Alligator dragged 2 year old into 7 seas lagoon

[cabanafrau]

First, I'm not assuming it's a slam dunk the family will sue. I absolutely believe there will be lawsuits out of the incident, but I'm not sold the family will be among them. Second, where I see Disney having some legal hurdles to climb is the lack of signage about alligators in particular while simultaneously staging a man made setting enticing people to get so close to the water. At least have some graphics alerting anyone who might be unaware that gators may be lurking about -- they sell t-shirts with their monorail door closing spiel for goodness sakes.

 

[cabanafrau]

Gotta love the Post!

Complete with the inflammatory reference to high end guests.

 

[declansdad]

Article in the NY Post - Disney ignored gator problem to keep high end guests happy

http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/disney-ignored-gator-problem-to-keep-high-end-guests-happy-report/

A manager saying they were pets, BS!

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

It seems some papers will do whatever it takes to continue to sell copies...

 

[Magpie]

Article in the NY Post - Disney ignored gator problem to keep high end guests happy

http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/disney-ignored-gator-problem-to-keep-high-end-guests-happy-report/

It's the trifecta of blame, packaged in the juciest manner possible, constructed entirely of rumour and hearsay...

1. Wealthy, spoiled idiots renting high end bungalows and feeding gators. It's always fun to hate rich people!

2. An evil mega-corporation whose only concern is profit, maliciously looking the other way, in order to cater to the aforementioned Wealthy, deliberately putting the lives of innocent children at risk.

3. A horrifying near-miss story, complete with the implication that Disney staff baldly said, "Those are resident pets, and we’ve known about them for years. And they’re harmless, they’re not going to attack anybody."

The only thing making this less than perfection, as far as stirring maximum outrage, is that the person recounting the "A gator almost ate my five year old!" story is himself a lawyer and his family stayed at the Coronado Springs. It would have been far better if he'd been a middle class, blue-collar dad, staying at one of the All Stars. But you can't have everything.

Sadly, despite having been founded by Alexander Hamilton, the New York Post under Rupert Murdoch has slipped to "least credible" media outlet, behind even FOX. "Among the most recognized media outlets, only THE POST earns a higher negative than positive rating on the credibility scale." http://appserv.pace.edu/emplibrary/pace_poll_061604.pdf

Though, I still do think it's better than the Daily Mail (a very, very low standard).

 

[cabanafrau]

A manager saying they were pets, BS!

That's awfully convenient if you read the article linked above about the liabilities of property owners and the threat of wildlife -- part of the language specifically delineates the liability falling on the property owners if they cultivate the wildlife as "pets".

 

[TAX GUY]

Article in the NY Post - Disney ignored gator problem to keep high end guests happy

http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/disney-ignored-gator-problem-to-keep-high-end-guests-happy-report/

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

 

[goodeats]

First off, how do you know they did nothing? Second, how would you actually stop people from feeding any of the wildlife?

At a bare minimum post signs not to feed the wildlife. Instruct CMS to tell people not to feed the wildlife. If a CM can tell people not to stand in a certain spot for a parade they certainly can tell guests not to throw food to the alligators.

It sounds like this was a perfect storm for a tragedy. The movie on the beach, the feeding of the gators, the kid wading in the water, etc. I can see why a lawyer would say this family has a case against Disney.

 

[asta]

It's the trifecta of blame, packaged in the juciest manner possible, constructed entirely of rumour and hearsay...

1. Wealthy, spoiled idiots renting high end bungalows and feeding gators. It's always fun to hate rich people!

2. An evil mega-corporation whose only concern is profit, maliciously looking the other way, in order to cater to the aforementioned Wealthy, deliberately putting the lives of innocent children at risk.

3. A horrifying near-miss story, complete with the implication that Disney staff baldly said, "Those are resident pets, and we’ve known about them for years. And they’re harmless, they’re not going to attack anybody."

The only thing making this less than perfection, as far as stirring maximum outrage, is that the person recounting the "A gator almost ate my five year old!" story is himself a lawyer and his family stayed at the Coronado Springs. It would have been far better if he'd been a middle class, blue-collar dad, staying at one of the All Stars. But you can't have everything.

Sadly, despite having been founded by Alexander Hamilton, the New York Post under Rupert Murdoch has slipped to "least credible" media outlet, behind even FOX. "Among the most recognized media outlets, only THE POST earns a higher negative than positive rating on the credibility scale." http://appserv.pace.edu/emplibrary/pace_poll_061604.pdf

Though, I still do think it's better than the Daily Mail (a very, very low standard).

I know it may seem to just be sensationalism, especially the wealthy aspect, but it does make sense that feeding the gators along the edges of the lagoon may have contributed to the problem. The gators get used to coming close to humans and associate that with food. Makes sense to me.

I don't know if you respect this news site but it is a very good article about the dangers we create by interacting with wildlife:
http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...lligators_lead_to_the_2_year_old_s_death.html

 

[chmurf]

At a bare minimum post signs not to feed the wildlife. Instruct CMS to tell people not to feed the wildlife.

"don't feed" signs would not be effective (keep off grass is not)

what could be effective is a 'Florida Law provides for a $500 fine, and time in jail for feeding aligators' sign, and enforce it. That would be far more effective

don't talk to guests, talk to their wallets.

 

[okeydokey]

"don't feed" signs would not be effective (keep off grass is not)

what could be effective is a 'Florida Law provides for a $500 fine, and time in jail for feeding aligators' sign, and enforce it. That would be far more effective

don't talk to guests, talk to their wallets.

Yes, you can be arrested in Florida for feeding gators. It has happened in the county I live in.

 

[declansdad]

At a bare minimum post signs not to feed the wildlife. Instruct CMS to tell people not to feed the wildlife. If a CM can tell people not to stand in a certain spot for a parade they certainly can tell guests not to throw food to the alligators.

None of those things would stop a guest from feeding the wildlife.

 

[ConeyLighthouse]

Is it different when it's Disney Police?

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Is it different when it's Disney Police?

Disney "police" are actually a security force with no arresting powers. They can detain and report crimes to the police, but they have no ability to arrest or charge individuals with a crime. They would be a detecting and reporting agency.

 

[Magpie]

Yes, you can be arrested in Florida for feeding gators. It has happened in the county I live in.

I think I'd like to see this enforced. I hope it will be!

In fact, I think they could go through some of those YouTube videos of people feeding gators at WDW (and elsewhere in Florida) and make a public example of a few of them. They've been doing that recently to people who deface national parks and post on social media about it.

 

[asta]

I think I'd like to see this enforced. I hope it will be!

In fact, I think they could go through some of those YouTube videos of people feeding gators at WDW (and elsewhere in Florida) and make a public example of a few of them. They've been doing that recently to people who deface national parks and post on social media about it.

I agree. A quick search turns up several videos of people who think it is so much fun to feed gators. And my favorite is the family holding a small child over the railings at a boat launch so they can get a closer look at the gator resting below.

 

[ConeyLighthouse]

Yeah, I hope that people actually stop feeding them on their own, because they now realize it's a terrible thing to do.

Does anyone else think the tagline "Stay out of the damn lakes!" now has an unintended but messed up connotation to it?

 

[nugov2]

I agree. A quick search turns up several videos of people who think it is so much fun to feed gators. And my favorite is the family holding a small child over the railings at a boat launch so they can get a closer look at the gator resting below.

people are idiots

 

[bcla]

"don't feed" signs would not be effective (keep off grass is not)

what could be effective is a 'Florida Law provides for a $500 fine, and time in jail for feeding aligators' sign, and enforce it. That would be far more effective

don't talk to guests, talk to their wallets.

My experience is with bears, having hiked, backpacked, and camped in areas with bears. Deliberate feeding is rarely a problem now, but improper food storage is. I've been woken up by the sound of a park ranger in Yosemite yelling at a neighbor for leaving a cooler out. However, there is the possibility of fines. Also, the educational effort has worked pretty well, as the number of incidents has gone way down.

Now I don't know how Disney could enforce similar regulations, unless they refer violators to the state wildlife agency or Orange County Sheriff.

And thinking of bears, there was a woman in Colorado who set up a bear feeding stand at her house. She had a cage built such that she didn't have to directly feed them. Neighbors were complaining that bears were approaching them for food or were wary of them like how bears typically act. In the end a bear killed her by breaking through the cage. There's a saying among wildlife agencies that "a fed bear is a dead bear" since they eventually are killed by wildlife agencies after they become too dangerous.