Video or gator at Splash Mountain....is this ride and other water rides safe?

[linzbear]

really? Irrational??? then what should be the focus of my concern???? I have to keep my mouth shut about terrorists at disney, must keep my mouth shut about hurricanes at disney, must keep my mouth shut about rides going off the track, must keep my mouth shut about dangerous animals........so basically just put a blindfold on and go on vacation because God forbid we question anything at Disney!!! And if I say it's disney's fault the gator killed the child Im told that it's teh fault of us tourists who should ask more questions and have more information prior to any trip!!

I mean this in the nicest way possible: please seek out a therapist. Your anxiety is going to alter your quality of life if you don't get it under control. The 3 most likely causes of death prior to age 35 are 1. Vehicular accident 2. Drowning 3. Choking. Anything beyond those 3 should not be a concern because the stress will be much more detrimental to your life.

 

[margot31]

There is doing research and hearing things on the news but letting it consume you by overdoing it is what can make a person go a little crazy and being on a forum where you can't hear others voices and how they might be saying what they are truly saying can be worse.

From my own personal view on tragedy you can't let it over-consume you. And since its over a forum its hard to hear the posters voice i take it they are very wrapped up in this and not taking a second to really step back.

 

[MouseTeens]

If you came here asking if it was safe to wade in the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake you would likely find a lot of differing opinions with many people saying they still would not hesitate to do so if it were permitted. At least it would be a discussion.

You asked if you were safe from alligator attack on Splash Mountain or other water rides. That is the very definition of irrational.

 

[lady_hlh]

Very unsafe, everyone should avoid all the rides near or containing water. I think that new Anna and Elsa ride has some water so it is probably full of gators and snakes.

 

[piccolopat]

thank you. We have a son and want to do everything possible to avoid this type of tragedy and to us that means to be educated on all issues like this.....If this family had more information this wouldnt have happened......

If you are looking for a guarantee that you will be 100% safe while at WDW, I'm afraid the answer is no, there can never be that kind of guarantee. If that worries you too much, you may need to consider staying home until your son is grown up. I hope you can see past what happened and find a way to be comfortable with the rarity of the risk so you can enjoy the parks.

 

[Karin1984]

yes

it's funny because there are a couple of other threads where they are talking about the gator attack and many of the same type of posters are preaching to those of us who said we didnt even know these threats existed, that we should have known and we should research every location we go to vacation to and that it is our responsibility and not disney's. Although I think that Disney is very much at fault, I still like to research and now even more so. It just seems here on the boards people will fight with you and insult you no matter what you say or ask. So now I want to be educated but I am still insulted as being too paranoid! Well which is it??? I'm too ignorant about my vacation venues or Im too paranoid because I am trying to ask questions and learn more????

Not wanting to offend you, but I think the ridicule comes from the last 2 threads you started and the tone of voice. You are standing on a soapbox asking why doesnt Disney inform us better, why doesnt Disney protect us better.

There is a thin line about what is a guest's responsibility and that of a company, especially when it comes to nature. Same would be for the dangers that come with hurricanes. Common in Florida, should you prepare yourself for bad weather or should Disney?

As advised in other threads for the why question, write to Disney. They can give you a more reasoned answer than what we here at the Dis can give you, on both topics. Because the honest answer for the alligator is a. It's an animal native to Florida and b. Money.

I think the ridicule would be less if you said: "I am scared for me and my family. I know this was an accident and a incidental crime of hate, but still I do not feel safe anymore. Can someone give me advice on should I cancel my upcoming trip or how do I feel safe again. I used to love Disney but now I am not sure anymore."

And no, your fears arent irrational, but the way you voice them on these boards make it sound these fears do control your life. And that's not healthy, not just for you, but also not for your family.

 

[BrianL]

You are more likely to be attacked by the animatronics than an alligator on Splash Mountain.

You're more likely to have a "ceiling snake" drop into your car on Space Mountain.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Disney World is in Florida. There are alligators in Florida. I'm actually more concerned about the fact that guests feed the gators than a small alligator being in the water. What happened last week was horrible, but I wouldn't let it affect your trip. Do you still ride the monorail? Using your logic, if you don't feel safe on the water rides, then you shouldn't feel safe on the monorail since there was a monorail crash that resulted in a fatality, and IMO that should've been much more preventable.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I use to live in Central Florida, on Lake Van. My dad built a dock out into the lake, a bridge of sorts with a platform at the end. Once, when I was about 5, I walked about half way down the bridge and jumped in. When I surfaced, I looked towardso the platform and saw the tops of two gator heads, both resting at the surface. I saw their eyes. I pulled myself back out of that water in a hurry. I came to 2 conclusions.
1) I was never swimming in that water again.
2) Creepy things that hide under bridges sometimes come out and cause a lot of trouble.

True Story about the gators. And this was back in 1989

 

[anneboleyn]

You're more likely to have a "ceiling snake" drop into your car on Space Mountain.

LOL!! Dear God, the horror!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

really? Irrational??? then what should be the focus of my concern???? I have to keep my mouth shut about terrorists at disney, must keep my mouth shut about hurricanes at disney, must keep my mouth shut about rides going off the track, must keep my mouth shut about dangerous animals........so basically just put a blindfold on and go on vacation because God forbid we question anything at Disney!!! And if I say it's disney's fault the gator killed the child Im told that it's teh fault of us tourists who should ask more questions and have more information prior to any trip!!

My two cents...

