Bag Check Inconsistency

[Ben E N]

Am I missing something, or did I correctly observe this? If you park at Epcot, hop on the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center, and then take the other monorail to the Magic Kingdom, there is no bag check for you at all.
On the other hand, if you jump on the resort monorail, you get bag checked, and then get checked again at Epcot, despite never leaving the Disney transportation system.
I know that these bag checks are more for show than anything, but that just seems like a really weird gap if I was in fact seeing that right.

 

[focusondisney]

I don’t often take the monorail, so I might not be correct. But I am almost positive the monorail entrance at Epcot is inside the security zone. So you are checked before you get on the monorail at Epcot.

 

[Ben E N]

I don’t often take the monorail, so I might not be correct. But I am almost positive the monorail entrance at Epcot is inside the security zone. So you are checked before you get on the monorail at Epcot.

Ah. That could be possible. The entrance could be within it, and the exit outside it. I've never actually tried the Epcot lot to the monorail, so I think you're right. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[Fangorn]

Ah. That could be possible. The entrance could be within it, and the exit outside it. I've never actually tried the Epcot lot to the monorail, so I think you're right. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Yes, the Entrance to the Monorail at Epcot is INSIDE the security zone. The Monorail Exit at Epcot is OUTSIDE the security zone - which is why you have to be re-checked when taking the monorail to Epcot.

Steve

 

[Ben E N]

Yes, the Entrance to the Monorail at Epcot is INSIDE the security zone. The Monorail Exit at Epcot is OUTSIDE the security zone - which is why you have to be re-checked when taking the monorail to Epcot.

Steve

Thanks for confirming this. The double check is annoying but I feel a lot better knowing that everyone gets at least a quick looking at.

 

[DebbieB]

It is annoying, hopefully they can reconfigure security to fix it.

 

[Fangorn]

There has been talk (speculation?) that Disney will eventually reconfigure the monorail station/bus area at Epcot so as to eliminate the need for the double screening. If/when that happens, it will likely be in conjunction with the proposed new hotel attached to the front of Epcot. So not anytime soon.

Steve

 

[pooh2001]

Take less items with you into the parks and your bag check will be better and faster

We carry our refillable mugs, Visa card and drivers license (for ID if needed), wear our hats and wrist bands , and 2 snack bars. Less to carry, less to check

 

[Ben E N]

Take less items with you into the parks and your bag check will be better and faster

We carry our refillable mugs, Visa card and drivers license (for ID if needed), wear our hats and wrist bands , and 2 snack bars. Less to carry, less to check

Yeah but how about the dozens of people in front of you in line? It's not like they have an Express checkout for people only carrying five items or less.

 

[bluezy]

Yeah but how about the dozens of people in front of you in line? It's not like they have an Express checkout for people only carrying five items or less.

Yes they do, it's called the "no bag" line. We use it all the time!

 

[Ben E N]

Yes they do, it's called the "no bag" line. We use it all the time!

Well yeah, but that has nothing to do with bag check lines then. An even easier solution is to just not go to the park at all, but who wants that?

 

[bluezy]

Well yeah, but that has nothing to do with bag check lines then. An even easier solution is to just not go to the park at all, but who wants that?

I guess you missed the humor (laughing green emoji should have been a clue)..."5 items or less"..."express lane"...no bags..."express lane"/no-bag entrance. Avoid the bag-check line so you don't have to deal with the slowness.... Never mind, the joke has passed.

As far as the bag check lines...I got out of those years ago because of all the people who cram 3 days worth of gear in their backpack and take 5 minutes to move everything around so that the guards can see to the bottom of the bag. And then they stand there and pack it all back in where it most likely stays completely undisturbed/not used until the next day when they go through bag check and start the routine all over again. I don't have young kids (still only carried a very small cross-body bag to the park even when I did) and don't have any medical needs that require me to carry equipment or medication to the parks, so I don't really take much of anything to the parks with me. My phone, ID, credit card, and a little cash go in a clear plastic phone pouch lanyard. A few tissues, a portable phone charger, and a lip gloss go in my pocket. We happily breeze through the no-bag line.

 

[Ben E N]

I guess you missed the humor (laughing green emoji should have been a clue)..."5 items or less"..."express lane"...no bags..."express lane"/no-bag entrance. Avoid the bag-check line so you don't have to deal with the slowness.... Never mind, the joke has passed.

As far as the bag check lines...I got out of those years ago because of all the people who cram 3 days worth of gear in their backpack and take 5 minutes to move everything around so that the guards can see to the bottom of the bag. And then they stand there and pack it all back in where it most likely stays completely undisturbed/not used until the next day when they go through bag check and start the routine all over again. I don't have young kids (still only carried a very small cross-body bag to the park even when I did) and don't have any medical needs that require me to carry equipment or medication to the parks, so I don't really take much of anything to the parks with me. My phone, ID, credit card, and a little cash go in a clear plastic phone pouch lanyard. A few tissues, a portable phone charger, and a lip gloss go in my pocket. We happily breeze through the no-bag line.

I'm hoping to reach those years in 4 years or so. Right now I'm in the "sherpa" phase of my Disney life. Stroller, waters, snacks, changes of clothes, more snacks, ponchos, band aids, and other miscellaneous items. With all that, I approach security with all flaps of my backpack opened up and explain what is in each section as it is looked through. Then I get the heck out of other people's way. Takes all of 30 seconds, if that. I wish they had a lane for people who were prepared like that. The AP magic band does no good really. An AP holder security line would be much more beneficial.

