Bag Check 3/28 am at Hollywood Studios.

[soniam]

Our longest bag check before this last trip 2 weeks ago was in March 2015 at DHS. We got there in the evening to see Fantasmic. That was the slowest and most thorough check we had had. However, this last trip, the security guard we got at AK at rope drop for AM EMH took the cake. I haven't had a more thorough screening since that full body cavity search I got from airport security right after 9/11. This guy went through every pocket. He was opening wallets and eye glass cases and anything that he couldn't see through. What really got me is that he sat there forever waiting for someone to come over to deal with a person with a selfie stick. He sat there for about 10 minutes. We wanted to switch lines, but people were already bailing behind us, filling up all the other lines. I saw a security guard at DHS come across a selfie stick. He just pointed the woman to another employee, who then dealt with it, instead of stopping all bag checking and waiting for someone to come over. Why couldn't the selfie stick owner has stood to the side, while the AK guard kept checking our bags? It was immensely frustrating.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Probably busy because of the Easter Crowds. We went the week after Easter one year and yikes - it was insane. I was ok with it but my husband and teens weren't.

Another thing I've been doing to make bag check go faster is I pull out any sweaters I have in my backpack so they can see into it better. On my last trip, they were asking people to do that anyway so I did it in advance.

Of course, it's probably not needed now with the temps but every little bit helps.

 

[aretha30]

Ugh, an hour is way to long to be in a line just to get into the park! We just can't go bag less, if needed we can get down to one bag. I will let DH go in with the boys or I will head in with them and we will meet up so they aren't restless.

 

[serenitynow]

DH has a canvas travel wallet that you wear around your waist under your clothing.
It's not bulky like a fanny pack it just has a zippered pouch to hold some cash and your ID.
Can you do that at Disney now or does it count as a bag for bag search?

 

[Hopefully]

The self-fulling prophecy.
More people know its super crowded .. more people know if you arrive at rope drop it will be less crowded .. thus more people arrive at rope drop.

Add in the new "security theater" measures and it is a nightmare.

I find it annoyingly frustrating in our world today where I pay a LOT of money for something (theme park, NFL game, airline tickets) and have to wait an hour or more to just USE that ticket that I paid a lot for.

And why? To check that someone isn't bringing in a weapon. Yet, if someone wanted to hurt a lot of people, why bother trying to commit that terror IN the park? Why not just do something at this awful chokepoint where everyone is clogged up?

Exactly as they did in Brussels

High crowds are a factor, but the recent terror attacks in Belgium and Pakistan have triggered Disney to ramp up the thoroughness of security screenings.

As they must. It is the world we currently live in - like it or not. I will not let it effect me by not going, but I do support enhanced security even if it slows me down.

 

[DJinPA]

DH has a canvas travel wallet that you wear around your waist under your clothing.
It's not bulky like a fanny pack it just has a zippered pouch to hold some cash and your ID.
Can you do that at Disney now or does it count as a bag for bag search?

My husband had one of these travel wallets on last week and didn't even think of taking it off, it is small and flat, like something that would fit in a pocket. Just ID, credit card and cash. It wasn't intentional to avoid the check, but it never crossed our minds. BTW, I was the one that got pulled aside for the second screening and I didn't have one on! I have to say, last week there were people coming in with bags and bags. I swear they had a stroller just for the bags! I would never want to carry that much around the park! On the two rainy/colder days we had to use a bigger bag with a lot more pockets and it was very thoroughly searched. It was nice when we could ditch that for a bag with one big and one small pocket.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

High crowds are a factor, but the recent terror attacks in Belgium and Pakistan have triggered Disney to ramp up the thoroughness of security screenings.

Yup totally agree. Right after Brussels the local news reported this: Passengers may notice an increase in airport police at KCI. Officials say the airport will be beefing up airport police presence in the wake of the bombings in Brussels. Airport officials say they've been in contact with the federal government and other law enforcement officials."

This will lead to increased scrutiny thus longer security lines but also just an overall more watchful eye (though the security is never an issue at my local airport (we're talking usually 5-10 minutes MAYBE up to 20 but that is extremely rare and by longer it probably would be an extra 5 to 15 minutes). This is also very relevant to me as I will be flying out in about 1 1/2 weeks though luckily I won't be checking a bag as I know that would def.be longer especially at the curbside checked luggage portion where police will have a larger presence than they did before since it is on the outside of the doors into the airport.

 

[abner1776]

Hay, even going "bag less" will not guarantee breezing through security. On my last trip to WDW two weeks ago, upon entering the various parks, I was "randomly selected" at least 50% of the time for "additional security scanning." I was wearing a tee shirt and shorts(no hidden contraband) and at 66 I probably do not fit the standard terrorist makeup, but they selected me anyway. Maybe it was because I looked like a soft touch or the security people were making their quota for the day, who knows. The other 50% of the time I had ticket problems so I was never able to enter any park without some sort of minor delay.( what is it about the no-exp tickets that alway causes entry problems). In any case, the "delay" was only a few seconds and I was certainly glad I was not in the bag line.

