Tourists would comply to [with] a sign that warned of deadly alligators more than they would [with] a sign that read no swimming. Disney should be held accountable for the death. People from a landlocked state probably didn't even consider the danger.
One of the long-established attractions at Disneyland, CA, is the Jungle Boat Cruise where hippos (fake) lurk under the water's surface, and the boat captain shoots a handgun (blanks) at one of them to protect the passengers. The presence of wild beasts in the water is made to be
entertainment. Disney's whole theme is carefree fun and happiness -- warning about alligators would be antithetical to their fantasy agenda.
There have been reports of Disney in Orlando offering generous incentives to customers encouraging them to not cancel their plans this week.
The signs said "No Swimming." They did not say to stand clear of the water. The boy was not swimming, but only wading in 1 foot shallow water.
I anticipate Disney will end up paying $50 million, including punitive damages. They have insurance for this kind of thing.
I can't imagine the grief of a family who leaves on a vacation with two small children and then returns with one of them in a coffin, because he got his feet wet for a minute.
It would be interesting to have a trial, so the inter-office memo records could be brought out and we could then see how the executive decision process happened when choosing to not warn patrons of the alligator danger. This in light of how Disney hotel guests have had a long history of throwing food scraps into the water to watch the alligators splash around after them. Also, they have subcontractors who routinely remove alligators from the ponds near Disney attractions, so the presence of alligators is no secret -- to the locals, that is. How would someone visiting on vacation from Nebraska have any clue if nobody tells them?
Disney is going to have a long uphill battle trying to explain why they chose not to warn customers of this danger. They're facing an obvious problem due to the conspicuous monetary incentive from profits derived from pretending there is no danger, versus the anticipated payout and public image damage following rare accidents, if any.
A few years ago, at Disneyland, the sailing ship they had moored at dock pulled away and one steel cable broke under great tension. It snapped back with a flash, whipping through the air and decapitated one of the bystanders (and no, it was not a "hoax"). So Disney is no stranger to accidents at their parks.
.