OT Disney has a problem: 2 year old apparently eaten by Alligator in front of visitors at Disney Hotel

[floridahog]

Nesting season makes the gators especially dangerous. Gators are just about in every body of water in Florida. We had a small pond across the street from our house and it had 2 gators in it. HOA had signs stating there were gators in it. I refused to swim in Florida lakes because of gators and amoeba. Sad deal.

 

[JT Porkins]

I feel terrible for the kid and his family.

 

[hawgclucker]

Hell we have gators in the ponds in Foley behind our outlet mall

 

[rdf4ta]

If the sign says no swimming and there aren't dangerous waves anywhere to be seen, risk has got to be assumed even setting foot in the water.

It will be interesting to see what Disney does. Hopefully they find a middle ground and "help" this family through this loss, but they will have a stance to not do anything, because the reality is the boy should never have been in the water to begin with.

Again, just hoping Disney steps up here and doesn't play this thing out nasty.

 

[Hog Heffner]

As the father of a 3 year old girl, I couldn't read the story. Tried to,but had to x out the link because I felt nauseous. Literally. Got nauseous.

My grandparents were from Chicago and retired in Sarasota FL when I was a small child. My parents and I visited my grandma and grandpa for two weeks in the summer throughout my entire childhood into my early 20s. It was a stern rule at their house u didn't let pets-children go by the waters edge. EVER. (they had a condo on the lake with gators). I got my ass beat with a belt for fishing at the waters edge unsupervised when I was a tween or around 10-11 yrs old by my dad. I don't blame Disney, I don't blame the parents. I blame it on a freak accident........BUT......My 3 year old girl would of never been in that water. Just a nightmarish scenario for any parent. Thoughts are with the family.

 

[meadrad]

Disney needs a sign that says, "Beware of Gators"

Baylor needs a sign that says, "Beware of Bears"

 

[anon_j0hjgb7us6s1a]

sometimes in life....things happen

I wish everybody did not run around looking for somebody to blame every time 'something happens'

 

[jpenrod86]

sometimes in life....things happen

I wish everybody did not run around looking for somebody to blame every time 'something happens'

Yep, parents aren't to blame IMO. There are always risks in life and this one was such a small one it didn't even register for them I would guess.

Disney isn't to blame either. Gators are in almost every body of water in Florida. Everyone should know that, a sign specifically saying that shouldn't be needed and I bet if it was there nothing would have changed. It's like putting a sign up on a beach saying sharks could be present. Would that change the milliins or even billions of people that get in the ocean every year?

This is just a bad situation of nature and it makes me sad everyone immediately looks for a lawsuit.

 

[anon_j0hjgb7us6s1a]

I have heard some yankees say they did not know about Florida and gators but if you simply looked at the U of Florida mascot you should be a little bit alerted to the danger.

This made me think, what if you took a two year old for a walk in the woods in Georgia and out jumped a wild boar and gutted a kid,

Well it would be horrible but it was just a danger of living life

Anyway, Vegas should take odds on who sues who and what for in this case

 

[dmjinc71]

If the sign says no swimming and there aren't dangerous waves anywhere to be seen, risk has got to be assumed even setting foot in the water.

It will be interesting to see what Disney does. Hopefully they find a middle ground and "help" this family through this loss, but they will have a stance to not do anything, because the reality is the boy should never have been in the water to begin with.

Again, just hoping Disney steps up here and doesn't play this thing out nasty.

From what I've read, Disney World has >100 lawsuits against them at any given time. Many are by employees, but there are also a lot by guests. As you can imagine, many are frivolous. There was one earlier this year where a non-venomous snake fell from a tree at Animal Kingdom, landed on a kid and bit him. Obviously the family freaked out, but park employees took the kid to First Aid, put a band-aid on it, had the staff look at the snake and determine it wasn't poisonous (and it was wild, not escaped from their exhibit), and the family went on about their visit. Two days later, the grandmother (who was 90 years old) had a heart attack and died. The family is suing Disney for wrongful death, claiming the scare of the incident is what prompted the heart attack.

Not the same situation by any means, but still an act of a wild animal. In my opinion, it's a frivolous lawsuit just trying to cash in on their grandmother's death.

