BAD BOYS BAD BOYS!! Undercover Security

[Becky2005]

Originally Posted by DVC-Don

Second time was last year. Again a tourist/teen looking fellow, backwards ball cap, back back, dark glasses was leaning against a railing by the boat ramp at Hollywood Studios. A uniformed guard came walking by, did a U turn and walked up and asked what he was doing there as he thought it was his day off. The undercover said no, he got called in and was working plain clothes outside the park for the day.

I'm REALLY surprised they talked to the plain clothes people. At one store I worked at Loss Prevention came in & introduced himself to us at orientation and pretty much told us to NEVER talk to him first. If he said Hi to us, then we could talk to him but otherwise, just pretend he's a regular shopper and act as if we don't know him from the man on the moon.

[jayandstacey]

Originally Posted by disney david

I don't think the ocso train them in the academy to minimize Disney legal exposure and disney orobelry on trains them where things are and how to get around fast back stage. Disney use them because they are already trained to deal medical calls and other calls. Yes no one on Disney property gettin paid by Disney wants to see them getting sued but I think if someones hurt that be that last think on thee mind. If you get hurt on a ride no matter how many tines they ask you if your okay and how much medical help they give you they will still sue. So Gould they not offer you help if they know you still sue no they do it because they my care about the person in need of help.

OK - we agree to disagree.

I believe they hire off duty police because they are trained to remain calm, to read situations, to react in certain ways. Basically, they have the right resume. When in Disney, they are off duty from the police and on duty for Disney, where the objective is slightly different.

And I wouldn't think any CMs, uniformed or not would change their actions based on if they think someone will sue - in fact they aren't trained even to look for that. Rather, they are trained to handle situations, ALL situations, in ways that minimize the risk of a lawsuit.

So, regardless of what they think the cause may be, or who's at fault, they will offer to get them medical assistance. They do this for two reasons:
1. It makes the guest more comfortable
2. It reduces Disney's legal exposure.

#2 is always the case. The legal exposure is simply reduced by offering to get medical assistance.

Think of it this way - if they were really just there purely to help guests, there might be topical pain killers in their fanny packs. This would provide immediate relief to a guest...but opens Disney to increased legal risk.

The training they'd give would never overtly say "you must act to reduce our legal risk." The guard at the front gate (for instance) doesn't necessarily know why they can look in some personal things and not others as you enter. They just know what they should and should not do. But there are legal reasons behind those actions, and attorneys (among others) that have decided how things like security should be approached.

[disney david]

Originally Posted by jayandstacey

OK - we agree to disagree.

I believe they hire off duty police because they are trained to remain calm, to read situations, to react in certain ways. Basically, they have the right resume. When in Disney, they are off duty from the police and on duty for Disney, where the objective is slightly different.

And I wouldn't think any CMs, uniformed or not would change their actions based on if they think someone will sue - in fact they aren't trained even to look for that. Rather, they are trained to handle situations, ALL situations, in ways that minimize the risk of a lawsuit.

So, regardless of what they think the cause may be, or who's at fault, they will offer to get them medical assistance. They do this for two reasons:
1. It makes the guest more comfortable
2. It reduces Disney's legal exposure.

#2 is always the case. The legal exposure is simply reduced by offering to get medical assistance.

Think of it this way - if they were really just there purely to help guests, there might be topical pain killers in their fanny packs. This would provide immediate relief to a guest...but opens Disney to increased legal risk.

The training they'd give would never overtly say "you must act to reduce our legal risk." The guard at the front gate (for instance) doesn't necessarily know why they can look in some personal things and not others as you enter. They just know what they should and should not do. But there are legal reasons behind those actions, and attorneys (among others) that have decided how things like security should be approached.

Yes your right we agree to disagree but you made really good points .

[WannaBeInWDW]

I am one of ten children and we were lucky enough to go to Disney quite a few times throughout our childhood. When there were just nine of us kids when back when in 1989, we ventured down to WDW for our family vacation.
The three oldest, my sisters, who were 13 and 11 at the time, and my brother who was 10 went on one of those kid tours in Magic Kingdom. I don't recall the name and I don't think they still have it, but it was specifically for kids.
Anyway, somehow my brother got separated from the group. He couldn't find them and took it upon himself to walk back to the Contemporary, where we were staying. Luckily, my mother was back at the room napping the little ones (twin boys who were 2 and a infant who was about 3 months plus my little sister who was 4). She heard a knock at the door and to her surprise my brother was standing there!
She was upset that he walked all the way back to the Contemporary without ANYONE saying a word to him. She wanted to pick up my sisters from the tour and find my father but she needed help since she had the four little ones. Up came plainclothed Disney security helping her get the things together and helping her down with the triple (yes triple) stroller. They escorted her to the Magic Kingdom to get my sisters.
She said she could have made a bigger fuss, but she was happy nothing happened to my brother.

