Hypothetical terrorist alert at WDW - WWYD?

[PaulaSB12]

The goal of a terrorist is to strike "terror" or "fear".

No, it would be letting the terrorist win.

I was at work one day when I heard what sounded like a car back firing down the street. It turned out that an forces recruitment centre had been bombed by the ira. Did it stop me going to work no. As you say the whole goal of a terrorist is to make people scared if you stop your life for it they have won.

 

[Andy B]

I think that high profile locations can get many calls 99% of which would be false alarms, they would be experienced in making early judgements as to credability and what to do. Living in London I have lived through multiple bombings including where the windows to my office were opened by the force of a blast and where I had been in the small shop where a person was killed by a bomb within a few days.

I cannot live my life in fear, 2,200 were killed om the roads in Britian in 2009 but I still drive, how many in the USA? You have to live your lifes.

 

[pogo791]

If the government "knew for sure" something was going down -- WDW would be closed, or they'd be taking action to stop it. Terrorist threats just don't happen that way. They know for sure that something is being discussed or planned, but not that it's going to happen or cause mass casualties.

I would probably change my plans if there were a credible threat for a specific location during the time period I was planning to be there. Right now, with the threats in Europe I wouldn't change my plans (if I were planning to go there) but if it changed from "somewhere in Europe" to "a mass transportation location in Lisbon" for example, and I had a plan to go there I might change the plan, or fly into another city and rent a car or something.

I'd agree. If there was something specific, that would change my behavior. Besides, when it comes to the OP's hypothetical, the parks at WDW are enclosed, with bag checks at the entrances. I would assume that security would be as tight there as possible.

BTW - next week I will be at a meeting in Paris, which is perhaps the city in Europe with the highest risk. You can take it for granted that I am going to play hooky at least on one day, to go to Paris Disneyland!

 

[golfgal]

I know this is hypothetical but if the government stated that they KNEW something was going to happen, they would have more specific dates then just 2011.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I also witnessed on other occasions the armed undercover security officers that WDW employs. Michael Jackson was at the Land for a photo shoot (again this was probably 1988) up on the hill and there were security guards everywhere because there had been some sort of death threats to MJ. His bodyguards were up on the hill with him and there were uniformed and plain clothes security everywhere. I was working greeter outside of Journey into Imagination and stood there and talked to one of the plain clothes armed guards. I had no idea that Disney had anything other than the retirees in the blue costumes walking around providing "security" but after talking with the armed undercover officer I had a whole new understanding about just how safe the place really is.

This was long before there was a constant Orange County Sherriff's Dept presence in the parks and 9/11. WDW has always known it was a huge threat and has taken measures to keep their guests safe.

 

[LukenDC]

I don't allow terrorist threats to alter my plans.

 

[Rora]

If you're gonna die I can't think of a better place to go.

My thoughts exactly.

My thinking is that I could die any day, any time. I could die after I finish this post, whether it be from an unknown terrorist attack or a brain aneurysm. I also feel that whenever my time is up, it's up and meant to be that way.

I wouldn't let fear keep me from living my life.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

We are going in 2011, if they were to say something like intelligence is expecting something to happen @ WDW around the month we were going, then I would cancel.

But honestly, its sad, but these are the times we are living in. I'm probably safer in WDW than my own mall.

When we went to NYC last year for DD's birthday to American Girl Place, when we got on the ferry from NJ to NY there was a sign that said something like "National Security Level is at orange (which I honestly don't recall hearing at all in the past year, but who knows) please stay vigilant." Something along those lines, maybe they just put the sign up b/c it was the holiday season, IDK. But we just don't know what is really going on and we can't live in a bubble and stay in our houses and not live life.

 

[golfgal]

We are going in 2011, if they were to say something like intelligence is expecting something to happen @ WDW around the month we were going, then I would cancel.

But honestly, its sad, but these are the times we are living in. I'm probably safer in WDW than my own mall.

When we went to NYC last year for DD's birthday to American Girl Place, when we got on the ferry from NJ to NY there was a sign that said something like "National Security Level is at orange (which I honestly don't recall hearing at all in the past year, but who knows) please stay vigilant." Something along those lines, maybe they just put the sign up b/c it was the holiday season, IDK. But we just don't know what is really going on and we can't live in a bubble and stay in our houses and not live life.