From what I can tell, Disney settles lawsuits pretty quickly if they feel they were at fault or negligent. They fight pretty hard in all other cases - because if you don't, you'll quickly find you have 1000 lawsuits at any given time. In lawsuits that actually get to trial, Disney wins >95% of them.

I can't say what they should do in this case. As many have observed, it's an act of a wild animal. I can't say Disney was negligent, as there were plenty of signs that say "No swimming". When I see a sign that says "No swimming" to me that means "Don't go in the water, because something bad could happen." I don't think they need to list every bad thing that could be in that water - alligators, water moccasins, brain-eating amoeba, etc. Just like they don't need signs every 10 feet in Animal Kingdom that say "Warning: there is a remote possibility a snake could drop from a tree and bite you."

 

[mikedamone]

I have heard some yankees say they did not know about Florida and gators but if you simply looked at the U of Florida mascot you should be a little bit alerted to the danger.

Except when you go to Disney and it appears to be the most controlled environment on earth. Everything is fake and they spend millions upon millions of dollars every year in maintenance.

 

[mikedamone]

I can't say Disney was negligent, as there were plenty of signs that say "No swimming". When I see a sign that says "No swimming" to me that means "Don't go in the water, because something bad could happen." I don't think they need to list every bad thing that could be in that water - alligators, water moccasins, brain-eating amoeba, etc. Just like they don't need signs every 10 feet in Animal Kingdom that say "Warning: there is a remote possibility a snake could drop from a tree and bite you."

When I see this sign, I think they don't want people in the water because its deep. That's the risk. When your child is walking in less than a foot of water that risk is not there.

The Hyatt that is also on the lagoon has this sign:

 

[smallmouthhog]

I'm not sure what they'll do. In general, I absolutely hate that our society has developed the mentality that "I suffered a terrible personal tragedy; I better get a big payout." Will this family need counseling, therapy, etc? Absolutely, and I hope they get it, and I hope Disney helps them get it. But throwing money at this family isn't going to undo what has been done. It's a tragedy, not a winning lottery ticket.

Im with this guy in the fact that every time something bad happens everyone is always looking at who to blame. Like the kid that fell in the Gorilla Cage. Sometimes sheet just happens. No need to blame the mother, as she has suffered enough. Terrible deal in FL, and terrible deals are happening all over every day. Cant imagine what the father was feeling as the gator pulled his son away from him into the water. Couldn't imagine. Goodness.

 

[gbbaber]

First of all, it's just a terrible tragedy. I feel for the parents and hope they can work through, though there will be much consternation about deciding to take the trip, walking with the kid in the water, and the chances of divorce are probably well over 90%.

I also agree with @mikedamone that when you are at Disney world, it FEELS like everything is taken care of.

With that in mind, wouldn't "gator" signs just be taken as part of the magic? At the end of the day, we are responsible for ourselves and for our own families...Disney can't be responsible for people ignoring signs.

I'm not the type to overly worry with our 6 year old, I'm just not. I'm not going to see danger in every corner, and I probably wouldn't have worried about her playing by the edge of that body of water...and I might have paid the same price of this family, which is absolutely awful to contemplate.

But then I think about kids all over the world who don't have food, who don't have parents, and I wonder where all of this singular outrage comes from...it's always fascinated me. There are children younger than this walking around Mexico City with zero home, zero mother, zero father, and we don't bat an eye. Horrible things happen, we are people and we are at the mercy of a cruel world...so you have to appreciate what you have. I'm sure Disney would have
Emptied that lake of gators a long time ago if PETA wouldn't have taken their heads off for it.

TLDR, this is a terrible and nuanced subject, life is hard and can be cruel, I feel so bad for the parents, I can't imagine, hug your kids.

 

[dmjinc71]

When I see this sign, I think they don't want people in the water because its deep. That's the risk. When your child is walking in less than a foot of water that risk is not there.

The Hyatt that is also on the lagoon has this sign:

Your point is well made that some signs are better than others. I just don't believe we need ubiquitous warning signs to the existence of wild, dangerous animals.

 

[mikedamone]

I'm sure Disney would have
Emptied that lake of gators a long time ago if PETA wouldn't have taken their heads off for it.

Something tells me Disney wasn't upset that they had to kill 4 gators yesterday in a search for DNA. Had an excuse to do what they wanted.

 

[gbbaber]

Something tells me Disney wasn't upset that they had to kill 4 gators yesterday in a search for DNA. Had an excuse to do what they wanted.

