Bit of a story from the world of Mouse

[wolfie]

If I understand correctly, World of Mouse has "cast members" (employees costumed as characters) wandering around to interact with the public. What would have been awesome is if a cast member playing the role of a certain pirate (not the Johnny Depp one, but the one who was mentioned by a previous poster) had been there, and had told the parents "Those are wild animals, you need to stay away from them - I didn't", and waved his "hand that he got his name from" to emphasize the point.

Yes, I know that in the character's backstory it was a crocodile and not an alligator.

[Lady_Pigeon]

Okay, so calling my friend to see if he worked today...

Old West Land is in Kingdom right, not Epcot?

Yup, the Land of the Wild West, where the Frontier meets the Square of Liberty. (Yes, I love having to confuse people by creatively hiding my workplace... )

[Plague*Star]

Here's the thing, they didn't mistake it for a fake one, they mistook it for a tame one. Because it was on Mouse property.

"It's just *Rippy the gator*, dear. Let's get a photo!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLvSI14Oou8

P*S

[siskaren]

If I understand correctly, World of Mouse has "cast members" (employees costumed as characters) wandering around to interact with the public.

Actually, anyone who works at the World of Mouse is called a cast member, whether they work at an attraction, in a store, at a hotel, in a restaurant, or if they're playing a character. And rather than have them just wandering around the parks, they have meet and greets in set places at set times because if they were to just wander around they'd be mobbed by people wanting pictures and autographs. (And no, I don't work for the mouse, I'm just a big Disney geek. )

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'm pretty curious why an animal this dangerously aggressive (alligators are pretty shy, the ones that don't run from you are the ones that have lost their fear of humans and are really dangerous) would not be removed immediately from the premises.

I mean, you don't see a stray milkshake cup lying around Disney. They seem to really dot their i's and cross their t's around there. I'm stunned that they'd allow such a dangerous animal to hang out there, consider the potential for lawsuits and whatnot.

I'm also amazed that such an aggressive animal wouldn't just turn around and eat the kid. You didn't say how large it was, but I am picturing an adult?

[AccountingDrone]

Is this the video in question?

Listening to what she says before the charge, they all get extra idiot points.

^-.-^

Sweet freaking jesus, they *threw* something at the bison What fucking morons.

[Emmeileia]

Ugh, people like that...
I used to work in Algonquin Park. The wardens would tell me all the crazy stuff they saw parents do. Smear honey on their kids so the bears would lick them. Try to put them up on a moose's back. Have them hand feed the wolves cold cuts.
Not only was it dangerous to them,(and some of the people did have CPS called on them by the wardens) it was deadly for the animals. Several of them had to be put down while I was there because after repeated human contact like that they became 'bold' or aggressive and in some cases people were hurt. I wish people like that were held more responsible for their actions. Often, the most we could do was ban them from the park.

[Dips]

Holy crap. A gator out among the guests would probably draw a crowd and just about everyone in a popular theme park would have a camera on them, right?

Something like someone placing a kid on the back a freaking alligator would have almost certainly have ended up being recorded by other guests.

If, you know, your friend wanted to let CPS or the police know about this incident, it wouldn't be hard to find the evidence by going to YouTube and finding the videos that other guests would surely have taken of someone placing a kid on the back of freaking alligator.

[MoonCat]

I recall reading about idiots who walk up to wild bears wanting to pet them. Some people just shouldn't be allowed out in the wild. Or in theme parks, apparently.

[An Haddock]

I'm pretty curious why an animal this dangerously aggressive (alligators are pretty shy, the ones that don't run from you are the ones that have lost their fear of humans and are really dangerous) would not be removed immediately from the premises.

I'm also amazed that such an aggressive animal wouldn't just turn around and eat the kid. You didn't say how large it was, but I am picturing an adult?

To be fair, the gator was probably there first.


And as someone else had posted, they tend to be more listless and slow when basking in the sun.

[fireheart]

apparently they never watched steve irwin wrestling gators and crocs?

hell even steve got slammed when he dangled bindi over them

That was Bob, his younger son, not Bindi. At the time Bob was a month old.

Also apparaently when he DID do that, he was further away from said croc. Regardless, it's still not a good idea.

Down here you've got the problem of kangaroos, emus or cassowaries depending on your location. In addition to roos having a massive kick, they also tend to get hit frequently. Both emus and cassowaries DO kick and the cassowaries kick can kill you.

[MrSmiley]

Classic Yellowstone park story:

Here bear. Hold the baby while we take a picture.

!*#$ Don't eat the baby!

http://www.amazon.ca/Death-Yellowsto.../dp/1570980217

There's quite a bit of stories like this in there. Tragic, but also reading about people who weren't paying attention, misjudged the safety or etc.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Classic Yellowstone park story:

Here bear. Hold the baby while we take a picture.

!*#$ Don't eat the baby!

I'm spending four days there in May.

One of these years I'm gonna see somebody get seriously maimed or killed there.

[Merriweather]

If they want a picture on a gators back so much they can go down the road to Gatorland where they can do so safely.

I'm amazed the aligator didn't attack.

Gatorland! I remember going there in the early 1960's, when I lived in Orlando - we moved away about the time rumours were going around that Walt was buying land in that area

Took my daughter there on a mouse-world trip to FL in the 80's.

Just a few days ago she emailed me a photo she had taken at Barnes & Noble, a big coffeetable book, America's Roadside Attractions (or something similar), the cover was a big photo of the alligator mouth entrance to Gatorland.

[Merriweather]

I'm pretty curious why an animal this dangerously aggressive (alligators are pretty shy, the ones that don't run from you are the ones that have lost their fear of humans and are really dangerous) would not be removed immediately from the premises.

Oops, sorry not to mulit-quote, but just noticed this after posting the other.

It may not have been in the theme parks themselves, but on the grounds. The assorted theme parks are part of a larger "complex" that's huge, there are several hotels, the parks, and a few other things as well, all with lots of open space here and there in between. One time when we were there, we were driving to one of the hotels - it's the least themed, used to be a gold resort, so lots of open land/golf courses around it. Saw one gator just a few yards away from the road, a darn good sized one too. We were told it isn't uncommon for them to show up on the golf courses now and then, they have someone who keeps an eye out, and takes them away when necessary.