MCO security was ridiculous yesterday!!

[aubriee]

If people would only be honest about their ability to manage the security lines....but no, everyone likes to think they 'get it' and know exactly what to do. "Really??? Since when do we have to remove our shoes??" Or "Huh? What do you mean I can't take that water bottle through??? It's expensive.'' Yep...all things I've overheard in the so called 'black diamond' line for experienced travelers.

OT, but the funniest thing I heard was a couple in front of me arguing with the TSA agent in Dallas this past Dec. The woman was arguing about taking a bottle of champagne through security. When told they couldn't, the woman's argument was "But we're on our honeymoon. What do you expect us to do, we can't pack it in our checked bag, it might break. You have to let it through. We won't tell anybody". The TSA agent was surprisingly nice about it and even laughed, but told them it had to be trashed. The husband decided to go into macho mode and got ugly about it and told him not to yell at his wife and he knew exceptions could be made. Number one the TSA agent wasn't even close to yelling and was surpisingly polite and professional. Number two, there were signs there as you picked up the bins showing all liquids had to be 3.4 oz or less and had to be in a quart bag, and number three, they had another TSA agent almost constantly yelling out the same thing to people in line. For some reason this couple had ignored all of that and seemed totally shocked when their bag got dinged. They thought none of the rules applied to them, just because they were on their honeymoon, and just couldn't understand why they weren't exempt.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have a return flight on Monday the 15th at 5:30pm and will be going to a park that morning. I have never done a park on our return day. We are using a towncar service and staying at the BWV. What is the latest time we can leave for MCO? I was thinking like 3:00pm? But not so sure now

So, how long do you all think a traveler should plan at MCO? Is the two hour suggestion for domestic flights enough? We will be flying out on a Sunday at 3:30PM ish and were planning on DME.

As long as you arrive at MCO with at least 2 hrs time, you should be fine. DME gets you there in time..unless the driver messes up and stays overlong at each resort. With a towncar, they always try to pick me up two hours before my flight...and I tell them I want to leave at least 30 mins earlier than that.

I have no issue arriving at just about any other airport less than two hours before departure. But not MCO...way too much room for error there.

 

[granmanh603]

Is it the airport or TSA? It aggravates me at PIT when the lines are long and only half of the lanes are open. It has gotten worse with the body scanners.

We have experienced this too, just in June...and IMHO they did not have enough scanning lines open inside...finally just when we got near the spot more lines opened up, and they actually didn't even announce it, a agent just kinda looked at me and moved his eyes from me to the belt you put your stuff on with a kinda look like sneak over here first we are now open, so I took a chance and that was exactly what he was doing, they seemed understaffed, like they were on break or coming on shift? At least now there are que lines in there, it used to be just one huge mass of compact people and it was kinda scary!!!!

 

[granmanh603]

So, how long do you all think a traveler should plan at MCO? Is the two hour suggestion for domestic flights enough? We will be flying out on a Sunday at 3:30PM ish and were planning on DME.

Ok so everyone complains that the 3hrs before pickup is a pain. Well my story, new bus driver, got lost and driving on Irlo Bronson Hyw 192 away from airport until finally(we were sitting in the front of bus) my husband said something to him and he called dispatcher and there was silence and a frenzy to find someone to get him directions... well it took forever and then they lock us in the bus til they could get a CM from ME to take us into airport and appologize , Ha they got us to SW check in but no one was there, then they left us to go thru security(that is where we needed help) and we barely got to the gate and we never got to eat, which is usually what we do while waiting...

 

[clanmcculloch]

If people would only be honest about their ability to manage the security lines....but no, everyone likes to think they 'get it' and know exactly what to do. "Really??? Since when do we have to remove our shoes??" Or "Huh? What do you mean I can't take that water bottle through??? It's expensive.'' Yep...all things I've overheard in the so called 'black diamond' line for experienced travelers.

Because we travel with medication and with an autistic child I always go to the line for families and medical needs. We're pretty efficient at getting through security so we probably could manage the black diamond line but never try because I figure we have the potential for holding things up and it's just the right thing to do. What I find funny is that I never seem to encounter people like these in front of me. I guess that clueless people think that they "get it" and won't lower themselves to go into the line for people who may need help or extra time? Also, I guess others try to avoid our line because they're afraid of getting stuck behind slow people. We seem to always get through relatively quickly (notice the word relatively; nothing is ever actually quick at MCO) without this kind of cluelessness in front of us. One time we were even pulled over to the airport employee line by a TSA agent and boy did we fly through that time. I like my family & medical needs line.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

One of the rules of travel.

