Bag Check! Ive had enough of it.

[maxiesmom]

If I recall didnt this start a few months after 9/11? Prior to 9/11 you could go into the parks with no bag check. Yes I know what happen on 9/11 was horrible however a mediocre bag check would not have prevented that horrible event. Therefore it does not make me feel safe that Disney has a bag check.

The bag check doesn't make me feel much safer. The fact that they are looking at people and watching for bad or suspicious behavior does. Profiling is not always a bad thing.

 

[jo-jo]

Last Dec, my DH and I were wearing the same type fleece jacket, I was stopped at the no bag line and asked what was in my jacket pockets. I had nothing in one pocket and a balled up empty bag in the other. It really bothers me, since I know some people carry so much stuff in their cargo pants pockets you're lucky the pants don't fall down.

 

[wdwcraz]

I agree these are a hassle and most of the time they barely even look in your bag. However when I was at DHS a couple of weeks ago the security check was so thorough I thought a body cavity search was next. This guy unzipped and opened every compartment on my backpack. He found pockets on my backpack that I didn't even know were there. I regretted making the joke and asking if he needed me to unzip all of the pockets on my jacket also. He didn't find that amusing. He was actually having some women almost empty their purse on the table so he could check it. He said they were checking for glass bottles and alcohol.

 

[WDWPooh]

I wouldnt mind a bag check for little bags. I know that sounds silly. But I carry just a fanny pack (super tourist), and I am literally 2 secs in line. When I get behind those with giant bags, strollers, back packs... blah.

 

[dddisrunner]

We were at the Animal Kingdom this past Saturday, 11/10. While in line at the bag check, the security CM confiscated 2 knifes from a potential guest, one was a pocket knife(think Swiss army type) the second knife was the same size as a regular kitchen knife with a much wider blade and it had NO COVER on it. I always felt the bag check unnecessary and an inconvenience however, after this incident, I will willingly stand in that line for however long is necessary. Of course I have no idea what this mans intentions were.....but there is no reason why you need a knife of that type at a theme park. I watched the man be escorted into a building flanked by 2 security officers!

 

[WDmommyof4]

Today there were really long lines before park opening. I picked a line that was relatively short and was sorry for it. Our lady was super thorough and for every bag she checked, five or ten went through the other lines. I will say though, that she pulled a Bud Light out of a ladies' purse about three people ahead of us in line.

 

[reiella]

DF doesn't carry a bag since I do. He never got stopped going through the no bag area, however on this past trip, one security guy stopped him and made another one pat/check the pockets of his cargo shorts. He always wear cargo shorts and we've been to Disney twice before and this never happened. Has it happened to anyone else? His pockets were empty so it's not even like they obviously full of stuff that needed to be checked.

Makes me half-tempted to see the Security Panic if someone wore a trenchcoat into the parks.

 

[AuroraRora]

I watched the man be escorted into a building flanked by 2 security officers!

WHAT?! Thank god they led him away, and didn't just confiscate the knife and let him continue about the park!

I have to be honest in that I think Disney's bag searching is a waste of time too - usually I hold the bag open and they poke it with their little stick while giving it a cursory glance and we're on our way. I have, once, experienced a thorough bag search though, where the security guard managed to find a pocket I didn't even know my purse had. The only place I've seen consistently thorough bag searches is at Seaworld, where it seems they're doing it to find straws and other plastic-y things that could harm their animals.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Somewhat amusing/annoying bag check story. We were waiting to get into the MK and there were some of the longest bag check lines I had ever seen. We ended up in the line of a nice, incredibly chatty woman. She would go thru everyone's bag slowly, take items out, comment on them, make jokes about little girls with big shoes. Which is lovely, I'm glad she enjoyed talking to the people and was having a good time. But if your line has 15+ people in it waiting to get in, it is probably not a great thing to have a 5 minute chat with each guest about what she finds in their bags.

 

[reiella]

I agree these are a hassle and most of the time they barely even look in your bag. However when I was at DHS a couple of weeks ago the security check was so thorough I thought a body cavity search was next. This guy unzipped and opened every compartment on my backpack. He found pockets on my backpack that I didn't even know were there. I regretted making the joke and asking if he needed me to unzip all of the pockets on my jacket also. He didn't find that amusing. He was actually having some women almost empty their purse on the table so he could check it. He said they were checking for glass bottles and alcohol.

It's awesome when they do that to folks who are taking feminine hygiene products into the parks, and decide they need to open every individual [factory] wrapped one.

I think we decided that that security guard didn't like having to be at Epcot at 8am.

 

[larryz]

I don’t buy the excuse of slowing people down. Aren’t they going to be slowed down anyways when they are at the front gate waiting to put their ticket into the machine. Why not look at them there?

