How bad is bag check, really?

[Jays2013]

I really wanted to go bagless at the parks this fall, so to avoid the bag check lines, but I just don't think it's going to work.

For one thing, my mom is seriously balking at the notion of not taking a purse, so if we're already going to have to do that, I might as well take a few small things. Right now, I'm just planning a small wristlet purse (which I will, of course, have unzipped and ready to go ).

How much of a delay is bag check, really? What can we expect?

 

[Klayfish]

How much of a delay is bag check, really? What can we expect?

It's not a big deal at all, IMO. Even on busy mornings, we never wait more than 7-10 minutes...tops. Usually it's less. They have a ton of stations set up and the guards are usually pretty efficient. And believe me, I know...we bring in a monster size bag. We don't eat in the restaurants, we pack all of our food, so we'll pack an entire dinner for a family of 5...drinks and all. Even with a bag as massive as ours, it only takes 30 seconds for me to get through, usually less.

When you walk up, just look around, you'll probably see a line shorter than others. People tend to gravitate toward the middle lines, the ends are often shorter.

 

[china mom]

Bag check has gotten a lot better at MK now that they screen everybody at different locations (monorail - before they get on train; bus - just after getting off bus; etc) In fact, much of the time, they sent 100% of the bagless folks through the meta detector. Taking everything out of you pocket and repacking them is just about as time consuming as unzipping your bag. I didn't see much of a difference this past trip.

 

[Belle'sFan]

I'm curious about this also. Our last visit was 5yrs ago, when bag check was closer to park entrance instead of at bus/boat drop offs. Also, if you had a small purse, they often waived you through without the bag check. If I didn't need my cell phone for FP+ and photos, I would charge purchases using the magic band and put some cash in a pocket and go bag less. Considering using cargo shorts, but I don't really like them.

 

[Disneylover99]

I find it pretty quick and easy, no matter what time of day I go.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

It's pretty easy. I treat it like the check out at the grocery store. Be observant, don't JUST pick a short line, but make note of what you are getting behind. The family pushing the double stroller loaded down with bags and softside coolers. . .they are going to take a lot longer to go through the bag check than 6 teenage girls with crossbody bags. (no offense to any of these families, I understand the struggle) Also, if there are a few of you with bags, instead of being in single file, line up on both sides of the table, they alternate one side, then the other, so your entire party will get through quicker if you divide and conquer.

 

[gillep]

Not bad at all. The Epcot lines can look long, but they usually staff enough tables that it moves quickly. I have seen the MK bag check get really backed up, but I don't think that this is an issue since the re-design, and event then it was more of an exception than the rule. Make sure that you have your bag/purse completely off of your body, and all pockets on your bag unzipped before you get to the table. I also agree with the previous poster about dividing and conquering, DH and I sometimes even make a competition out of it to see who picks the better line, it definitely helps us to keep it light and fun!

 

[loves to dive]

I think it depends on the time of day and park. I go bagless 98% of the time. As others have said, MK is better than it used to be since they have multiple areas set up. IG at Epcot goes pretty fast though that might change when the gondolas go into service. HS can have some long lines. The main entrance to Epcot seems to go pretty fast and other than at rope drop, I've never really seen many long lines at AK. There was talk at one time that one or two of the parks had lines for strollers and wheel chairs and lines for smaller bags but I don't know if that's true.

 

[AngiTN]

I go bagless because it's easier to navigate the parks without a bag, not so much because it's easier to get in the parks without a bag. Getting in the parks without a bag is a bonus.
But, when DD comes she brings a bag and I do see the bag lines and most of the time, they aren't too bad. MK especially is good.
AK can be awful. Or it can be nothing. But when AK is bad, it's REALLY bad. I've seen theirs back up to the tram lines on more than 1 occasion. Before Pandora even opened.
HS is typically fine, no significant line most of the time
Epcot can be bad, it's poorly designed and tends to look worse than it is but really, it's not big enough period. So it is just worse than others. IG is not bad.

 

[disneyvoice]

On our last trip I had a bag and my husband went through the no bag line. Every single time I got through the bag check line faster than he got through the no bag line. He was required to go through the metal detectors every time but I was never asked to go through (when we were there everyone who went through the bagless line was required to go through the metal detector - it wasn't random).

 

[CrankyDad]

We did all the parks earlier this year. Wife and daughter had bags. Never even registered on my radar about wasting time or anything.. It was fast and no big deal..