"Black Diamond" and "elite" lanes are SLOWER IMHO then regular lanes.

I have no idea how those men in front of me can have made "elite" on Delta and be flashing the "I flew 125,000 mile tags" and be COMPLETELY clueless, but there you have have it.. "Gee you mean I have to empty ALL my pockets, I thought one would be plenty" "What I have to take my laptop out?" "you mean I have to get OFF the phone to go thorugh there... I can't do that if I don't keep SHOUTING my deal info out no one will know how IMPORTANT I am" and so on.... Or the woman who needs 10 bins because "none of my stuff can touch each other so I have to have a bin for my designer purse, one for my designer shoes, one for my jacket, one for my cosmetics, one for the 25 pieces of costume jewerly I have to take off, one for my laptop bag (it can't just sit on the belt it might get dirty!), one for my laptop," Etc....


At Altanta for example I stick to the regular lines... they move faster MCO is an exception. I do "Fly Clear" and generally it appears that folks who pay have a clue on how to go thorugh security.

 

[bytheblood]

but they just perfer to upset thier customers...

And next to DFW, they have the most hateful TSA agents in their airport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Because we travel with medication and with an autistic child I always go to the line for families and medical needs. We're pretty efficient at getting through security so we probably could manage the black diamond line but never try because I figure we have the potential for holding things up and it's just the right thing to do. What I find funny is that I never seem to encounter people like these in front of me. I guess that clueless people think that they "get it" and won't lower themselves to go into the line for people who may need help or extra time? Also, I guess others try to avoid our line because they're afraid of getting stuck behind slow people. We seem to always get through relatively quickly (notice the word relatively; nothing is ever actually quick at MCO) without this kind of cluelessness in front of us. One time we were even pulled over to the airport employee line by a TSA agent and boy did we fly through that time. I like my family & medical needs line.

One of the rules of travel.

"Black Diamond" and "elite" lanes are SLOWER IMHO then regular lanes.

I have no idea how those men in front of me can have made "elite" on Delta and be flashing the "I flew 125,000 mile tags" and be COMPLETELY clueless, but there you have have it.. "Gee you mean I have to empty ALL my pockets, it thought one would be plenty" "What I have to take my laptop out?" "you mean I have to get OFF the phone to go thorugh there... I can't do that if I don't keey SHOUTING my deal info out no one will know how IMPORTANT I am" and so on.... Or the woman who needs 10 bins because "none of my stuff can touch each other so I have to have a bin for my designer purse, one for my designer shoes, one for my jacket, one for my cosmetics, one for the 25 pieces of costume jewerly I have to take off, one for my laptop bag (it can't just sit on the belt it might get dirty!), one for my laptop," Etc....


At Altanta for example I stick to the regular lines... they move faster MCO is an exception. I do "Fly Clear" and generally it appears that folks who pay have a clue on how to go thorugh security.

And that has been my experience as well. I think it may be time for me to take my experienced self over to the family boarding line!!! It truly is a case of 'well, of course I am a black diamond traveler'..ummm, no, you're not. Not when you keep your shoes on until told to remove them. Um, no..not when you didn't know you couldn't take that huge bottle of expensive shampoo through in your carryon. Um, no...not when you try to wear all the jewelry you own at one time and then walk through the scanner!!!
Or the business man who says...'Why does the computer have to come out of my carryon bag???? Never had to do that before.' I could go on and on.

Of course, I was the person with an almost uneaten birthday cake in my carryon at MCO. TSA kept that bag going back and forth...just couldn't figure it out. Asked me if I had a wheel of cheese in there!! No, just my dd's 13th birthday cake that we had barely touched...wasn't leaving that behind, not when I paid about $130 for it!!!! I did apologize to everyone behind me. They all wanted a piece of cake!!! Ah, no.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

And next to DFW, they have the most hateful TSA agents in their airport.

Sorry, not even close to the most hateful.

As a general rule the smaller the airport the more "arrogant" the TSA is. I can get through DFW, ATL, MCO (actual screening), etc.. in just a second or two.

Go to Fresno, CA and it's "we are going to PROVE our security by harrassment" Same with Knoxville, TN, Mobile, AL and so on... Give me a big gruff TSA any day over "we have NOTHING to do so we will make up rules and generally be a PIA!"

