Home

[Pete's Dragon]

Dunno if this has been raised before, but why is walking around Lake Disney so dangerous ?

If anyone, like me, has a hyper 5 year old son, they are very prone go breaking free from your grip and sprinting towards whatever catches their eye.

2 years ago he done this outside HNY, cause he wanted to get a better look at the water.Luckily I caught up with him in time. But then it struck me. With all the families and children that visit each year, why is there is no fence or barrier around the lake ? It's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Even a clear perspex one with those little round stickers on it (shaped like MM). Dunno how many 2-5 year olds are great swimmers, that is of course if the 8 foot drop doesnt knock them unconscience when they hit the water ( how deep is the lake by the way ? )

Anyone else ever had a scary moment around here with their children ?

[Kristof]

( how deep is the lake by the way ? )

I believe it's below knee height.  Same for the Rivers of the Far West in Frontierland.  You can walk to BTM on (wet) foot.

[Pete's Dragon]

is it that depth all over ?

[tubbsy]

( how deep is the lake by the way ? )

I believe it's below knee height.  Same for the Rivers of the Far West in Frontierland.  You can walk to BTM on (wet) foot.

I've got to agree with Petes Dragon. Even knowing how shallow the water is, you've still got quite a drop before you hit the water and watching a child run towards the lake doesnt do my heart rate any good.

We've had heart stopping moments watching children running towards the lake when walking back to Sequoia. We have to  keep a tight rein on our son anyway as he has sepcial needs, but any over excited five year old can slip through a parents hand, including mine, especially in Disney. It can really give your heart a jolt.

Saying that, we've walked along the river Thames and watched parents walking quite a way behind little people running along the edge, parents oblivious to what little ones are doing.

[smurfy74]

like tubbsy says, its parental control that the key, I for one wouldnt relish a fence all the way round the lake as it would detract from the vista. Living on the coast, there are miles of open water and steep drops too. and no fences. But i have to sympathise it must be difficult as the kids are usually soo excited they want to go and see everything. I think bungee cord maybe the answer :lol:  :lol:

[Anthony]

I've thought the same myself, that parts of the lake seem very easy to access. But it's good that it's like that. It'd be horrible if it were any more artificial than it is, with a barrier all the way around.

I'm sure most people go to parks with a lake or pond with their kids, or walk along the canal, or is that too dangerous these days? :lol:

[Pete's Dragon]

yeah but if a kids going for a walk with their parents, how excited would they be ? Disneyland's a bit different as they're hyped up to the max ( I know mine are ). Admittedly a barrier wouldnt be the most pleasant thing to look at, but its one hell of a drop !
 But I could live with a 3-4 feet barrier, made from see-through perspex. Paint the posts to match the different areas around the lake, have little MM logos and other designs on the perspex.
 At the very least, it would give you something to lean whilst enjoying the view knowing that you kids aren't going to crack their skulls open when they land in 3 feet of water

[tubbsy]

Bungy rope! Thats where I've been going wrong!

I hate to say it, but I think that sometimes parents think their kids are safe cos they're in Disney.

I'd hate to see a barrier too, but something that blends in-as Petes Dragon-suggested might be possble, but I dont think DLRP will, unless, God forbid, anything ever happens.

[Riebi]

Hm sorry but that sounds a bit far-fetched. I walk often around lake Disney and lake Disney is one of my favorit landscapes/spots at the resort. I never...and I say it again .... NEVER ever saw one child in the lake and I never saw one child with a cracked skull.

And we must all know: (Like tubbs says) Disney means not you are in a big dabber with any dangers - for example have you ever pounced or cracked your skull at a lamp post?

Personally I think the little barrier around the lake is the only thing you need. It isn´t the case that you have a one-level-walk into the lake. The childs must first run to the lake (with their lower view) crawl about the little barrier and "jump" into the water. That´s not just one short moment, there are two or three. And I think every parent would see this danger first and take their childs before they make the big fish!

There are some other lakes in the world where kids can easly fall in and lake disney isn´t one of them. For me I can see I know to hold my little second cousin (2 years old and very wild) in front of lakes and I´m in the condition to stop him even if there is no barrier in front of a lake. For lake disney I would say I would catch him early before the water.

A fence around lake disney is for me a simple horror scenario. This area lifes from the lake and from the landscaping. I never saw a lake with a fence around. And I wouldn´t like to see any more barrierers around lake disney. For example I (and I´m sure my little second cousin too) LOVE to sit directly on the little stone barrier and watch the fishes in the water. It´s so wonderful to sit there under the trees, having a low breeze and beeing directly at the water WITHOUT any bigger fences or barriers. By the way it would be a hard think to have Newport Bay Club at the Fenced-Sea.

It´s not a question of security for me but for parents behavior. :wink:

[penfold12]

Im sort of torn on this one. I have quite often though how open the lake is, particularly with the ammount of children racing by.

That said, teh idea of a barrier or fence does seem to spoil the vista. Pete's Dragon's suggestion of a perspex fence is what put me off! lol Sounds very 80's he he

Maybe an ornate fencing simmilar to the style now being used on Paradise Pier in DCA may fit in....

[Pete's Dragon]

The idea for perspex was because its see-thorugh so wouldnt block the view as much as,say, a wooden picket fence.
About kids behaving. Parents try, but there's always that possibility that a free-willed nipper can break free from his mothers grip, and go rushing over to the edge out of curiousity. All it would take is the brakes being applied just a little late, and whoops.

[SophieD]

yeah i kinda agree with Pete's Dragon here......
perspex glass wouldn't be that bad? only around the parts that pose the biggest threat!


its not just kids you need to look out for.....its the drunken peeps (including me :oops: ) coming from Hurricanes at 2 in the morning...........

it can be pretty dangerous

[Riebi]

but keep in mind: the kids and the drunken peeps could speared or sliced by the perspex glass if they try to jump over it they should change the lake into something dry. disney dessert or so  :mrgreen:

[Pete's Dragon]

why would they try to jump over it ? :-k

[Riebi]

to catch a fish :mrgreen: