When I had first heard about the alligator attack in Orlando on June 14, I have to admit I wasn't as shocked as I probably should have been. The main reason why is probably because I vacation annually at Disney World and stay mainly at the hotels in the Magic Kingdom area. The site of the attack was at the Grand Floridian Resort, one of the hotels nestled on the bank of Seven Seas Lagoon. A map of the Lagoon and the surrounding hotels is shown below.
Seven Seas Lagoon is a body of water that connects between the hotels shown in the map above and the Magic Kingdom. A variety of water activities such as parasailing and boating are available for guest recreation. However, there are signs posted that read "No Swimming." Now we know one of the major reasons.
Lane Graves, a 2-year-old boy from Nebraska, was dragged underwater by an alligator during an outdoor movie showing on the beach of the Grand Floridian. He waded into the water far enough for the alligator to grab him and pull him under. His parents tried to save him, but to no avail, and his body was recovered not far from the attack site the next day. A few puncture wounds were inflicted on Graves, but it was clear that cause of the death was drowning.
Immediately I questioned why the child was alone, near the water. The "No Swimming" signs are clear, but obviously a toddler can't read. How was he supposed to know not to go into the water unless his parents told him not to? I am not saying that it was his parents fault, but if it's nighttime and there are a lot of people around, toddlers probably should not be out on their own without supervision.
Here is where Disney went wrong. There should have been signs posted warning of potential alligator sightings. Alligators are no strangers to the park. An important fact to remember: it's Florida. Even Disney World has an alligator issue. According to the Miami Herald, since 2006, 240 alligators have been captured and killed on the 25,000 acre area. There are even videos on YouTube showing guests feeding the alligators, an activity which ultimately makes the wild animals more comfortable with a human presence, something that Disney can't afford to have happen. Although it is basically common sense that alligators are native to the Florida waters, signs would enhance guests' caution around bodies of water like Seven Seas Lagoon
The week of the attack, all beaches and waterways were closed, fences were raised, and the ferry transportation was shut down as precautions. I don't think Disney was predicting another attack to occur anytime soon after Graves' death, but I believe it helped ease guests' minds about the incident. During the search the day after the attack, five alligators were killed in a frantic search to find the one who drowned the boy. The idea was to find an alligator measuring between four and seven feet long and to compare the teeth to the marks on the body.
Recently, Disney World removed many of its alligator/crocodile references within its parks. The Jungle a Cruise script, which has not been altered since 1962 upon Walt Disney's request, has been changed to understandably leave out the pun about the crocodiles snatching up the children if their parents don't keep an eye on them. The Tick Tock Croc float that follows Captain Hook in the Festival of Fantasy parade has been removed, and the new stage show Mickey's Fantasy Faire has been changed to not include Louis, the trumpet-playing alligator from The Princess and the Frog. I personally feel that Disney is going too far in the matter of trying to accommodate its audience. I agree with the removal of the Jungle Cruise jokes, but I have a good feeling that the script will revert to its previous state in time. However, I feel like it's a little outrageous to remove their animated characters from these attractions. Both are loved characters, Tick Tock Croc being a classic one, and are clearly unrealistic. The crocodiles in Jungle Cruise look significantly more realistic. If anything should be removed, it should be the more realistic reptiles.
Throughout this whole ordeal, I don't blame the alligator; I especially feel sympathy for the other 4 that were killed in the investigation's search. The alligator was hunting. They lurk in the murky waters near the edge of the shore and snap onto anything that gets within biting range. It did not target this child and didn't even eat him after taking him into the water.
It is horrible what happened to the Graves family and I can't even begin to imagine what they're feeling. But, if anything, this experience should show that supervising your children is extremely important.
