Security Check In Parks (scooter)

[SueM in MN]

They had a "sniffer dog" at all of the parks last week, and I watched security check every wheelchair and scooter, after having all the bags taken off. I spent a lot of time standing by waiting for one of our group who used a knee scooter. They checked everything.

Forgot about the dogs - when we were at WDW in June 2021, we saw many more security dogs than on previous trips.
Besides the parks, they were more prominent at Disney Springs. We saw them walking around, but they were stationed at the places where guests enter Disney Springs from the bus and parking lot areas

 

[Simba's Mom]

You do not go through the new scanners with ECVs, wheelchairs, or strollers. They will direct you where to go when you get to each individual entrance. There are cast members out there watching for people with these items and directing traffic. Have a fun trip.

Yes, I think there was a security person waving you to the special ECS and stroller lanes. Maybe there was one or two without a CM, but there was always a very noticeable sign. Since I can't walk, the security person walked thru the scanner with my purse. However, they were very respectful, held the purse away from their body and made sure that I could see their hands-so I never questioned "Are they sneaking anything out?" Then they sent me to another CM who usually "wanded" me (waved a big wand over my front and rear. I say usually, because a couple times they did a "visual check" instead. That meant a security CM would come over, take a quick look at me and my scooter (look, didn't touch anything), then say "OK, have a nice day!"

 

[Evita_W]

They had a "sniffer dog" at all of the parks last week, and I watched security check every wheelchair and scooter, after having all the bags taken off. I spent a lot of time standing by waiting for one of our group who used a knee scooter. They checked everything.

But there are many items that would have no smell, such as a selfie stick for example that these machines could detect that a dog would not.

 

[DisneyOma]

But there are many items that would have no smell, such as a selfie stick for example that these machines could detect that a dog would not.

The bags are checked too, not sure why you think they aren't? They get taken through the scanner by either a guest or security. If they ping, they are opened.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

The bags are checked too, not sure why you think they aren't? They get taken through the scanner by either a guest or security. If they ping, they are opened.

Only sometimes, and only some of them. I won't go into more detail because I don't want to give people ideas, but they have never actually checked all (or even most) of my stuff. Not on purpose, I don't lie or try to conceal anything, but one of the bags is kind of a pain so they've waved it through before without a check, and the other they don't know to look for.

That said, in terms of what they're really worried about, a selfie stick isn't one of them. Those are easily confiscated once in the park. Explosives/chemicals/other things the dogs are sniffing for - not so much.

 

[Groot]

I thought that they were using a new style of scanner that wheelchairs and scooters can go through instead of the kind that you see at airports.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I thought that they were using a new style of scanner that wheelchairs and scooters can go through instead of the kind that you see at airports.

I've never seen one at Disney.

Process is simple... go to the designated station and if possible, if you are able, you walk through the scanner carrying any bags. Security goes through the scooter, wheelchair, stroller, etc. while you do this. Scanner is no different than the one used by everyone else.

 

[Evita_W]

The bags are checked too, not sure why you think they aren't? They get taken through the scanner by either a guest or security. If they ping, they are opened.

I'm not referring to bags, there are many places on a scooter that say a selfie stick could be hidden and not found by security. I will not reveal where, but I have seen people doing it and I said something to security when I saw it, but they never would have known otherwise.

 

[Evita_W]

I've never seen one at Disney.

Process is simple... go to the designated station and if possible, if you are able, you walk through the scanner carrying any bags. Security goes through the scooter, wheelchair, stroller, etc. while you do this. Scanner is no different than the one used by everyone else.

The new scanners are capable of allowing scooters and wheelchairs to go through, as I have been elsewhere that use these new scanners that have wheelchairs and scooters come right on through.

 

[SueM in MN]

Only sometimes, and only some of them. I won't go into more detail because I don't want to give people ideas, but they have never actually checked all (or even most) of my stuff. Not on purpose, I don't lie or try to conceal anything, but one of the bags is kind of a pain so they've waved it through before without a check, and the other they don't know to look for.

That said, in terms of what they're really worried about, a selfie stick isn't one of them. Those are easily confiscated once in the park. Explosives/chemicals/other things the dogs are sniffing for - not so much.

have you been thru the new scanners and process at the parks?

I thought that they were using a new style of scanner that wheelchairs and scooters can go through instead of the kind that you see at airports.