Right. And there absolutely should have been gator signs there...in the back of your mind you wonder if they weren't there because Disney didn't want to freak everybody out. It's a terrible deal.

 

[hogwildinPA]

From what I've read, Disney World has >

I can't say Disney was negligent, as there were plenty of signs that say "No swimming". When I see a sign that says "No swimming" to me that means "Don't go in the water, because something bad could happen." I don't think they need to list every bad thing that could be in that water - alligators, water moccasins, brain-eating amoeba, etc. Just like they don't need signs every 10 feet in Animal Kingdom that say "Warning: there is a remote possibility a snake could drop from a tree and bite you."

Agreed, I go back to no means no. Why do people need additional information to decide IF they are going to obey or not. The signs there for a reason. If the signs had "danger alligators" this probably would have been avoided. However, if the people just obeyed the signs it would have been avoided as well.

 

[gbbaber]

Agreed, I go back to no means no. Why do people need additional information to decide IF they are going to obey or not. The signs there for a reason. If the signs had "danger alligators" this probably would have been avoided. However, if the people just obeyed the signs it would have been avoided as well.

I agree, but they also could have put a gator sign there.

 

[hogwildinPA]

I agree, but they also could have put a gator sign there.

I said that in my post as well....

 

[dmjinc71]

First of all, it's just a terrible tragedy. I feel for the parents and hope they can work through, though there will be much consternation about deciding to take the trip, walking with the kid in the water, and the chances of divorce are probably well over 90%.

I also agree with @mikedamone that when you are at Disney world, it FEELS like everything is taken care of.

With that in mind, wouldn't "gator" signs just be taken as part of the magic? At the end of the day, we are responsible for ourselves and for our own families...Disney can't be responsible for people ignoring signs.

I'm not the type to overly worry with our 6 year old, I'm just not. I'm not going to see danger in every corner, and I probably wouldn't have worried about her playing by the edge of that body of water...and I might have paid the same price of this family, which is absolutely awful to contemplate.

But then I think about kids all over the world who don't have food, who don't have parents, and I wonder where all of this singular outrage comes from...it's always fascinated me. There are children younger than this walking around Mexico City with zero home, zero mother, zero father, and we don't bat an eye. Horrible things happen, we are people and we are at the mercy of a cruel world...so you have to appreciate what you have. I'm sure Disney would have
Emptied that lake of gators a long time ago if PETA wouldn't have taken their heads off for it.

TLDR, this is a terrible and nuanced subject, life is hard and can be cruel, I feel so bad for the parents, I can't imagine, hug your kids.

You are right. As for emptying the lake of gators, Disney does that all the time. PETA or not. I live in Tampa and go to Disney a lot, and I almost never see a gator. But it's a never ending (and losing) battle. There are so many gators and so many ponds and they move around at night, and you just can't keep them out. Golf courses, neighborhoods, private lakes all have the same challenge.

 

[mikedamone]

Agreed, I go back to no means no. Why do people need additional information to decide IF they are going to obey or not. The signs there for a reason. If the signs had "danger alligators" this probably would have been avoided. However, if the people just obeyed the signs it would have been avoided as well.

If I go to the beach and there are signs the I shouldn't swim because of strong currents, am I disobeying the signs if I walk along with my feet in the water?

That's pretty much the same thing here. Don't swim because its deep water. Having a kid walk in ankle deep water isn't swimming, and the deep water certainly isn't a risk.

Grand Floridian/hogwildinPA: "Come and hang out in these chairs. We've put up no swimming signs. If you touch that water right in front of you and die, you just get what was coming to you for breaking the rules. The deep water signs were clearly enough to warm you that a gator may snatch your child and drag it away to certain death."

 

[hogwildinPA]

If I go to the beach and there are signs the I shouldn't swim because of strong currents, am I disobeying the signs if I walk along with my feet in the water?

That's pretty much the same thing here. Don't swim because its deep water. Having a kid walk in ankle deep water isn't swimming, and the deep water certainly isn't a risk.

Grand Floridian/hogwildinPA: "Come and hang out in these chairs. We've put up no swimming signs. If you touch that water right in front of you and die, you just get what was coming to you for breaking the rules. The deep water signs were clearly enough to warm you that a gator may snatch your child and drag it away to certain death."

