In light of the recent terror attack in Orlando, I think Disney's security system is not good enough

[margot31]

there are plenty of times where there could be an attack. Before or after a sporting event, Airports before security.....the list could go on.

One thing I heave learned is that if you live in fear you have already let them won. By us still going on with things we want to do and all is showing them we won't hide.

 

[kwdw]

Listen, while their bag checks aren't THAT extensive, they are enough to stop someone with an entire backpack of ammunition from entering the park. And they would probably catch an assault rifle. Could they miss a small handgun? Maybe. Could they miss stuff to make a bomb? Maybe. Twice on my last trip this past spring - I got sent to the metal detectors - because I tend to wear over-sized coats with pockets. Duh. In some ways - I'm grateful that they judged me to be suspicious person based on that. So - even bag check is not all theater. If they DIDN'T have it at all - you can bet more stuff you don't want in that park would be there. Having bag check at all is just one level of security.

The place is loaded with cameras. Today - cameras are programmed to recognize unusual activity - and that triggers more review of that feed by a person.

And then there's the security folks you don't see.

No place is "100%" safe anymore - your shopping mall, movie theater, restaurant, nightclub, any gathering spot is a potential target. I'm not about to stay home in fear. BUT - I am definitely more aware of my surroundings when I am out and about than I was 16 years ago!

 

[rg35]

Things are no more or less safe than they have been following the thousands of other mass shootings in the US over the last 15 years.
The way people are reacting, one would think similar events have never happened before. Surely people haven't forgotten about Sandy Hook, Aurora, CO, and all the others? Everyone keeps talking about terrorists, even though only a tiny handful of mass shootings in the U.S. have had any political motivation behind them, and an even smaller number have had anything to do with religion.

 

[rochek1999]

If you are that concerned about what you view as a "lack" of security, why do you keep going back?? If I didn't feel safe in a certain place, I sure wouldn't be going there!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't live in fear, but am aware of my surroundings, or at least try to be as much as possible. I also think the bag check is a joke, sorry if that offends anyone. Time is spent feeling up my backpack, going through my wallet and eye glass case when something can be strapped to my ankle. If I am not randomly chosen for the metal detector, I just got in with a weapon. .simple as that. I would not ever do that, but that's how easy it is. Please don't tell me they have undercover security thst are looking down at my normal fitting jeans. I don't wear Rose colored sun glasses to the theme parks. Like I said, I am not in fear, but bag check security is a joke.

 

[Jennasis]

News flash...NOBODY'S security system is good enough. Grocery store, movie theater, mall, school, post office, Dr. office...etc. Disney does better than pretty much anywhere else.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

News flash...NOBODY'S security system is good enough. Grocery store, movie theater, mall, school, post office, Dr. office...etc. Disney does better than pretty much anywhere else.

Those places don't go through my bags, at least not yet. Actually the school I work at, we physically search, as in pat down and go through pockets, pant legs & waistband, shake out bra, remove shoes and use a metal detector wand on every student that comes thru the gate. I work at an alternative middle/high school

 

[supersnoop]

yes I heard that but that doesnt deal with the fact that my family and I have barely ever been searched well enough and we could have smuggled anything we wanted into the parks.

You've been searched much more thoroughly than you even know. That's the magic of Disney security. And, due to the recent terror attack, I won't elaborate further.

 

[DVCcurious]

I think Disney should use the same system the aliens use when they abduct people: anal probes!

 

[drp4video]

I have always carried a small bag whether it be a fanny pack or letter carrier so I go through bag check. Last May I decided not to carry a bag and had pants with a lot of pockets. Carried the same things in my pockets that I carry in my bag. Breezed right in with no check. I was always amazed at this as you can carry anything dangerous in a pocket.

OT: As an attorney who has had a hip replacement, I always set off the metal detectors in the court house. I get wanded. In winter, I wear boots. They never wand my boots. Think about that.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have always carried a small bag whether it be a fanny pack or letter carrier so I go through bag check. Last May I decided not to carry a bag and had pants with a lot of pockets. Carried the same things in my pockets that I carry in my bag. Breezed right in with no check. I was always amazed at this as you can carry anything dangerous in a pocket.

OT: As an attorney who has had a hip replacement, I always set off the metal detectors in the court house. I get wanded. In winter, I wear boots. They never wand my boots. Think about that.

