Disney Security: Inconsistent, Useless

[civileng68]

What would you like them to do?

What is so hard about it? Frisk people, lift skirts you say? Cmon? Why can't people look at the simple things?


What they need to do is be consistent and improve simple security measures.


1) There needs to be a security station before loading at the monorails from the parking lots.

2) Security guards that check bags need to FULLY check bags, which they DO NOT. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Friendly Frog]

I don't think the op is paranoid, only aware of his surroundings and that bad things happen even in good places.

I agree that at least on the surface, Disney security does seem to be very lax for a place that contains so many people. Even our local Six Flags passes you through a scanner for guns.

Didn't a passenger on a plane notice and then stop someone trying to light a tennis shoe bomb? Prior to that someone concerned about bombs being placed in a shoe might also have been called paranoid.

It pays for us all to remain alert and aware of our surroundings. Complacency can be costly.

 

[WickedWench]

I think that people can be twisted by paranoia. It is better to not live in fear and overcontemplate how things can happen. The sad fact is that something can happen anywhere and we cannot live in a police state. Having visited East Germany in the communist days and seeing guards with machine guns is not a pleasant sight. Do you want that at Disney too?

well said.

 

[graygables]

I suppose I've always thought that the ticket checker is there before the monorail gates not to keep interlopers out, but to make sure you have your ticket already since the ticket booths are at the TTC, not the front gates, and you'd have to come back to TTC if you went over there intending to buy a ticket. I've never bothered to pull my AP out to show them.

There are ticket booths at the entrance to Epcot and the MK...some people don't want to stop at the TTC for tix OR (sometimes) those booths are already closed so you HAVE to go to the park to purchase. The monorail is not a "ticketed" ride. They don't check tickets on the buses, either...can you imagine how long it would take to get back to the Pop if they did that???

 

[TDC Nala]

1) There needs to be a security station before loading at the monorails from the parking lots.

What about from the resorts? From Epcot? What about the buses and boats? Should they search people's bags before they get on crowded parking lot trams? What can they possibly do about the transportation issue without having to search your basic Disney customer who likes to park hop every time they turn around? Would anyone want to spend their vacation doing that?

I happen to agree with you about the fact that many of the bag checkers don't check much.

 

[DC7800]

1) There needs to be a security station before loading at the monorails from the parking lots.

Not to nit-pick at your post, but why does there need to be a security check before the monorail? Yes, someone could get on board with a weapon, but there are many, many more people on the ferryboat, buses, or in the local McDonald's back home than are found in one monorail car. Unless there is some specific threat, I don't see why the monorail should be singled out.

 

[eclectics]

For every Disney security person you see, I'll bet dollars to doughnuts, there are five others you don't see. They have hidden video cams everywhere. I feel safer at Disney then I do at my local shopping mall!

 

[cleo]

There are security guards and then there are Security Guards. Disney doesn't hire college kids, give them a weekend session, then send them into the park to look for bad guys with guns. A highly trained professional doesn't need to see the gun to know who deserves watching.

I agree bags could be checked a bit better at times (though some bag checkers fall just short of asking for a blood sample!), but there are a lot more security measures than meet the eye. I'll pass on the frisking and skirt lifting, thank you, and take my chances Epcot will survive the day.

 

[minnie61650]

Well maybe I am a little over paranoid, however, I think some are a little naive about the security.

However, it is VERY naive to think that the security guards are serving a purpose. Were they not hired to serve a purpose? If so, what was that purpose? They are NOT checking bags as they should be.

I say these things not to condemn Disney but in hopes that they can realize the true dangers.

As I posted on the first page the bag checkers help to slow down the guests so SECURITY has a better chance to screen the guests entering the park.
Please read my post on page one as to the types of security that may be already in place.
Disney does take security very seriously!
They have plans in place that can lockdown /or evacute the park in a matter of minutes.
Linda

 

[grinningghost]

All we can do is remain alert when we're in places like WDW. Chances are, an alert guest will be the one to notice a bomb, not a security guard or a camera. If you see something suspicious, report it. If not, go about your happy Disney day and Hakuna Matata.