I linked an article yesterday stating he was 10 ft from short There are pictures on the internet of the location...the kid was past his ankles.

Either way, done debating this. As I said, the signs could have been clearer and the situation would have been avoided. However, if the parents would have obeyed the signs in the first place it would also have been avoided. Signs are there for a reason and they dont have to explain why in order for people to decide if they will obey or not.

 

[gbbaber]

Yeah, the parents disobeyed the signs and they will never live another day without thinking about it. Still shoulda been a gator sign, but the parents were negligent here.

 

[NMHOGG]

Those who stick to the letter of the sign(law) the child was not swimming. The sign didn't say no wading. Blame will be debated for a long time.

 

[SouthPork1]

Disney needs a sign that says, "Beware of Gators"

Baylor needs a sign that says, "Beware of Trustees"

There.
Fixed it for you.

 

[jpenrod86]

If I go to the beach and there are signs the I shouldn't swim because of strong currents, am I disobeying the signs if I walk along with my feet in the water?

That's pretty much the same thing here. Don't swim because its deep water. Having a kid walk in ankle deep water isn't swimming, and the deep water certainly isn't a risk.

Grand Floridian/hogwildinPA: "Come and hang out in these chairs. We've put up no swimming signs. If you touch that water right in front of you and die, you just get what was coming to you for breaking the rules. The deep water signs were clearly enough to warm you that a gator may snatch your child and drag it away to certain death."

If you go to the beach and get bit by a shark is the resort responsible? Does there need to be shark signs? The chance of death from shark or alligator are probably about the same. I saw a thing in 2010 that said in the previous 10 years there had been 13 deaths by alligator and 9 by sharks. We need signs because 13 people in all of the US died in a 10 year span from a wild animal?

I don't think any signs are needed. If they are responsible for not having a gator sign up than like another poster said, they need a snake sign, a bacteria sign, a bird sign, a danger the person next to you has a disease you might get sign and so on.

 

[mikedamone]

I linked an article yesterday stating he was 10 ft from short There are pictures on the internet of the location...the kid was past his ankles.

Either way, done debating this. As I said, the signs could have been clearer and the situation would have been avoided. However, if the parents would have obeyed the signs in the first place it would also have been avoided. Signs are there for a reason and they dont have to explain why in order for people to decide if they will obey or not.

10 feet is three steps. Unless you think a 2 year old can swim, the kid wasn't swimming.

All you "they didn't obey the signs, so they died" guys won't acknowledge that they didn't disobey the signs.

This was a different kid from a hour earlier. If he gets dragged off and dies, he's just getting what's coming to him. Despite the fact that the beach is incredibly inviting, families are encouraged to hang out right there at night, and he clearly isn't swimming.

********
BTW, the 10 feet claim, comes from a lifeguard (employee) who wasn't even there:

The discovery of his body came after a Disney lifeguard revealed to Daily Mail Online that the boy was 10 feet from the shore when he was snatched. It was previously reported that the boy was only in ankle-deep to a foot of water.

The employee told Daily Mail Online even at a distance of ten feet, the water is 'not too deep'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-struck-lifeguard-reveals.html#ixzz4Bkd8AmZk
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[dmjinc71]

Not discounting the tragedy to the family, nor am I blaming them in any way. It's not my place to blame or judge.

Just putting this out there for the sign debate: personally, I think warning signs that get very specific are just inviting people to decide whether they'll obey/heed the warnings or not. "It said no swimming, not no spalshing or wading." "It said steep drop offs, it didn't say there were gators." Signs should be simple: "Danger - stay out of water."

If you had to list every possible danger, the sign ends up looking like a 'cover your ass' section of a contract, and people will ignore them even more. In Florida, in the past 68 years, there have been 23 fatalities due to alligators. In that same time frame, more than 500 people were killed by lightning strikes. I can't find statistics, but there are dozens of fatalities yearly from snake bites. So if we're getting really pedantic, should the sign say:
"Danger - if you enter this water, you are at a greater risk of being struck by lightning, bitten by an alligator or snake, finned by a catfish, as well as a risk of tetanus and other infectious diseases. Please, use your own discretion based on your personal level of risk aversion."

No, I don't think anyone wants that. It should say "Stay out", and "No swimming" is pretty darned close to that. I'm sure Disney will change the signs, but I can't fault them for less than perfect signage.

