Orlando Security

[Flossbolna]

We flew home from MCO on Saturday. Got through security around 6:00 pm in about 5 minutes! This is stunningly effeceint for MCO. I think it is to make up for possibly the most inefficeint US customs and immigration I have ever dealt with (upon arrival two weeks earlier).

Oh, this doesn't sound good!! The arriving part at least... Did you arrive on the the LH flight from FRA? So far my experience with MCO immigration has been great (especially compared to JFK), I was hoping to get through it quickly in January...

 

[pr surfer]

Maybe it's necessary but it seemed kind of creepy to me.

It's disconcerting to me and in a way an admission by the TSA of how ineffective they are at the checkpoint that they need to do gate checks.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Oh, this doesn't sound good!! The arriving part at least... Did you arrive on the the LH flight from FRA? So far my experience with MCO immigration has been great (especially compared to JFK), I was hoping to get through it quickly in January...

We had a connection through Amsterdam. The issue was how long it took because you got your bags, went through customs and then had to let them take your bags again and go through security and be dumped in Terminal B. There were no signs or instructions pointing the poor non English speakers who were not familiar with MCO to the trains into the main terminal and toward baggae claim (becuase we HAD to let them take out luggage back after customs and send it down to baggage claim). We helped one poor Dutch family travelling with three young boys (one who clearly had many issues) find the way but I am sure others got pretty turned around.

It took nearly an hour for our bags to make it out to baggae claim. We were told they wait for a luggae truck to be filled so if you happen to make it through customs quickly you are stuck waiting on all the others who have to get through customs too. It took just over 2 hours from disembarking the plane to getting our bags in baggage claim (yet we were the only flight going through customs/immigration at that time). Our bags were the very first off the flight. Immigration was pretty effeceint and customs was fine--but we did have to have our bags of chocolate searched but the subsequent going back into a secured area and handing over luggage again was slow as molasses and the people working that security check (just for incomming international fligths it would seem) were really being rude and mean to several passengers in line around us who were confused about the procedure (you just rounded a corner and there was unexpectldy a new security check point and no signs explaining about liquids (some people had water bottles form the plane in their bags and since they were not expecting another check point did not think to pull them in the rush to get off shoes, pull out laptops and what not), shoes, etc and some foriegn travelers either just plain did not know or many people could not get shoes and coats off fast enough for the TSA agents after rounding the bend and realizing they needed to. I was so embarrassed at the "welcome" to America many people got.

 

[Flossbolna]

If you got in from Amsterdam was that on Martinair? Because they seem to arrive at Airside 1 (gates 1-29) while Lufthansa arrives at Airside 4 (gates 60-99). We never had to give up our bags at MCO when arriving with LH. Actually, just before our 2008 trip it was announced that you now had the option of keeping the bag with you to make it easier for travelers. The MCO arrival guide even explains the difference between Airside 1 and Airside 4 international arrivals: http://www.orlandoairports.net/arrive/index.htm

I agree with you that this would be extremely confusing and difficult for foreigners arriving at MCO for the first time. And I think it would be a great point for making use of ME's luggage transfer if you arrive internationally at Airside 1!

And the additional security check-point would have surprised me as well.

 

[NHdisneylover]

If you got in from Amsterdam was that on Martinair? Because they seem to arrive at Airside 1 (gates 1-29) while Lufthansa arrives at Airside 4 (gates 60-99). We never had to give up our bags at MCO when arriving with LH. Actually, just before our 2008 trip it was announced that you now had the option of keeping the bag with you to make it easier for travelers. The MCO arrival guide even explains the difference between Airside 1 and Airside 4 international arrivals: http://www.orlandoairports.net/arrive/index.htm

I agree with you that this would be extremely confusing and difficult for foreigners arriving at MCO for the first time. And I think it would be a great point for making use of ME's luggage transfer if you arrive internationally at Airside 1!

And the additional security check-point would have surprised me as well.

Yes we wre on MartinAir. Good to know that if we fly a "real" airline (ie Lufthansa) we will not have to go trhough this. That is worth quite a bit of extra cost (could not use ME to retrieve the bags becuase we stayed with friends before heading to WDW later in the trip).

 

[minniecarousel]

Going through the screening on Tuesday was a breeze. We noticed a lot more TSA agents at our gate, though. Then, when boarding started, they pulled individuals over and looked through bags again (mostly purses and smaller, open-topped bags.)

 

[DebbieB]

It's disconcerting to me and in a way an admission by the TSA of how ineffective they are at the checkpoint that they need to do gate checks.

Not necessarily. I've always thought that it would be easy to slip something past via a shop or restaurant on the airside. They all have knives. So it could be slipped to someone after they passed security.

 

[greg126]

It's disconcerting to me and in a way an admission by the TSA of how ineffective they are at the checkpoint that they need to do gate checks.

True, still I'm guessing this is not newfound knowledge but something they've known since secondary screenings faded away some years ago. So I've got to wonder whats going on that has brought this back all of a sudden?

 

[Flossbolna]

Yes we wre on MartinAir. Good to know that if we fly a "real" airline (ie Lufthansa) we will not have to go trhough this. That is worth quite a bit of extra cost (could not use ME to retrieve the bags becuase we stayed with friends before heading to WDW later in the trip).

Unless MCo decides to change things around again. I don't really understand why they have two different Airsides for international arrivals... I didn't mean that you should have taken ME, it was more a general observation since I tend to advise international arrivals at MCO not to use the luggage feature of ME, especially since you don't get any tags.