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Bag check has improved SPECTACULARLY within the last year. I was in WDW in June and again last week, and I never waited more than a few moments. They have clearly worked hard to analyze their systems and adapt to the additional screening. Do not worry about this for a second. They are very thorough going through the bags, but it doesn't take long, and the security personnel are quite polite and friendly. Take the bag off your body before you get to the security person, as they can't look at it if it is hanging around you. Also open up any additional bags that are inside it (make-up bags, etc.) and undo any zippers and fasteners.

 

[DisneyOma]

EPCOT bag check was tedious last week - it's too small for the volume of guests. But the other parks were easy-peasy, especially MK. Loved how you can go from EPCOT to MK on the monorail and not get checked again!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Bag check has never been an issue for us. There are usually open spots because people are lemmings and get into lines even though the security guards use both sides of the table. I don't think we've ever been back further than 3rd in line in any of our trips, regardless of time of day.

 

[brookmey]

The lines aren't too bad, but occasionally you will get someone who is very thorough going through your bag, which really slows the line down. I was using a Nike cinch sack with one zippered pocket on the outside. He removed everything from that pocket because he "needed to see better." What? It was a shallow pocket with not much in there. Just gum and a few granola bars. Then he pulled out my wallet and opened that and he opened a tiny bag that held my charging cords, which he took out and then couldn't put back in properly. He opened the ziplock bag carrying my rain poncho and pulled the poncho out and shook it and then just shoved it back in the cinch sack without putting it back in the ziplock baggie. I was so annoyed and had to stop and repack everything once I got through. I have never had a security guard go through my bag like that before.

He was the only security guard who did that over my 4 day trip where I did a lot of park hopping. The rest used their flashlights to poke around my bag but none of them emptied the contents from my bag to get a better look.

 

[Jays2013]

Thanks! Sounds like it's a lot than I'd initially heard/was imagining. Whew.

Once I realized there was pretty much no way to get Mom to part with her purse, I figured I might as well keep her company.

 

[Fangorn]

We always bring a backpack, and trade off who goes through the bag check line and who goes through the no bag line. in all our trips the time difference between bag and no bag lines has never been more than 2 minutes - usually less than 1. I wait longer at the tapstiles than I do in the bag line.

I understand that people may not want to carry anything in the parks (don't find that an issue myself, but I get it). But the angst I read about over an extra minute or two for going through a bag check line; don't understand that at all.

Steve

 

[DVC_Princess]

The lines aren't too bad, but occasionally you will get someone who is very thorough going through your bag, which really slows the line down. I was using a Nike cinch sack with one zippered pocket on the outside. He removed everything from that pocket because he "needed to see better." What? It was a shallow pocket with not much in there. Just gum and a few granola bars. Then he pulled out my wallet and opened that and he opened a tiny bag that held my charging cords, which he took out and then couldn't put back in properly. He opened the ziplock bag carrying my rain poncho and pulled the poncho out and shook it and then just shoved it back in the cinch sack without putting it back in the ziplock baggie. I was so annoyed and had to stop and repack everything once I got through. I have never had a security guard go through my bag like that before.

He was the only security guard who did that over my 4 day trip where I did a lot of park hopping. The rest used their flashlights to poke around my bag but none of them emptied the contents from my bag to get a better look.

I encountered one guard like this as well. In all my visits, I have never been so annoyed at security. The guard took forever and it was before the MK changes & packed so I couldn't switch lines with 3 kids and a double stroller. I was easily in line for 20 minutes. He unpacked every little container and rechecked bags that he forgot he checked. I opened every zipper to make things easier - nothing helped. The guard said he was from NYC and overly cautious because of the things he's seen. I appreciate that as we are also from the area, but the truth was that anyone with an actual hazardous material would have switched lines. Being obviously slower than every other security guard does nothing to enhance security - just upset the mom with multiple kids who has to repack her bag while juggling her toddler. Only once in over a hundred bag checks but a truly awful experience. Most of the time bag check is quick and works as intended.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

It's no big deal in my opinion.
I get to the parks about 30-40 minutes prior to RD though.
It takes 0-5 minutes. Never waited longer than that even during peak season.
Have all compartments of the bag open, if you have a glasses case take it out and have it open.
Then start closing everything up as you head to the metal detector, set your bag down, walk through, pick your bag up and walk away.
I do all that in one fluid motion while others stand there complaining that they have to set their phone on the table for a second.
Even the week leading upto Easter Sunday this year never took more than a few minutes.
Those of us with bags were done before my bagless dad most times because he had to remove several things from his pockets and then pick them each up and put them back in.

 

[mamamelody2]

I found the lines last September to be very reasonable. Luckily, we didn't have any over-zealous bag-checkers!