Gator drags child into water near Disney's Grand Floridian

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Because the sign didn't say 'alligators' or 'do not go near the water' or 'no wading.' It said 'no swimming' with no hints of anything else. Not everyone who visits a world renowned children's resort knows about alligators in all lakes in Florida. Do any of you criticizing the parents have kids of your own?

At this point I believe the poster is being intentionally obtuse.
 
Being inches away from the water is obviously dangerous too with alligators around.

exactly and the sign mentions nothing of not going near the water.

cue the "hurr durr but the sign obviously implies danger". bullshit it does.
 
But what about me? I'm from the UK and I would take my child to Disney Florida and not know a thing. If my child was grabbed by a gator while stood next to me waterside who's fault is it then?

Why does it have to be anyone's fault? It was an attack by a wild animal. Just like if the kid had been killed by a mountain lion in California or a shark in the sea. WDW isn't indoors.
 
At this point I believe the poster is being intentionally obtuse.

I've made a total of 2 posts in this thread so I'm glad you could capture all that from posts of mine you ignored. SMH I was going to respond to your other post but clearly it's pointless.

Edit: You were also the person moaning about why would you worry about gators in ankle deep water and now have completely flip flopped to somehow prove my posts are ridiculous. Wow.
 
Why does it have to be anyone's fault? It was an attack by a wild animal. Just like if the kid had been killed by a mountain lion in California or a shark in the sea. WDW isn't indoors.

I think people aren't necessarily arguing to say disney is fully to blame... I think the reason we're arguing so strongly is more in defense of the parents. They don't deserve how they are being treated right now given the details we've been made aware of.
 
I'm the paranoid type when it comes to kids. I would never let my almost 2 year old nephew walk on his own near that lake. I would have held his hand and put myself between him and the water.

Having family that lives in Florida I do know that gators can be found pretty much anywhere. Plenty of communities have man made ponds/lakes (whatever you want to call them) and gators have been known to drop by. Same with pools and golf courses. These suckers do not care.

I have a feeling that this family had no clue that gators frequented the lake being from Nebraska and perhaps having no family in the state. You go to Disney and the last thing you think you will see is a gator snatching your kid.
 
The average person visiting Florida knows full well that the place is full of gators. That being said, visiting Disney is not the same as visiting a swamp in the middle of nowhere Florida or some random lake.

There is a detachment from the rest of the state when you're in the confines of Disney World. Many people have no clue that gators can be found in bodies of water within Disney. It's a maintained and guarded park that takes measures to make sure its guests are safe.

It is silly to think everyone knows that gators can be found within Disney's private bodies of water.

I don't know if I'm considered "the average person" but I was born here in the US and had no idea it was so common to see gators in Florida. Sure, I knew that there are alligators there but I would have never expected to hear about an attack at Disney. I'm actually headed to Disney in a few weeks with my boys and although we've been planning this trip for months, the thought of worrying about alligators never crossed my mind. If I would have saw a sign that said no swimming, I would assume that it would be because they don't have enough lifeguards to prevent people from drowning.
 
I'm honestly surprised at how many people think "no swimming" conveys the message "don't get in the water at all" .

There is a water park near me that has a no swimming warning for the lazy river, I can assure you there are plenty of people in that lazy river. When you go to the beach and there is a no swimming warning the lifeguards don't bother you if you if you walk with your ankles in the water. There are fountains that have no swimming signs but people sit on the edge with their feet in the water and it's perfectly fine.

If Disney didn't want people in the water at all they need more signage than "no swimming". The pic posted here from the Hyatt resort would have sufficed as it let's people know there is a threat of wildlife.
 
I've made a total of 2 posts in this thread so I'm glad you could capture all that from posts of mine you ignored. SMH I was going to respond to your other post but clearly it's pointless.

Edit: You were also the person moaning about why would you worry about gators in ankle deep water and now have completely flip flopped to somehow prove my posts are ridiculous. Wow.

You have consistently misinterperted my posts despite them being spelled out clearly. I also called you intentionally obtuse, because you're responding with snark and sarcasm, and missing the point of several other posters along with myself.

I said parents on vacation in relaxation mode should NOT think that wading in a few inches of water would be life threatening... why the hell should they?!

When you responded saying the sign was enough to imply danger and mentioned gators can come on land, I posted a hypothetical. If gators presented an apparent thread, then why didn't the signs say "do not go near the water". The "no swimming" sign was clearly not enough warning. The kid was not swimming, he was wading, there is a difference, even if he WASN'T swimming, he was still in a grave danger, and yet there was no way a random tourist family in the happiest place on earth can be aware of the danger.

edit- also you're grand canyon analogy is such a dramatic leap of a comparison where the danger is completely apparent. One you can see the threat of danger by simply looking. The other was presented as a safe and comfortable BEACH, which one usually SWIMS at.
 
you said it yourself, gators can come on land... the sign says nothing about walking near the water... yet would you feel safe letting a child walk near it knowing there were gators?

