No bag line

[lovehoney]

Was looking at the crazy crowd pictures from Monday and started to worry since we are going Christmas week.

I can't remember. Are there different lines for bags and no bags?

If you have an id holder or cell phone on a lanyard around your neck is it considered a bag?

If you have lots of stuff in your pockets do they make you pull it all out?

Any advice to going sans bag?

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Yes, there's a "guests without bags" entrance near each bag check.

A lanyard around your neck isn't a bag unless there's a bag of some sort attached to it. (Like a camera bag with a neck/shoulder strap.) Pockets are a toss-up. If you look like you're carrying the contents of a Wal-Mart in a pair of cargo shorts, security may stop you to take things out, but it doesn't happen a lot.

Advice to going without a bag: Don't carry a lot of stuff. It sounds like a smart-aleck answer but it's really the only one. Stick to wallet/phone/keys (if driving) and possibly a ticket holder lanyard if you don't use a MagicBand, and plan to buy anything else you might need, like water or ponchos.

 

[kaybird]

Big cargo wearers here. We never carry bags. They will look if you have a camera case or clutch. We have never had to stop for pockets.

 

[Oomiak]

If it's a lanyard, I'd hide it under jacket to be sure. I am here now and the bag inspections have been VERY thorough this week. I am certain the recent terror attacks have caused them to be more cautious. It can easily take 15-20 minutes to get through the bag inspection, it is crowded though.

 

[lovehoney]

If it's a lanyard, I'd hide it under jacket to be sure. I am here now and the bag inspections have been VERY thorough this week. I am certain the recent terror attacks have caused them to be more cautious. It can easily take 15-20 minutes to get through the bag inspection, it is crowded though.

What about cell phones? Are they okay in pockets?

 

[Oomiak]

What about cell phones? Are they okay in pockets?

Cell phones are fine, they aren't looking in pockets or even checking people in jackets. They will however, inspect every inch of every pocket of your bag.

 

[loves to dive]

I had on a pair of boys cargos last time I was there, I'm a woman but they don't make cargos for us. Anyway, I had my cell phone in one pocket (droid max) and a poncho folded up in the other. They were kind of droopy and you could see the outline of the phone. I went through the no bag line and got stopped and asked to open the button on the pocket and got a pat down. This was in late Sept. I was fine with it, I actually think they should do it more often. This was a MK, I'm a 58 year old small, short white woman so no, there was no profiling going on, just good security.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I was there Christmas week last year and didn't have to wait in those crazy lines; the bag check lines weren't any longer than any other time of year. The key is to get to the park really early before it opens. Or, to come later in the day and stay really late. Arrive mid/late morning and that bag line might be the shortest line you see all day. And, no, I am not joking.

 

[lovehoney]

I was there Christmas week last year and didn't have to wait in those crazy lines; the bag check lines weren't any longer than any other time of year. The key is to get to the park really early before it opens. Or, to come later in the day and stay really late. Arrive mid/late morning and that bag line might be the shortest line you see all day. And, no, I am not joking.

Our plan is to get there as early as a bus will deliver us from the resort. The buses are rumored to start at 6 when MK opens at 7. Let's hope we catch one!

 

[maxiesmom]

Only go without a bag if you don't mind a bunch of stuff in your pockets. Or are lucky enough to not need kleenex/chapstick/sunblock/wallet/phone/sunglasses....I could never go without a bag. All of that stuff in my pockets would make me crazy, and I would stress the whole time about it falling out.

No matter how small a bag you might have, if you have any bag you have to go through the bag check line.

 

[MinnieMSue]

They also have a purse check line at least today at Animal Kingdom. No wait in that line when we entered. And they are very thoroughly checking the bags this trip. I didn't notice if Magic Kingdom had a purse check line.

 

[Magpie]

I frequently go without a bag. My wallet sits in my back pocket. My MagicBand is on my wrist. My husband is the same, with the exception of a phone in his pocket. We don't need anything else!

It's really, really sweet zipping past the bag check line.

And as for anything else we might need... There's water fountains in the park, as well as free water in a cup at any counter service location. I always have a few safety pins clipped to my belt loop (it's amazing how often they come in handy!). Over the years we've found that reapplication of sunblock is unnecessary. We're wearing hats, so we don't need sunglasses. Only one of us needs a phone. Wallets fit nicely into back pockets (if I'm wearing a dress, I make my husband carry mine ). We've been often enough that we don't take pictures. And we don't travel with small children any more.

 

[siskaren]

Wallets fit nicely into back pockets (if I'm wearing a dress, I make my husband carry mine ).

Back pockets aren't a good place to keep your wallet - easy target for pickpockets.

 

[Magpie]

Back pockets aren't a good place to keep your wallet - easy target for pickpockets.

Only if you have loose fitting pockets. Snug jeans are actually pretty tough to get things out of (according to a pickpocket who was interviewed by the New York Times Magazine a couple years ago), button down flaps on the back pocket are very nice, and if you're very worried you can always tuck your wallet into your front pocket. The pickpocket was lamenting what the fashion for tight pants has done to his livelihood.

Purses and shoulder bags, on the other hand, ARE easy targets for thieves, since you can slice a purse strap and disappear into a crowd before the target even realizes it's gone.

 

[Hopefully]

Last trip I wore the famously ugly "fanny pack". It isn't that I need much but I need to carry DH's Epi Pen. No choice. So I go through bag check with everything open & ready & he goes through the no bag line & waits on the other side for me.

 

[fla4fun]

I had on a pair of boys cargos last time I was there, I'm a woman but they don't make cargos for us.

I have both women's cargo shorts and cargo capris that I only wear on vacation. They are not as baggy looking as men's cargos usually are and so far I haven't been asked to empty my pockets.

Most days I only carry a wallet, iPod Touch and individually wrapped Wet Ones. My glasses have Transitions lenses, so I wear them all day. If I use sunscreen I usually don't need to reapply so long as I'm not swimming. If the weather forecast is bad enough that I think I will need a poncho, then I will carry a small bag and go through the bag lines. Most days I don't need to.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Our plan is to get there as early as a bus will deliver us from the resort. The buses are rumored to start at 6 when MK opens at 7. Let's hope we catch one!

Those 7am openings were the best! It was so hard to get up and head out in the dark but soooo worth it! We were at Coronado Springs and had no issues getting there before 7am.
I think about 80% of the people headed to 7DMT and about 15% to A & E. We were able to get so much done in the first couple of hours. We went to MK for the 7 am opening on two separate days and walked on so many rides (Space Mountain, Buzz, Astro Orbiter, Peter Pan, Pooh, etc...) We also used kennythepirate.com's character locator app to see which characters were coming out early and lined up for them a few minutes before they came out.
Even on the day the park hit a stage 1 closure, it was still quiet those first couple hours.
I hope you have just as much luck with them!

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We always go bagless and love it - I carry a kleenex or 2, lip balm, bandaid, couple of tylenol, and my spreadsheet. We've never felt overloaded and never felt like we were missing anything.

 

[surfcruiser]

My wife and I are always no-bag-line-zip-throughs. Minimalists for sure. Now... we might walk OUT of the park with a bag (or 5) with some smattering of purchased Disney merchandise located within each, but that's different.

But, yeah, we lather up with No-Ad 50 SPF before we leave the room (good stuff), carry Burt's Bees for lips, wear transition lenses, a print-out of the day's planned adventures, phones, some cash, a credit card, an ID, and our medical insurance cards. We typically return to our resort for the afternoon, reload, and re-embark for phase II each day.

Of course, with a new grandson now in the mix, all that will probably change soon.

 

[godders]

Just as a heads up, if you're planning using the no bag line at MK but don't want to arrive pre-rope drop you may well miss out on some the benefits because of the mass of people. The walk from the bus stop goes past where the boat from the TTC drops off it's passengers so it creates a huge bottle neck you won't have a choice but waiting to get through to be able to get to the no bag entrance. I've included a picture from my trip in September at about 9.45am so you can see what I mean. This wasn't even the back of the line.....