MCO=what is going on?

[maxiesmom]

Just got home around Midnight from an awesome trip to WDW. However, one not so awesome thing was the security line at MCO. It was the worst I have ever seen it! They only had 1 checkpoint open! I have no idea who in their right mind thought that that was a good idea, but it isn't!

We got to the screening area around 3:20 pm. The queue was all the way back to where security sits and checks your ID. And it was barely moving. I thought it was strange, as it is usually very busy, with people loading bins and moving around, and that whole area was pretty quiet. After making a couple of turns you could see why there was no noise. Only one line to one scanner!

Thank goodness after not too long they opened 3 more scanners. I was starting to stress about not making our flight, even though we had arrived 2 hours ahead of time.

When we flew into Orlando and walked by the line it was huge. And I knew that leaving Orlando wasn't going to be any fun, as usual. But I didn't think to look and see how many machines they had working.

Does anyone know if this is the new normal for MCO? Didn't I see something about MCO and TSA having issues? Maybe this is some sort of payback for that? Whatever it is, if you are flying from MCO any time soon, don't wait until the last minute to get there. You won't make it thru security in time for your flight.

 

[Jestocost]

Just got home around Midnight from an awesome trip to WDW. However, one not so awesome thing was the security line at MCO. It was the worst I have ever seen it! They only had 1 checkpoint open! I have no idea who in their right mind thought that that was a good idea, but it isn't!

We got to the screening area around 3:20 pm. The queue was all the way back to where security sits and checks your ID. And it was barely moving. I thought it was strange, as it is usually very busy, with people loading bins and moving around, and that whole area was pretty quiet. After making a couple of turns you could see why there was no noise. Only one line to one scanner!

Thank goodness after not too long they opened 3 more scanners. I was starting to stress about not making our flight, even though we had arrived 2 hours ahead of time.

When we flew into Orlando and walked by the line it was huge. And I knew that leaving Orlando wasn't going to be any fun, as usual. But I didn't think to look and see how many machines they had working.

Does anyone know if this is the new normal for MCO? Didn't I see something about MCO and TSA having issues? Maybe this is some sort of payback for that? Whatever it is, if you are flying from MCO any time soon, don't wait until the last minute to get there. You won't make it thru security in time for your flight.

The lack of lanes being open is unusual in my experience but I don't recall a time when I've been there that the line to the scanners was NOT all the way back to the ID checkpoints. And frequently every line leading to the ID checkpoints has been 20+ people deep.

 

[CPT Tripss]

There is just no excuse for that type of situation.

 

[travelcoupons]

I've seen it like that a few times...

 

[ccgirl]

While I have not seen only one line open, I will tell you that (from my experience) MCO is BY FAR the worst and slowest as far as the security lines.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

This is one reason why we now fly into/ out of Tampa. You can drop off your rental car and get through the security line in less than 20 minutes! Plus the past few years the flight prices have been really good compared to when I price MCO flights. Security has always been a breeze at TPA.

Tampa only takes 1 hour and 15 minute to get Disney and it takes 35 minutes to get from MCO to Disney so it really is only an extra 40 minutes to go from Tampa to Disney.

 

[sam_gordon]

The last time we flew out of MCO, (early June 2011) multiple scanner lines were open, people were backed up PAST the multiple ID checkers (who were each handling a line to the left and to the right). If I had to guess, they really need more space for the TSA checks.

I don't understand why only one scanner would be on, unless maybe someone (or multiple someone's) screwed up the schedule so there weren't enough people to staff the additional scanners? Just a guess.

 

[phoenixleigh]

Oops double post sorry

 

[phoenixleigh]

Or maybe a bunch of people called out. They cannot control that.

 

[goofy4tink]

It was brutal on Thursday afternoon as well!!! We got to MCO about 2ish.....we waited in line, to have our bp's checked, for about 15 mins. Then, once we got to the actual 'line' it said 15 mins from that point. So, it was close to 30 mins by the time we got done. There were multiple lanes open though. And there were TSA people grabbing bins and handing them to passengers. THat helped a bit. And then, only one tram was running, with half of that tram unavailable!!!

After the bus issues I had this time around, I have already started seriously thinking about renting a car the next time. Now? I may be renting that car at Tampa....at least I can get a quick visit in with my son and his wife as well!!!

 

[Allison]

While I have not seen only one line open, I will tell you that (from my experience) MCO is BY FAR the worst and slowest as far as the security lines.

I agree.

 

[OKW Lover]

Our recent experience at MCO was on Monday morning (12/17) about 9:30 am. I expected the worst and was amazed to find a very short line. We were through security in about 10 minutes.

 

[Jcricket Fan]

The lines were jammed on Sat. 12/15 around 12:30.

We paid extra on JetBlue to have the Even More Space/Speed (expedited security) and I was surprised but it worked! Once we found the special line! It is located over by the CLEAR area.

There were 3 of us in the line and we just walked up to the scanner put our stuff on the belt and through the metal detector and were done! It couldn't have taken 5 mins. tops from the checking of boarding passes to putting on our shoes after the metal detector! The line for this runs next to where flight crews get checked in for security.

For the amount I fly, which isn't much, I will gladly pay the extra because the MCO security lines are a nightmare in my opinion.

Peace.
Colleen

 

[disneydancer86]

Oh man...I hope we don't experience that on our upcoming trip!! We are flying out of Ohare....talk about a security nightmare....

Thanks for the updates everyone!

 

[helenk]

I've generally had pretty good luck at MCO. But I came home on Wednesday, Dec 12th it was mobbed. My flight was at 3:00 pm, I had taken ME so I got to MCO in plenty of time. I stood in line for nearly 30 minutes just to get to the TSA person that was checking boarding passes and IDs. Once we got past that area it was about another 15 minutes before I got through the scanners.
This was the worst I've seen in ages.

 

[elgerber]

We had a very strange experience on a Sunday morning this October. There were pretty much no lines. We were through in about 4 minutes. We were shocked!

 

[browniemtb]

Airports in general are the worse part of traveling especially when you have little one's in tow. That being said, we've waited in many long lines at MCO on almost every return trip.

 

[DonnaL]

We got to MCO security about 10:45 am on Sun 12/16....there were lines about 30 ft into the atrium area before you even got to the ID check, which I have seen many times before. The line was moving along good until we got past the ID check. At that point, they had about 4 lines converging into 2 lines, but, they did have more than one scanner line set up. Even with that, we were still thru in 20/25 minutes because we were at our gate about 11:15 am.

 

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

Our departure from MCO on 12/1 was awful. DME late and slow, very slow. Got to MCO with only 1 hour until our flight. Security was very long, snaking all around to the ID place. Then, one scanner closed. The expediter guy was funny though, he went over there and started yelling at people to get it back open again...and they did. We finally got through - 30 minutes to our flight. Got to the gate and it was delayed almost 2 hours. So I had stressed and worried all that tinme for nothing. Last check at the resort said the flight was on time. OMG, separately, any of those things would have been ok, but together? What a nightmare.

My DD and I don't fly much, but when we went to Disney, our security check in Newark took less than 10 minutes, including stopping to get my shoes back on.

 

[DVC-Don]

We had a very strange experience on a Sunday morning this October. There were pretty much no lines. We were through in about 4 minutes. We were shocked!

Happened to me in October. Absolutely no lines pre ID check or at the scanners. It was a Wednesday about 3 PM. Got through in 2 min.