Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: Disney gator attack: 2-year-old found dead, source says [View all]24601
(3,940 posts)of their resort up to the high-tide line.
Different situation on private property. There have been plenty of successful lawsuits involving homeowners who didn't do enough to keep trespassers out of their pool.
The sign addressed swimming, nothing about wading and yes, they are different and I have seen signs prohibiting both.
First thought - Disney posts signs when there is a wildlife danger. What is the reasonable inference when danger is alerted, but this location has no such warning?
Second - Seven Seas Lagoon (SSL) is connected via canal to Bay Lake, site of River Country, WDW's 1st water park, where they used to take our money in order to play in Bay Lake. The River Country infrastructure remains there visible to guests who like to remember or hear about that attraction.
Third - WDW intentionally hid the Bay Lake barrier to make it appear River Country was open water. The purpose was to keep River Country recycling filtered water and it would not have stopped an alligator. Reasonable guest conclusion was that it was safe.
Fourth - Plenty of revenue-generating activity happens on both Bay Lake and SSL. WDW runs medium-size ferries between the Magic Kingdom and the Resorts. The large ferries run from the Ticket & Transportation Center across SSL to the Magic Kingdom entrance. There are party boats, fireworks-watching boats, pirate-themed boats, paddle boats and the little two-seat put-puts with a 7 hp engine. They para-sail on Bay Lake. The reasonable inference is that this is Disney - they stop you from doing anything unsafe. Danger would be marked conspicuously.
Fifth - The Grand Floridan beach is deliberately inviting. It's right next to the resort's main pool and there is no separating fence. It's clean, raked and has chairs, lounges and umbrellas. The only sign says no swimming. They hold nighttime kids movies on the beach there. I don't believe the sign is lighted and most 2 year olds can't read it anyway. The beach is a favorite spot for watching the magic kingdom fireworks and the night-time neon-light and music barges that stop by each SSL and Bay Lake Resort for a show after dark - every night that doesn't have severe storms. It is not reasonable to project that to the very edge of the beach is safe, Disney Magic land - but one foot beyond in three inches of water risks death.
Sixth - This is Disney. The alien doesn't really eat you - that's just movie Magic. The ghosts in the Haunted Mansion are holographs. The Splash Mountain beasts are stuffed animals and Beast is a kid-loving cast member in a furry costume. The Elephants, Hippos and Crocks on the Magic Kingdom Jungle River Cruise ride are fakes made in the Central Shops. If you drop your coke, a cast member will have picked it up within about a minute.
Finally - the Grand Floridan is Disney's flagship resort. It's where they hold destination weddings. Impeccably dressed cast members ensure that this is the most magical time your kids will ever experience. Lobby music is provided by a rotation between a jazz band and a pianists on a full grand.
We have loved Disney and raised our kids there since they were 4 and 6 - now they are in their early 20s. We have been DVC members since 1999 and are as much Disney insiders as you can be without being a cast member. We have been on the backstage tours, in the "utilidor" tunnels under the Magic Kingdom, through Central Shops and seen the next big thing coming out. We meet our cast member friends for a good day and drive behind the MK to get them to the costume department and Disney University.
I hope I'm wrong, but the rumblings are that there had been recent gator sightings in SSL and /or Bay Lake. When they pull five gators from the lagoon within 24 hours, it's just not believable that Disney didn't know anything about their presence or habits. There certainly has been a lot of press that the most dangerous gator-feeding time is right around sundown and early morning. When you check into any of the WDW 22+ resorts, you get a substantial packet of schedules, information, transportation instructions and more - but I don't recall anything about animal danger on any beach. I'll be disappointed but not surprised if internal correspondence show that they new of the potential danger but didn't want to curtail the nighttime beach activity and wanted to keep it clean and appealing because that was best for the bottom line.
Even if Disney wins in court over a family that lost their child, they win one small battle but sacrifice everything they stand for and Disney is hyper-protective of its image. These were not parents neglecting their child. They were right there and the dad fought the gator, but lost. I'm sure Disney will settle without discovery and with confidential terms.