Bag Check at Magic Kingdom and other parks

[FigmentForEver1976]

Thinking about taking a fanny pack into the parks at the end of June. How long do you think it will take to get through bag check? I plan on doing rope drop most mornings.

 

[CAS239]

Bag checks never really take long. If I were to factor the time I'd say 30 seconds-10 min

 

[glocon]

We were there a few weeks ago and it was never more than 1-2 minutes at any park. But that was early April so it may be different for you.
WDW is quite efficient with that.

 

[jpeterson]

On our trip in May security was a breeze. Maybe a minute or two at the worst. The new security procedures at Magic Kingdom really helped. Last December was a different story. Horrible at busy times of the day.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Bag check was quick for all parks except Epcot - that one took 15 minutes thanks to 2 people with strollers who were unprepared. This was Memorial Weekend.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

Bag check is fairly quick but don't wear cargo pants/shorts. They tend to take those who wear bulky stuff with lots of pockets through the X-ray machine for additional checking.
My husband did this every day.

 

[jpeterson]

Bag check is fairly quick but don't wear cargo pants/shorts. They tend to take those who wear bulky stuff with lots of pockets through the X-ray machine for additional checking.
My husband did this every day.

Is that why I always got selected for the metal detector? Really that only added a few seconds. Was really quick.

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

Bag check is fairly quick but don't wear cargo pants/shorts. They tend to take those who wear bulky stuff with lots of pockets through the X-ray machine for additional checking.
My husband did this every day.

Is that why I always got selected for the metal detector? Really that only added a few seconds. Was really quick.

I never wear cargo shorts and my clothes are always pretty simple yet I got put through it so it's not just people wearing cargo shorts.

 

[Accident]

95% of the time, under 5 minutes and usually about 1-2 minutes..

the other 5% you just had timing where the lines were a little longer or it's rope drop and figure up to 15 minutes but i've only had it once that long... To compare, it'll take you 2-10 minutes to scan your band to get into the park. security is quick, scanning your ticket, not so quick for some reason.

Biggest issue is 1 person has a bag and the rest of the 20 person group is in line with them so it just makes it look more crowded than it it... They are pretty quick and do a good job at not keeping you there longer than needed..

however there is 1 trick. The metal detectors just after bag check, even lined up with the table look like they are the next stop however if they do not actually ask you to go into them, just walk around them you will not get in trouble. most of the people just get in line because it looks like your suppose to. The exception is international gateway where bagcheck and the metal detector are the same stop and you have to go through it, but you do that while your bag is checked and no extra time wasted.

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

Bag check is fairly quick but don't wear cargo pants/shorts. They tend to take those who wear bulky stuff with lots of pockets through the X-ray machine for additional checking.
My husband did this every day.

I thought everyone was being sent through the metal detectors! instead it's just TSA randomly selected nonsense? That's not smart...

 

[DWillowBay]

It's never "YOUR" bag that takes long...it's the 100 people in front of you that makes the experience time consuming.....or not.

 

[klmall]

Bag checks take very little time when we were there in late April even when it took two times to get from the Poly to the MK etc.

I quickly learned to be sure my fanny pack was completely open; all sections easy to look inside. When we went through it appeared that people were asked randomly to go through the metal detector. Having read about the cargo pants things I watched carefully and DS who wore cargo pants every day never was asked to go through the metal detectors.

And Accident's trick mentioned above is very accurate!

 

[Linkura]

Rope drop has always been extremely quick in my experience. No worries.

 

[heazer]

Each person is different so it's hard to judge. Some people bring in multiple bags with multiple compartments that have to be searched. I try to speed it up by unzipping all the things I can on my bag and pointing out a "hidden" pocket when I set my crossbody bag up on the table. It only takes them a few seconds to peak into my bag and I'm on my way.

 

[juxtapose]

Most days it was really quick for us, less than 10 minutes to wait in the bag check lines. We went to MK one evening around 7pm and waited a good 30 minutes to get through the bag line and probably 10 more to get into the park, pretty sure everyone was coming for fireworks that night as it was November and a non-party night.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I find it the bag check/ security screening process quick and efficient as well.

We just try our best to avoid getting in line behind families with strollers and backpacks and diaper bags etc. You can usually tell from a quick glance which families are prepared for the check and which ones are going to slow you up a bit.

I have heard that there have been times when Disney has implemented "Small Bag" lines. I have yet to experience this but it sounds convenient as heck to me.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Get in the same line as all the people who seem to know what they are doing, aka while walking up, they are splitting up and sending bagless Dad and the kids to the NO BAG line, mom is unzipping and opening all pockets on the stroller, the camera geeks are unloading their high-end gear on a table, etc.

DON'T meander into the general area and stand there until a security guard tells you where to go. Take a really good "perspective shot" in your mind as you are walking up to the gates and try to avoid the greatest cluster of people! Don't add to the crush of chaotic crazy!

I've noticed that if you keep walking until you get to the far end of the front gate area, that is where the shortest lines really are, and the security team is constantly ushering people to "just walk twenty more feet, folks, there will be no line if you KEEP walking!" Everyone of course wants to hop off the Monorail and clog up the first several lines they see, in the interest of saving a few dozen more steps.

It is really like driving on a highway and having to "read the road ahead" for several thousand feet.... just you are walking not driving!

 

[hiroMYhero]

Everyone of course wants to hop off the Monorail and clog up the first several lines they see, in the interest of saving a few dozen more steps.

This is outdated info.

Guests exiting the Monorail went through the Security checkpoints before they loaded onto the Monorail.

After exiting the Monorail, they go directly to the MK Entrance touchpoints.

 

[Accident]

I've noticed that if you keep walking until you get to the far end of the front gate area, that is where the shortest lines really are, and the security team is constantly ushering people to "just walk twenty more feet, folks, there will be no line if you KEEP walking!" Everyone of course wants to hop off the Monorail and clog up the first several lines they see, in the interest of saving a few dozen more steps.

This doesn't really apply anymore. As @hiroMYhero pointed out, security has been moved and spread out. It's been really thought out and most ways to come in, it's a single line you go through. The only places with a large number of lines is ttc and that's been handled really well where you kind of just get off your tram and walk straight to the line in front of you. and buses it's angled in a way that you fan out naturally getting to them. it's no longer approaching lines from the side and walking around people to get a good line.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

We went in January 2017. So I do imagine that a LOT of the security theatre is dependent on what's going on that day. For whatever reason we managed to visit the one week that all the CM's were like, "this is the slowest you'll see it," and they were constantly adjusting ropes and chains and lines and the security guards were set up in different ways each day. Maybe that's normal...

TL;DR : be compliant, be a minimalist if you can, be friendly and prepared if you can't go minimalist.