, if there was water near.

It was ridiculously negligent of Disney not to post signs for their guests. I cannot imagine the horror the family went through and will relive. Actually, I can imagine it, I just can't allow myself to dwell on it because I don't know how you even begin to live the rest of your life having seen it.

[tblue37]

68. The resort had a.beach night movie event at a time when gators feed. Don't you think

non-natives would assume that if Disney invites them to bring their kids to relax on the beach at night and watch a movie that it must be safe to do so. The toddler was snatched from the beach; he wasn't in the water.

[rusty fender]

20. I thought that might be how they got there,

but wouldn't you check the lagoon once a week for alligators and remove them right away?

[jberryhill]

40. You go check the lagoon for alligators, and I'll watch to make sure you do a good job

[lapislzi]

21. I don't think alligators were Disney's idea

From what I'm reading in this and other threads, alligators do as they please where fresh water is concerned. If they're like African crocodiles (with which I have some experience), they can go a very long time between meals. There can't be a whole lot to eat in those lagoons, but who knows?

Sure, the alligators can wander in, but why isn't Disney doing something to get them out? Like periodic trawling?

It does seem like inadequate risk management on Disney's part, but that's just my dumb guess.

[jberryhill]

31. Alligators do their own relocating

[drray23]

43. they are everywhere, they even show up in people's backyards

That man-made lagoon is connected via canals to other bodies of water that are part of the wilderness area. So, gators will come in from time to time.

[lapislzi]

16. Right. I am not a dummy.

And I have been uncomfortably close to crocodiles in Africa.

But in my tiny mind, I would have thought that Disney would have made some provision to keep deadly creatures away from guests. A net, perhaps, like some beaches have shark nets. Or periodically trawling for, and removing, alligators from areas where guests could get too close. Like hotel lagoons. There are plenty of bodies of water on Disney property where alligators could be relocated and where they would be no threat to guests. But...on the Grand Floridian beach? When I'm paying a bazillion dollars a night to stay in Disney's flagship property, I don't expect alligators in the lagoon. That ain't part of the Disney magic.

Maybe I'm a naive idiot, but it would never have occurred to me that Disney would just leave the alligators hanging out where they could snack on people at will. And yes, I understand that this is a rare, freak occurrence, but why even take the risk?

[GulfCoast66]

23. No company or individual can do it

Only state licensed trappers.

And we are talking a 220 acre lake attached to other bodies by canals.

There is no keeping them out.

[lapislzi]

30. Really? Seems like it could be a growth industry.

Again, I am utterly ignorant of alligators.

But, can metal gates be placed in the canals to limit the movement of alligators? Can gators be tagged so park officials know where they are?

I would guess you can't reduce the risk to zero (as with anything dangerous), but can it be reduced a little? A lot?

[GulfCoast66]

36. People are always shocked

At how numerous, fecund and mobile they are.

Millions from 1 to 14 feet. Able to climb a chain link fence easily and often travel miles overland looking for new habit

And the state would not support and ongoing effort to remove all gators from a 220 acre lake connected to miles of canals.

We just have to live with them.

Have a nice day.

[lapislzi]

42. Yikes. All this on a brain the size of a walnut.

Please don't let them evolve to be smarter. I guess they're as smart as they need to be to get the job done. I hope I never run into one. Viewing Nile crocs at fairly close range is as close as I ever want to get. I was food, and they knew it. Fortunately, I was with a guide who hustled us back into the Land Rover pronto.

[GulfCoast66]

45. Do not let that tiny brain fool you

The learn quick. Which is why they will try to find and kill the one responsible for this. Not revenge, but it now sees children as an easy to catch food source.

[tblue37]

69. Places hire licensed trappers. Apparently Disney periodically clears out larger gators

(I think I read that 4 feet was their size cut off).

No, they can't keep the water clear of gators all the time.

BUT they could refrain from encouraging families with small, prey-sized kids to hang out on the beach so close to the lagoon during gator feeding periods, which is exactly what the resort did with their beach night movie event! And, if they really cannot refrain from luring guests to the beach at night, they could at least move the tables and chairs further away from the water and also specifically warn guests to stay back from the water--and why.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. I believe they did, too.

No way would they post a warning that could jeopardize their business.

I was staying at a luxury beachfront hotel in St. Augustine and there was a sign posted on a sand dune adjacent to the property that read "Danger - Keep Off - Poisonous Snakes". Needless to say, I never went back. Whether it was just to keep people off the dunes (as a shortcut to the beach), or for perhaps for real, I would never go back there.

Disney would never risk creating an atmosphere of danger.

[Nye Bevan]

11. I've stayed at that hotel many times and I agree with you.

This is the sign they have:



But they really need something more like this:



You're right that they were trying not to freak people out. Any time I have alluded to alligators in the lagoon to a hotel staff member they have denied that they exist, which is probably part of their training. Obviously all of that will change from today on.

