Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members post your stupid guest tricks here. This forum is not for general Walt Disney World discussion. Please use the Break Room, for non stupid guest trick topics.
Goofyernmost
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1126
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 6:31 pm
Location: North Carolina

Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by Goofyernmost » Thu Jun 16, 2016 5:21 pm

I'm kind of surprised that this didn't make the discussion list. Night before last a 2 year old was grabbed by an Alligator along the shore at Seven Seas Lagoon. He was pulled under and subsequently drowned. Apparently the Alligator was scared off by the boys Father when he tried to rescue the boy. So far the only known change that Disney has made is to drop the joke on the Jungle Cruise where the skipper warns parents to watch their children because the Alligators will.

This isn't a joke... the event actually happened. Not looking for comment, however, you are welcome to do so. I just wanted people to know about it.



JugglingFreak
Seasoned Pro
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 11:23 am
Location: Georgia

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by JugglingFreak » Thu Jun 16, 2016 6:22 pm

Yeah. it's sad.

Witnesses all confirmed that WDW employees were on the spot and did everything they could and got the first responders there ASAP.

It's a terrible tragedy, I just hope some sleazy lawyer doesn't get hold of the parents..



WEDFan
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:45 am
Location: Maine

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by WEDFan » Fri Jun 17, 2016 5:48 am

One of the more interesting stories I read on this delved a little into the nature of alligators and raised the question why it would have attacked the child. Apparently it's not typically in their nature unless they have lost their fear of humans, which most often comes from humans feeding them. They lose some of their wariness and associate people with food. In the article, they said that an anonymous cast member had said that people have fed the alligators in the Seven Seas Lagoon.

BTW, Disney will now post alligator warnings on all their beaches.



User avatar
Zazu
Permanent Fixture
Permanent Fixture
Posts: 4133
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2003 3:00 pm
Park: WDW
Position: retired
Location: 8 miles east of Spaceship Earth
Contact:

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by Zazu » Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:36 am

Disney is also hauling out and killing alligators from the lagoon and Bay Lake. They promise to keep doing so until they find some sort of proof that they've killed the right one. Yeah, that'll teach those mean gators to stay away from the beach!

:alligator: . . . . . :AmosSlade:



Goofyernmost
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1126
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 6:31 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by Goofyernmost » Fri Jun 17, 2016 5:27 pm

Zazu wrote:Disney is also hauling out and killing alligators from the lagoon and Bay Lake. They promise to keep doing so until they find some sort of proof that they've killed the right one. Yeah, that'll teach those mean gators to stay away from the beach!

:alligator: . . . . . :AmosSlade:
When they are all gone I would guess that they will know that they got him. I'm glad that they are doing something, but, why does that sound like a ridiculous way to go about it. I'm sure that the Alligator Facebook page will be a buzz and those nasty critters will know to stay away.

In other related news... I just heard in the background that tonight on the NBC news, they will be doing a story on, what I believe will be the deserted River Country and how it is a breeding ground for Florida Alligators. (Whereas, I assume, the rest of Florida isn't.) Anything for a story even if it is ludicrous.



Goofyernmost
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1126
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 6:31 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by Goofyernmost » Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:27 pm

I just watched the report. I do so hate the sensationalism type reporting that is being passed off as factual. First off, there were pictures of River Country taken, according to them, just two weeks ago. Therefore they were taken by someone that was trespassing. Second, this guy that took the pictures had the most serious, I'm so smart, look on his face as he said that the place was abandoned and therefore a natural place for Alligators to reside out of sight of people where they could easily swim over to the 7 Seas Lagoon. (Even showing at path through the canal on how they would traverse it.)

To a degree he is right, however, even if RC hadn't been abandoned, the area isn't being used for anything and would still be the same safe location with or without the old equipment there. Also it would be no different then the other hundreds of miles of areas that aren't in the parks that are also not being utilized for anything at all. The implication was that because of the deserted state of River Country, it was an ideal location for Alligators to think up their evil schemes.

One of the more enlightening things mentioned the new, over the water, bungalows at the Poly and how Disney has been aware of the problem that people have been feeding the gators from their expensive porches, which would have been a prime cause for gators to be there and also not be afraid of people. I guess the don't feed the wildlife warnings are only for those that don't pay 2K per night to sleep over a musty old lagoon.

They also showed a "new video" that "just came to light" that most of us have seen at least a couple of years ago, when this very small gator found itself in the water at Splash Mountain. It showed a CM working to get it out of the ride area, but, made it sound like it was the equivalent of Godzilla. They play on the basic ignorance of people, that seem ready to believe everything that they hear on TV. It was reported that there are over a million gators in Florida and growing ever since the killing of them was outlawed by the state of Florida. Imagine trying to keep ahead of that. Anyway now all of the lagoons are being surrounded by an ugly fence that will be complained about for the rest of the life of the park. Talk about ruining the ambiance.



felinefan
Should be on Payroll
Should be on Payroll
Posts: 3174
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:23 am
Location: SoCal

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by felinefan » Sat Jun 18, 2016 12:40 pm

Small gators can be relocated; the bigger ones can't, because by the time they become adults, they've developed a homing instinct and will keep returning.

Those poor parents are going to have nightmares about losing their little boy for the rest of their lives. I just saw something where their neighbors are giving them vast amounts of support as they come home. That little boy was so cute.



WEDFan
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:45 am
Location: Maine

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by WEDFan » Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:44 am

First, I don't want to take anything away from this terrible event, but I have always been fascinated by complex legal issues.

It will probably all be settled out of court, but it would be interesting from a legal perspective to see what might be decided about liability. As I understand it, Disney can't be held liable for the actions of wild creatures (ferae naturae), unless they keep them in cages or as pets, but there is a question about a failure to warn. I think the way it works is that they would have a legal duty to warn people if it was an appreciable or immediate danger. Given 0 deaths in 35 years and the prohibition of swimming, I would hope there was no additional duty to warn, but you never know, especially with the lawyer who is saying that an alligator went after his son and he told Disney. If it was found that Disney had a duty to warn, it would be hard to imagine the number of alligator warning signs that would appear in Florida. Every landowner would face the same liability, since it is really the nature of Florida waters.

Any of the legal minds out there have thoughts?



User avatar
ktulu
Permanent Fixture
Permanent Fixture
Posts: 4150
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:01 pm
Park: ktululand
Department: Custodial
Position: Janitor
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by ktulu » Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:21 am

When I heard about this, especially as a father, it was a punch to the gut followed by a kick to the groin. Then, the marching band comes out and stomps over you. I know Disney is going to be the fall guy, and some will say it's not a big deal, because evil corporation and profits. It is a tragedy, and I'm not going to point fingers. That won't bring back the little guy, nor will it comfort the family.


"People can drink coke and pepsi, but they can't pee in the street."

812114

DLRFantasmic!Dan
Practically Lives Here
Practically Lives Here
Posts: 1385
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 8:01 pm
Location: 12 miles from Disneyland
Contact:

Re: Alligator encounter at Grand Floridian...

Post by DLRFantasmic!Dan » Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:22 pm

Today..............

Taken yesterday at Walt Disney World. Note sign, note people. Yeah, new signs ain't gonna work. People were ignoring the "Beach Closed" signs to take selfies with the "Caution: Gators and Snakes" signs. Charles Darwin would be proud. - Posted by a friend.

Image



Post Reply