I went through once with my camera in my pocket and they didnt ask what was in my pocket!!! It was a bulge. I chose not to carry a bag that day. Phone was in other pocket.

 

[IrishNYC]

again, my experience with Disney security leads me to believe that it's super easy to get weapons through.....why dont they check us like DCL does?

There is plenty of security at WDW that you don't see. Security at the gate is a tiny part of it. Minuscule.

DCL took your steamer because they are not allowed to be brought on cruise ships by passengers, period. If you've gotten it through before, youve been lucky. Anything that heats up, with very few exceptions, is allowed on board cruise ships. All cruise lines scan all luggage for contraband like this, as well as other things that vary by cruise line.

As others have said, it doesn't sound like WDW is the right destination for your family at this time. I could not live my life hysterical about the what-ifs. I've already lived through that kind of nightmare.

 

[asbyrneva]

You are clearly only taking into account the security you can see. Disney's security runs far deeper than the bag searching at the park gates.

This is 100% correct. They have lots of layers of security that are in place, like an iceberg most of it you will never see.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Disney notified the FBI In April that the terrorist and his wife were casing Disney.
Disney seems to have done a better job at security than the FBI in the case of the night club terrorist...

Wow. That's very impressive.

 

[DVCPAT]

I agree. We dont think it's actually safe. It's just an act. If somebody really wants to get through with weapons I honestly dont think it would be that hard

The recent expansion in Disney Springs requires additional covert security. Disney uses cutting edge technology and constantly updates as technology improves…


http://www.securityinfowatch.com/news/12221328/disney-springs-adding-more-security-cameras

 

[minnie mum]

The recent expansion in Disney Springs requires additional covert security. Disney uses cutting edge technology and constantly updates as technology improves…


http://www.securityinfowatch.com/news/12221328/disney-springs-adding-more-security-cameras

Let's all hope this cutting edge security technology turns out to be more reliable than their information technology.

 

[Minniesgal]

First of all, the security measures you are "seeing" and describe in your OP are just security theatre. They make people feel safer by show, without really having an impact. Those measures to little to nothing in the way of real security. The security that matters is security that is happening that you cannot see. It is the somewhat slowing down of crowds as they come through those choke holds and highly trained security folks watch from afar. Trust that there is A LOT more security that is subtle and unseen.

Secondly, the truly dangerous times are right at rope drop while that security is happening. It's in the times where there are large masses of people gathered in one spot with very little in the way of quick escape before any screenings take place. It's the hundreds and hundreds waiting right inside the gate for the welcome show. Or, maybe a completely full ferry boat on its way across the SSL.

If you chose to, you can love your life in fear of what may happen. Or you can chose to take the risk and continue to go to WDW and enjoy yourself. But if there is going to be an attack there, it isn't going to happen because so,e "guard" at the gate didn't look through a diaper bag thoroughly enough.

Exactly the main element of security isn't about the searches it is about monitoring peoples behaviour and body language. Good security guards know who they need to search long before they get in line thats is why so many are not searching bags but watching the crowds.

 

[gioiamama]

Disney always has an eye on us. There are cameras everywhere. And possibly some sort of detection technology as we move through turnstiles, gates, rides and who knows what else they could be using without us knowing.
Think of the magic band. They know everything about us; who we are, where we live, who is traveling with us, where we're staying, for how long, how much we're spending, eating, riding and tracking our movements on property (think bog meal delivery). I wouldn't call it a false sense of security, but I'm sure that Disney has background checks if not more on us all.

 

[Accident]

I've seen some things in the parks over the years where security springs into action and you'll be surprised how much security there really is. everyone in line or near you is not a guest and then you have the eyes in the sky and everything else we don't notice.

As far as the bag check, once disney trained their own staff it really changed. it's not a light patting of the bags and hasn't been for awhile now. they will even send someone from the scan back into the bag line for the smallest closed bag thing (change purse, etc). It's rather well done in my opinion..

Let's also not forget that the shooter moved on. Visible Security is mainly to catch the stupid and detour anyone from trying to have disney as a target. It sounds to me like the system is working. I highly doubt this was the first person to look over the place.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney notified the FBI In April that the terrorist and his wife were casing Disney.
Disney seems to have done a better job at security than the FBI in the case of the night club terrorist...

