Toddler dragged into water at Disney's Grand Floridian, feared dead

This is not directed at you, but are signs and flyers really necessary? Disney World opened 45 YEARS AGO. They do something like 40 MILLION visitors per year. This has happened ONCE. Do the math. It's like putting a sign up on Big Thunder Mountain that the trains might derail. Yeah, maybe... but probably not.

Fences are already up.

I just saw this video of a Disney employee keeping a gator away from Splash Mountain. I would have never guessed they would be in waters so close to a water ride at the park. Kind of shocking to me.

I think up until this week it was something that could happen but people never thought about simply because it had not yet happened. Now that it has happened I think signs are a good idea. The fence may be overkill but I think the signs are a good idea.

CoasterDude316 said:

I just saw this video of a Disney employee keeping a gator away from Splash Mountain. I would have never guessed they would be in waters so close to a water ride at the park. Kind of shocking to me.

Typical media hype. Here is the actual photo:

Can it be, and I'm just throwing this out there, that Disney knew about gators and their close proximity to the action all along and chose to 'ignore' it? Would making Gator 101 a part of everone's visit just serve to frighten guests and be bad for business? Would it appear that Disney wasn't exactly the safe, pristine place we've come to expect? Since the odds of such an occurance are so small, did they bank on the possibility that it would never happen and take their chances?

I'm not trying to be a dick or lay blame after this terrible tragedy, but I saw Jaws and I know what happens. ;-)

I don't buy that Disney ignores anything.

What is so shocking about alligators being on property in a Florida theme park built in a swamp. I certainly get the novelty of, "Oh wow, a real alligator," if you're not from Florida, but once you understand it's a part of the environment, then it shouldn't be more interesting than the billions of tiny lizards, or squirrels, roaches, sand cranes and other critters.

As opposed to an animatronic alligator.
And ok, I was just being a dick. But I think there's something, as others have pointed out, of a perceived safety umbrella over WDW. I have to believe that that young family would never have gone near the water if they knew of the possibility.

I'm reminded of a story my brother told after he and his buddies went golfing in the Carolinas. It was a course in a ritzy subdivision and they noticed a shiny coal black alligator sunning himself on the edge of someone's lawn just off the rough. The discussion was around whether it was real or one of those ceramic yard ornament gators. (Is there such a thing?) So my brother took an old golf ball out of his bag and gently tossed it that direction landing it squarely on the gators nose. When the thing came up snapping you better believe those guys dropped their bags and ran.

People are sheltered and ignorant of the natural surroundings. Particularly tourists.

RCMAC said:

People are sheltered and ignorant...

Fixed that for you and summed up everything in one quick motion. :)

I'm a little late to this party, but it used to be that you could die "of old age." Now we examine everything and try to understand everything and give a cause for everything because it gets us closer to controlling everything. Not necessarily making a judgement, just an observation.

Its funny how disney is playing the, its the first time a guest has been attacked and killed by a gator on our property. In fact it is but its not the first time a guest has been attacked by one. There has been other attacks on their properties but they paid to keep them quiet.

From everyone but you?

Clearly, Rollergator had something to do with this incident. :-) I'm surprised no one made that connection.

I saw the picture of this kid, which makes it even more sad. At this point, I don't think there is anything else other than maybe more signage that Disney can do. I also don't believe that this is lawsuit worthy, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens.

Everything is lawsuit worthy. Welcome to America.

I don't mean to minimize the tragedy here at all, but what happens to Captain Hook and the crocodile narrative? I've never been in the Peter Pan ride, but I assume the croc trying to eat Captain Hook has to play into it somewhere. Do they have to change anything about it, at least for a while, in light of this tragedy?

I believe he's standing near or over him being tugged at, where he's been for decades. I have a hard time believing that anyone would make the association (though I guess you just did).

No, he's doing the splits over the croc's open mouth. One foot on his jaw, one on his nose.

http://www.magicalmouseschoolhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/P...n-Hook.jpg

I have not been on Peter Pan since the incident but other mentions of alligators or crocodiles have been removed from Jungle Cruise, the new Castle Show, and most likely from the Halloween parade. So the company took notice right away in regards to this.

The only reason I thought of it was because my kids love Jake the Pirate and it seems like 90% end with Captain Hook being chased by a crocodile to much laughter from Jake and Co.

Yeah, Simon gets stuck in those ruts too, and I know that show all too well. Does it matter that it's a crocodile, and not an alligator?