At a small airport, that cake Goofy4Tink is talking about would have been "confiscated" as "explosives" (or more likely 'desert') because "we have all the power!" The small airports are where the traveler has to carry print outs of the regulations to "train" the TSA!

 

[LilyWDW]

As long as you arrive at MCO with at least 2 hrs time, you should be fine. DME gets you there in time..unless the driver messes up and stays overlong at each resort. With a towncar, they always try to pick me up two hours before my flight...and I tell them I want to leave at least 30 mins earlier than that.

I have no issue arriving at just about any other airport less than two hours before departure. But not MCO...way too much room for error there.

Thanks to you and the others who have answered my panic question lol. It has been awhile since I have flown and the stories of MCO just got me into a bit of a panic. I try to stay updated on travel information (part of my planning OCD) but until you actually experience it...

We plan to have our luggage at RAC early. Then we have breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe at 9:00AM (we will take a taxi if needed, I have it budgeted). Our DME will be about 12:00 or 12:30 (don't have the energy to look up my flight atm and can't remember if it was 3:00 or 3:30 lol).

 

[duffy]

As a general rule the smaller the airport the more "arrogant" the TSA is.

Not in my experience.

Just yesterday, my 15-year old flew from Johnstown, Pa.'s airport (ONE gate) to Dulles, to make a connection to Providence. She got through security, and we then found out the flight would be delayed an hour.

My husband was waiting to watch the plane take off, so he realized at the same time the plane would be delayed. Then the delay turned into a 2-hour one.

They let her go back through security to meet up with her dad. The 2 of them drove home-2 miles away. The delay turned into FOUR HOURS. Four hours later, my husband took her BACK to the airport. (We could have driven to Dulles by then!!)

She had to go through security again, of course. But, I was very glad that they didn't make her sit in that small area for FOUR hours alone, and could go home and relax instead!!

Another small airport I've been in: Hagerstown, Md. The day after Thanksgiving, 2009, we flew to Orlando. We wanted something to snack on. The food court was out of food, so they went and got dozens of pizzas from a chain pizza, lots of sodas...and GAVE them all away.

 

[McIntoshTx]

I have been MCO I guess 1/2 dozen times it is always semi to fully crazy!

 

[cooldadtexas]

I really can't fault the public on what to do as you approach the scanners. It seems like the rules are different at each airport.

 

[CPT Tripss]

And next to DFW, they have the most hateful TSA agents in their airport.

IAD ranks too.

 

[Junebugwv]

I've seen long lines at security but they always seemed to move quickly. Last January I flew out on a Sat afternoon and I can't tell you how long it took. There was a family of 4 behind me (dh, dm, 2 teen ds) and the 2 teens were so entertaining that I spent time trying not to laugh out loud. I have no idea what language they spoke, but the younger teen was singing Disney tunes until his older brother bopped him, then he would immediately change tunes. It was like a Small World with Punch and Judy.

 

[KBoopaloo]

The super mash up of 6 lines into one at MCO boggles my mind and always seems like a situation ripe for disaster because it is so easy for families to get separated at the point where all the lines merge and people are cutting each other off. It makes me super antsy and nervous!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Not in my experience.

Just yesterday, my 15-year old flew from Johnstown, Pa.'s airport (ONE gate) to Dulles, to make a connection to Providence. She got through security, and we then found out the flight would be delayed an hour.

My husband was waiting to watch the plane take off, so he realized at the same time the plane would be delayed. Then the delay turned into a 2-hour one.

They let her go back through security to meet up with her dad. The 2 of them drove home-2 miles away. The delay turned into FOUR HOURS. Four hours later, my husband took her BACK to the airport. (We could have driven to Dulles by then!!)

She had to go through security again, of course. But, I was very glad that they didn't make her sit in that small area for FOUR hours alone, and could go home and relax instead!!

Another small airport I've been in: Hagerstown, Md. The day after Thanksgiving, 2009, we flew to Orlando. We wanted something to snack on. The food court was out of food, so they went and got dozens of pizzas from a chain pizza, lots of sodas...and GAVE them all away.

OMG! The "standard" for nice is "they didn't hold my daughter captive as a prisoner" LOL!

