Park Security

[palhockeymomof2]

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[tinawv]

Someone made a good point. No security before you get on the monorail or boat at the TTC. Anyone could bring on anything there. Scary thought. Even the buses at the resorts, theoretically anyone could get on those crowded buses by just paying to park at a resort. Yes, there is security to get inside the parks but not much outside of the parks.

Also, there are no bag checks at either water parks where some people enter with fairly large bags. I am really surprised by this.

 

[Yahweh]

I've said this many times, but are security checks not creating a more dangerous situation at WDW, far more dangerous than inside the park?

1. Waiting to get into the park is the place with the the greatest congestion of people with little place to hide.

2. Also in order to get into the park you have to buy a park ticket, which is one extra step for a someone with intent to have to take.

3. Getting the type of firearm used to create the type of damage as done in the orlando night club into is much more difficult even without security than it would be to simply walk up to the park gates and start firing.

My frustration is that security measures in a place like Disney World creates the illusion of safety while actually creating a situation that is less safe.

I have no real answers to the immediate problem. I simple know that long term, a great deal of hard work needs to be done at deconstructing the seeds that created environments such as racism, islamic-phobia, and hetero-sexism which are all factors that contribute to events such as these.

 

[Eastern]

We were at WDW two weeks ago and I noticed that the screeners were being quite thorough (or more thorough than the usual quick look in the bag). They had everyone unzipping all zippers. They took out wallets and unzipped them. They went through every pocket of my Vera Bradley tote. They couldn't see the bottom of the bag, so they took some stuff out. They were feeling it to see how heavy it was. And I saw all of the guards doing this.

 

[85glht]

And isn't that a nice large holding tank security has created right outside the gates?

I'm not saying I don't want them to screen. I'm just saying I wish there was another way. That bottleneck at security makes me very nervous. I'd feel better once I was in the park. But if someone wanted to make headlines, all they would have to do is show up (completely unscreened) right outside the gates.

I hope they are doing everything they can to minimize backups there.

I also hope they are screening what's coming in the back door (CM's as well as delivery trucks).

This is exactly my thinking. More harm can be done right before the security queue. This is a concern for me. Ever since 9/11, I never let my guard down. Always looking for an easy exit in a building and observing the behavior of people in my surroundings. Am I paranoid?.... No. I just want to be prepared in a crisis. God willing, I hope and pray to never be in a crisis situation.

 

[mom2rtk]

This is exactly my thinking. More harm can be done right before the security queue. This is a concern for me. Ever since 9/11, I never let my guard down. Always looking for an easy exit in a building and observing the behavior of people in my surroundings. Am I paranoid?.... No. I just want to be prepared in a crisis. God willing, I hope and pray to never be in a crisis situation.

I've heard reports that some of the emergency exits at Pulse were padlocked. Not sure if that is definitive. But if it is, and the shooter had scouted the location ahead of time, I might assume it's because he saw a weakness in the operations there to take advantage of. I view that bottled up security check area at the MK as a similar weakness in operations someone might decide to exploit. I hope they are considering ways to make that safer.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

It appears they've been successful in creating terror. Wonderful...

 

[Laz]

I think we will be seeing screening at each WDW resort before one can get on the bus. The group waiting for the bus would be much smaller because it is spread out at the various resorts. Off site busses go to different areas such as the TTC. I'm thinking there could be security set up at such places. Perhaps there will even be screening before one can enter the monorail system. What a sad state of our times we are living in.

I was thinking the same thing, but it would require physical changes to each resort bus loading area and more security employees. Will WDW spend the money?

 

[tsme]

I asked before, but no one responded. Has anyone voiced their concerns about the pile up at security & how it seems unsafe or any other safety/security concerns to Disney directly? Just wondering what Disney's reassures would be.

 

[W.E.D.]

Um, not that easy. People toting around bombs usually make themselves known by their behavior. There is security before the "security."

True. They have an extensive under-cover program. And there are cameras hidden everywhere. On the KTTK tour our guide talked a little about security and pointed out a camera in Frontierland that I had never noticed before--I like to try and spot them.

 

[W.E.D.]

