A toddler was seized by an alligator tonight by the Grand Floridian at Disney World and dragged into the lagoon.
Incredibly sad. Those poor parents. I read that the father tried to fight the alligator to get the toddler.
I heard the mother was right there and it was movie night on the “beach” but the gator moved too fast. Ugh, just horrible.
I can’t imagine. And yes, alligators and crocodiles are very fast.
So horrific. So sad.
Orlando has had it share of bad news this week, to put it mildly, the singer who was killed, the club massacre, and now this. I wonder if Disney had signs posted about alligators. If so, I cant imagine ever being in the area especially with small kids. Although, if Disney knew gators were present, why would they allow families to congregate in the area.
^According to news reports there were “No Swimming” signs posted at the lagoon but it didn’t sound like there were specific signs warning about alligators. I’ve been there many times (used to work for Disney) but don’t remember seeing any signs warning about alligators.
My heart goes out to that family, what a terrible thing to go through…
A friend who just stayed there last week said that the area is well known as somewhere to stay away from. The water is gross/unsanitary and the area is mostly roped off. Employees told people to not go in that area, it was not lit and not part of the resort.
That said, what a terrible tragedy, not what anyone in Orlando needed this week.
Consider: Disney is set to open their park in Shanghai on June 16.
The news said that the family was from the Midwest . Alligators were probably not even in their minds as a possibility.
Saw this thread last night and just couldn’t bear the thought at the time of writing about more tragedy in the Orlando area. Gators are surprisingly and frighteningly fast. When I was in grad school we’d see them sunning on the edge of the water. One once slooooooooowly turned hits head to look at some food target nearby, slooooooooowly looked back , and then WHAP, with lightening not sweet turned again and snatched the critter. It was shockingly fast.
So sorry for the family. They are still looking for the young boy.
I was at Disney last week and don’t recall any alligator specific signs.
We always stay at the Grand Floridian when we go to Disney and this area is absolutely part of the resort @whitespace. You can see from the news footage that the beach area borders the wonderful children’s splash pad area and one of the GF pools. It is definitely made clear to visitors that swimming is not allowed and there are definitely signs posted to stay out of the water. Those signs are impossible to miss. The information package you get when you arrive also includes a warning not to go into the water at the Seven Seas Lagoon. According to the news this morning, this child was playing in a foot of water while the parents were sitting on the beach with another child. It’s best to assume that any body of water in Florida (and GA and SC) will contain alligators and snakes. Gators need to be given a wide berth, they are incredibly fast. But if the reports are accurate, then no, there is no way you should be wading into a lake like that, especially after dark. A terrible tragedy.
I think they said the family is from Nebraska.
Awful. My mom lives on lakes and there are walking paths all around them but I can’t recall if there are any watch out for gators signs.
It was horrifying to read this story this morning.
Husband and I stayed at Grand Floridian years ago, and have been to WDW many times. I honestly do not remember seeing alligator warning signs. We even took a speed boat from the GF around that lagoon.
While we would never go in that water (looks gross), if I remember correctly there is a beach area “look” at some spots around the GF.
I can’t imagine that alligators have been too much of a problem at WDW or they would have signs all over. WDW is usually pretty careful with stuff like that. On the other hand it IS central Florida so gators are never out of the question.
I am devastated for this family. 
They could never have anticipated that happening.
I’ve never been to WDW Florida, but at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, a resort with plenty of alligator ponds, there are signs that say specifically “Danger Alligators” with a picture of an alligator to make the point and attract attention.
Signs saying “No Swimming” can mean a lot of things, that the water is not clean or that the resort just doesn’t want anyone in the water for any number of reasons.
What a nightmare for these parents. I cannot imagine anything worse.
This is one of the worst things I have ever heard. We took our kids to WDW and stayed at this property, when D2 was close to the same age as this victim. I cannot imagine…these parents’ lives are not only irrevocably damaged from losing a child, but to lose a child in this manner, I just have no words.
I would hope that no swimming signs would keep people out of the water, but it sounds like signs specifically mentioning alligators may be necessary.
I saw in the photos that there was an artificial sand beach which creates an illusion of a swimming place. The signs said “No swimming, deep water, steep dropoff” something like that. No mention of alligators. So the parents likely thought that as long as the toddler was in very shallow water, it was okay. I think WDW will pay a lot of money in a civil liability suit in this case.
Florida Wildlife Commission reported they pulled 4 gators from the Seven Seas Lagoon last night but still has not found the gator that attached the child.
There is absolutely no reason for WDW to allow a gator population of that size in a area that is easily accessible by the public Gators move around and there is no way to prevent them from slipping into a body of water, but one lone gator is usually not a threat to humans. That many gators indicate a breeding population and mostly likely feeding pressures that make them more aggressive.
I live on a 300+ lake in the Orlando area. The lake is consider high recreational use and if a gator is spotted the residents are immediately notified and and the gator is relocated or harvested. Why WDW does not follow the same policies to protect their guests is unimaginable.
I cannot imagine being in the place of that father; fighting an alligator to save your child (indications he suffered an injury) but still that was not enough. It is the ultimate nightmare and he had to live it. I am sure that memories of last night will haunt the parents for a long time. I pray they can find the peace to know they did all they could.