Randomly selected for screening at EPCOT

[Sytrace]

I had never been chosen before and we are there at least once or twice a week since the screening started.
It was really interesting too because, my husband and kids went in the no bag lane and my husband was selected. Then I was selected after going thru bag check. He had never been chosen before either.

It really does seem to be random thought as there were other people who went thru bag check between my husband and I entering and they weren't chosen. And the security guard made a beeline for me. Not sure about my husband as he was already past the bag check area.

Overall, not a bad experience and really quick too.

 

[Accident]

It's never just random but they are pretty good at letting many not need to do it.. I have been pulled for the security almost every single time.. my daughter is very rare. I don't mind stopping, I can do it in 5 seconds and now an expert in going through the machine. What is starting to bother me is how many other people aren't being checked while they are busy with me and only me..

I'm starting to remember their names on their name tags its so often.

 

[JimmyV]

And the security guard made a beeline for me.

This is a demonstration of how it is not random. "Random" would be: "I will just take the next person who comes by, irrespective of who that is." Non-random is: "I am going to make a bee-line for that lady over there." Nobody seems to know what is behind the bee-line. But anyone who has spent more than a minute observing the security guards' behavior can recognize that it happens. All in all, the whole thing is a non-event and it takes an extra 20 seconds at most to comply with the request to go through the scanner, just as you say.

 

[Sytrace]

I have a few friends who go to the parks more frequently every week than I do and they reported that they always get chosen as well. One or two gave the example of going to 3 out of the 4 parks in one day and getting chosen at each park.

And it was comical how the guard went past a few other people and directly to me. Which is how I noted it was a beeline. I don't think they realized my husband and I were in the same party but as he was exiting the area, I was dropping my phone and keys into the dish to walk thru. I commented to him that it looked like we were the "chosen" ones. It really is not that big of a time factor at all. And not at all inconvienent.
Now if it happened to me EVERY single time where I got to know their names, I might be a little put off. lol

 

[Nermel9]

I was just at Disneyland last week, and I swear, my husband got picked EVERY SINGLE TIME. I would watch people just walk right by and then my husband would go through and they'd grab him. They only had me do it once. I don't mind, but after a while, it got to be really obnoxious, there must be something about him that looks sketchy. I mean, it was seriously almost every single time we were going through the bag check, no matter what line we were in, he got grabbed. I don't believe it's random. And I didn't see them once pick someone who had a stroller. I was watching, because after seeing my husband get picked so many times, I was trying to figure out how they chose people.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I don't see why this is a big secret or problem.

There are behind the scene screeners and observers looking for any number of different things as people pass up the lines. Body language, face expressions, type of and unusual bumps clothing and bags. There is likely facial computer imaging as well.

Part of life these days, all stores, malls arenas, large theaters and almost any venues do it in one form or another and we don't see any of it until someone is screened. So if it is totally random or partially random it no biggie.

AKK

 

[Nermel9]

I don't see why this is a big secret or problem.

There are behind the scene screeners and observers looking for any number of different things as people pass up the lines. Body language, face expressions, type of and unusual bumps clothing and bags. There is likely facial computer imaging as well.

Part of life these days, all stores, malls arenas, large theaters and almost any venues do it in one form or another and we don't see any of it until someone is screened. So if it is totally random or partially random it no biggie.

AKK

I'm not saying it's a problem, but when you're the one getting picked every single time, you start to wonder what it is about you that makes them choose you and not the hundreds of other people, that's all.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I'm not saying it's a problem, but when you're the one getting picked every single time, you start to wonder what it is about you that makes them choose you and not the hundreds of other people, that's all.

Sorry, I was not referring to just you, just a general remark. I agree, why one person is picked more often then others, would set anyone to thinking. That person must be tripping some hot point.


AKK

 

[cvjw]

I don't see why this is a big secret or problem.

There are behind the scene screeners and observers looking for any number of different things as people pass up the lines. Body language, face expressions, type of and unusual bumps clothing and bags. There is likely facial computer imaging as well.

Part of life these days, all stores, malls arenas, large theaters and almost any venues do it in one form or another and we don't see any of it until someone is screened. So if it is totally random or partially random it no biggie.

AKK

It's no biggie until you get picked every single time. I agree with previous posters, it is not random - they picked me out every time. They would come over to where I was going thru the bag check line and demand I go thru the metal detector. I was never just walking by.

The funny thing is that my husband gets "randomly" selected in every airport we go thru, foreign and domestic. I fully expected him to be "randomly" selected at Disney also. But he wasn't, not one single time. It was me, every single time.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

It's no biggie until you get picked every single time. I agree with previous posters, it is not random - they picked me out every time. They would come over to where I was going thru the bag check line and demand I go thru the metal detector. I was never just walking by.

