Would You Stay at Grand Floridian? Beach Avoidable? No Parent Bashing Please!

[bshrewz90]

Okay so my husband and I are planning our daughters birthday for next year, Grand Floridian was our choice because of the Alice & Wonderland themes (shes a huge fan!) With recent events I am now hesitant, I know tragedies happen and this was most likely a freak accident, we have another daughter who will be 2 when we go next year so of course its really hitting home. How close is the beach/lagoon area to the pools? Is the beach lagoon area something that we can avoid all together or is it something you have to walk by? Please no parent bashing or hateful comments, I am just a concerned mom who has never stayed in this resort knows nothing of the layout and wants to make a good decision for my family =) Thanks! Also any other resort that has Alice in Wonderland Motifs is appreciated! You just can't beat that awesome looking splash pad tho!

*Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to upload me pictures and get me detailed maps better than Dinsey itself had available, my questions have been answered! Even though I have asked repetitively not to discuss parenting views and the actual victims we still seem to be veering a smidge off course so I will no longer be replying but thank you once again to everyone for their kind words and helping a mama out

 

[HopperFan]

Would You Stay at Grand Floridian?

Yes I would but if you are not comfortable then just book somewhere else.

 

[Dashzap]

Okay so my husband and I are planning our daughters birthday for next year, Grand Floridian was our choice because of the Alice & Wonderland themes (shes a huge fan!) With recent events I am now hesitant, I know tragedies happen and this was most likely a freak accident, we have another daughter who will be 2 when we go next year so of course its really hitting home. How close is the beach/lagoon area to the pools? Is the beach lagoon area something that we can avoid all together or is it something you have to walk by? Please no parent bashing or hateful comments, I am just a concerned mom who has never stayed in this resort knows nothing of the layout and wants to make a good decision for my family =) Thanks! Also any other resort that has Alice in Wonderland Motifs is appreciated! You just can't beat that awesome looking splash pad tho!

I sympathize with your worries and have been thinking of that poor little boy all day.

There are bodies of water near most of the Disney resorts, beaches at all the Deluxes except AKL I think, but you never have to set foot on a beach if you don't want to. This was a freak event. Think of all the years families have been going to WDW without an alligator incident! I think you and your family will be fine.

 

[acresse]

I have stayed at the GF multiple times. The splash pad is a considerable distance from the lagoon edge. There is a large beach, and then a large paved walkway before you get to the splash pad. There are 2 pools, and the central ( very large) pool is no where near a beach. I have been staying here since 1990 and I have been to the beach there once for about 15 minutes, it was hot and pointless. You would not be missing a thing if you avoid the beach completely. I love this resort, and feel very safe. The pool areas are well lit, and almost always very populated. My policy has always been to stick with the light and pavement when on vacation, no matter where I am. Too many creepy crawly unknown things in the dark.

I would 100% feel safe staying at this resort again. It truly is a magical resort

I hope this helps.

 

[minnie mum]

I would stay there tomorrow, never mind next year. If you go to Google Earth, you can get an excellent aerial view of the GF which will show the layout. The beach pool and splash pad are within sight of the beach, but you don't have to go on the beach to use either of these.

 

[DINKsAtDisney]

Absolutely stay there. I spent the day thinking about what a horrible tragedy this was and if I begin to think of this happening to my niece or nephew, I would just drop dead. That said, this was such a freak accident and you are aware of the dangers of bodies of water in Florida so don't let it change your plans. The GF is amazing and some of my favorite family memories growing up are there - it's a very special place! Minnie mum summed it up best.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The most important thing is not to go into the "fresh" water. Which is kind of vile looking anyway.

 

[agavegirl1]

I would stay if I had a prebooked reservation. I would wait until the chaos died down if I did not. I do not utilize beach areas at resorts anyway since they are sort of pointless for the most part. A beach isn't a beach if you can't go in the water. If I did stay, I would, however go as close to the beach as I could get and say a silent prayer for Lane.

 

[Cdn Gal]

To be honest, I'm not sure if I would- I think it would really bother me to walk by and see the beach and be reminded of the tragedy. It's not that I wouldn't feel safe, I just know that it would really really bother me.

 

[Lynne M]

I would stay there without a second thought, and I would sit on the beach without a second thought about safety. In fact, I've done both many times over the years. I've stayed on Disney property close to 40 times since the early 80's, and I've never seen a gator. Anywhere.

I understand that this tragedy would frighten any parent, but alligators have been in the Seven Seas Lagoon for the entire 45 years it's been there. Lots of them. And in every one of the dozens of bodies of water spread throughout WDW. Millions of children have played on the shores of those bodies of water. This is the first time there's been a fatal encounter with a human, and sadly, it happened because the child was playing in the lagoon at night. One smallish mammal splashing in water near a quiet shore at night looks just like prey to a gator. Alligators don't roam the pool area, or the beach area, and they're certainly not going to be hanging out in the crowded beach and pool area in broad daylight.