Of course the same reason I let them swim in the ocean despite sharks, go in the woods despite mountain lions, and jump on a trampoline despite it being more dangerous than either. It is such a low probability event I don't even worry about it.
 
Of course the same reason I let them swim in the ocean despite sharks, go in the woods despite mountain lions, and jump on a trampoline despite it being more dangerous than either. It is such a low probability event I don't even worry about it.

Not only was it low probability, but most people not from that area likely would think it was a no posibility scenario. I don't see why everybody assumes everyone in this world is aware of the gator situation in Florida... hell even those who are aware I GUARANTEE, would not be aware that there was any sort of danger present in the safety of disney.


edit
They found 5 gators during their search in less than 24 hours. Maybe there should have been a sign.

Apparently to some people No swimming equates to- stay away from this water because there are likely gators who can and will attack you
 
Not only was it low probability, but most people not from that area likely would think it was a no posibility scenario. I don't see why everybody assumes everyone in this world is aware of the gator situation in Florida... hell even those who are aware I GUARANTEE, would not be aware that there was any sort of danger present in the safety of disney.
Anyone who is aware knows theres a good chance they're in that lake. They get into swimming pools year round...
 
I spent two weeks in Orlando and don't think I saw a single gator. Didn't realise they were as common as folk here are talking about.
 
Anyone who is aware knows theres a good chance they're in that lake. They get into swimming pools year round...

I've said this time and time again. Part of the problem here is people assume that "anyone who is aware" is and should be everyone. These people were on vacation from out of town. The beach in no way implied a serious threat or danger... in fact quite the opposite. I don't see why that's so hard to believe for people. People swim at these places a lot more often then people are aware. Is everyone supposed to automatically be aware that these bodies of water have gators?

edit-

I spent two weeks in Orlando and don't think I saw a single gator. Didn't realise they were as common as folk here are talking about.

According to the internet you are negligent, irresponsible, foolish, moronic, stupid, uneducated, etc. I'll say again, the ignorance surrounding this whole situation is troubling.....
 
If I see a sign that says no swimming next to a lake I don't assume it has prehistoric monsters living inside it. There should be signs saying that crocodiles are potentially in the water.
 
When I first read about this last night, I damn near cried. I had just put my two year old daughter to bed when I went to my office and catch up on email.

I made the mistake of telling my wife and we both started tearing up. I think anyone with a heart can imagine how tragic something like this would be.

Disney should be sued the shit out of.

I think the parents would rather have their son back. Money will never erase the trauma of seeing your 2 year old child dragged off by a gator.
 
If I see a sign that says no swimming next to a lake I don't assume it has prehistoric monsters living inside it. There should be signs saying that crocodiles are potentially in the water.

There are signs in all states that say no swimming. They are there to protect yourself from liability of drowning, that way you're not required to have a lifeguard on duty at all times. Those signs were not sufficient. I also think it's reckless that disney rents boats when they could easily flip over.
 
There are signs in all states that say no swimming. They are there to protect yourself from liability of drowning, that way you're not required to have a lifeguard on duty at all times. Those signs were not sufficient. I also think it's reckless that disney rents boats when they could easily flip over.

Absolutely agree. If you're from out of town you might not know what lurks beneath or might not be aware of the real danger.
 
just saw this.

http://www.fox25boston.com/news/nh-child-attacked-by-gator-at-disney-world-30-years-ago/345144911

not the first time this has happened

Santamaria said he and his siblings were playing at the lake's edge in the campground, feeding the ducks, when a seven foot female alligator suddenly launched out of the water.

"It happened in slow motion. The alligator came out of the water kind of sideways, swinging its head, and it hit me and knocked me down," Santamaria said. "Once I hit the ground, it turned its head sideways and grabbed my leg. From there it started to thrash me around, pull on me and try to get me into the water."

no excuses for the lack of signs.
 
Ive been to disney many times and usually arrive to miami by plane and then drive to orlando. During my different trips i saw gators resting in logs or just floating in the many ponds that are by the road and i even comment it to my family because we dont have gators in my country. I also have seen many tv shows that show how they get into pools and golf courses in florida and how animal control try to get them. I even saw a program where a gator grabbed a woman who was a jogger. Despite this all of this i never, ever, ever thought that they could be in the park or its hotels.
 