[jberryhill]

41. .

[cbdo2007]

22. I wonder if there have been other alligator interactions at Disney...

If they have close calls, say every 3 months or even every other year, sure they should have had a sign....if they have an alligator incident once every 10 years, then no they probably don't need a sign.

Just because there is a slight chance something could go wrong doesn't mean there has to be a sign warning of it. There aren't signs at every intersection that say "Look both ways before crossing the street" yet you are probably 10,000 times more likely to be hit by a car at Disney than you are to even see an alligator.

I'm sure all of this focus on Disney will raise some of these questions and they will do whatever they feel is appropriate but at this point it is unfair to overlook the possibility that this was just an extremely unfortunate accident.

I do have a trip scheduled for my family of 5 down to Disney World in September, from Missouri, so it is true that we never would have understood the true dangers of alligators there on the Disney property if this story had not happened.

[Adrahil]

27. Just heard on MSNBC.....

that the only other incident was in the 1980's where a 3rd grader received minor injuries. Apparently they DO have a full time staff that deal with dangerous wildlife, including alligators.

[ahimsa]

46. Tick-Tock

I think Disney has a particularly unique problem - how many (non-Floridian) kids who watched Peter Pan think crocodiles or alligators are deadly and quick rather than something slow and bumbly to play with? One might have suspected the alligator was an animatronic Tick-Tock in that context and at that age. Tragic.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

79. Foreseeability is a big factor.

With gators all over Florida this is extremely foreseeable.

[adigal]

82. The Orlando Sentinel had a father who said he recently grabbed his kid in that same

Place as an alligator headed toward him. The hotel told him it was a "resident pet." Another guest saw a gator an hour before the boy was killed and told the manager and nothing happened. Another guest had a video of a gator there from earlier this week.

Disney knew. They just calculated the risks of attack and payoff vs losing freaked out guests. Calculating bastards.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

83. There could be many that we don't know about.

That were settled quickly and quietly. Anyone who has worked for a large corporation for a length of time that deals with the public is probably aware of an incident or two that escaped the papers due to a fast settlement. I don't doubt Disney has quite a few such settlements, maybe some involving gators.

[Photographer]

24. And Disney West should have signs "Beware of Mountain Lions"

These are indigenous animals and although tragedies like this can occur they thankfully rarely do.

Dog packs, snakes, bears... Hey, the usually stay away from populated areas but on occasion...

[alarimer]

25. People ignore signs.

But also, at some point, they have to start taking responsibility for their own and their families' safety.

No swimming means no swimming. Perhaps they should have said that included wading, but they cannot possible account for every person's stupidity or inclination to do whatever the hell they want.

You cannot possibly protect people from every possible eventuality. You just can't.

[YvonneCa]

61. The sign should have said...

"Alligators in Water. BEWARE!!"

[tblue37]

70. The child was snatched off the beach. The resort had encouraged guests to come to

the beach for "Beach Night" to watch movies. Tables and chairs were not far enough away from the water, and guests were not warned that there could be gators in the water or that gators not only feed at night, but also will come up on dry land to grab prey.

The guests *were* obeying the no swimming signs, but if they had been warned about gators, they would not have had their prey-sized kid anywhere near the lagoon during the gators' night time feeding period. And if the resort had not set up an irresistible family beach night event, they probably would have had little Lane in bed by 9:20, which is when he was taken.

[JennyMominFL]

26. Orlando citizen here

As an Orlando citizen, any body of water can have alligators. Man made, natural, it does not matter. Trying to keep alligators out of Florida waters is like trying to keep birds from the sky.You will not find fences around any bodies of water in Florida. Disney has no swimming signs, and they constantly have cast members telling people who go near the water to stay back. This system has worked for 45 years. This is the first attack since 1971.
There are gators all over Disney including in the lakes within the parks themselves.
You are way more likely to get bitten by a poisonous snake anywhere on Disney property than to get attacked by an alligator.
The rumors down here are that the family was repeatedly warned last night to move away from the water, but I don't know if that is true.

[steve2470]

29. good post, thank you nt

[jberryhill]

33. "The rumors down here"

I would expect that the "rumors down here" are no accident.

There is a very dark side of Disney, going all the way back to Walt. I would expect that the "rumors down here", circulating among potential jurors, are of great interest to Disney.

[JennyMominFL]

35. There will be a settlement

I doubt there will ever be jurors. Disney will settle before it ever reaches court.

[jberryhill]

37. Oh, I'm sure they will settle

However, control of the narrative is extremely important, Jenny Mom in Florida, and having trustworthy-sounding influencers online is important to that objective, both as a backup and for general PR, so that people don't get the idea this is Jurassic Park.

[tblue37]

71. All the articles I have read say otherwise. Also, the resort's officials have said the boy was

not in the water when he was snatched.