That said, if you don't want to be at the GF, you could try another resort. The problem is, I can't think of a deluxe or moderate resort on Disney property without a large body of water. You don't need to go near the beach at GF to enjoy a stay there; the feature pool is close to the lagoon, but there's a quiet pool in the middle of the grounds that's a pretty good distance from the beach.

As long as you don't swim or wade in the lagoon, you'll be fine.

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

Why wouldn't you plan your vacation there? You are letting circumstances completely out of your control dictate your future behavior. I have been to WDW hundreds of times. I have NEVER let my children, nor my DH or I near the water. It is a tragic event. If you rob yourself of the experience it is a choice you have taken in light of someone else's misguided judgement.

 

[wilkeliza]

I would stay there tomorrow if I could. This could have happened at any resort. A couple years ago a child got bit by a poisonous snake at a completely different resort (may have even been right outside a park) and it was quick action that saved their life. I don't think Grand Floridean itself is dangerous.

However, if you think you would remember ever time you see the beach then perhaps somewhere else is better. I can say though I don't look at Primeval Whirls and think of all the CMs that have died due to it (I think the count is 3).

 

[bshrewz90]

Thank you thank you everyone! Without being there physically to see how close everything is was driving me crazy! Now that I know for sure we can avoid the beach I feel 100% better.

 

[Nornster]

If you do stay at another resort, I hope you consider visiting the Grand Floridian for the Wonderland Tea Party - my daughter is not a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, but she loved it when we went a couple of months ago, especially the Mad Hatter. The adults had lunch at the Grand Floridian Cafe and checked out the lobby and the splash pad - I just couldn't get over the beauty of this resort. I'm sure that, knowing what we know now, your family would be safe staying there, but I can see if it would make you uneasy.

 

[bshrewz90]

Why wouldn't you plan your vacation there? You are letting circumstances completely out of your control dictate your future behavior. I have been to WDW hundreds of times. I have NEVER let my children, nor my DH or I near the water. It is a tragic event. If you rob yourself of the experience it is a choice you have taken in light of someone else's misguided judgement.

I think its more emotional for me right espically knowing my baby will be 2 when we will be going that just made me think the worst, I know its FL and I know they have gators galore even though I have been to disney several times and never seen one. Staying at this resort will be brand new for me so I just wanted to make sure that area was something I could avoid.

 

[aprincessatlast]

Yes I would. We have seen gators all around Disney so that would not stop me. I would perhaps avoid the beach or at least at night when I could not see my surroundings.

I will say that for those who are there now or are going soon, it would be hard. Even more so if you have a child of similar age. I am the type where seeing it all in person like walking by the beach etc. would make me sad and it would be hard to shake the thoughts. I would be thinking of the parents etc. No one wants to be reminded of that type of overwhelming sadness and it would all be fresh so that would be a bit difficult.

ETA: Just wanted to add something since you said "things you could avoid". Remember there are lots of wild life all around Disney since it is the swamp. I will never forget the post here a few years ago when a lady almost lost her son to a snake bit at CBR. Simply went to pick up a dropped toy and was bitten by a cottonmouth (?). It took several round of anti venom for it to work. So just remember to be careful around landscaping as well!

 

[Baklava]

Remember when you make your choice that this wasn't an unavoidable tragedy. This wasn't a child who bolted past watchful parents into danger with no warning. If you follow basic safety precautions and stay out of the areas marked "stay out," you will be fine.

We do not have to be hateful or bash, but we should acknowledge that these people willfully and deliberately violated an important safety rule and that was the direct cause of this tragedy. It was not just a freak accident, it was like trying to jump off the People Mover. Someone did something foolish and it ended badly. Hopefully it will give the next person pause before they decide those signs don't really mean it.

 

[BabyFu18]

I'm staying at GF later this summer, I wouldn't think of changing resorts, what happened is a terrible tragedy but it could have happened anywhere. Be aware of yourself, your children, your environment and general safety rules no matter where you stay on your trip and I think you will be just fine. Even though this tragedy happened at the GF, it's not something that is specific to the GF and if you want to avoid the water/beach area with your children you should be able to do that without an issue.

 

[DVC California]

This was very heartbreaking and my thoughts and prayers go out to the Graves family. I can't understand how anyone could bash these parents during this sad time. They were on vacation at the most magical place on earth, staying at its flagship resort, ending a wonderful day with a movie on the beach. But for the grace of God, it could have been any of our children.

While tragic, the gator attack was random and unusual. And WDW will absolutely do whatever it takes to ensure it doesn't happen again. A stay at the Grand Floridian will be safer next year in terms of FWC control than ever before.

 

[Dentam]

We do not have to be hateful or bash, but we should acknowledge that these people willfully and deliberately violated an important safety rule and that was the direct cause of this tragedy. It was not just a freak accident, it was like trying to jump off the People Mover. Someone did something foolish and it ended badly. Hopefully it will give the next person pause before they decide those signs don't really mean it.

This is not true.