Ridiculous Epcot security

[ELLH]

I think the horse is dead.

 

[monkyby87]

I think the horse is dead.

But that's never stopped this board from beating it

 

[AngiTN]

I guess if you have tons of extra money, disney could have security meet you at your room - check you and then escort you into the park ... for a fee.

And they have this, sort of.
Book a VIP guide. They escort you to the park and they take you in the back way as you hop around, no security checks every time you go in/out of a park. Just don't think they do the security in your room part at the beginning.

 

[AngiTN]

But that's never stopped this board from beating it

Or any other message board in the Internet

 

[eric1985]

I think the best idea would be the TSA pre-check type thing. I would wonder though how Disney would complete these background checks if they're a private company. Despite the frustration though, Disney needs to be strict on security because it's a big target. I'm sure they have professionals always analyzing things. The double security does seem redundant though. Maybe they will address it if they redo the entrance to Epcot.

 

[monkyby87]

Or any other message board in the Internet

Too true, too true.

 

[AngiTN]

There's no maybe about it. They will eventually address it. Unfortunately I'm not sure it's in the short term
I mean, they don't WANT double screenings at Epcot. It's just an unfortunate situation due to the existing logistics.
I do think it would be possible for them to shift the checks out further as it is now, if they really wanted to. Add a bit of extra fencing/gates. It's not impossible. There's more than enough space over near the bus depots to move a check there. A few well placed fences and you could corral the parking lot guests to be checked somewhere else. That way, they get the monorail exit inside security.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I would argue you’re still benefiting from the convenience as you don’t have to wait for a bus, endure a 45 minute ride just to get to the parking lot, then wait for a tram, go through security,?then board a monorail or boat. You’re bypassing all of that, even if you don’t like how the security is setup.

No one staying on property has to do what you’ve described.

People taking the bus are dropped at the MK gate and go through security after disembarking. And the ride is not 45 minutes from anywhere on property unless there’s significant traffic backup, an accident, etc.

People driving are obviously not riding the bus. They’re the ones who use the tram (if they choose to do so, we always walk from the parking lot) and then the ferry or monorail.

 

[LSUmiss]

Where you are lost here is that it's not just the monorail resort guests that have to go through security twice. Anyone going to Epcot via monorail has to. And that isn't limited to monorail resort guests.
Sorry, but yeah, you are sounding very entitled to think that you are owed something different just because you pay to stay Deluxe. We stay Deluxe too and don't expect any treatment different from someone staying at a Value. And it does make you sound like you think you are more important than the lowly value resort guest. May not be how you intend to come across but as a reader, it is how you come across.
Anyone who says "I pay X to stay at this resort so I expect special treatment" does.

It’s not that I’m more important than anyone. It’s that I’m paying for convenience & not getting it. Why do you stay deluxe? If I fly first class, I expect better service than coach. I’m not better than anyone in coach, but I chose to spend the money for the service so expect that service. Everyone has the same opportunity to purchase that first class ticket but made their choice. I mostly fly SW b/c of the price so I expect to get what I paid for. If I eat in a fine dining est, I expect a better experience than McDonald’s. Doesn’t make me better than anyone eating at McDonald’s. Doesn’t mean I don’t also eat at McDonald’s. Feeling “entitled” to the service that’s being sold as luxury is not the same as feeling I’m better than anyone else or entitled to anything other than the service/good being sold. IMO, monorail resorts are priced & sold as more convenient. Poly is no more deluxe than animal Kingdom resort but often costs more. In fact, AK is probably nicer. So at Poly I’m paying for convenience & that’s all I feel “entitled” to. But, I don’t feel entitled to cut you in line at a counter service restaurant b/c I “paid” more for my room. The truth is, someone staying in a value could actually being paying more than me overall depending on length of stay, how many ppl, etc. But, there is nothing wrong with feeling “entitled” to the service/good you paid for.

 

[Jennasis]

Security isn't a big deal. What's another 10/15/20/30 minute wait at Disney? A blip on the radar of our day.

We didn't experience a single lengthy wait 12/8-12/14. and the small waits we encountered we were ready with bags opened and unzipped as to keep things moving.

 

[pahoben]

We recently spent a few days in the parks. Each day save one I had the backpack open prior to providing for search. On that single day as I approached security I found the zipper for the small compartment and opened but couldn’t find the zipper for the main compartment that remained closed (how hard could it be right but honestly couldn’t locate it). I handed the bag to security. He looked in the front compartment and fumbled around for maybe ten seconds trying to locate the zipper for the main compartment and gave up, muttered something, and passed me through never looking in the main compartment.

I have no doubt that a mentally competent person intending harm in a park could access the park with the weapon (or device) required and accomplish his or her objective. That leaves likely protection from mentally incompetent persons in say a psychotic episode that are incapable of planning entry but are fixated on harm in the park.

