In the wake of the the tragic events that unfolded at Disney World’s Grand Floridian resort, where a 2-year-old was killed by an alligator after meandering too close to a lake where “NO SWIMMING” signs were clearly posted, the company is now taking drastic measures to rid all references of alligators and crocodiles from its theme parks…because that will do…nothing?
From The Daily Mail:
Disney World have cut all alligator and crocodile jokes and characters from its Orlando resort in the wake of the fatal attack on a two-year-old boy. It is less than two weeks since two-year-old Lane Graves died after being dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon at Walt Disney World by one of the predators.
Today, Disney reopened its beaches, which now have fences and signs warning visitors of alligators in the area. But the signs are not the only change to the resort after the tragedy. Walt Disney World has also removed all alligator and crocodile jokes from the park’s scripts, as well as familiar characters such as Peter Pan’s Tick Tock Croc, InsideTheMagic reports.
Visitors on the Jungle Cruise ride may notice that the boat captain no longer makes a crocodiles on the shore of the attraction. One joke in particular, which has been in the ride’s scripts since the early 1960s, warned parents to ‘watch your children, or the crocodiles will’.
Visitors say staff no longer try to scare tourists by claiming that the rickety bridge on the tour may dump them into the crocodile pit below. Even the Tick Tock Croc float, which typically appears in the Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy parade, has been temporarily removed over decency concerns.
Let me get this straight. I understand the whole “decency” concerns, but come on now. Removing fictional characters and references from Disney’s parks will do nothing, and I mean nothing, to change the terrible events that happened. The only thing that changes that is a time machine getting invented and someone going back to tell those parents being more vigilant. Plain and simple. And I understand that might sound harsh, but again, there’s a very good reason that “No Swimming” signs are readily visible all around that lake. Because it’s Florida, home to a shit-ton of alligators, and alligators are best at being predators. Can’t fault an animal for doing what its instincts have evolved to do over million of years. And if you are not aware of the fact that they run rampant around the state, then you probably don’t even deserve to visit in the first place.
Not to mention, the whole story of Peter Pan doesn’t exactly work without a crocodile. Same goes with the animated version of Robin Hood. What about all the kids going to the parks with hopes to see Tick-Tock, or Captain Crocodile, or Sir Hiss? Wouldn’t it be easier to not have to explain to them that those characters aren’t around because another little kid was devoured by an alligator? Just saying.
But here’s the baffling, and admittedly, even worse part about the whole thing…
However, the alligators inside Epcot’s Living with the Land attraction, both fake and real, remain.
Over the weekend, Disney unveiled a new signs warning against alligators and snakes where Lane was dragged to his death.
They are leaving the real alligators right where they should be (as they should, in my opinion, because that’s their habitat and they were there way before humans could even walk)!!! So in the end, aside from posting signs like the already had, and installing a rope fence around the lake where the incident occurred, Disney’s actions do literally nothing to mitigate and kind of dangerous situation like this happening again.
I’m usually not one to call “PC!” but this seems like the most PC overreaction ever, all-time. Especially in the face of a family that is struggling with the devastating tragedy of losing a child.
[via The Daily Mail]