For whatever reason, WDW is pulling wheelchairs, strollers and ECVs into a separate line and having the guest remove all bags and walk/have someone in their party walk thru holding the bags.
The website for the company that makes the scanners doesn’t address wheelchairs and ECVs as far as I can see, just people walking thru. EDITED TO REMOVE THE STRIKETHRU. I WENT THRU THE EVOLV WEBSITE AGAIN AND THERE ARE NO PICTURES WITH STROLLERS OR WHEELCHAIRS. Strollers without much on are in some pictures. So, there might be some places it makes sense to do it and others not. Since there is nothing I can see on their website, there may also be some issues doing it in some situation.
I also don’t know if WDW tried having them go thru the scanners and found it made more issues.
My guess for why they are pulling those devices off comes from experience going thru bag check - many people have a lot of stuff on/in their devices and pulling them off allows time out of the flow to remove all the things to carry thru the scanner.

During our June trip, I was behind one person with a stroller that took almost 5 minutes to pull all all the items off/out of their stroller. Both parents were carrying things and wouldn’t have had a hand free to push the stroller thru. With it off to the side, each parent went thru with bags while the other waited with the child.
I was carrying my DD’s backpack thru when it alerted several times (We never did figure out what alerted - the same stuff was in each day and sometimes alerted, sometimes not). A couple people I saw while waiting for the bag to be hand checked had so much stuff in their bag that the CM couldn’t check it without removing things.

It made me think of the commercial where all customers are flowing thru checkout paying with touch less credit cards, then a person paying cash stops the flow.

 

[Debbie Jean]

The new scanners are capable of allowing scooters and wheelchairs to go through, as I have been elsewhere that use these new scanners that have wheelchairs and scooters come right on through.

Well, yes, certainly true. But they are not currently in use at Disney which was the issue raised.

Whether they are in the future, time... and the financial investment in upgraded technology.... will tell.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

have you been thru the new scanners and process at the parks?

Our last trip was in December 2020, so it was the walk-through-with-bags scanners/process. They always pulled me out to the side and sometimes asked me to take the bag off the chair arm so it could be hand-checked. Not always, though, and the one day I had foolishly put the phone holder on my chair before security that I needed to remove to get the bag off; they saw me start messing with it and told me not to bother. I don't remember them doing anything else in terms of wanding or patting anything down, but I could be forgetting it because I'm so used to that from airports and other security checkpoints. They definitely didn't send my chair through the scanner at any point and only asked if I could walk through the scanner I think once or twice in 2 weeks.

 

[Evita_W]

have you been thru the new scanners and process at the parks?

For whatever reason, WDW is pulling wheelchairs, strollers and ECVs into a separate line and having the guest remove all bags and walk/have someone in their party walk thru holding the bags.
The website for the company that makes the scanners doesn’t address wheelchairs and ECVs as far as I can see, just people walking thru. Strollers without much on are in some pictures. So, there might be some places it makes sense to do it and others not. Since there is nothing I can see on their website, there may also be some issues doing it in some situation.
I also don’t know if WDW tried having them go thru the scanners and found it made more issues.
My guess for why they are pulling those devices off comes from experience going thru bag check - many people have a lot of stuff on/in their devices and pulling them off allows time out of the flow to remove all the things to carry thru the scanner.

During our June trip, I was behind one person with a stroller that took almost 5 minutes to pull all all the items off/out of their stroller. Both parents were carrying things and wouldn’t have had a hand free to push the stroller thru. With it off to the side, each parent went thru with bags while the other waited with the child.
I was carrying my DD’s backpack thru when it alerted several times (We never did figure out what alerted - the same stuff was in each day and sometimes alerted, sometimes not). A couple people I saw while waiting for the bag to be hand checked had so much stuff in their bag that the CM couldn’t check it without removing things.

It made me think of the commercial where all customers are flowing thru checkout paying with touch less credit cards, then a person paying cash stops the flow.

When we are the OC Fair out here in California, which used the exact same scanners, no bags had to be removed, you just went through on your ECV or with the stroller and if something was identified that the needed a closer look at, they pulled you to the side, same as anyone else would have happen.

 

[Evita_W]

Well, yes, certainly true. But they are not currently in use at Disney which was the issue raised.

Whether they are in the future, time... and the financial investment in upgraded technology.... will tell.

But that is my point, the investment has already been made, there is no additional cost to this.

 

[Debbie Jean]

But that is my point, the investment has already been made, there is no additional cost to this.

Interesting. So you’re saying the current scanners could accommodate a scooter, wheelchair, or stroller? I don’t remember them being that wide but I guess it’s possible.

 

[Evita_W]

Interesting. So you’re saying the current scanners could accommodate a scooter, wheelchair, or stroller? I don’t remember them being that wide but I guess it’s possible.

Yes, there are two widths though, so the wider side would be easier, but both can.