In seven days of park entries none of my family of four was directed through the metal detector.

It seems to me that the way it is set up is to provide some protection from liability suits in the case an event does occur.

 

[LSUmiss]

Staying at the deluxe may get an extra benefit you pay for in the parks but it isn't an extra benefit in the way you are treated in the parks. The guest in the park is treated the same, from the cheapest room at an All Star to the most expensive room at a Deluxe. Same at Universal. When we walk in the park as a guest at Hard Rock we are not treated differently.

No one is suggesting otherwise. On the monorail resorts, we are treated differently b/c we have to get screened there too. Lines are often ridiculous to get onto the monorail in the morning. In my recent experience a month ago, it is no longer more convenient than a bus resort even to MK so I won’t continue to pay more. That’s my only point. And, for us, the line isn’t as much of a problem as having all your stuff messed up & rummaged through twice before you even get there. It’s obnoxious. But, we will adjust & spend less $.

 

[LSUmiss]

The express line at Disney is the no bags line.

How much time are people really spending in security here? That’s what I can’t wrap my head around with all of these debates. Even on busy days with big lines I’ve not spent more than a handful of minutes in any bag check line. Even going through twice is a minor inconvenience. There are a lot of other things at Disney I’d complain about than a security line that takes a few minutes to go through.

It can take over an hour to get into Epcot from a monorail resort. That’s absurd.

 

[AngiTN]

No one is suggesting otherwise. On the monorail resorts, we are treated differently b/c we have to get screened there too. Lines are often ridiculous to get onto the monorail in the morning. In my recent experience a month ago, it is no longer more convenient than a bus resort even to MK so I won’t continue to pay more. That’s my only point. And, for us, the line isn’t as much of a problem as having all your stuff messed up & rummaged through twice before you even get there. It’s obnoxious. But, we will adjust & spend less $.

Sounds like then, in your case, it's going to be to your wallet's benefit. I mean, if park access is the only reason you have been staying at a Deluxe resort then you'll find staying at a Mod just fine.

We stay at a Deluxe for the amenities at the given resort. Transportation has nothing at all to do with it.

 

[LSUmiss]

Sounds like then, in your case, it's going to be to your wallet's benefit. I mean, if park access is the only reason you have been staying at a Deluxe resort then you'll find staying at a Mod just fine.

We stay at a Deluxe for the amenities at the given resort. Transportation has nothing at all to do with it.

I agree with you. For us, transportation has always been the main reason esp with a stroller-aged kid. We don’t find the amenities offered at deluxe worth almost double the prices. I know many ppl who stay monorail simply for transportation ease.

 

[GoingSince1990]

When my daughter and I visited Tokyo Disneyland earlier this year one thing we were amazed by was the (lack of) security. The security guy would literally peek in my backpack from above, without rummaging through it, removing anything, or even touching it. And it was February so the backpack was stuffed with sweatshirts and anything could have been underneath them. And it wasn’t just Disney. On Sunday afternoons the major streets in central Tokyo become pedestrian zones. In places like NYC there would be huge barriers and sanitation trucks to protect against truck attacks, but in Tokyo there was one cop with a few orange plastic cones to stop the traffic where the pedestrian zones began. It felt very much like a throwback to more innocent, safer times.

 

[AngiTN]

I agree wit you. For us, transportation has always been the main reason esp with a stroller-aged kid. We don’t find the amenities offered at deluxe worth almost double the prices. I know many ppl who stay monorail simply for transportation ease.

Only takes one monorail outage to quickly remove that from your reason to book one of the resorts. I personally hate the frickin' thing and avoid using it whenever I can. It's pretty sad that we find bus transportation better than the monorail.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Only takes one monorail outage to quickly remove that from your reason to book one of the resorts. I personally hate the frickin' thing and avoid using it whenever I can. It's pretty sad that we find bus transportation better than the monorail.

Yep this is why the monorail resorts are off my list.

 

[LSUmiss]

Only takes one monorail outage to quickly remove that from your reason to book one of the resorts. I personally hate the frickin' thing and avoid using it whenever I can. It's pretty sad that we find bus transportation better than the monorail.

I agree. Last trip was the final straw. We had convinced ourselves that it was still worth it, but it’s not. We had an outage in Feb & it was a nightmare. We just took a Minnie van. We may still stay deluxe, but like AK resort. But it’ll still be cheaper for us. Guess I should thank Disney !

 

[AngiTN]

Yep this is why the monorail resorts are off my list.

I still like and book CR but almost always a split stay, moving to BWI later. CR portion will be for our MK days
Poly and GF have always disappointed me in one way or another so no hurry to book there again