I’m from the Midwest and I understand how you would just forget about lakes and gators, especially on WDW property. There should be signs everywhere around that area.
I am honestly surprised that an alligator incident at Disney has not happened before this. The gators near Disney have become too accustomed to people and are not afraid of them anymore. We were at Fort Wilderness a few years ago and witnessed one incredibly idiotic family feeding the gators. If we saw one family doing this, there has to have been others. These creatures are naturally skittish around humans, but interactions with people through the years have diminished that fear and they will take advantage of an opportunity to grab an easy meal. Small children and pets present such opportunity. Disney/Orlando have so many visitors that are not familiar with how to behave around these animals and many people view the gators as just part of the attractions. They do not know to take care while being around the gators. Additionally, the gator population has dramatically increased in recent years to the point that they are now hunted, not endangered. I feel for the family. I would never swim in fresh water in Florida or let my children near fresh water. We always assume that fresh water in Florida means there are gators in the water.
@partyof5 There were not specific signs regarding alligators , but signs saying " No swimming" . It’s a terrible tragedy, and I’m not one to blame the victim, but the child was in a foot of water alone at night in the dark. His parents were not within arms reach of him. Unfortunately , it may have been avoidable . I know that my opinion will not be a popular one, but the child should not have been in the water.
Man, this makes Florida seem like a scary vacation destination… between the snakes and all your stories of alligators. Yikes. This isn’t a state for wimps.
I don’t think there is any evidence that his father wasn’t within arm’s reach of him.
Yes, it is apparently obvious to those knowledgeable about the risks of fresh water in FL that he should even have been near the shore, much less wading, but it sure wouldn’t have been obvious to me. If the signs had said something about dangerous animals in the water instead of “no swimming,” I’m sure the parents wouldn’t have let him wade.
That makes sense! “Oh, look…an alligator!” Floridians know to avoid them, but visitors from elsewhere may not know the danger from alligators.
@carolinamom2boys it’s pretty common where I live for no swimming signs to be posted if there are no lifeguards. I think to limit liability for drowning. I could see people thinking that splashing in the shallow part is not actually swimming.
It sounds like one of those things that seem like common sense for people who live near areas where dangerous wild life in the water is more common, but people visiting those places wouldn’t necessarily know,
. The report on the news this morning was " the father heard a splash and he and wife were on the bank with another child" @consolation. I don’t live in Florida or near the beach @mom2twogirls , but if I see a sign saying " no swimming " near a lake there’s a reason I shouldn’t be in the water. The child was two. He was in a foot of water at night. The water most likely was above his knees , visibility was poor. It’s a terrible tragedy, but IMO avoidable.
katliamom, there are also amoebas in warm fresh water that get into your brain, which is one of the reasons Disney closed its River Country waterpark years ago. No one should be in that water at all, even wading.
Alligators are seen frequently on Disney property. We have seen them in the water at Coronado Springs resort, someone mentioned tikiman’s reports, but yes, the signs just say no swimming. I fear we may now see more fences on the beach areas to protect people from themselves.
Okay, @carolinamom2boys . None of the reports I’ve seen this morning said that, but it sounds like perhaps they interviewed a witness. I also read in one report that the 4 yr old was in a “playpen,” which seems weird. I figured they were actually referring to a fenced play area. There was also mention of a “lifeguard” who was too far away to intervene. I think there is a certain amount of confusion about the details.
In any case, I’m sure that the parents are torturing themselves with what-ifs at this very moment. I don’t even want to TRY to imagine fighting an alligator for my baby boy. 
@greenwitch , yes, gators can climb fences. Check google and you’ll see quite a few pictures, many from reputable news sources. Gators aren’t just in FL. Last month I saw a video clip of a gator in SC on a front porch. It looked as if it was ringing the doorbell and peering into the window adjacent the door.
@CaucAsianDad , I don’t believe WDW controls the media or can prevent guests from sharing info on social media. I do not think Disney has prevented dissemination of information about any prior incidents involving gators, snakes or other creatures by its guests. I’ve read plenty of news stories about lesser attacks as well as about the death of guests on various rides or elsewhere on property. They may require employees to refer all inquiries to their public communications dept. but I don’t know about that.
I agree that better signage is needed by all bodies of water on Disney properties. This thread is a good indicator that many bright people would not anticipate the possibility of a gator attack.
Sometimes people who live around gators and should know better grow complacent, too. Look for the video of the huge gator spotted on a south FL golf course last month. I would not have been filming at close range, but would have hightailed it back to the pro shop on my golf cart. I think the course manager later said he was aware of that monster gator, yet nothing had been done to capture it for removal.
Being from the midwest, this is something we just don’t think about. We’re not used to things being able to eat us in the water.
With that said, I personally despise swimming in lakes and oceans. I’ve been swimming since before I could walk but I just don’t like the idea of something swimming around me. It creeps me out. This further confirms my fears. I will stick to pools.
I am so, so sorry for this family. The dad could’ve literally been holding the child’s hand and the gator still could’ve gotten the child.
It disturbs me though that they’re killing gators to try and find the child’s body. I am the first to admit that I know nothing about Florida’s ecology but I especially have a problem with killing keystone species. Is there a set number of how many they will capture and kill before calling off the search? (Serious question, again I know nothing about these types of things.)
I agree @Consolation that the family must be devastated , and I too can’t imagine what they are going through. I wasn’t trying to make light of the situation . I’m sure the lifeguard was probably located at the pool and not by the lake because no one was supposed to be swimming.
@carolinamom2boys I agree it may have been avoidable, but from a legal standpoint WDW is pretty much at fault. It doesnt matter that the mom shouldve been watching her kid. They are invitees onto the property, and from what we can tell, Disney knew there were alligators and posted no warnings. Having a no swimming sign is not sufficient, especially since the kid wasnt swimming, he had waded into the water.
@romanigypsyeyes Gators are no longer endangered and they actually have a hunting season in Florida to manage the population. I believe that they will continue to search for the remains this way. I don’t believe that there’s a limit. I agree that the dad could’ve been holding the child’s hand and the gator could’ve gotten him or the dad, but according to reports, he wasn’t. I would be beside myself if I had placed my child in a situation where they were hurt or killed.
^^ @carolinamom2boys , I know you weren’t.
@romanigypsyeyes, there is a controlled harvest of alligators these days. I have no idea whether those killed in these kind of circumstances are counted toward that. I think it is likely that they are.
@consolation and @carolinamom2boys thank you for explaining. Like I said, I know nothing about Florida’s ecology.
I much prefer Disneyland, but in the midwest, the Disney commercials are all for Disneyworld.
@partyof5 WDW is an amusement park with all kinds of various dangers. You assume risks when you enter. The child should not have been in the water . There are mosquitos which carry serious diseases like West Nile and encephalitis , there are ticks that carry Lyme disease and other diseases . I again am not trying to make light of the situation , but you can’t warn people about every possible danger out there. If I was a juror, I would have to side with Disney on this one. That doesn’t make me popular, but that’s just how I feel.
I absolutely agree that clear signs of danger should have been posted. For those of us who never seen a gator “no swimming” means something is wrong with the quality of water. Not something can jump out of water and kill you.