An Orange security alert is pretty much the "norm". I drive by the signs near our airport frequently and they are always on Orange for airports/transportation

http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/Copy_of_press_release_0046.shtm

 

[DMass]

I don't allow terrorist threats to alter my plans.

Exactly.

The only way I'm not going next year is if they close the place.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

An Orange security alert is pretty much the "norm". I drive by the signs near our airport frequently and they are always on Orange for airports/transportation

http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/Copy_of_press_release_0046.shtm

reading that made me sad
Its just really sad that this is the "norm" for us here in the US.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'll be in the minority. Heck no, I wouldn't go. WDW isn't a mandatory part of my life (heresy I know). Shoot, we'd just go to Myrtle Beach, or Va Beach or whatever that year. No way would I endanger my family and myself for a vacation!

 

[woodkins]

I would go, I live just outside NYC so pretty much every day there is an "imminent thread" that something may happen. We take our dd into the city on a monthly basis and ride the subways etc. If I canceled things everytime they raise a security level I would literally have to move out of my home and go to a bunker in the wilderness!

 

[Missy1961]

I would go, I live just outside NYC so pretty much every day there is an "imminent thread" that something may happen. We take our dd into the city on a monthly basis and ride the subways etc. If I canceled things everytime they raise a security level I would literally have to move out of my home and go to a bunker in the wilderness!

pretty much my answer. I work in midtown, for years my bags were checked every time I entered my office building. They can check your bags before you get on the subway. So I'd go to WDW if I had plans to go.

 

[livie1205]

I'll be in the minority. Heck no, I wouldn't go. WDW isn't a mandatory part of my life (heresy I know). Shoot, we'd just go to Myrtle Beach, or Va Beach or whatever that year. No way would I endanger my family and myself for a vacation!

no your not..I would not either! WDW is not somewhere I HAVE to go like the bank or store for food...no I would NOT put my kids in danger for a silly theme park if they had a really big threat...no way that is plain nuts.I can go to wdw another time..

 

[scrapquitler]

I would continue to live my life. If we change our lives and live in fear, the terrorists will have beaten us.

Many years ago I was getting ready to spend a semseter in Spain. My MIL said to me, 'aren't you scared, you could die in the plane on the way there, you could get robbed while you are there, you could end up in the hospital there, all alone" And I said to her, "I need to live my life, things can happen anywhere, anytime, we can't live in fear of what 'MIGHT' happen because it will keep us from enjoying our lives." ANd I still believe that now, even with the terrorist threats.

Now if you want to ask me would I go hiking along the Iranian border? No, but I'm not going to be scared here in my own country.

Now if they said "there is a credible threat that something will happen in Manhattan this month", yeah, I might avoid it. Maybe.

 

[Jennasis]

I don't "do" hypotheticals...especially silly ones (no offense OP.)

If there was a threat sooooooo credible that the government knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that wdw would be targeted for mass casualties, the park would be closed, or new security measures would be put in place (no bags allowed etc...)

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Just a hypothetical here. What if Homeland Security issued a terrorist alert for WDW, and it was an imminent threat for 2011. The govt knew for sure something was going down for 2011, including massive casualties. They just didn't know exactly what day. Would that deter you from going in 2011?

I think the first thing a terrorist would do is to find the weaknesses of any target.


maybe start a thread on a discussion board and see if someone would post what they preceived to be a weakness?


no offense, but I don't think this is an appropriate subject for discussion.

 

[Princess Sara's Mom]

So I've been thinking about what Grumpy Pirate said about perhaps changing the scope of the conversation to perceived weaknesses and that's an interesting point, but I also found what he said about not discussing measures taken in the past to be valid, as well. Good point. I'm going to see how I can delete my previous post earlier in this thread about my experience at Epcot as that might provide some intel/insight to those who may not have the best of intentions...

 

[Princess Sara's Mom]

So I've been thinking about what Grumpy Pirate said about perhaps changing the scope of the conversation to perceived weaknesses and that's an interesting point, but I also found what he said about not discussing measures taken in the past to be valid, as well. Good point. I'm going to see how I can delete my previous post earlier in this thread about my experience at Epcot as that might provide some intel/insight to those who may not have the best of intentions...

Done. Thanks for the input, Grumpy Pirate!