Is there a hotel at WDW that you can.....

[saintsinner]

Swim at the beach?

I'd like to if at all possible swim somewhere besides the pool. Thanks in advance!

[gerald72]

No, your brain will be eaten by microorganisms, if the alligators don't get you first.

[DisneyaHolic]

It would be cool to swim in the lakes, but no such luck. The only place I can think of that is SLIGHTLY different than the resort pool is to go to the Water Parks...

[BrerGnat]

Um, no. It's deathly dangerous to swim in the shallows of ANY Florida lake.

If you want to swim at a beach, head to the ocean. Sorry.

[cather74]

We used to be able to swim at the beach at the Poly and Contemporary growing up. I remember the year we weren't allowed to anymore and we were shocked. (and creeped out by the micro-organism thing.):sick:

[jpH/keD]

Stormalong Bay pool at BC/YC is as close as you can get. At least that has sand!

[Renfairwedding]

Um, no. It's deathly dangerous to swim in the shallows of ANY Florida lake.

If you want to swim at a beach, head to the ocean. Sorry.

lol.. I did my fresh water test dive in a FL lake. The instructor (A PD diver) was not to worried. He said the Aligators never come to this side!" :eek:

As for Disney all the posters are correct. No lake swimming.

You have to wonder... what about all that splashing about in the microbe laden water in those small little speed boats??? :boat:

[greengeen]

It's the shallow warm muddy parts that are dangerous, due to micro-organisms. A splash from the deep middle part, no.

[Polynesian Dweller]

It's the shallow warm muddy parts that are dangerous, due to micro-organisms. A splash from the deep middle part, no.

That's my understanding as well. It's when you stir up the mud on the bottom. Since swimming from shore would do that then the risk is increased. To the OP, that amoeba is nasty and definitely deadly. Not worth the risk.

[faline]

Just a piece of nostalgia - The first several times we went to Disney World, we drove there from New England and tent camped in Fort Wilderness. Money was tight and we never went to a park on arrival day as we didn't want to buy tickets and then "waste one" by only being in the park for a few hours. Our plan would be to set up our campsite and head directly for the beach at Fort Wilderness. We would hear right into the lake and relax along the shore. That was in the days before swimming was banned!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Does anyone know why swimming is allowed for the Iron Man race? I'm almost 100% sure the course has them swim in the lake right off the shore at Ft. Wilderness. My husband is looking forward to doing this race in the next 2 or 3 years and I hadn't even thought about/remembered the dangers of swimming there until reading this post. I know as a guest swimming isn't allowed, and I know the reasons. I just find it strange they'd allow all these people to swim for the race.

[baldburke]

Remember River Country back in Fort Wilderness? We went to River Country on my first trip to WDW. There Was a big open "pool" part that was connected to Bay Lake.

[llqool]

Does anyone know why swimming is allowed for the Iron Man race? I'm almost 100% sure the course has them swim in the lake right off the shore at Ft. Wilderness.

Yeah, I wondered the same thing when I went with my friend, who participated in the Danskin triathlon last year. They definitely had to swim in the lake. She wasn't creeped out by it, but i was. Luckily, I wasn't doing the event myself!

[SBETigg]

Does anyone know why swimming is allowed for the Iron Man race? I'm almost 100% sure the course has them swim in the lake right off the shore at Ft. Wilderness. My husband is looking forward to doing this race in the next 2 or 3 years and I hadn't even thought about/remembered the dangers of swimming there until reading this post. I know as a guest swimming isn't allowed, and I know the reasons. I just find it strange they'd allow all these people to swim for the race.

The real threat with the amoeba in question is contracted from going deep into the water, I believe. The Iron Man type events are surface swim at a fast pace and the expectation is that no one is diving down deep under the water for any reason in that sort of event, or stirring up the water from the bottom to enhance the threat. No such guarantees can be made for guests on a regular basis or pleasure-swimmers. But water sports are also allowed on the lagoons that occasionally involve a quick splashdown into the water.

[BrerGnat]

The real threat with the amoeba in question is contracted from going deep into the water, I believe. The Iron Man type events are surface swim at a fast pace and the expectation is that no one is diving down deep under the water for any reason in that sort of event, or stirring up the water from the bottom to enhance the threat. No such guarantees can be made for guests on a regular basis or pleasure-swimmers. But water sports are also allowed on the lagoons that occasionally involve a quick splashdown into the water.

The amoeba in question live in the silt at the bottom of the lakebed.

If you are splashing around by the shore, you will stir it up. Probably not an issue if you are a six foot adult, but a BIG issue if you are a three foot tall toddler and the water goes up your nose...

The swimmers in the Iron Man event, for one, wear noseplugs. They swim in water deep enough that they are not touching the bottom and stirring it up. Waterskiing, similarly, does not have you touch the bottom of the lake. You are taken out on a boat and then lowered into deep water to ski. No stirring up the lakebed going on there either.

[bostonsam]

Remember River Country back in Fort Wilderness? We went to River Country on my first trip to WDW. There Was a big open "pool" part that was connected to Bay Lake.

That's the other closed Water Park right?!looked like fun...Is that really true,You can't swim in Florida lake water??:confused:

[dnickels]

Is that really true,You can't swim in Florida lake water??:confused:

You can swim in Florida Lakes and rivers, just not at Disney. A big part of that is probably due to liability and perception. Deaths due to the amoeba are pretty rare. According to Wikipedia, it looks like it's about 4 deaths per year across the entire US (it lists 33 from 1998 to 2007 and 4 so far in 2010). Even if you found the muckiest, most disgusting stagnant pond of water you could and rolled around in the mud for hours you would probably be just fine.

You literally have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery, but a death of a child at Disney (whether due to the amoeba or drowning) would be such a public relations nightmare that it just makes more sense for the company to ban any swimming in the lakes.

FWIW, swimming and tubing are actually pretty common activities in some of Florida's state parks.