• I think that it makes PERFECT sense for you to educate yourself on the place you're visiting, and what threats/risks might exist there!
• I think part of that education should include gauging the LIKELIHOOD of those threats/risks
• Based on how common/likely those risks/threats are, decide how much you should PREPARE and/or WORRY about them
• I think that it ALWAYS pays to be prepared and aware of your surroundings, but this (IMHO) should NOT mean constantly WORRYING about those (especially incredibly rare) things
• If the level of STRESS/WORRY really is too great, perhaps best not to go until/unless you can feel better about them

I think that the goal is to arm yourself with knowledge -- not to let unlikely risks cripple your ability to live life... including enjoying a WDW vacation!

Some of your posts sound to me as though you are worrying inordinately about things that are actually VERY low risk. I hope that this subsides with some time and maybe a bit more reading on exactly how rare these things are.

 

[glohoffman]

What do you really want Disney to do? Build a giant bubble around all of Disney world to keep you safe? I guarantee something would still happen. I am not being sarcastic or mean, but it truly seems you really think they should be able to protect you from the world. Have you ever taken a microbiology course? The things that are around us everyday that could kill us would astonish you. It is ok to be afraid...everyone has that right. But it is getting a bit excessive when you expect Disney to come up with a master plan to make you 100% safe...you aren't 100% safe. Ever. Sure Disney could have made announcements every day about the dangers that are around Florida, just so you know. I could also list all of the micro-organisms that are likely in your very house that could make you deathly ill...but why? To drive you into irrational fear? I just don't understand why anyone would want to live that way...you can't be prepared for everything.

 

[fairytalelover]

That video was way too sensationalized. It's good to be aware of ones surroundings (including likely dangers), but perseverating on things that are unlikely to happen (such as a gator jumping into a log on Splash) isn't healthy. The OP apparently lives in California; does she constantly worry about earthquakes, mountain lions, sharks, tsunamis, wildfires, etc? I hope not.

well we live in northern california and we are closer to the sierras than the coast so we dont worry about tsunamis, sharks and our area is not a wildfire area. But earthquakes do happen from time to time and again, because of where we live, we rarely feel a thing.....

 

[anneboleyn]

Very unsafe, everyone should avoid all the rides near or containing water. I think that new Anna and Elsa ride has some water so it is probably full of gators and snakes.

LOL!

I have also heard that alligators and snakes and amoebas really like to congregate at Disney World the week of September 10th when I am going...so maybe it would be best if everyone else avoids it then...I will take one for the team and not cancel my trip though, and will keep everyone informed of the situation while I am there lol

 

[IrishNYC]

Not wanting to offend you, but I think the ridicule comes from the last 2 threads you started and the tone of voice. You are standing on a soapbox asking why doesnt Disney inform us better, why doesnt Disney protect us better.

There is a thin line about what is a guest's responsibility and that of a company, especially when it comes to nature. Same would be for the dangers that come with hurricanes. Common in Florida, should you prepare yourself for bad weather or should Disney?

As advised in other threads for the why question, write to Disney. They can give you a more reasoned answer than what we here at the Dis can give you, on both topics. Because the honest answer for the alligator is a. It's an animal native to Florida and b. Money.

I think the ridicule would be less if you said: "I am scared for me and my family. I know this was an accident and a incidental crime of hate, but still I do not feel safe anymore. Can someone give me advice on should I cancel my upcoming trip or how do I feel safe again. I used to love Disney but now I am not sure anymore."

And no, your fears arent irrational, but the way you voice them on these boards make it sound these fears do control your life. And that's not healthy, not just for you, but also not for your family.

*golf clap*

 

[SgtTibbs]

As I've said in other threads, when an event with odds of one in hundreds of millions happens you don't need to assess blame. Not on the parents, not on Disney. Expecting Disney to warn or prevent "threats" with that low a probability is absurd. You would need warnings literally everywhere on the property.

Warning signs of potential death on the buses, monorails, pretty much every attraction, bathtubs, restaurants for food poisoning, choking, allergies, tripping hazards. You would need signs telling you lighting is dangerous to be visible from every area of the park, mosquitoes kill at twice the rate of alligators in Florida so you need signs to warn you about that, heat stroke, doors, balloons... The list is endless.

 

[MrsDuck]

I'm much more worried about dying in a car accident or succumbing to a sedentary lifestyle than I'm worried about a gator.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

well we live in northern california and we are closer to the sierras than the coast so we dont worry about tsunamis, sharks and our area is not a wildfire area. But earthquakes do happen from time to time and again, because of where we live, we rarely feel a thing.....

The point is, everywhere on earth has dangers, including where you live. Educate yourself about the dangers around you (like an above poster said, INCLUDING the real chance that they will happen), and only worry about the things that are likely. Don't lose sleep over the things that have a 1:1,000 or 1:100,000 chance of happening (and a gator climbing into a log on Splash is far less likely than that). You're far more likely to suffer from a stress-induced/exacerbated condition than you are to be bitten by a gator at WDW.

 

[fairytalelover]

Wow, so I come here and post a concern and just want to discuss the issue but many of you feel that it is an invitation to get personally insulted and told that I need therapy and I should just stay home and never go to WDW again. Very nice. Great community. Until this death me and many, many other tourists had no clue this was a danger so now, I am trying to be inquisitive to see if there are any other dangers I should be alert to when my family goes on vacation but apparently I should be a psychic and already know what is a valid issue and what is not........

 

[Happyinwonerland]

You're more likely to have a "ceiling snake" drop into your car on Space Mountain.

I'm sorry, the what?