The Happiest Place on Earth

A 2009 Video of a Disney employee trying to push an alligator away from the Splash Mountain ride is getting some new attention after 2 year old Lane Graves was killed by an alligator last week at a Disney resort.

It's pretty clear that Disney knew that there were alligators on their grounds. In fact a custodian at the resort, Mike Hamilton told the Orlando Sentinel that he had recommended they install a fence to protect their guests from gators. Unfortunately his concerns were not addressed.

There were" no swimming "signs prominently displayed along the beach where Lane Graves was attacked but since the vast majority of Disney's visitors are not residents of Florida and are not familiar with the threat of alligators- such signs do not seem to constitute sufficient warning.

The Graves family are residents of Nebraska- how were they supposed to know that allowing their toddler to play on the edge of the lagoon was dangerous? We can assume that had they known there were alligators in the lagoon they never would have let their son play there.

Fox News asked Joanna Silber and Remi Spencer- two former prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys- for their opinion on the matter.

The attorneys were pretty clear that they felt that Disney's efforts to put up clear warnings about the danger of alligators on their resorts," is too little too late."
"Disney currently has a serious PR issue to contend with. They call themselves "the happiest place on earth" – no one goes there expecting to get eaten by an alligator. It is reasonable to expect that a resort will keep their guests safe from alligators. "

In Silber's opinion it doesn't really matter whether or not Disney is found liable- since there is now so much public outcry against Disney they are going to pay one way or another. Disney is going to want the public to know that they are taking all the necessary steps to do everything they can to fix up the situation.

Spencer said that ," If Disney was smart they should try to make the Graves family feel whole again ( or as whole as possible considering the circumstances) by offering them a sum of money and by doing things to make their resorts safer so that this doesn't happen again.

Disney has released the following statement:

"We are installing signage and temporary barriers at our resort beach locations and are working on permanent long term solutions. We continue to evaluate processes and procedures for our entire property, and , as part of this, we are reinforcing training with our cast…For reporting sightings and interactions with wildlife and are expanding our communication to guests on this topic."

קישורים:
Video emerges of Disney worker restraining alligator near ride

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