[vacoder]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

These friggin tourists. Do they not learn the ins and out of this state on a BASIC level. We are unlike any other state in we harbour very dangerous predators. Anyone with a 3 rd grade education knows you do now swim in ANY body of water in Fla. you don't even stand at the shore. Gators are predators who wait for they prey to come to them. It was also and night and prime hunting time for them. It's gettin real hard to feel bad for the stupid ones. This kid paid the price for the parents stupidity. No place is immune to gators. Not even Disney. They will walk from body of water to body of water .

Please. I remember years ago vacationing in Oak Island NC and leaning they have gators. I learned because there was a sign posted unlike at Disney. Many of these tourists fly in from all over the world and go immediately to the resort attached to Disneyland and never venture out.

And apparently, the people who designed the resort did not have a 3rd grade intelligence as you said because the man made lake they put in was originally open to swimming.

[hokiepoke]

Originally Posted by Roscoe Conkling

Yup.
Disney will be hit for millions.

..and ticket price increases faster.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

These friggin tourists. Do they not learn the ins and out of this state on a BASIC level. We are unlike any other state in we harbour very dangerous predators. Anyone with a 3 rd grade education knows you do now swim in ANY body of water in Fla. you don't even stand at the shore. Gators are predators who wait for they prey to come to them. It was also and night and prime hunting time for them. It's gettin real hard to feel bad for the stupid ones. This kid paid the price for the parents stupidity. No place is immune to gators. Not even Disney. They will walk from body of water to body of water .

Oh stop it. These people weren't "stupid" - this is a tragedy. It happens. Disney ENCOURAGES people to use the beaches. A story was just posted about a British family that was on the beach to watch fireworks and a gator came out of the water aggressively towards them on the beach, they had to run. Told a security guard, their daughter was traumatized the rest of the trip. This was just weeks ago.

Disney either needs to fence off the water or they should be proactively trapping, tagging, and relocating them hundreds of miles away in the Everglades National Park. Just during the search, they have caught 5 as of last report. Obviously they have the means to catch them.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by BNBR

Oh stop it. These people weren't "stupid" - this is a tragedy. It happens. Disney ENCOURAGES people to use the beaches. A story was just posted about a British family that was on the beach to watch fireworks and a gator came out of the water aggressively towards them on the beach, they had to run. Told a security guard, their daughter was traumatized the rest of the trip. This was just weeks ago.

Disney either needs to fence off the water or they should be proactively trapping, tagging, and relocating them hundreds of miles away in the Everglades National Park. Just during the search, they have caught 5 as of last report. Obviously they have the means to catch them.

They shouldn't have a "beach area" there, period.
The location of the Grand Floridian is such that it's SURROUNDED by swamps and thick forests. Fence or not, gators (and other dangerous things) will find their way in and around that lake/pond.

[CindyRoos]

Originally Posted by bassetluv

This tragedy is beyond horrific for the parents. I have no interest in laying blame anywhere. This couple lost a child through extremely horrific circumstances - can you imagine being there and seeing your son getting grabbed by an alligator, and not being able to stop it? My god...stop pointing fingers for a moment, and recognize the anguish that this family is going through. Yes, perhaps it will at some point in the future help to prevent such tragedies from happening again, whether it is through more general awareness of such dangers, or of Disney posting more warnings...whatever. But for now, one family is absolutely torn apart.

My heart goes out to them.

Well said my dear........

[Robino1]

Praying for this helpless little person's family. Horrifying and tragic. I cannot even imagine the horror of watching your child...... I can't even finish the thought.

We are going to Disney in a couple of weeks with two of our grandkids. They are 6 years old. They will not be getting near any water unless they are on a ride, boat or in a pool.

[Jimrob1]

Smart thinking. Just be careful gators get into pools also.

[jwolfer]

Originally Posted by BNBR

Oh stop it. These people weren't "stupid" - this is a tragedy. It happens. Disney ENCOURAGES people to use the beaches. A story was just posted about a British family that was on the beach to watch fireworks and a gator came out of the water aggressively towards them on the beach, they had to run. Told a security guard, their daughter was traumatized the rest of the trip. This was just weeks ago.

Disney either needs to fence off the water or they should be proactively trapping, tagging, and relocating them hundreds of miles away in the Everglades National Park. Just during the search, they have caught 5 as of last report. Obviously they have the means to catch them.

And then other alligators will just come in from nearby. If there is a body of water in Florida there is probably alligators: retention ponds, drainage ditches, "ponds" and "lakes" in communities and apartment complexes. I have a friend who lives on Lake Killarney in Winter Park, he said people claim there is not any alligators in the lake because it is surrounded by houses and no access to other lakes, think again. Granted its not like Lake Jessup, but it is possible.

I went to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and the lakes on campus all had signs warning about alligators, pretty much every park I have been to in Florida whether it be a city, county, state or national park has a warning sign. Disney at the very least should have signs on property advising of their presence. The lake has fish, frogs and other food for the alligators, and I would bet tourists even feed the alligators. Generally they dont like being around people too much, but if they get used to being fed they will loose their 'shyness'

Other factors to consider, it was 915 PM feeding time for the alligators, its mating season so the male gators are on the move.

With all those factors considered... there should be no blame at all put on the parents. It is an unimaginable horror.

It would be like a tree limb falling on him and killing him on a sunny calm day, it does happen from time to time when a tree has no signs of being diseased etc. No one would be demanding every tree in the neighborhood be chopped down immediatly

[stumble]

Very sad,

But a Toddler killed by a Dog is literally hundreds of times more likely.

18-month-old boy mauled by family dogs - CNN.com


Based on this, should we be trapping, killing or relocating dogs?

[Robino1]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

Smart thinking. Just be careful gators get into pools also.

Oh I know. At least with a pool, you will be able to see them. Dark ponds, lakes or rivers...not so much.