If you're carrying contraband or an illegal weapon, there's no threat of discovery from a ticket machine.

However, the odd chance that you'll be thoroughly scrutinized at the security tables likely will make you think twice about carrying something in...

 

[nonzerosum]

Avoid the line ups with strollers, especially those with a basket stuffed with multiple bags. They take forever to get through.

 

[I Love Pluto]

I will NEVER complain about a bag check. Disney is one of the safest places I can think of. I will open my bag, knowing that others must do the same. It makes me feel secure in the parks that some madman or crazywoman will not pull a gun out and shoot great numbers of us.

Thank you, Disney! I appreciate all you are doing to keep us safe.

 

[Minerva Mouse]

I will NEVER complain about a bag check. Disney is one of the safest places I can think of. I will open my bag, knowing that others must do the same. It makes me feel secure in the parks that some madman or crazywoman will not pull a gun out and shoot great numbers of us.

Thank you, Disney! I appreciate all you are doing to keep us safe.

What about the ones that strap it to their legs? Sorry, I'm not trying to but, if someone wanted to get something in, I'm sure that could with little to no problem. I agree with the people that say it's mostly good theater, it makes you feel safe and that's all that really matters. But until they install medal detectors and x-ray machines you aren't really safe, and I'm sure that even then if some psycho wanted in bad enough, he could still do it!

 

[vcgirl925]

I wish i could go into a park without a bag. But with three small kids that's not going to happen in the near future. I agree with the OP, the bag checks are useless. They give some people a false sense of security maybe? IDK. But it's a huge hassle for nothing.

 

[Jennasis]

If I recall didnt this start a few months after 9/11? Prior to 9/11 you could go into the parks with no bag check. Yes I know what happen on 9/11 was horrible however a mediocre bag check would not have prevented that horrible event. Therefore it does not make me feel safe that Disney has a bag check.

It's not just weapons they are looking for. It's alcohol, drugs etc.

 

[KellyNY]

What about the ones that strap it to their legs? Sorry, I'm not trying to but, if someone wanted to get something in, I'm sure that could with little to no problem. I agree with the people that say it's mostly good theater, it makes you feel safe and that's all that really matters. But until they install medal detectors and x-ray machines you aren't really safe, and I'm sure that even then if some psycho wanted in bad enough, he could still do it!

No system is perfect but bag check does what is suppose to do, slow crowd, scan it for tells and do not let them in. It is not 100% success but if they can catch some people, it is good enough.

 

[Axelrodb1]

I found (at a career fair actually!!!) A home depot bag that folds into itself and forms a little keychain like accessory.

We stuff everything into our pockets except larger things like a water bottle and proceed through the no bag line.. then we open up the bag and toss it all in.. it might be silly but saving a few minutes not waiting in line makes it a better day!!!

This isn't the exact bag, but same idea http://obaili.en.made-in-china.com/...lding-Drawstring-Backpack-Bag-A-09-B027-.html

Also, I know its silly just to avoid the line but we have never had a quick check, its always been the security taking everything out of the bag or moving it in such a way that it needs to be repacked, and once they took things out and unzipped smaller bags then just left them on the table and moved onto the next person.. fitting everything into a bag in an orderly way is an art form!!!

 

[nonzerosum]

I found (at a career fair actually!!!) A home depot bag that folds into itself and forms a little keychain like accessory.

We stuff everything into our pockets except larger things like a water bottle and proceed through the no bag line.. then we open up the bag and toss it all in.. it might be silly but saving a few minutes not waiting in line makes it a better day!!!

This isn't the exact bag, but same idea http://obaili.en.made-in-china.com/...lding-Drawstring-Backpack-Bag-A-09-B027-.html

Also, I know its silly just to avoid the line but we have never had a quick check, its always been the security taking everything out of the bag or moving it in such a way that it needs to be repacked, and once they took things out and unzipped smaller bags then just left them on the table and moved onto the next person.. fitting everything into a bag in an orderly way is an art form!!!

I might have to try this. Good idea.

 

[LisaCat]

because of idiots like me who don't want their MnM mini tube of quarters for pressed pennies to open up in their bag so they.... duck tape it shut. OMG I am an idiot (this was a few years back). It looked like a pipe you know what... I quickly took the tape off and the guard and I had a good laugh but I felt like a HUGE idiot.

I really had a good laugh on this. My tubes of coins are always what stops my bag at xray at the airport. When I see the agent turn their head at an angle and look at my bag's picture I always ask, "The penny rolls or the pin lanyard?". Sometimes you can almost see the "light" come on as they understand what they are looking at. LOL