 

[bluezy]

I'm hoping to reach those years in 4 years or so. Right now I'm in the "sherpa" phase of my Disney life. Stroller, waters, snacks, changes of clothes, more snacks, ponchos, band aids, and other miscellaneous items. With all that, I approach security with all flaps of my backpack opened up and explain what is in each section as it is looked through. Then I get the heck out of other people's way. Takes all of 30 seconds, if that. I wish they had a lane for people who were prepared like that. The AP magic band does no good really. An AP holder security line would be much more beneficial.

Yes, it would be nice if there was a "high speed line" for those people who are experienced and prepared for bag check. My son and daughter-in-law have a 1 year old. And they've got bag check down to a science. They take a small zippered tote bag that easily fits in the storage basket of the stroller. Inside that tote bag is one ziploc bag with a few diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, disposable diaper bags, and disposable changing pads. In another ziploc bag is a change of clothing for the 1 yo, sunscreen, a bottle of water, and whatever other small odds and ends they need. My DIL takes the tote bag and heads to bag check -- taking both of the ziploc bags out of the bag ahead of time so it's easy to see everything and also see there's nothing in the tote bag (it has no external pockets). My son takes the 1 yo and the (empty) stroller through the no bag line. It doesn't take long for my DIL to get through bag check once she's at the front of the line -- and she's had bag inspectors tell her they wish everyone was as ready for bag check as she is. But no matter how quickly she gets through, my son is always through the no bag line faster and has to wait for her.

I don't miss the pack-mule days of Disney. Our kids had to carry their own stuff by the time they were 5 or 6. It's amazing how much stuff they don't need when they have to carry it themselves.

 

[Smittolis]

It doesn't help that the bag checkers themselves are relatively poorly trained (in my experience), in reality there is only a very small umber of items they are really looking for. Virtually all of these can be 'felt' by simply squeezing the bag. I've seen bag checkers go through a guests entire wallet, compartment by compartment, card slip by card slip..... It's like what on earth are you expecting to find?!?

If you wanted to smuggle things into Disney it wouldn't be that difficult so some of the checking is just OTT and superfluous anyway.

The fact they are there is as much as a visual deterrent as it is to find and prevent items in the first place, hence why they don't metal detect all guests all of the time. They screen some and let some go through. The fact that a guest 'could' be additionally screened or passed by a K9 is enough to enhance the level of risk and thus increase the deterrent level.

Of course accountability is 360, so people entering the parks need to be prepared for the process, but the blame is not all on their shoulders. It's not as if TSA chooses from the best and brightest talent pool.... and I have family in there! lol And Disney isn't the TSA.....

 

[bluezy]

It doesn't help that the bag checkers themselves are relatively poorly trained (in my experience), in reality there is only a very small umber of items they are really looking for. Virtually all of these can be 'felt' by simply squeezing the bag. I've seen bag checkers go through a guests entire wallet, compartment by compartment, card slip by card slip..... It's like what on earth are you expecting to find?!?

If you wanted to smuggle things into Disney it wouldn't be that difficult so some of the checking is just OTT and superfluous anyway.

The fact they are there is as much as a visual deterrent as it is to find and prevent items in the first place, hence why they don't metal detect all guests all of the time. They screen some and let some go through. The fact that a guest 'could' be additionally screened or passed by a K9 is enough to enhance the level of risk and thus increase the deterrent level.

Of course accountability is 360, so people entering the parks need to be prepared for the process, but the blame is not all on their shoulders. It's not as if TSA chooses from the best and brightest talent pool.... and I have family in there! lol And Disney isn't the TSA.....

I have a love/hate relationship with bag check at Disney. Several years ago -- I think it was 2011 -- was the incident that made me realize that bag check/security is really theater at Disney. It was our first day at Disney on that trip. We had arrived that morning and were heading to Epcot that afternoon. We were already on the bus to Epcot when my husband realized he had forgotten to take his little pocket knife out of his pocket before we left the room. He figured he'd just throw it away when we got to Epcot so it wouldn't cause a problem at security. I told him not to worry about it -- that as long as it was in his pocket, no one would even know he had it (this was before they had metal detectors). It would be more of a problem if *I* had it in my little cross-body bag. We get to bag check and he and the kids go through the no-bag line and I go to bag check. I had the usual crap-that-no-one-ever-uses in my bag and the guard was going through it like he was looking for something specific. He pulls a clothespin out of my bag and asks me why I have that. I thought he was joking so I told him I kept a clothespin in my bag in case I needed to do laundry in a fountain in the park. He wasn't amused. Long story short, I was basically interrogated by the guy as to why I had the clothespin. Apparently you can use the spring to detonate a bomb. I told the guy numerous times that he could have the clothespin -- just throw it away, I didn't need it. Meanwhile, my husband was standing on the other side of the plaza wondering what was taking so long since there was really no one else in the bag check line at that time. I really wanted to look at the bag check guy and say, "You're giving me a seriously hard time about a freakin' clothespin and that guy standing over there just walked through the no-bag line with a knife in his pocket!!!" That was the trip that convinced me I didn't want to carry a bag in the parks anymore.

I will say that we've had some "good" experiences with the guards that are lingering around the no-bag entrance and the metal detectors. They seem to be more well trained than the bag check people (other than the one who didn't notice the pocket knife -- which was really small, and several years ago). A few years ago my husband went through the no-bag line and was walking towards the touch point pylons and a guard pulled him aside and asked him what was in his pocket. It was actually just a snack size ziploc bag of beef jerky, but I was impressed that the guard even noticed that there was *something* in his pocket -- I didn't think it was obvious at all. And this summer when I was going through the metal detector I had forgotten that I had a phone charger in my pocket and I set off the detector. Before I could even react, the guard said, "It's just the charger in your pocket -- you don't need to go through again." I have no idea how he noticed it -- it's one of those lipstick size chargers and my shorts were far from skin tight. At least I know those guards are actually more observant than they might appear to be.