Park entrance and security changes

[jbish]

Seems like they may be moving towards getting all resort bus riders to have gone through security before getting on the bus - i.e. the resort buses are now "in the bubble."

ETA: I'm thinking of this picture:

With the green and red circles representing new gates, then the bus riders would go straight through the green gate, correct? And your tram arrivers maybe go through the red gate and have to go through bag check in the blue? That's how I was interpreting this image.

But I'm not sure I understand this statement:

Seems impractical especially for resorts like CBR or POR and others where there are multiple stops per resort. That truly would be an inconvenient convenience.

If there's a bag screener at each resort bus stop, why would it matter if there are multiple stops? Everyone is screened in advance of the bus even arriving. Spreading out the security bag check process (and I'm fine with 100% of the park attendees going through a metal detector, just like they do at Universal) should lead to everyone's individual screening time going down. But please explain if I'm not understanding the challenges of screening people before getting on the resort bus first.

 

[mcurran]

Seems like they may be moving towards getting all resort bus riders to have gone through security before getting on the bus - i.e. the resort buses are now "in the bubble."

ETA: I'm thinking of this picture:

With the green and red circles representing new gates, then the bus riders would go straight through the green gate, correct? And your tram arrivers maybe go through the red gate and have to go through bag check in the blue? That's how I was interpreting this image.

But I'm not sure I understand this statement:


If there's a bag screener at each resort bus stop, why would it matter if there are multiple stops? Everyone is screened in advance of the bus even arriving. Spreading out the security bag check process (and I'm fine with 100% of the park attendees going through a metal detector, just like they do at Universal) should lead to everyone's individual screening time going down. But please explain if I'm not understanding the challenges of screening people before getting on the resort bus first.

The blue area is not the new bus drop off. The drop off is actually off that picture to the bottom right (off screen).

• Blue: New line of bag check stations
• Red: A new gate
• Green: Another new gate
• Yellow: Smaller structures with at least one door

But your other question regarding moving bag check to the hotels is just impractical.
1. You would need to redesign all bus stops and add fencing so non screened people don’t get on a bus.
2. Each bus stop would need at least 2 full time people working at any given time at each bus stop to screen. For resorts like CBR or POR that’s 8+ full time people. Plus people to cover breaks etc. multiply that by number of hotels and the fact that you will still need onsite bag check for driving visitors and it’s just more money in staffing (something Disney doesn’t want to do).

Again, the bag check is after the bus drop off so this is all a moot point.

 

[rteetz]

Improvements Coming to Epcot Park Entrance Including Covered Bag Check and More Metal Detectors

 

[mcurran]

Improvements Coming to Epcot Park Entrance Including Covered Bag Check and More Metal Detectors

Yes! I am totally loving that Disney is helping get into the park faster and more conveniently. Someone has finally realized that people standing in line waiting to enter a park are people who aren’t starting off on the right foot and more importantly aren’t spending money inside the park on merch. Whatever gets me into the park faster and safety maintained (or improved).

 

[Moliphino]

But your other question regarding moving bag check to the hotels is just impractical.
1. You would need to redesign all bus stops and add fencing so non screened people don’t get on a bus.
2. Each bus stop would need at least 2 full time people working at any given time at each bus stop to screen. For resorts like CBR or POR that’s 8+ full time people. Plus people to cover breaks etc. multiply that by number of hotels and the fact that you will still need onsite bag check for driving visitors and it’s just more money in staffing (something Disney doesn’t want to do).

Again, the bag check is after the bus drop off so this is all a moot point.

Also, at the mods with multiple stops some people use the bus just to get around inside the resort. It would be annoying to have to go through security if you're just going from your section to the lobby and then again on the way back.

 

[richmo]

Interesting. I thought AK's entrance was pretty good. Totally agree that Epcot's needs the most help, with it split into two pieces coming in from the parking lot, yet weighted towards whichever side is getting parking at the time, and really getting congested if its the right side (facing the ball), since the bus and monorail crowd comes in there too. Not to even mention, the double security checks for monorail...

 

[jbish]

The blue area is not the new bus drop off. The drop off is actually off that picture to the bottom right (off screen).

• Blue: New line of bag check stations
• Red: A new gate
• Green: Another new gate
• Yellow: Smaller structures with at least one door

Yes, I get that. I just thought maybe people coming off of the buses (to the bottom left, not the right, just barely seen within the screenshot) would already be screened, go through this "new gate" in the green circle, and go straight to the park entrance. It seemed like the people coming from the parking lot would enter through the "yellow gate", go through the new bag check area in the blue, and then proceed to the park entrance, meeting up with the bus folks beyond the blue bag check point.

But your other question regarding moving bag check to the hotels is just impractical.
1. You would need to redesign all bus stops and add fencing so non screened people don’t get on a bus.
2. Each bus stop would need at least 2 full time people working at any given time at each bus stop to screen. For resorts like CBR or POR that’s 8+ full time people. Plus people to cover breaks etc. multiply that by number of hotels and the fact that you will still need onsite bag check for driving visitors and it’s just more money in staffing (something Disney doesn’t want to do).

Again, the bag check is after the bus drop off so this is all a moot point.

Yes, I see your point about all of the extra staff needed. And then the additional point about the internal bus riders at a resort. But then what is the point of all of this work - just to move bag check out a little further? You're not really making bag check that much better - just scooting it out towards the parking lot more?