 

[Angel Ariel]

And why? To check that someone isn't bringing in a weapon. Yet, if someone wanted to hurt a lot of people, why bother trying to commit that terror IN the park? Why not just do something at this awful chokepoint where everyone is clogged up?

Which is exactly what happened in Brussels (attacking the area right outside of security rather than trying to make it through security)

It's impossible to have heightened security *everywhere* there are crowds. There are crowds all over the National Mall area and Tidal Basin right now because of the Cherry Blossom bloom and festival. There's no physical way possible to have any kind of "bag check" to enter the area. I'm sure there are security people on more alert, but they can't be everywhere all at once.

 

[eastendlights]

We had some extremely thorough checks on our trip from 2/26 to 3/8. I carry/wear a leather backpack with multiple pockets-some days, every single pocket was checked and they even unzipped my wallet and looked through the change compartment!! I thought that was over the top-what in the world could someone possibly hide in a tiny section of an average sized wallet?

 

[CAS239]

When we were there last December they weren't letting any guests in that entrance. They had someone stationed at the crosswalk at the end of parking lot instructing people to go to the main entrance.

I also believe this happened to us in December as well. We usually always take that side entrance, but for some reason once in a blue moon they don't want you going through that way. I have no idea why as it's a more convenient walk than circling around the tram area

 

[rpb718]

no, but if you pay $50 there's an exclusive bag check line, with shorter waits and a free pat down

You know there is TSA Pre-check for airport security that can be purchased - DW has it. I don't really want to give Disney more revenue ideas but I'll bet they'd be plenty of takers for a Disney Pre-check.

 

[AngiTN]

You know there is TSA Pre-check for airport security that can be purchased - DW has it. I don't really want to give Disney more revenue ideas but I'll bet they'd be plenty of takers for a Disney Pre-check.

PP post was a joke

 

[maryj11]

We are going to try to go bag free the rest of this trip too. It's just hard because ponchos are needed with the midday storms.

We just entered the park. Total time spent in bag check this morning = almost an hour.

 

[sticker231]

Glad we took our time getting to DHS. We arrived around 1:15 and it was only three people deep.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We are going to try to go bag free the rest of this trip too. It's just hard because ponchos are needed with the midday storms.

We just entered the park. Total time spent in bag check this morning = almost an hour.

Oh my goodness!

 

[stormer]

This is why we always enter through the far left walkway (to the left of the tram) where it's only one security guard. Normally no one else is over there so we get past bag check in just a couple seconds.

When we were there last December they weren't letting any guests in that entrance. They had someone stationed at the crosswalk at the end of parking lot instructing people to go to the main entrance.

We went to HS twice during our trip this past February. The first day we were able to go to that entrance. The second day we encountered the same thing as PP. A guard was standing at the edge of the crosswalk and wouldn't let anyone thru that way. He directed everyone to the main entrance.

 

[TJA]

We were just at HS on Friday and had the same experience as OP! Just at HS, all the other parks were normal. We went to MK 5-6 times and never even came close to waiting as long as we did at HS. Then my DH got selected for the metal detector (for the 6th time!) so we were 21 minutes late for our FP and the CM told me that but let us on after I said it took 45 minutes to enter the park.

 

[UncleMike101]

I have no problems with Security as long as it's efficient and effective.
Disney's is neither!
The "random" metal scanner checks are completely worthless simply because they're "random".
The items that the bag checks will catch are large, bulky, and easily spotted, like a handgun or explosives.
Which is a good thing, but tearing into every four cubic centimeter storage area in a bag is a waste of time and effort.
There are only a few truly effective security measures that can be used on large crowds.
Vigilant profiling, complete pat downs, and x-ray checks.
The x-ray checks are costly, something Disney is avoiding like the Plague, pat downs are intrusive and would inevitably lead to charges of groping and assault, which leaves profiling as the least damaging to the Disney name.
My hope is that Disney is employing extensive profiling in a discreet manner in addition to the bag checks and "random" metal detecting.
As for me I will continue to carry a messenger bag with my camera, sunglasses, ponchos, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and whatever else I think I may need.
Plus I wear cargo shorts, and God knows what I may cram in the pockets.
If Disney chooses to spend a inordinate amount of time checking a middle aged man who's in the company of his Wife, Daughter, Son in Law, and Granddaughter then so be it.
If I didn't have all day to spend at the park I wouldn't go in the first place.
Also...
As I've stated before, and was stated earlier in this thread, if someone wants to commit an act of terror the ideal place is the bottleneck caused by the bag checks.

 

[Tomh]

Those long lines you encounter for bag check are there for a reason. That choke point allows Disney Security time to observe guests, and profile them. Someone up to no good is more likely to become nervous, and exhibit telltale signs when they are held up in some kind of security theater such as the bag check area.