[tblue37]

73. Someone posted a picture of the beach, with a blue circle marking where the screen was set up.

The distance from the water is not that great. It is close enough that few people would think the resort was concerned that a large predator might leap out of the water to snatch a child.

[tblue37]

75. I found this picture at the "New York Times." It doesn't look like the resort generally made an

effort to let tourists know that getting close to the water might put them at risk from alligators. Both the beach chair and the bench swing are right up close to the water.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/us/alligator-child-florida-orlando-disney.html#modal-lightbox

[steve2470]

28. I've lived in Florida (mostly Orlando) all my life and I had to be educated.....

In my humble opinion, WDW needs to post small signs near any entrance to bodies of water that one needs to stay back. The signs can be small and Disney-cutesy but still get the message across. If people choose to ignore the signs...then....

It's really miraculous this has never happened before now. It's so natural for people to want to go near water and go swimming, wading, fishing, or just spend time in contemplation.

[jberryhill]

38. At the resorts, there is conveniently personal interaction with each guest family at check-in

[steve2470]

39. True, they could be given a very carefully worded warning on paper and verbally

The signs would be the icing on the cake. That way, WDW would (I would think) be well-protected from any liability claims. I get the whole not wanting to scare business away, but sorry, the resort is in the middle of alligator territory. All we Floridians know this. People from other states don't know it, especially from a place like Nebraska. WDW messed up, and they've been extraordinarily lucky until this terrible tragedy happened.

[jberryhill]

44. I don't think I'm too much of an idiot

I went for a great bike ride in the Everglades a while back. Along the canals, I stayed well away from the edge of pathways where falling off of the bike would have risked falling into or near the water. I'm well aware that fresh water in Florida may harbor alligators. The whole time I kept my eyes peeled for any suspicious movement near the edge of any water I was approaching. Had an absolutely beautiful ride and probably saw more species of birds in that one day than I've ever seen.

But, honestly, if I were in a Disney resort on a man-made lake with a beach on it, I probably wouldn't have given it a thought on the assumption that the environment is as controlled as the rest of the park. I would simply assume that the No Swimming sign meant it was unguarded and/or untreated for various bacteria etc..

I mean, sure, when you think about it, alligators are all over the place down there. But I doubt the thought would have even crossed my mind on a beach situated steps from a children's playground specifically built there.

[steve2470]

48. I'm sure the family *assumed*, not incorrectly, that WDW had covered all bases and that they were...

perfectly safe by the water. If I was from Nebraska or Canada, that's what I would assume. WDW is famous for having a relatively safe and family-friendly environment, but those of us in the know understand that people are injured and even killed at WDW. It's just hushed up very rapidly or never even sees the light of publicity.

To be honest, I've never even thought of anyone dying or being injured at WDW via alligators. It's just not something I've ever considered. I've been to WDW many times, and been to those hotels. To the untrained eye, they are very safe and well-kept. I can easily understand why this happened. WDW messed up, hugely.

My sincerest sympathies and condolences for that poor family.

[Amaril]

58. Gators are crafty

You don't have to be in -- or even at the edge of -- water to have an encounter with a gator.

When I lived in Gainesville, my townhouse complex was about a mile from Hogtown Creek. My neighbor's little 4-pound Pomeranian woke her up at 3:00am, barking. My neighbor thought the dog needed to go out, so she stumbled downstairs -- half asleep -- and reached to open the sliders onto her back patio. Luckily she flipped on the light just as she was about to open the door, because there was an 8 foot gator sitting on the patio, mouth open, waiting for a mid-night snack.

[Raissa]

52. Not necessarily.

Now that magic bands are mailed to you before a trip and text when your room is open for check-in personal interaction is not required.

They could drop in the information in packets, of course, but I just wanted to point out that the personal interaction at check-in isn't something all guests do.

[a kennedy]

32. I smell millions in a settlement.

[adigal]

34. I agree...they figured it's cheaper to pay the rare lawsuit

Than to ruin the mood of people who come to the "magical" kingdom who might get scared by real, live wildlife.

Disney has every single thing calculated to a millimeter. Someone figured this way makes them more $$.

[Avalux]

47. Risk management, it's big business.

What's a rare death by alligator and a few million compared to shattering the fairy tale?

I don't want to say people who do this sort of thing for a living are heartless, but....

[tblue37]

74. Ford made a similar calculation about the Pinto. nt

[liberal N proud]

51. THIS...

[suffragette]

57. Agree. They should have specific signage. They do for their rides, they should for

The alligators as well.

[sendero]

60. I'm pretty sure..

.... Disney is going to pay a huge settlement for this, willingly or otherwise.

[JI7]

77. agree. when people chose Disney they have expectations

And Disney knows it. And even more so when it comes to families with small children.

Plus there were warnings and they did nothing about it.

[CBGLuthier]

78. You could post a danger alligator sign at every water source in Florida.

Shit happens. This was shit. It happened. No blame, no culprits, just one of those shit things, that happen.