LONG Security Lines at MCO (Orlando Airport)

[safetymom]

Fly Clear is only available at MCO. They are adding several airports and they are supposed to be part of the Trusted Traveller program the govt. is starting this summer. I figured for me it was worth it since my home airport is MCO and I will be ahead of the game when it becomes part of the govt. program.

RAD, how do you know that Fly Clear doesn't pay for a security line at MCO? I hope I don't run into you when they put me in the security line. I paid extra and underwent a background check so I didn't have to stand in a line.

KarenP99, if you spend any time in airports you will see all sorts of things that are areas of security concerns. I don't feel any safer now than before 9/11. I do feel that power has gone to the heads of too many people at the airport.

 

[cdrn1]

I flew from MCO a few weeks ago on a Tuesday morning and was amazed at how quickly I got through security. My flight was at 1140, and I took the 0830 ME from CSR and buzzed through security with absolutely no wait. It was essentially a walk-on. (And so were most of the rides at WDW that weekend, I might add!!!)

 

[DISFANS3]

It took us 45 Mins last Wed, mid morn,line was backed up thru atrium. We got on a early ME bus then planned, because I know the line would be long. Older couple behind us thought they could make from check in to gate in one hour.....

 

[KerriMc]

We were there on Sunday March 19th and at terminal B, the one side was lined up REALLY badly. The other side (our side) for gate 25 was not lined up at all. They were actually being very rude about us trying to get our id out. Hurry up and get into line ... there are two lines open ... ugh!!! Have they ever tried to juggle two children and all the crap that goes along with it????? Give me a break ... I wasn't blocking anyone at all ... the actual screening part was a breeze too. No one in line at all. Very friendly people. It was a good experience for us.

Kerri

 

[Gary M]

On Dec 30 at about 10 am we had a 40 minute security line experience. On Feb. 6 at the same it was no wait.

 

[RAD]

RAD, how do you know that Fly Clear doesn't pay for a security line at MCO? I hope I don't run into you when they put me in the security line. I paid extra and underwent a background check so I didn't have to stand in a line.

When you use Fly Clear do you have your own X-Ray line to go through so you don't impact the other folks that have already paid extra fees for all the extra security measures that have been implemented after 9/11. My point is if you want to pay extra for bypassing the lines that's great, but don't impact me which is what Fly Clear does at MCO since they don't have their own X-Ray machine/line, once you get past your scan you are fed into the same lines as everyone else.

Let's turn it around a bit, how would you feel at WDW, after standing in line for 45 minutes to a hour having a 'special guest' get placed in front of you in the line, probably not very happy would you.

 

[Hawk]

Let's turn it around a bit, how would you feel at WDW, after standing in line for 45 minutes to a hour having a 'special guest' get placed in front of you in the line, probably not very happy would you.

Isn't that called fastpass? Sorry about that.

Tim/Hawk

 

[safetymom]

It doesn't bother me at all if I am dumped ahead of someone in a line. When I used to fly from my former home airport I went in the preferred line all the time. I either earned the right or paid for it to go ahead of someone who didn't.

You have that right also. Either you fly enough to be granted the option of using a preferred line or you paid to bypass the lines. I do agree most airports need more security screening lines but that isn't my problem to solve.

Yes that is the same as FastPass. Do you not use Fast Pass at WDW? Sorry but I do. I don't feel bad about it at WDW either.

 

[bicker]

And the x-ray stuff is a red herring. If it weren't for Fly Clear, then those folks would be going thorugh the same x-rays as the rest of us. Instead of the Fly Clear pax being put before you at 10:00 am, it would have been a Fly Clear pax who was there when you got in the x-ray queue. That all evens out.

 

[seashoreCM]

Let's turn it around a bit, how would you feel ..., after standing in line for 45 minutes to a hour having a 'special guest' get placed in front of you in the line, probably not very happy would you.

If someone is pulled out of line by an agent, that passenger should be re-inserted roughly where he was, or in a comparable location. There were a lot of pulls out of line back when kiosks were introduced, unfortunatley there were instances when the kiosk did not do what the passenger needed so the passenger had to go back in line.

How do lobbyists work? Don't they do mass mailings such as to all the stockholders of a corporation that wants something from the government? Expecting [said stockholders] to in turn write their Congressmen and Senators? Why not you and I do the same thing regarding airports. Each and every time we are unduly delayed at security (I'll throw out more than 30 minutes as too much delay) write to Senators and Congressmen and also the TSA. If corporations (including via their stockholders) can ask for "more this more that" from the government, why can't airline passengers? The squeaky wheel... you get the picture.

Maybe Disney should try to put together its own "fly clear" program at Orlando Airport. If Disney can infiltrate the airport with Magical Express, why not a "magical express" or fast pass process all the way to the gate going home?

 

[safetymom]

If flyers want to undergo a background check and finger printing then I don't see why Disney couldn't start something like that. I doubt they would absorb the cost though.

 

[bavaria]

website for MCO wait times

http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/stateResolver?state=FL&submit=SUBMIT

But guidelines only, so use your best judgement as always

 

[BonnieA]

website for MCO wait times

http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/stateResolver?state=FL&submit=SUBMIT

But guidelines only, so use your best judgement as always

Great site Bavaria. I'll keep that in mind for my trip in May.

 

[BonnieA]

double post

 

[Sammy]

Returned from WDW about 2 weeks ago and I have NEVER seen such long lines at MCO before! There were 6 lines; 3 on each side of the Hyatt elevators. Each line was waaaay back to the Disney gift shop and curved back towards the escalators. It was a sea of people! It's a good thing we arrived at MCO 2 1/2 hours prior to our flight. I was giving DH a hard time because he wanted to leave the resort so early for the airport, but I'm glad he pushed us along that morning!!

Oh....and this was for a 3:30 pm flight on a Tuesday.

SAmmy

 

[chamonix]

I was there twice - once on Sunday at 8am to drop a friend off - and the line then was a full queue but not backed up very far into the atrium. My friend got thru in about 20 minutes from the back of the line to the tram.

We went through security at MCO on Sunday at about 10am, and we absolutely walked right through. No ID line, and our choice of several open lines after that. It was amazing. Every other time we have been through there it has been a long busy hassle of 20-30 or more minutes.

Of course, we're spoiled, we fly out of St Louis which has a separate line for AA first class passengers which never has a line, which we love.
Paying more or earning more through frequent flying does indeed have it's perks. I just wish MCO also offered a first class security line! I'm off to see what Fly Clear is and consider if it's for us......

 

[DebbieB]

website for MCO wait times

http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/stateResolver?state=FL&submit=SUBMIT

But guidelines only, so use your best judgement as always

Is the west checkpoint the 1 to 59?

 

[ttfn3]

We just returned yesterday and I also was very surprised at the massive lines to get thru security at MCO. We got to the airport around 9:30 a.m. for our 11:30 am Friday flight. We dropped off our car at National - huge amounts of cars being returned. It was a pretty quick drop off for us (Emerald Card holder). We also find it helpful to have our Delta skymiles cards so we can just use the kiosk to print our boarding passes and check our luggage. Had a short wait there. Felt sorry for the people standing in the long Delta line. I was glad we were there early. The lines for security were a mass of people on both sides of the Hyatt elevator back pass the Disney store. Fortunately, it moved well, and we were thru security in about a half hour. The security people said it's been crazy for quite a while. Lots of people who were trying to jump line because they were afraid they were going to miss their flights.