what constitutes a bag for the bag check entrance?

[n2mm]

Yes each park had different rules. Every bag was in line at most parks, while at AK a small bag could go through as no bag on some days.

As for a pattern, if you're pushing a stroller or carrying a child you rarely to never went through the metal detector. It wouldn't take a bad person to figure that pattern out.......!

My 11 year old granddaughter was asked every day how old she was. She looks older. Once she told them she was 11, she never had to go through the metal detector.

 

[walker0829]

Getting picked a lot doesn't mean it's not random. It's statistics - heads you get picked, tails you don't. You get a 50/50 chance each time to get picked or not. It has nothing to do with the last time, or the time after. Each event is a singular, individual event.

I'd be interested in the 'patterns'.

I watched the "random" selections countless times over my trip. They were moving too quickly for someone being told who to select. They would grab the first person they saw, escort them over, leave them at the metal detectors, and then go grab the next person walking in. If someone made it by without being selected it was only because the security guard(s) were already escorting someone over or heading back to the gate.

 

[any name you wish]

Random can also mean that day to day or week to week they change up what they look for. It doesn't mean that each person has an equal change to get scanned at all times, just that the process is random to the observer. Human bias is also in play as people are really bad about being random. Counting off every other person or every 5 people isn't random either - instead it can be predicable and gamed. Not saying I like the process but a lot of the method is hidden from us or it boils down to human bias and security personnel pick who they pick. Sounds like the best strategy is to get there early (allow extra time) and try to stay positive.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I said it in another thread I have no idea why WDW hasn't decided to separate security lines based on what you have. It takes the same amount of security people but if you split the lines up by no bag, small bag and large bag or stroller then you would likely speed up the process but still be able to effectively check people. If all you need to do in my bag is have it open and use a stick to poke around it won't take any time at all but that person who doesn't have the large bag now is stuck behind people who do and who have stollers. I see no problem in bringing that stuff in but by nature it takes longer. I'm not against the new security measures....completely...but clearly people are finding issues with it causing way longer lines and the feeling of it being not so random.

I kind of liken it to the self check out at places. If I only have a few items I prefer to go through the self check out it tends to go faster. At the 2 Costcos in my area they used to have self check out for like 2 years (we were told it was a pilot program where only our two stores had it..don't know if that's fully true about being the only stores). It was awesome. At this point my husband and I don't get a bunch of stuff at once at Costco and the self check out got us in and out much faster. Towards the end of them using it they started having workers use handheld scanners thinking it would speed things up but it just slowed things down..if I wanted a cashier to scan my items I would have gone to the regular line (but I digress here lol). Anyways they took them completely out and now I'm stuck in a line with people who write checks and have a full cart (no problem with that just making a statement) when all I have is milk and toilet paper.

 

[maxiesmom]

I said it in another thread I have no idea why WDW hasn't decided to separate security lines based on what you have. It takes the same amount of security people but if you split the lines up by no bag, small bag and large bag or stroller then you would likely speed up the process but still be able to effectively check people. If all you need to do in my bag is have it open and use a stick to poke around it won't take any time at all but that person who doesn't have the large bag now is stuck behind people who do and who have stollers. I see no problem in bringing that stuff in but by nature it takes longer. I'm not against the new security measures....completely...but clearly people are finding issues with it causing way longer lines and the feeling of it being not so random.

Many guests can't even grasp the concept of moving all the way down in their row in the shows, I think expecting them to figure out which bag line they need to be in is asking way too much. And I can't even fathom the number of CMs you would need to sort thru the masses arriving at the parks in order to direct them to the proper line.

 

[maxiesmom]

My wristlet is smaller than DH's wallet which is allowed in the no bag line. The only difference is the strap on my wristlet. If he can go through with his wallet and phone I can't see why I'd have to do the bag check either. I always put my wristlet in my pocket and skip bag check and have never been stopped and made to go through the check line. When I've had to go through the metal detectors (which seems to happen fairly often) I just pull my wristlet out and put it in the tray with my phone. It has never been a problem in any way.

The whole process seems kind of silly to me. DH always wears cargo shorts with several huge pockets. He could (and has) cart almost anything you could put into a bag into those things.

I have read that sometimes if they are feeling fussy, if it is obvious your pockets are stuffed full they will make you go thru the bag check line. I'm not sure how often they do that, but apparently they do on occasion.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Many guests can't even grasp the concept of moving all the way down in their row in the shows, I think expecting them to figure out which bag line they need to be in is asking way too much. And I can't even fathom the number of CMs you would need to sort thru the masses arriving at the parks in order to direct them to the proper line.

People tend to (though yes you will have outliers) get the point of moving down they just choose not to even when told a gadzillion times by the CMs. It's the same thing that happens at movie theaters when people are told to squeeze in people the movie is sold out. You're always going to have some people in the wrong line and clearly this has happened to some of the posters in recent times but their process now is clunky since they started the extra security measures (reading from many people's experience). You didn't need to separate the lines beforehand because the process was smoother. At least with separate lines the security people would be held to more of a consistent procedure. There shouldn't be a reason why one day your bag isn't a bag but another day it is. But I get your point.

 

[seelyt2]

I have a Vera Bradley cell phone case/wristlet and I used to just unzip well in advance and hold it up to the guards while going through the no bag line without an issue. They'd always smile and say thank-you, etc. However this was BEFORE the time of the metal detectors...probably 18 months ago or so. I'm sure things have changed since then. I suspect those days are over.

