I searched back to get my experience from my Trip Report back in 2008 when I went with some other DISers. Too lazy to retype the story.
This was at the Starring Rolls Cafe in MGM when we stopped to get some breakfast on our way to Toy Story. Leaving out the introductory details that won't make sense unless you read the report.
I was out first and got to try to find us a table. It was COLDin fact I heard on the news that Florida had a record cold that night. This is what happens to me, I go to Florida and they have a record cold spell.
So I was looking for a table in the sun so we could have a bit of warmth.
I found one but there was a backpack on one of the chairs. I asked the large group at the table next to me if it belonged to them. They said no, and it had been there a while with no one there. So I sat. Disney rules, you leave your stuff there for too long and no one is sitting then the table is up for grabs! A woman that looked like a supervisor/manager type (she wasn't wearing a funny costume!) walked by and I pointed out the chair with the backpack and told her it was there when we sat down and had lost it's owner. I was concerned that it would be stolen. Naturally I assumed that she would pick it up and take it in the back to be sent off to lost and found. I was dead wrong!
She took the entire chair and scooted it off about 30 yards away. Then she stood there in a guarding position and got on her walkie talkie. Security began showing up.
First one.
Then another.
And another.
Then 2 carrying ropes.
And we a few more around the perimeter of the area.
The ones with ropes roped off an area around the chair.
In the meantime a CM that was cleaning in the area came over to watch and to talk with us. He was also not in a funny costume and he told us he was a Trainer and was just helping out for a bit. He stayed with us chatting and watching what was going on. Also the large group at the table next to us took off. They were also interested in the action but said they had to move on. After they left a man came over and plopped himself at their now empty table. He seemed to be talking to himself but I figured he was on a bluetooth talking to his family telling them he got a table. He was also watching the security action. He leaned over to us and said Hey, did that thing start over here or where it is now?. I figured he was just curious like we all were so of course I started telling him the story. He started talking into his coat again, but this time I heard 10-4 and affirmative and decided that he wasn't talking to his family!
We were all still talking and the Training CM said that they were going to bring out the dog. DOG???
We were really floored! I had even considered opening the backpack when we sat down to see if there was any ID in it. And here they were calling in a dog! Phors' son is with K9 in the military and had just lost his dog so this was certainly very interesting news to us. Phors said something about getting pictures of the dog to show her son. This is when the strange tourist next to us looked over and quietly said We would prefer you didn't mam We all looked at him and the CM said OH! I didn't ever recognize you sitting there! And he proceeded to introduce us to the Head of Studios Security ::cop: (undercover
)! He was extremely nice but said that they try to bring the dog out, have him do his job and get him back without drawing a crowd. If people start taking photos then it draws a crowd and they may have to confiscate cameras and review the pics and get witness statements. We completely understood and had a nice chat while waiting for the dog. There was no way were leaving our seats until this was over!
When he got word on the radio the dog was on it's way out he walked by and told us that we could get pics but just stay in our seats and be discreet. We were able to get several good pictures. Because the Head of Security works undercover I have removed him from these pics to protect his identity.
Of course the dog came out, sniffed the bag, laid down and looked up as if to say You woke me up for that???
Quicker than it had happened, the dog and his handler disappeared backstage, the ropes were rolled up and one of the security guys picked up the bag and opened it and they all walked off. We never did find out if there was even anything in it!
We did learn that Disney has several full time K9 units and they do this for any abandoned bag. I would have thought that would have meant many times a day, it would seem that people would be constantly leaving things. But in reality security said it really doesn't happen all that often.
So the excitement was over. We had promised a good run it with security and it doesn't get much better than this! About 10 Security officers, the HEAD of security and a K9 Unit! As we walked off a few things did cross our minds:
Phors was thinking maybe that was just one of their Streetmosphere shows and wondered if we were supposed to applaud at the end!
And I was thinking that if they REALLY thought it could have been a bomb, shouldn't they have moved it a little further away, okay A LOT further away from us???
And when I told DH about it later he said he was so glad to see that we were smart enough to move ourselves out of danger when a bomb was suspected.
Tiramasu: $4.00
Fruit Tart: $4.00
Eclair: $4.00
Coffee: $3.00
Meeting the Head of Security and the K9 and NOT being arrested. . . Priceless!
German Shepards, they are the BEST!!