 

[dmjinc71]

10 feet is three steps. Unless you think a 2 year old can swim, the kid wasn't swimming.

All you "they didn't obey the signs, so they died" guys won't acknowledge that they didn't disobey the signs.

This was a different kid from a hour earlier. If he gets dragged off and dies, he's just getting what's coming to him. Despite the fact that the beach is incredibly inviting, families are encouraged to hang out right there at night, and he clearly isn't swimming.

********
BTW, the 10 feet claim, comes from a lifeguard (employee) who wasn't even there:

The discovery of his body came after a Disney lifeguard revealed to Daily Mail Online that the boy was 10 feet from the shore when he was snatched. It was previously reported that the boy was only in ankle-deep to a foot of water.

The employee told Daily Mail Online even at a distance of ten feet, the water is 'not too deep'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-struck-lifeguard-reveals.html#ixzz4Bkd8AmZk
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't have a "they get what is coming to them" attitude. I just think focusing on what the sign did or didn't say is pedantic.

I do agree with you that the design of the whole area is bad. It's a pond in which they don't want people to enter. Instead of putting a sand beach beside it, they should leave the natural aquatic plants around the edge.

 

[jpenrod86]

10 feet is three steps. Unless you think a 2 year old can swim, the kid wasn't swimming.

All you "they didn't obey the signs, so they died" guys won't acknowledge that they didn't disobey the signs.

This was a different kid from a hour earlier. If he gets dragged off and dies, he's just getting what's coming to him. Despite the fact that the beach is incredibly inviting, families are encouraged to hang out right there at night, and he clearly isn't swimming.

********
BTW, the 10 feet claim, comes from a lifeguard (employee) who wasn't even there:

The discovery of his body came after a Disney lifeguard revealed to Daily Mail Online that the boy was 10 feet from the shore when he was snatched. It was previously reported that the boy was only in ankle-deep to a foot of water.

The employee told Daily Mail Online even at a distance of ten feet, the water is 'not too deep'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-struck-lifeguard-reveals.html#ixzz4Bkd8AmZk
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

When I read "no swimming" I understand it as "stay out of the water". I can understand how it would be interpreted different but my guess is the family didn't pay any attention to the sign no matteratt what it said.

I am in no way saying he got what was coming to him. I'm saying Disney should have 0 guilt and the family should have 0 guilt. I think the only wrong in this situation is all the people trying to blame somebody.

 

[gbbaber]

@dmjinc71 i think "Danger-stay out of water" is a perfect sign. Covers all the bases.

 

[ermackey]

Re-occurring problem ?? The park has been there 45 years and no one has ever been eaten by a gator but you call it a RE-OCCURING (horrible grammar BTW, it is RECURRING)

Good Lord do you need to be spoon fed everything ? Do you need signs on the beach saying, beware, there are sharks that swim in the ocean ? At some point common sense has to come into play here. You are in Florida. There are signs everywhere saying to stay out of the water. Why not just STAY OUT OF THE WATER ? regardless of whether there is a sign telling you what is in the water.

Wrong. Actually, this is the second attack on a child at the same beach. The last one was 1986: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-10-12/news/0260190168_1_hitt-alligator-fort-wilderness.

And yes, you need a sign warning of alligators in the pond. They are at a Disney resort. As such, there is a presumptive level of safety due to Disney's own marketing for families to enjoy a fun and safe environment. While I would never swim in ANY Florida pond or lake, I would assume that Disney would locate and remove gators from their park as a basic safety measure since small children are everywhere and you market to that clientele.

"No swimming" signage is not adequate. If there are gators in a Disney resort pond, they had better put up a sign stating such. It isn't enough to keep the kids out of the water. They need to stay away from the shoreline as well. Simply picking-up a seashell near the water's edge can be deadly for a small child.

 

[anon_j0hjgb7us6s1a]

as an old hippie, don't swim means the water is toxic and I don't even wade

 

[Busta Swines]

I, like many, have struggled with this incident since I heard about it. As a father of a 5 year old and a 5 month old I try to put myself in the parents shoes and simply cannot do it. I feel for them.

As far as the sign issue, I would question why the beach even exists. If it was known that aggressive predators existed in the water why would there be a place for families, especially small children, to congregate potentially next to this danger? A hungry gator will come on land to attack prey if conditions are right. I could see a sunbather at the waters edge at risk or a child playing in the sand with his/or her back turned.

