Photo by Izzy's Squiggles
At this point we are all aware of the tragedy that struck a family visiting Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort & Spa last week. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved.
As you begin reading this post you may think the picture above was a poor choice associated with the current topic. The intention of this post is not to criticize the family or Disney, but to shed some light on a few realizations that many guests do not realize when visiting the most magical place in the world. It appears that Disney has started removing mentions of alligator jokes (Jungle Cruise) and other mentions of alligators in marketing and promotions across property. Out of respect for the family this is probably a great idea however not a solution to the problem.
Walt Disney World has had an alligator problem for years and unfortunately not much has been done over the years to prevent the gators from infiltrating guest areas...in my opinion of course. Take for example years ago, prior to the Magic Kingdom opening for the day, a large alligator was found in a restroom in Tomorrowland. As hard as it is to believe, it is true. Many wonder how on Earth could that happen? What many people probably do not realize is that many parts of Walt Disney World property are connected with small canals, waterways and retention ponds. No you won't see boats traveling these waterways and they are not intended for transportation. They exist to assist in drainage and are part of the infrastructure required to support the build-out of the numerous theme parks and resorts across property.
Why is this important? In a way these canals act as a funnel for water and wildlife including turtles, fish and alligators. Who lived there before the Dole Whips and Mickey Premium ice cream bars? Animals.
True story. One day I was driving home from work traveling down World Drive and near the Osceola Parkway I quickly hit the brakes because there was a minivan parked halfway in the road off to the side. Being concerned that something was wrong I stopped to see if everything was ok. Before I opened my car door I noticed two people bending over with a camera trying to take a picture of an alligator. The gator was about four feet long and the tourists were closer than the length of the gator. I rolled down my window and explained they needed to get back in their car due to the danger. They laughed and continued to try to get the perfect picture explaining that it was just a small alligator. What they did not realize is that alligators are one of the fastest land animals in the world for short distances. I consider four feet (or less) a short distance. I shook my head, rolled up my window and drove off. This clip from "Jaws" immediately came to mind:
With the knowledge of guests feeding the animals, I think there may be a bit of neglect on Disney's part in educating guests. If guests living in areas where alligators don't have no idea what to expect, then Disney should do a better job than just posting "No Swimming" signs on their beaches. See, when people enter Disney they enter a magical world where they feel safe. Why shouldn't they? They are paying premium rates for services that are known for "taking care of everything." The problem is how do you take care of nature? It is impossible for Disney to eliminate all gators off of property. It is not impossible for them to educate visitors on the "do's and dont's" when coming in contact with wildlife.
What I hope does not happen is Disney eliminating content from the resort dealing with alligators ignoring the real problem. Does erasing "Ice Gator" and "Lagoona Gator" (pictured above) solve any problems? Does removing references of alligators from shows and attractions make it any safer? No. What does help is limiting the access, to the best of your ability, of alligators in guest areas while at the same time educating your guests on safety measures including areas to avoid and what to do in the event they come across one of these animals. How do you expect Disney to educate guests? They have done it in the past...
Copyright Disney
They could easily add another panel to this flyer exclaiming you should "respect" wildlife and other measures you may take to avoid unplanned animal encounters. Yes, Disney has erected a temporary fence at the Grand Floridian, but what will they do to keep them from funneling into the Rivers of America? or guest feeding them from the new Polynesian Bungalows? The fence is a public relations move respectfully, but gators can still get in guest areas. To fully prevent gators in the area they would have to build a fence from the edge of the Grand Floridian (closest to the Magic Kingdom) all the way around the Seven Seas Lagoon on BOTH sides of the resort. What? You mean to tell me there are gators by Shades of Green and golf courses? Yes. What about in EPCOT's World Showcase Lagoon? You mean the lagoon that is connected to the International Gateway and then travels all the way to the main entrance of Disney Hollywood Studios past woods and other non-guest areas? I wouldn't swim it.
This blog post was not meant to try to scare anyone from going to Disney. Be smart. Be safe. If you see a gator, walk away and observe it from a safe distance.
What do you think? Should Disney do more to prevent potentially dangerous wildlife in guest areas?