They do exist!

[forever11709]

Just for reference my family owns wallis talkies that have the clear earpiece and we take them to Disney, a) it cuts down on dropped calls b) takes away from others being on our "channel" c) takes the hassle of pulling a walkie talkie out and d) others cannot overhear what is being said .. We own them for my dads job at home but they go everywhere with us and although we look like plain clothed security we are not but my mom will be the first one to help someone up if she sees them fall and would even stay until a cm arrived .. So no just because someone has an earpiece does not mean they are security

[PhoenixStrength]

I have seen a few people mention and question a few pages back about WDW not checking the bags left in strollers. I can say that they definitely do! I was at WDW last November and saw uniformed officers with dogs in the stroller areas several times. I noticed them around Kilimanjaro Safari at least 3 times. No, they don't check every single bag, but they do make occasional sweeps of the stroller areas for suspicious bags.

Love these stories!

[stripesace]

I noticed on our last day in the parks at MK walking in that there were 2 guys talking to each other, with the standard in park Moto phones on there belts. I was like but they're not in costume, or anything! I was by myself so I was going to stop and ask one of them if they were security. Before I could get the words out of my mouth one of them said "yes sir we are what you think we are, but if you could keep walking we're watching a guy who doesn't know it right now." and I said "ok!" a few hours later I was waiting for my wife at the flower garden at the main gate and one of the two came up from behind me and introduced himself and presented a disney security badge and asked if I had any questions, thinking I was a leo. I wear cargo shorts that a lot of police types wear, and often get mistaken as an off duty leo,LOL. Always wanted to be a leo but never did.

[BerrysGirl]

When I was in high school I was a member of the marching band. Our school had a tradition of marching in the Disney parade every four years. When I first got into high school, however, I was a little worried I wouldn't get to go with the band because the year before some band members had been caught stealing from one of the outside stands in MK. Who caught them? Winnie the Pooh, of all people... just goes to show there are eyes everywhere.

[gk90]

Interesting story BerrysGirl, can you tell more about how Pooh caught them?

[BerrysGirl]

Originally Posted by gk90

Interesting story BerrysGirl, can you tell more about how Pooh caught them?

According to our local newspaper, he was doing an outdoor meet and greet in that little patio area on Main Street. He just happened to look over and saw them stuffing merchandise (I want to say smaller keepsakes, this was before pin trading) into their shirts. Pooh must have signaled to his handler or something, and security intervened. I don't know the kids or any specifics since this was four years before I got to high school, but I do know our school was worried Disney would ask us not to return because of the incident... Apparently Disney doesn't hold grudges against a few bad apples in a high school group because we did returned when I was in high school

[Wadecool]

Originally Posted by BerrysGirl

According to our local newspaper, he was doing an outdoor meet and greet in that little patio area on Main Street. He just happened to look over and saw them stuffing merchandise (I want to say smaller keepsakes, this was before pin trading) into their shirts. Pooh must have signaled to his handler or something, and security intervened. I don't know the kids or any specifics since this was four years before I got to high school, but I do know our school was worried Disney would ask us not to return because of the incident... Apparently Disney doesn't hold grudges against a few bad apples in a high school group because we did returned when I was in high school

Thanks for finishing the story. I was trying to picture Pooh tackling and subduing the thieves right there in the middle of Main St. Now that would be a very rare character photo.

[metzgardesign]

Originally Posted by gk90

Interesting story BerrysGirl, can you tell more about how Pooh caught them?

Sticky honey.....he caught them with a big tub of sticky honey. Not Homeland Security approved, but effective nonetheless.

[dmccarty]

Originally Posted by metzgardesign

Sticky honey.....he caught them with a big tub of sticky honey. Not Homeland Security approved, but effective nonetheless.

EXACTLY what I first thought! Pooh captured them with honey.

Later,
Dan

[janiejake]

Just found this thread today...and read all 30 pages. Enjoyable stories--thanks for sharing, all of you! I've always felt 'safe' at WDW, perhaps why I've never worried about taking a few trips without DH...I feel safe "in the bubble". I'll be more on the lookout for plain-clothes security in the future. And still chuckling over that "crotch to crack" comment, lol.

[ParrotBill]

A couple of years ago my family and I were on a resort bus heading to the MK... as we made a turn the driver oversteered and CRACK! the side view mirror hit a pole. You'd think that was nothing for a bus. Well in New York City maybe. At Disneyworld, the bus pulls off the the side at the bus area and security swarms the bus. First someone who is clearly a transportation supervisor escorts the driver away.

Second, we are asked to stay seated and wait for a moment. A team of suits appears from nowhere, in less that 2 minutes, and boards the bus. They interview everyone to get names, addresses, and ask if we are OK.

We,and everyone else, of course, just want to get off the bus and get into the park! The whole thing took about 15 minutes but they were very clear and thorough on their procedure!