 

[cruisingkat]

We were at Epcot last week Mon thru Wednesday. Everyone that went through the no bag entrance was directed to the metal detectors. Random people were pulled over for the metal detector from the bag check lines.
By the way, DH has had both hips replaced with titanium. He always sets off the metal detectors at the airport - he always tells them he has the metal hips so they need to wand him when they tell him to go thru again. When Disney had him go thru the metal detector, they told him that titanium replacements shouldn't set it off, that they could be adjusted not to go off for titanium replacements. It turned out that he forgot about his belt, and the buckle was setting it off.

 

[scrapquitler]

I said it in another thread I have no idea why WDW hasn't decided to separate security lines based on what you have. It takes the same amount of security people but if you split the lines up by no bag, small bag and large bag or stroller then you would likely speed up the process but still be able to effectively check people. If all you need to do in my bag is have it open and use a stick to poke around it won't take any time at all but that person who doesn't have the large bag now is stuck behind people who do and who have stollers. I see no problem in bringing that stuff in but by nature it takes longer. I'm not against the new security measures....completely...but clearly people are finding issues with it causing way longer lines and the feeling of it being not so random.

I would disagree with this. I might have a large bag with a few compartments, but I still got thru security a lot faster than other people in the line next to me who had a small bag on several occasions because I was ready --- my bag was unzipped, I took my large item out of the top of the bag and I had it on the table and ready for the security CM. Other people even with small bags often took longer because they didn't have it open and ready, sometimes they left it in the bottom of a stroller, or they still were wearing their fanny pack on their waist when it was their turn.

If people followed the instructions and had their bag open, ready and unzipped that would make a HUGE difference. But unfortunately, a lot of people can't seem to get with the program.

 

[scrapquitler]

I have read that sometimes if they are feeling fussy, if it is obvious your pockets are stuffed full they will make you go thru the bag check line. I'm not sure how often they do that, but apparently they do on occasion.

They do. One day last fall I was behind a guy in line who had only a small bag with him, but they made him empty his pockets as well, and apparently some one somewhere noticed that he had a folded up knife of some sort on a belt clip that was obstructed by his shirt, because they told him to show that as well. That incident convinced me that they are watching a lot more than the bag check lines make it appear.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would disagree with this. I might have a large bag with a few compartments, but I still got thru security a lot faster than other people in the line next to me who had a small bag on several occasions because I was ready --- my bag was unzipped, I took my large item out of the top of the bag and I had it on the table and ready for the security CM. Other people even with small bags often took longer because they didn't have it open and ready, sometimes they left it in the bottom of a stroller, or they still were wearing their fanny pack on their waist when it was their turn.

If people followed the instructions and had their bag open, ready and unzipped that would make a HUGE difference. But unfortunately, a lot of people can't seem to get with the program.

True true but that's the case no matter if you are in a bag line or not. If you have your pockets full they may ask you to take all items out of your pockets (that would take longer than if they didn't ask), if you have your bag all ready to go it would take less time than if you didn't. No matter if you separated the lines or not you will have people who are not ready become the outliers and prior to the new security measures you still had people who weren't ready but on average the line to get into the parks wasn't as bad as they have been lately especially at times not expected. It's unlikely that that many more people aren't ready now compared to before...I'm hoping my ramblings make sense.

 

[scrapquitler]

True true but that's the case no matter if you are in a bag line or not. If you have your pockets full they may ask you to take all items out of your pockets (that would take longer than if they didn't ask), if you have your bag all ready to go it would take less time than if you didn't. No matter if you separated the lines or not you will have people who are not ready become the outliers and prior to the new security measures you still had people who weren't ready but on average the line to get into the parks wasn't as bad as they have been lately especially at times not expected. It's unlikely that that many more people aren't ready now compared to before...I'm hoping my ramblings make sense.

It's amazing how many people aren't with the program and have to be reminded that yes, if you have a stroller with a diaper bag in the bottom you DO need to go to the bag check line (Hubby actually was behind someone in the no bag line who said they thought a diaper bag wouldn't count as a bag). So no matter what, they'd still need a bunch of people directing people which line to go to. I can only imagine how many people would argue with the cast member "but this bag is small". I think that more people seemed clueless this year than in past years, or maybe they just were deliberately not going along with doing what was expected because they think they are special snowflakes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think that more people seemed clueless this year than in past years, or maybe they just were deliberately not going along with doing what was expected because they think they are special snowflakes.

I guess we'll agree to disagree on this subject. Not trying to go on an all out full blown discussion on that topic but I get where you are coming from for sure. I'm one of those "has everything ready to go" whenever I go through any type of theme park, sporting events security type thing.

 

[NJMomto2]

So I am a single mom and was in the parks last week with my 4 year old alone in a stroller. I was randomly selected from the bag line 3 or 4 times in 7 park days. One day I was told to leave my daughter alone in her stroller off to the side and get in line for the detector. I also have a fake hip which was annoying. I did not like leaving my daughter and she was scared. I feel Disney needs a better system.

 

[jsmla]

I have read that sometimes if they are feeling fussy, if it is obvious your pockets are stuffed full they will make you go thru the bag check line. I'm not sure how often they do that, but apparently they do on occasion.

All I can say is that I have been making at least annual (usually more often-my record is 6 trips in one year) trips to WDW since 1989 and we have never been stopped for bulging pockets. DH (against my strenuous objections) has strolled through with a cold beer in his. This was before the metal detectors, hoping those will put the fear of Mickey into the man.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Bag checks are getting more stringent. For the first time ever yesterday, I had a bag check security CM try to make me take the bag off the front of my walker. It's pretty securely attached and a pain to remove. I told him no, it's open and you can check it right here just like they always do. Then he hassled me about the small screwdriver I have for tightening certain joints on the walker. It's only been once before that they even noticed the screwdriver in my bag, and that CM didn't care once I explained what it was for.