One thing I'm not clear on. The lifeguard is explaining what he saw. How is it that he saw the child? Did he see him and not kick him out of the water? Confused by him claiming he saw the child in the water prior to the attack.
 
I may be incorrect but the signs I saw clearly stated

DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER

The little kid was in the water, even if it's just 1 foot deep that's still IN the water.
 
I may be incorrect but the signs I saw clearly stated

DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER

The little kid was in the water, even if it's just 1 foot deep that's still IN the water.

I'm not saying the parents are blame-free, but I'm saying the signs should be huge and clearly illustrate the presence of a meat-eating carnivore nearby in said body of water.

Otherwise people, especially non-Floridians - and this is at a tourist resort - might not know the gravity of the situation and might find slipping in the water as unlawful as dipping into someone else's swimming pool. Nothing about that sign indicates actual risk of life.
 
I'm not saying the parents are blame-free, but I'm saying the signs should be huge and clearly illustrate the presence of a meat-eating carnivore nearby in said body of water.

Otherwise people, especially non-Floridians - and this is at a tourist resort - might not know the gravity of the situation and might find slipping in the water as unlawful as dipping into someone else's swimming pool. Nothing about that sign indicates actual risk of life.

Agreed, I'm sure they will definitely change the signage going forward.

I would bet Disney honestly never expected Gators to actually leave the water and come up on that beach. Which isn't even a real beach, I believe it's man made.
 
I may be incorrect but the signs I saw clearly stated

DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER

The little kid was in the water, even if it's just 1 foot deep that's still IN the water.

You might be right about the sign, but if you are I can't find it, the only signs I've seen say no swimming.

even if you were right however, the lack of signs about not going near the water is troubling, given gators could easily come out of the water and snatch the child.
 
Ive been to disney many times and usually arrive to miami by plane and then drive to orlando. During my different trips i saw gators resting in logs or just floating in the many ponds that are by the road and i even comment it to my family because we dont have gators in my country. I also have seen many tv shows that show how they get into pools and golf courses in florida and how animal control try to get them. I even saw a program where a gator grabbed a woman who was a jogger. Despite this all of this i never, ever, ever thought that they could be in the park or its hotels.

Dat plot twist. (I thought you were about to say everyone should know the stuff you knew, like a few others in this thread, phew.)
 
My wife and I have been discussing this heavily since it happened, as we're pretty big fans of the parks and have lived 30 minutes from Florida our entire lives, basically sharing the ecosystem and prevalence of gators. They're everywhere, but that's usually not a problem. In fact, a water moccasin is WAAAY more cause for concern than any gator. When she told me what happened, I was like "Dear God.." but none of it didn't make sense.

Disney has this artful approach to constructing facades that has finally culminated into a tragic freak accident. They're known for taking this swamp and turning into whatever they want it to be, but that doesn't fully eliminate the swamp. So you have these beaches made right up to a freshwater lake teeming with far more than just gators. Combine this facade with the (acceptable) ignorance of someone not from that area, the time of day, the size of the child, and the level the child is submerged, you get this one in a million scenario that just sucks. Blame (on either side) doesn't even begin to cover this event, it's too multifaceted for that.

But this does probably serve as an eye-opener for Disney, who is so committed to this ultimate dedication to constructing fantasy environments from very real ecosystems that proved so effective that it leads to a tourist probably thinking his son was perfectly safe. Combine that with their dedication to subtlety in obligations for safety (a simple, non-threatening "no swimming" sign instead of a more valuable and explicit sign that "ruins the magic"). It's certainly worth thinking about.

This post sums up my thoughts. Disney do need to do something about it though.
 
Personally, I don't think Disney should be held liable for this event, since it seems they took a lot of reasonable measures to reduce the alligator population and to warn to stay out of the water. This is obviously not a regular occurrence and it seems like no one really thought an alligator would attack right on the shoreline. This is just a tragic freak occurrence.

I expect that Disney will change the signs, to encourage more vigilance, now that they're on notice of the potential threat, but I don't think they were negligent for only having "no swimming" signs beforehand. I think most would assume that staying out of the water would be enough and that alligators would avoid the commotion of a heavily populated area.
 
honestly, in an ideal world this would result in a lawsuit that bankrupts disney. the kind of negligence and greed that is required to concoct these "resorts" mean that disney as a corporation does more harm than good and there is no good reason to allow it to exist anymore in its current form.
 
honestly, in an ideal world this would result in a lawsuit that bankrupts disney. the kind of negligence and greed that is required to concoct these "resorts" mean that disney as a corporation does more harm than good and there is no good reason to allow it to exist anymore in its current form.