 

[moose4mouse]

I live every day of my life with nary a care in the world. I wake up, go to work, head back home with a stop at the gas station, and never give any of this the first thought. Not to say that there is something wrong with it, but I can't fathom having the thoughts and worries of the OP. I could get creamed by a mack truck OR a suicide bomber tomorrow, and I'm o.k. with that. People have been doing it for tens of thousands of years. My daily Disney dreaming will be unaffected. My 2 cents.

 

[Micca]

There is very little we can do to be truly safe. Let it go, the odds are in your favor.

 

[whjoyjr]

Does not mean that there are none.

I can assure you that there are various types of sensors present in places you are unaware of. The first line of defense is even before you step / drive onto the property. And there are many, many more measures that you will never be aware of.

If security was REALLY as lax as you believe, then why has there not been an incident? Because it is not as lax as you perceive.

And, don't you think that we are giving the "terrorists" exactly what they want, the destruction of the American society? The ability to travel freely? The right not to be arrested without cause? The right to t trial? The right to an attorney? We have already tossed "some poeples rights" into the dumpster. What will stop them from dumping YOUR rights onto the trash heap of history?

 

[Meezers]

I started living as an American aware of terrorism in the late 1980's.

I was Army Military Intel and served a year on top of an extinct volcano in Turkey. From there I went to Berlin...still behind a wall in the middle of East Germany. I arrived only a few weeks after terrorists bombed a disco full of Americans.

Am I more aware of security than most people? Yes I think so. Am I going to let it consume my everyday life? No...then the "bad guys" win.

PS...want some fun...try flying into Jerusalem or Tel Aviv sometime!

 

[ECurto]

DELETED

 

[jann1033]

while i think your points are well taken op..i really don't think terrorists are going to be stopped by a bag check..many places do so now and they'll just find another way to smuggle what they need where they need it( ie the shoe bomber)..we live in critical times that are hard to deal with. it's a fact of life.

 

[liamsaunt]

You can choose to live your life in fear...or not. People who live in major cities and rely on mass transit to get to their jobs have to make that "leap of faith" every day. I am one of them. Most subway systems hold many more people than a monorail. I am sure Disney is doing what they need to do to protect their property, whether you realize it or not.

 

[graygables]

PS...want some fun...try flying into Jerusalem or Tel Aviv sometime!

or try crossing from Jordan to Israel...Disney security could have everyone take their cameras, aim them at themselves and take a photo! BTW, Jordan to Israel took a full day of our itinerary to cross...biometric scans already suck up enough of my Disney time!

 

[Houston_Disney_Fan]

Hey, it's always something. I'm going to be hit by a hurricane tomorrow, and have no idea if I'll be able to make my trip to Disney Oct. 1-8.
There really are quite a few undercover security people in there...several years ago, we were at the Honey I Shrunk The Kids playground, and some woman told her little boy, maybe 5 years old, to climb up a giant blade of grass so she could take a picture. He was maybe 20 feet up when a rather dorky-looking guy carrying a souvenir bag stepped in and immediately took charge of the situation, obviously on an official basis. I believe there is plenty of security there, it's just below the surface.

 

[HaleyB]

Disney is currently spending a huge amount of money to "Referbish" the trains in MK and DIsneyland. They are really implementing security measures. They are very saftey aware.

In the spring of 2002 I witnessed a bomb scare in Disneyland. The response was mind boggling. They had security coming out of the wood work, I could not figure out how they could get so many people there so quickly. Tons of plain clothes security, lots of suits, regular security, and "regular" CM's (or dressed that way). They came running and they came fast. They were obviously well organized and acted very well coordinated.

They cleared the area and shut down the Monorail instantly. Really, the crowd was cleared super fast. I have never seen anything like it in my life. They had dogs in minutes and one of those boxes to enclose the 'bomb'. It was a false alert in the end, but boy was I glad to see them at work. I was also glad to see the guests respond so quickly when told to clear an area.