Disney is such an iconic landmark, I strongly believe that they are not by themselves in maintaining security. I'm sure the FBI/CIA monitor the "chatter" After 911 all of Disney became a no fly zone

THIS!
There is a TON more going on then we are ever aware of when we visit.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

What about screening at the TTC and ferry area before loading guests to EPCOT or MK...or having separate stations at the parking lots?

There would be far more detail to go into it and it's just an initial thought - but that could help relieve the amount of crowds at the font of the parks and help keep guests moving into the parks. So for instance - have guests go through security to get onto the ferry. Once the ferry arrives at MK, have them enter the park to the right (or left or whatever) separate from resort guests. Guests being dropped off from the bus area will be screened separately as well. There's so much room between the buses and the parks that this can certainly be possible.

 

[W.E.D.]

Example from our last trip, 2011, of the "invisible" security at the gates.
I try as much as possible to go bag-less so I can avoid the bottle-necks we've been discussing. Thus, I wear cargo shorts. One day I was arriving at EPCOT from the bus stops. My pockets were loaded that day and bulky looking. Before I had even approached the screening area, there was a CM who was apparently waiting for me to arrive who directed me to a security CM who asked me to empty my pockets. How'd they know I was coming? Someone, somewhere, had checked me out the moment I got off the bus is the only way I can explain it.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

FYI, The Pulse did bag checks too and the shooter got in. If you do not get picked to walk through the metal detector, you can have anything strapped to your body. Your body is not searched at all. I have said this since they started the bag check. My eye glass case, even my wallet has been checked, but what could be strapped to someone's chest, their ankles, their legs. If you all feel this is excellent security checks, I am sorry but I have to disagree totally. Call me paranoid but I am always looking around me while there, you seriously do not know. Disney needs every "body" to go through the metal detector, not just someone who they pick out

 

[DLgal]

FYI, The Pulse did bag checks too and the shooter got in. If you do not get picked to walk through the metal detector, you can have anything strapped to your body. Your body is not searched at all. I have said this since they started the bag check. My eye glass case, even my wallet has been checked, but what could be strapped to someone's chest, their ankles, their legs. If you all feel this is excellent security checks, I am sorry but I have to disagree totally. Call me paranoid but I am always looking around me while there, you seriously do not know. Disney needs every "body" to go through the metal detector, not just someone who they pick out

The shooter got in because he SHOT the security guard standing at the entrance, didn't he? That is what I thought I read.

 

[disneydeal]

I'll admit I feel 100% safe at the parks the past 3 days that I've been here with all the K9 dogs and extra security staged BUT today I did have a false alarm scare at Hollywood studios. Standing just outside the exit at bus pickup for resorts I heard about 6 gun shots from just a short distance away. Startled us and a few others.. Looking around most people didn't react to them. Then few minutes later an explosion. It was the Indiana Jones show. Not cool. Not cool.

 

[MeganMango]

I'll admit I feel 100% safe at the parks the past 3 days that I've been here with all the K9 dogs and extra security staged BUT today I did have a false alarm scare at Hollywood studios. Standing just outside the exit at bus pickup for resorts I heard about 6 gun shots from just a short distance away. Startled us and a few others.. Looking around most people didn't react to them. Then few minutes later an explosion. It was the Indiana Jones show. Not cool. Not cool.

That would have startled me too!

 

[edk35]

I just started reading this and it has probably been posted but I will post anyway. I am concerned for the FERRY and the Monorail at ticket and transportation. There are no metal detectors there YET. Might have to happen though. I mean you could literally pay for parking and just show up to ride the monorail or ferry over to MK. It's not hard to look like a tourist with back packs and all. Scary that we should even have to worry about this.

 

[luvsJack]

At Universal everyone walks through the metal detector. Guests and apparently staff too. Can Disney not do that instead of the random checks or have they started that already?

It was just a walk through thing so it didn't hold up the line or anything. Actually moved pretty fast.

 

[FreesiaE]

They need a new system if this is now the way of security. They allow everyome to cluster up and there is poor flow into security. People are cutting, changing lines, etc. They are going through every zipper and pocket. It may be time to only allow clear or mesh bags.