I don't know, I have never been to the location in question and I am aware nothing like this has ever happened at Disney before. I just feel when you take your child to Disney World, the happiest place on earth, their should be a 0% chance of you child being taken by a gator within the resort. JMO.

 

[brianflops]

If there are gators in that lake, you don't have to be in the water to possibly be in danger, all you have to do is be standing at the edge. A "No Swimming" sign isn't going to help if the gator swims up and snatches a kid from the edge of the water. In that picture mikedamone posted of the kid standing on the edge, is it really hard to fathom a gator swimming up and taking that kid by surprise? If the kids feet weren't in the water, would it make a difference? I don't believe so.

The family shouldn't have been in the water. There also should have been signs warning of alligators once you even got close to the water.

 

[dmjinc71]

Wrong. Actually, this is the second attack on a child at the same beach. The last one was 1986: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-10-12/news/0260190168_1_hitt-alligator-fort-wilderness.

And yes, you need a sign warning of alligators in the pond. They are at a Disney resort. As such, there is a presumptive level of safety due to Disney's own marketing for families to enjoy a fun and safe environment. While I would never swim in ANY Florida pond or lake, I would assume that Disney would locate and remove gators from their park as a basic safety measure since small children are everywhere and you market to that clientele.

"No swimming" signage is not adequate. If there are gators in a Disney resort pond, they had better put up a sign stating such. It isn't enough to keep the kids out of the water. They need to stay away from the shoreline as well. Simply picking-up a seashell near the water's edge can be deadly for a small child.

They do routinely remove gators. As do golf courses and other places. It's Florida. Every pond of any size likely has a gator in it. Disney magic and pixie dust doesn't cause alligators to disappear. If this happened in a neighborhood with a retention pond, would you be as irate at the HOA, insisting they "do the right thing" and make a big payout?

 

[dmjinc71]

If there are gators in that lake, you don't have to be in the water to possibly be in danger, all you have to do is be standing at the edge. A "No Swimming" sign isn't going to help if the gator swims up and snatches a kid from the edge of the water. In that picture mikedamone posted of the kid standing on the edge, is it really hard to fathom a gator swimming up and taking that kid by surprise? If the kids feet weren't in the water, would it make a difference? I don't believe so.

The family shouldn't have been in the water. There also should have been signs warning of alligators once you even got close to the water.

Yes, the real problem is building a recreation area right next to the lagoon. And worse, bringing in sand and calling it a beach.

 

[ermackey]

They do routinely remove gators. As do golf courses and other places. It's Florida. Every pond of any size likely has a gator in it. Disney magic and pixie dust doesn't cause alligators to disappear. If this happened in a neighborhood with a retention pond, would you be as irate at the HOA, insisting they "do the right thing" and make a big payout?

At a Housing Association? No. At a Hotel? Definately yes.

Different clientele's with different levels of knowledge. Also, different marketing. You can't take the expectations created by Disney Marketing out of the equation. They were marketed a fun and safe vacation. Is it reasonable to expect a family from Nebraska to believe that wading into a pond is unsafe at a Disney resort given the marketing and no signs to the contrary. If the family was swimming, I would be much more on Disney's side. If there was a sign posted warning of gators, I would be much more on Disney's side.

In this case, Disney F'd-up. They neither removed gators nor even posted signs when international visitors, ignorant of risk, were visiting their business.

Can you direct me to ANYTHING on Disney's website warning of gators? Here are the Theme Park safety tips: https://disneywildaboutsafety.com/parents/theme-park-safety-tips/

Here is the FAQ regarding wildlife at the parks: https://disneywildaboutsafety.com/faq/
Will I encounter any bugs or wildlife during my visit? "Yes. You may want to bring insect repellant during the warmer months. Most importantly please do not feed the birds or other animals. As Timon and Pumbaa would say your yummies are not good for their tummies."

 

[ermackey]

Yes, the real problem is building a recreation area right next to the lagoon. And worse, bringing in sand and calling it a beach.

Yep. And that is why there was a presumptive level of safety, why Disney f'd up, and why they need to pay these people quickly and publicly. It won't bring the kid back, but it is the best they can do - in addition to fixing the problem by posting signs and possibly closing or posting staff at these areas to monitor activity.