When thinking about the new gondolas, I have to think that they will screen all bags prior to letting people on. I can't imagine they'd let unscreened bags on to the gondolas since they do travel over hotels and go backstage at Epcot. So it would make sense that they try to spread out security as far out as they can. And resort buses, while a logistical nightmare, seems like a necessary evil. JMO

 

[R2Dude]

I see the red and green gates as exits from the park rather than entrances. Kind of like how at the TTC there is a gate to the far left if you want to walk out to the parking lot. At AK, red would get you to the parking lot/new tram pick up and green would get you to the busses without having to go against the flow of people coming into the park through the new blue bag check area. Busses would remain the same and have to go through the bag check at each park.

 

[jbish]

I see the red and green gates as exits from the park rather than entrances. Kind of like how at the TTC there is a gate to the far left if you want to walk out to the parking lot. At AK, red would get you to the parking lot/new tram pick up and green would get you to the busses without having to go against the flow of people coming into the park through the new blue bag check area. Busses would remain the same and have to go through the bag check at each park.

Hmm..that makes sense.

 

[AngiTN]

Improvements Coming to Epcot Park Entrance Including Covered Bag Check and More Metal Detectors

But still no actual confirmation about how the monorail exit will be. If it will come down inside the secure zone?

 

[AngiTN]

Yes, I get that. I just thought maybe people coming off of the buses (to the bottom left, not the right, just barely seen within the screenshot) would already be screened, go through this "new gate" in the green circle, and go straight to the park entrance. It seemed like the people coming from the parking lot would enter through the "yellow gate", go through the new bag check area in the blue, and then proceed to the park entrance, meeting up with the bus folks beyond the blue bag check point.



Yes, I see your point about all of the extra staff needed. And then the additional point about the internal bus riders at a resort. But then what is the point of all of this work - just to move bag check out a little further? You're not really making bag check that much better - just scooting it out towards the parking lot more?

When thinking about the new gondolas, I have to think that they will screen all bags prior to letting people on. I can't imagine they'd let unscreened bags on to the gondolas since they do travel over hotels and go backstage at Epcot. So it would make sense that they try to spread out security as far out as they can. And resort buses, while a logistical nightmare, seems like a necessary evil. JMO

Typically, moving it out more means more room to spread out, less congestion, less bunched up people, less danger. In theory at least.

 

[rteetz]

But still no actual confirmation about how the monorail exit will be. If it will come down inside the secure zone?

That is supposed to change in all of this.

 

[rteetz]

‘Disney’s Walk Around the World’ Bricks to be Retired as Transformation of Arrival Experience Continues at Magic Kingdom Park

 

[cmwade77]

Interesting. I thought AK's entrance was pretty good. Totally agree that Epcot's needs the most help, with it split into two pieces coming in from the parking lot, yet weighted towards whichever side is getting parking at the time, and really getting congested if its the right side (facing the ball), since the bus and monorail crowd comes in there too. Not to even mention, the double security checks for monorail...

The biggest problem at AK is the ticket booths are way too close to the entrance, which ends up creating a lot of bottlenecks getting into the park with unnecessarily long lines because no one can get to the gates that have no one going in.

 

[cmwade77]

Typically, moving it out more means more room to spread out, less congestion, less bunched up people, less danger. In theory at least.

Even better would be to move to use xray machines for the bags while people walk through the metal detectors, similar to what the airport or Universal Studios (Hollywood at least) does. Boom just cut security waits to about 1/10 of the current amount of time and staffing levels in half.

 

[Moliphino]

Even better would be to move to use xray machines for the bags while people walk through the metal detectors, similar to what the airport or Universal Studios (Hollywood at least) does. Boom just cut security waits to about 1/10 of the current amount of time and staffing levels in half.

DLP does this too.

 

[galaxygirl76]

Yes! I am totally loving that Disney is helping get into the park faster and more conveniently. Someone has finally realized that people standing in line waiting to enter a park are people who aren’t starting off on the right foot and more importantly aren’t spending money inside the park on merch. Whatever gets me into the park faster and safety maintained (or improved).

EPCOT is the worst and usually on top of the long security lines, the line to get into the park is long as well. It doesn't seem to matter how much time I allow us to get to a breakfast ADR in Epcot, we always end up running for it because security/park entrance takes longer than anticipated. I think it was over half an hour the last trip just from security to walking into the park.

 

[acertaingirl]

Even better would be to move to use xray machines for the bags while people walk through the metal detectors, similar to what the airport or Universal Studios (Hollywood at least) does. Boom just cut security waits to about 1/10 of the current amount of time and staffing levels in half.

We stayed at Hard Rock Hotel last Dec and they had X-ray machines at the boat dock to City Walk. Speedy!!

 

[rteetz]

Permits filed for MK entrance area

http://blogmickey.com/2019/04/permi...VmBYjSLinxsr-urSMVOZElJ3aKtiMNIspxv1uCscNMoxU

 

[DanBoris]

Permits filed for MK entrance area

http://blogmickey.com/2019/04/permi...VmBYjSLinxsr-urSMVOZElJ3aKtiMNIspxv1uCscNMoxU

The plans shown in that post do not show the new configuration of the MK entrance. There are drawings of the new configuration in the permit.