Security Lines

[Purerockfury1]

Anyone know why Disney doesn’t use X-ray to scan bags like Universal does? Been standing in the Security line for about 20 minutes and have moved maybe 20 feet!!! Ridiculous.

 

[OKW Lover]

its an extra expense for not really an improvement in detecting contraband

 

[DaveNinja]

yeah it was bad Tuesday evening. around 5 it took about half an hour to get through. My poor arm got sun burned while waiting in line, haha. They were only running half the security tables/metal-detectors.
There was a group of 7,000 Future Farmers of America there last night but it seemed like most were in DCA. To me, DCA seemed "summer crowded" yesterday evening.

 

[Malcon10t]

yeah it was bad Tuesday evening. around 5 it took about half an hour to get through. My poor arm got sun burned while waiting in line, haha. They were only running half the security tables/metal-detectors.
There was a group of 7,000 Future Farmers of America there last night but it seemed like most were in DCA. To me, DCA seemed "summer crowded" yesterday evening.

Yes, the FFA tickets were only 5pm to 1am (private event after 9) in DCA only.

 

[cmwade77]

its an extra expense for not really an improvement in detecting contraband

It may not improve detection, but it would dramatically improve speed of security lines and get people spending money faster.

 

[minnieralyks]

I hear you! It's almost like the lottery for which line will move slow and fast. Made the mistake of waiting 30 minutes in a line one morning, moving only 2-3 places up from where we began (no joke). I decided to leave my family, hop out of line and into a longer one hoping that one would go faster. I ended up passing my family up within ~5 minutes and made it to the front of the line before they moved any further along. Don't get me wrong, I'm pro-security and like that they have a good presence at the parks, but it is pretty frustrating to watch the other lines continuously move while your line stays static.

 

[DnA2010]

Yikes! 30 min to get through security?! Was there also a wait to get in the gates?

 

[Whistlebee]

Yesterday was really busy all day but last night was really packed in DCA due to the FFA event. Half our group went back to our hotel to swim and they got caught in that super long security line on Harbour around 5. By the time they finally met up with us to ride Guardians with our Fastpasses the Fastpasses line was backed up all the way into BugsLand and standby was 135 minutes. It didn’t affect us that much because we only rode that one ride and then hopped to DL but it was definitely packed.

 

[Whistlebee]

We were there Saturday night through yesterday and Tuesday felt the busiest to me.

 

[cmwade77]

Yikes! 30 min to get through security?! Was there also a wait to get in the gates?

30 minutes to get through security is pretty much the norm these days, especially at Mickey & Friends. On the Toy Story side they have been adding a no bag line when the security lines get long, so if you can forgo lugging a bag with you through the parks all day, you can usually bypass the security line if there is one. If you notice, he didn't actually make it through in 30 minutes, it took longer, it was 30 minutes and he moved up three spaces.

 

[cmwade77]

We were there Saturday night through yesterday and Tuesday felt the busiest to me.

American Idol was apparently there Monday & Tuesday so that is part of it, also Saturdays are blocked out for a lot of the passholders and CM sign-ins, which actually has been making Saturdays one of the least crowded days of the week, at least during busier times of the year.

 

[cmwade77]

I hear you! It's almost like the lottery for which line will move slow and fast. Made the mistake of waiting 30 minutes in a line one morning, moving only 2-3 places up from where we began (no joke). I decided to leave my family, hop out of line and into a longer one hoping that one would go faster. I ended up passing my family up within ~5 minutes and made it to the front of the line before they moved any further along. Don't get me wrong, I'm pro-security and like that they have a good presence at the parks, but it is pretty frustrating to watch the other lines continuously move while your line stays static.

When it is this bad, I simply turn around and leave, which means probably about $30-$40 that Disney doesn't make off of me that day. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but there are others that will do the same thing and it adds up.

But that is one of the advantages of being local, if it is too busy, we can leave and come back another day.

 

[Whistlebee]

We saw them filming Tuesday night in front of the castle. Didn’t realize they were there Monday too.

 

[HydroGuy]

30 minutes to get through security is pretty much the norm these days, especially at Mickey & Friends. On the Toy Story side they have been adding a no bag line when the security lines get long, so if you can forgo lugging a bag with you through the parks all day, you can usually bypass the security line if there is one. If you notice, he didn't actually make it through in 30 minutes, it took longer, it was 30 minutes and he moved up three spaces.

Hey can you or anyone give more info on the no bag line(s)? Where are they? Have they become standard? Every day, all day?

 

[dina444444]

30 minutes to get through security is pretty much the norm these days, especially at Mickey & Friends. On the Toy Story side they have been adding a no bag line when the security lines get long, so if you can forgo lugging a bag with you through the parks all day, you can usually bypass the security line if there is one. If you notice, he didn't actually make it through in 30 minutes, it took longer, it was 30 minutes and he moved up three spaces.

M&F has been a breeze to get through security the last two months or so since they reconfigured the loading area compared to the past. I only go on Saturday but even when they have people in that outside queue I’ve never had it take more than 10 minutes from that point till I’m on a tram.

 

[cmwade77]

Hey can you or anyone give more info on the no bag line(s)? Where are they? Have they become standard? Every day, all day?

This is only on the Toy Story side from what I have seen and it is straight down the middle, there will be cast members with signs when it is available. It pretty much is only there when the security lines are busy.

 

[figment_jii]

Hey can you or anyone give more info on the no bag line(s)? Where are they? Have they become standard? Every day, all day?

I would have said it seemed pretty consistent (at least on the Harbor side), but I did notice that they didn't have it on Wednesday (mid-morning) or Tuesday (mid-afternoon). I think they tend to have it when they anticipate large crowds (just before opening), but they can sometimes mis-gauge the number of guests coming into security (e.g., just before the FFA students began arrived). When it's been there, it's been in the middle and there is a CM with a loudspeaker letting guest know that there is a no bag line and that it means no bags. There are also usually CMs near the end of the line to send guests to the regular security lines if they do not qualify for the no bag line. Everyone that goes through the no bag line goes through the metal detectors.

Yes, I agree that it can be frustrating when one line is moving much slower than the surrounding lines. I had a random idea (while waiting in one of the very slow lines this week)...they should have the screening CMs move over one station every 5 guests (or so). That way, it should all average out, right?

 

[Indiana Scott]

Like airports, they could use dogs to minimize the time people spend in those dangerous lines that are just a target for terrorists.

 

[dina444444]

Like airports, they could use dogs to minimize the time people spend in those dangerous lines that are just a target for terrorists.

They do have dogs out at the Mickey and friends security area.

 

[Indiana Scott]

They do have dogs out at the Mickey and friends security area.

So far I have not seen them in the main entrance to the park and that is where they are badly needed.
At least a parking lot is a good start.