Darn that FBI. (mom and stepdad worked (stepdad retired from after a career that started with OSS) for the CIA so maybe I'm biased)

Well first I was annoyed because I wanted to use my steamer but later it made me feel good that they searched my stuff with a fine tooth comb to find it.

Fine tooth comb? Or xray machine? Machine is hardly a big search. It's easy. And the steamer is 100% NOT allowed, so of course they know what it looks like.

The fact the guy chose not to do it at Disney because of their security shows it did exactly what it is suppose to.

Makes sense.

again, my experience with Disney security leads me to believe that it's super easy to get weapons through.....why dont they check us like DCL does?

tens of thousands of people on land, with places to run, places to hide, and TONS of security ready to pounce if someone starts something. Versus 4K people on a ship over 4 miles of ocean to the bottom. What's MORE important to make sure things go through the xray machine???

First of all, the security measures you are "seeing" and describe in your OP are just security theatre. ... The security that matters is security that is happening that you cannot see. It is the somewhat slowing down of crowds as they come through those choke holds and highly trained security folks watch from afar. Trust that there is A LOT more security that is subtle and unseen.

Exactly.

they should be as intrusive as they need to be.

Hmm. See, I think they are just as intrusive as they have obviously needed to be.

Sounds like you should stay home. But who provides your security there?? Do you go to grocery stores? Do you go to gas stations? There's far less effective security in public gathering places than at Disney.

Definitely.

Today I was in a rotten traffic jam that's b/c of our ridiculous ongoing construction (they have redone this same stretch of road, making it wider each time to an inadequate degree, since I moved here in '87 and this time they've finally reached the limits without taking all sorts of private land, and they should have done this the first time), and as I drove 2 miles per hour in this one spot I thought "what if some car nearby has a bomb? what if??? omg omg omg." And then I thought..."OK, so they if they do...and if it goes off right now...my time is done and my son's, and we move on to whatever might or might not be out there." And I made myself calm down.

I'm not one who believes that people who want to kill others want us to be scared; I think if people want ot kill people, THAT is exactly what they want to do. I don't believe in the "if we're scared then they've won" stuff.

But I don't *want* to be fearful. I'm not one who is frightened of things others fear (could someone PLEASE have measles near us so we can get it and be actually immune for our lifetimes, PLEASE? and could someone give my kid chicken pox please? I'd appreciate it.) And I don't want to be afraid of all of this crud. If I'm afraid of it, and I can't get my heart to calm down, I won't go. If you are so scared; stop going. It's not good for you to be so freaked out.

No place is "100%" safe anymore

NO place has EVER been safe.

To anyone who thinks we were EVER safe, go read some Roman history. That'll make you realize that we have never ever been safe from others. Humans are horrible. We do gross things because we want to, not because we have to for survival.

Everyone keeps talking about terrorists, even though only a tiny handful of mass shootings in the U.S. have had any political motivation behind them, and an even smaller number have had anything to do with religion.

And I personally doubt that this guy really had religion behind him. I think he was a seriously disturbed and CONFUSED man who couldn't put the two halves of his mind together, and lashed out in a disgusting manner.

Those places don't go through my bags, at least not yet. Actually the school I work at, we physically search, as in pat down and go through pockets, pant legs & waistband, shake out bra, remove shoes and use a metal detector wand on every student that comes thru the gate. I work at an alternative middle/high school

I don't want to live in the same world as that school. That's horrible. I wouldn't work there. I couldn't.

I think Disney should use the same system the aliens use when they abduct people: anal probes!

Aha! They are just checking to make sure humans don't have weapons when they abduct them! Mystery solved.

I've seen some things in the parks over the years where security springs into action and you'll be surprised how much security there really is. everyone in line or near you is not a guest and then you have the eyes in the sky and everything else we don't notice.

Same here, Accident. At DL once I was in Tomorrowland, in the bathroom at Space. As I came out of a stall I could tell that *something* was going on. The vibe was just different in there. The bathroom attendant was pushing unoccupied stall doors open forcefully and peering in. And as I walked to the sinks and washed my hands, I noticed this one "tourist" had a coiled wire from her ear down her shirt. She could not have looked more like a tourist if she tried, but she was NOT a tourist. After that I started looking for that. It's amazing, how many "tourists" are not. And when something happens, in a heartbeat the person is just surrounded by people who almost materialize. It's wild.

Let's also not forget that the shooter moved on.

Exactly.