Seriously, the TSA cannot STOP you from leaving the secured area in a case like this. I routinely leave the secured area. In spite of how they act the TSA are NOT prison gurards. They were not doing anything "nice" here they were doing thier jobs. Sad that we think that's an example of "how nice they are"

And if the TSA purchased food and "gave it away" my bet is on YOU paid for it. (AKA as your tax dollars) If an airport did it that's different but if the "servers" were wearing blue uniform shirts??? WHAT??? We can waste enough of our tax dollars for them to have time to buy and serve pizza. (Hint for debt reduction here! LOL!)


(And the rules are different at every airport?? That's true but just today a woman in the expert line was SCREAMING that "I paid $3 for this water bottle" GEE, that's one rule that the same EVERYWHERE and she still didn't get it right, but she's a "black diamond" flyer)

 

[Piecey]

I don't necessarily agree that the smaller airports are more arrogant.

PKB = 1 gate and I swear they didn't even look at the screen.

We fly out of CRW now and they never bat an eye at any liquids (but I have small children) or our stroller. Just have me wheel it through.

 

[aubriee]

OT, but the funniest thing I heard was a couple in front of me arguing with the TSA agent in Dallas this past Dec. The woman was arguing about taking a bottle of champagne through security. The TSA agent was surprisingly nice about it and even laughed, but told them it had to be trashed. The husband decided to go into macho mode and got ugly about it and told him not to yell at his wife and he knew exceptions could be made.They thought none of the rules applied to them, just because they were on their honeymoon, and just couldn't understand why they weren't exempt.

And next to DFW, they have the most hateful TSA agents in their airport.

See my previous post about the honeymooning couple who didn't have a clue they couldn't bring a bottle of champagne through security and the husband who insisted that exceptions could be made because afterall they were on their honeymoon and the TSA agent better be nice to his wife. This was in Dallas. Like you, I agree that DFW has some of the absolute worst TSA agents-they are hateful, unprofessional, and some act like they are on some sort of power trip most of the time. That's why I was so shocked when the TSA agent actually laughed at this couple, instead of screaming at them.

In the past at DFW my husband got screamed at and all he did was say "Hello! How ya doing?" The TSA agent literally yelled at him that it wasn't his job to be nice to passengers and to shut up unless he asked him a question.

I was using carry on only once, and had them give me a hard time about a quart zip lock full of bath salts. After testing it for explosives, the TSA agent still wasn't sure if I could carry it though, even though I told him it was just bath salts and it was labled as such. He called a supervisor over, who looked at him like he was crazy and told him it was fine and to let me go. The first agent gave me a glare and told me he was letting me go this time, but for me to never try to carry something like that through security again. Funny thing is, once I got to Florida I found I had a travel size mascara and a small bottle of cleansing oil in my makeup bag that they missed. They were so concerned about the bath salts, they missed the liquid/gels I did have. lol

I've posted on here before about an incident where they had the puffer machines set up once. After going through the scanner, you had to step into the puffer machine, the glass doors closed, and they blew a puff of air at you, then the doors on the other side opened and you could walk through. It was the only time I've ever seen them set up at DFW. There was a young couple in front of me that had a little boy probably around 3 y/o. Apparently his parents had talked to him about going through the scanners and he did fine walking through them by himself between his parents. However, the glass enclosure of the puffer scared him and he didn't want to go in it by himself. The mom begged to carry him and was refused. The dad walked through to show the kid and then tried to lure him in, but the kid was having nothing to do with it and was crying. The mom again begged to be allowed to carry him through and was again told no. The TSA agents were laughing loudly at this kid, which didn't help any. Finally a female TSA agent told the mom to get him in the box and get him in now. The mom said she was trying. The TSA agent literally grabbed the kid out of the mom's arms and threw him into the box. As the door closed the kid went hysterical crying and beating on the door. After the puff of air went in, the doors on the other side opened and the poor kid ran into his dad's arms screaming. The TSA agents were laughing. All of us in line were furious and some man behind me asked if it made the TSA agents feel big to torment a little kid. The TSA agent who tossed the kid into the box asked the man if he wanted to miss his flight that morning.

Dallas has some very nice TSA agents, but some they really need to get rid of.

 

[bumbershoot]

Seriously, the TSA cannot STOP you from leaving the secured area in a case like this. I routinely leave the secured area. In spite of how they act the TSA are NOT prison gurards. They were not doing anything "nice" here they were doing thier jobs. Sad that we think that's an example of "how nice they are"

She's 15, though, and perhaps wasn't traveling entirely independently.