What?
 
honestly, in an ideal world this would result in a lawsuit that bankrupts disney. the kind of negligence and greed that is required to concoct these "resorts" mean that disney as a corporation does more harm than good and there is no good reason to allow it to exist anymore in its current form.

Disney World is a great family friendly theme park. That's plenty enough reason for it to exist.

They just need to increase the signage here.
 
No sympathy for the gator. Like I can't even imagine that crossing my mind right now. A 2 year old was eaten alive by it.
What happened is terrible, the poor kid, but the alligator doesn't really understand that. Killing it because it is a danger to humans is understandable, even if technically wrong (we don't have the right to take the lives of other living beings, we aren't better than then), but your reasoning is really poor.
 
honestly, in an ideal world this would result in a lawsuit that bankrupts disney.

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honestly, in an ideal world this would result in a lawsuit that bankrupts disney. the kind of negligence and greed that is required to concoct these "resorts" mean that disney as a corporation does more harm than good and there is no good reason to allow it to exist anymore in its current form.

The.. sign.. says.. "no swimming". If a sign says "keep out" I keep out, if it says "don't touch" I don't touch. If I get shot for not keeping out or electrocuted for touching what I wasnt supposed to... it's my fault. I feel Terrible for the family and the child but take some responsibility.

Also, everyone blamed the parents for the gorilla situation and now suddenly were blaming the gator for doing exactly what gators do in their environment.

Don't.. swim.. where it says.. don't swim...

Some of you are the reason they have to put a warning on a stroller that says don't fold the fucking stroller with the kid inside..
 
Most people aren't cognizant of the dangers of leaning over the edge of incredibly tall cliffs?
In that case I think it is just to ram home the message to idiots who will do it regardless. I doubt they are legally liable if someone fell and there was no notice up. The alligators though are not a risk most people would consider within disney world.
 
It's not like you can sit there and ask them questions. It's common practice to kill animals that have eaten humans as leaving them be might lead to repeated behavior. It's unfortunate that these unaffiliated gators had to die in the process, but there wasn't really a lot that could've been done to prevent it as the search for the culprit went on.
They could not have killed the fucking gators. I don't see how people can agree with this practice. Humans are horrifying, far more than the gators.
 
They could not have killed the fucking gators. I don't see how people can agree with this practice. Humans are horrifying, far more than the gators.
Gators are hardly intelligent or engendered creatures.

And holy shit get off of your horse.
 
They could not have killed the fucking gators. I don't see how people can agree with this practice. Humans are horrifying, far more than the gators.

From my understanding the gator is a danger now given he associates humans as prey. Not sure how accurate that is.

Either way I do feel for the gators, but it was a necessary evil in this situation.
 
The.. sign.. says.. "no swimming". If a sign says "keep out" I keep out, if it says "don't touch" I don't touch. If I get shot for not keeping out or electrocuted for touching what I wasnt supposed to... it's my fault. I feel Terrible for the family and the child but take some responsibility.

Also, everyone blamed the parents for the gorilla situation and now suddenly were blaming the gator for doing exactly what gators do in their environment.

Don't.. swim.. where it says.. don't swim...

Some of you are the reason they have to put a warning on a stroller that says don't fold the fucking stroller with the kid inside..

because for the millionth time there is a inherent difference between your crappy analogy and what happened.

The place was designed to look like a safe and accommodating beach with a life guard and white sand. on top of that if we want to get technical, the sign says no swimming, not NO WADING, there is a difference.

What's more is that as stated countless times, gators can and will come on land to get prey. There were no signs that said stay away from the water, it just said no swimming. If the kid had been a few feet in the other direction on dry sand he just as easily could've been snatched up.
 
They could not have killed the fucking gators. I don't see how people can agree with this practice. Humans are horrifying, far more than the gators.

Alligators, particularly these alligators, are a deadly pest. You kill rats that infest your property and you kill alligators that infest your property too. Gotta love the internet giving us someone who feels bad for the alligators that live at Disney, one of whom killed a kid last night.
 
The.. sign.. says.. "no swimming". If a sign says "keep out" I keep out, if it says "don't touch" I don't touch. If I get shot for not keeping out or electrocuted for touching what I wasnt supposed to... it's my fault. I feel Terrible for the family and the child but take some responsibility.

Also, everyone blamed the parents for the gorilla situation and now suddenly were blaming the gator for doing exactly what gators do in their environment.

Don't.. swim.. where it says.. don't swim...

Some of you are the reason they have to put a warning on a stroller that says don't fold the fucking stroller with the kid inside..

At what point was the child swimming?
 
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