The funny thing is that my husband gets "randomly" selected in every airport we go thru, foreign and domestic. I fully expected him to be "randomly" selected at Disney also. But he wasn't, not one single time. It was me, every single time.

Well, unfortunity its part of life today......as previously pointed out, it is in and out fast......AKK

 

[Jacie]

I was picked every time at Disneyland in January and my husband picked once. Every time I went through, the guard would have just walked up from finishing up with someone else and I was just the first person they saw. Same thing with my husband. Even if they were picking me solely because I have RBF or something, it wouldn't bother me. I have nothing to hide and that 15 seconds didn't make or break a single one of my days.

 

[Boski]

I'm not saying it's a problem, but when you're the one getting picked every single time, you start to wonder what it is about you that makes them choose you and not the hundreds of other people, that's all.

I get picked all the time, but then again I'm always packin'.

 

[msmama]

Security at MK said yesterday that they are trying to get more people screened and are working on "the best way to do that". More metal detectors seems like the most logical way to me, but Disney doesn't always work most logically.

I got picked every time at Epcot and twice at MK (though everyone was getting sent through one day at MK).

Like someone else said it seemed to be that I was just the first person they saw after finishing with someone else.

 

[Skywise]

I get picked all the time, but then again I'm always packin'.

Got a license to carry them guns, son?

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

My wife seems to get picked just about every time...I guess it's her intimidating 5' 2" 110 lb frame . The only time I got picked was at DHS when we walked in from the parking lot. DW got picked and I guess they didn't want me to feel left out so they made me go after her. To the poster above, I had a stroller with me.

 

[disfamz]

I got more often than not the last week of April. It got to the point where I said to the guy who was doing it, "is there something about me" and he said it was just random. I can understand that but we went in and out of the parks twice a day for 7 days. When I am picked 10 out of 14 times, then that is NOT random.

 

[Magpie]

I'm not saying it's a problem, but when you're the one getting picked every single time, you start to wonder what it is about you that makes them choose you and not the hundreds of other people, that's all.

After getting chosen almost every single time, my husband was wondering the same thing, and I suggested he start carrying his phone in his hand instead of wearing it in a holster under his golf shirt. He wasn't picked once for the remainder of our vacation.

It doesn't prove anything, of course, but I do think - for whatever reason - the bump under his shirt looked enough like a weapon to trigger a "random" search.

 

[Clare Voince]

Getting picked frequently doesn't mean that you're being targeted. No one knows the number of people they choose for extra screening. If they choose 50%, then it would not be unusual for you to get picked frequently with such a small subset of chances. Getting picked frequently could be down to other things too. I would expect that a fewer percentage get picked at rope drop as opposed to the middle of the day when there are only a handful of people entering at one time.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I was just at Disneyland last week, and I swear, my husband got picked EVERY SINGLE TIME. I would watch people just walk right by and then my husband would go through and they'd grab him. They only had me do it once. I don't mind, but after a while, it got to be really obnoxious, there must be something about him that looks sketchy. I mean, it was seriously almost every single time we were going through the bag check, no matter what line we were in, he got grabbed. I don't believe it's random. And I didn't see them once pick someone who had a stroller. I was watching, because after seeing my husband get picked so many times, I was trying to figure out how they chose people.

Does he look like he has military affiliation or could be a police officer? There was another thread about this and men with military haircuts seem to be getting picked frequently.

My wife seems to get picked just about every time...I guess it's her intimidating 5' 2" 110 lb frame . The only time I got picked was at DHS when we walked in from the parking lot. DW got picked and I guess they didn't want me to feel left out so they made me go after her. To the poster above, I had a stroller with me.

The thread I mentioned above seemed to also have some very non intimidating people (Grandparents and petite moms of toddlers) who got picked frequently as well. I think they try to pick those people often enough to make it "seem" more random.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I was just at Disneyland last week, and I swear, my husband got picked EVERY SINGLE TIME. I would watch people just walk right by and then my husband would go through and they'd grab him. They only had me do it once. I don't mind, but after a while, it got to be really obnoxious, there must be something about him that looks sketchy. I mean, it was seriously almost every single time we were going through the bag check, no matter what line we were in, he got grabbed. I don't believe it's random. And I didn't see them once pick someone who had a stroller. I was watching, because after seeing my husband get picked so many times, I was trying to figure out how they chose people.

I was chosen at DLR last month while pushing my infant in a stroller.