Does No Bag line save significant time?

[LoveAndHonor]

Trying to decide if we might go bagless for a couple days. If we did, I'd want to have a few things in our pockets. Does emptying pockets and going through the metal detectors slow down the process enough to not make it significantly quicker than the bag lines? And I read where some people folded a small bag in their pocket to use later. Has anyone done this? Thank you!

 

[CAS239]

Absolutely. Majority of the time with no bag line you just walk right in with no wait.

And then even so at say Epcot where usually everyone in no bag line goes through metal detectors, the lines are still much shorter.

If my wife has a small wristlet I put it in my pocket and we go through. If they see pockets buldging though they'll make you empty them

 

[Disneylover99]

It depends. Sometimes there are no lines at bag check, especially mid day.

 

[Shanti]

Trying to decide if we might go bagless for a couple days. If we did, I'd want to have a few things in our pockets. Does emptying pockets and going through the metal detectors slow down the process enough to not make it significantly quicker than the bag lines? And I read where some people folded a small bag in their pocket to use later. Has anyone done this? Thank you!

In our experience of visiting many parks during many trips in recent years, it only takes one to three minutes to go through the bag check line. So no, I don't consider it a significant enough time savings to try to find ways to not carry a bag, just to skip bag check.

If you're visiting during Christmas week or on the 4th of July, and arrive at 11am when lines to get in are peak, it would likely make more difference, but arriving for rope drop I've never found those lines to be long, and during non-holiday weeks mid-day I've never found them to be long.

 

[twoplustwins]

Well, it depends on how long the line is.

I went in April when it was very busy. I didn't have a bag, but one of my friends did. I was in the park at least 30 minutes before she made it in.

 

[loves to dive]

There is a good chance that even if the bag check lines are shortish, you are going to go through the metal detector so, you would save a few minutes not going through bag check. I've been going bagless for a few years now, it's not really to cut down time going through the bag line, I'm never in that big of a hurry, but it's just nice not to have to carry around a bag, even a small cross body tends to get on my nerves after a while.

 

[AngiTN]

I always go bagless and 90% of the time there are lines at the bag check and I walk right past them so it does save some time.
How much, no idea, I go bagless so I don't know how long those lines take. Some of them look really long and it looks like some guests backed for a week long stay in the outback for their day in the park (my luck I'd get behind some of those too)
I've seen some horrifically bad lines for bag check at times too and the bad thing is, you don't know ahead of time when you'll encounter one of those. If you go without a bag you know you'll always miss them, no matter if it's a good bag check day or a bad one.

On our trip in June we also found that we went through metal detectors fewer times than ever before. Which I found very strange, I was expecting to go through them more often. I think other than when we entered in the IG, we never had to go through one.

 

[Senk]

We had one bag for my family so only DH or I would go through. The rest of us went through the bagless line and never waited more than 5 mins for the adult with the bag. The longest was Epcot pre ropedrop.

 

[scjo68]

When we were there the only really long bag check line was at MK in the early evening- 6:00-6:30 or so. One night we were in line coming from the buses at least 20 minutes. We took my Dd19's bag and sent her through the no bag line with DS and they were in and on an attraction by the time we got in. There was no line in the bag free line, but the bag free security officer was kept busy with guests who argued that they didn't really have bags because small ones don't count. They got sent through the bag line.

 

[maxiesmom]

Significant? Only if your idea of significant is 5 minutes. I'd much rather carry a bag and go without stuffing everything into my pockets. And then be worrying about something falling out, not to mention the uncomfortable feel of it.

 

[WDWGeek1971]

Trying to decide if we might go bagless for a couple days. If we did, I'd want to have a few things in our pockets. Does emptying pockets and going through the metal detectors slow down the process enough to not make it significantly quicker than the bag lines? And I read where some people folded a small bag in their pocket to use later. Has anyone done this? Thank you!

The "No Bag Line" no longer exists. All the security check points have been moved around, and for the MK, everyone needs to go through a metal detector. For example, there is a separate security screening over by the resort bus area, one for every resort hotel on the monorail before boarding, and at the TTC before taking the monorails or ferry. There is a special one on the walkway between the Contemporary and MK, too. Everything has changed!

 

[xjillianpaige]

I don't know that I'd call it "significant." I always go bagless because I mooch off of friends and family and put little things (chapstick, some money, ID) in their bags. I go through and wait on the other side of the turnstiles for - at most - 5 minutes.

 

[AngiTN]

The "No Bag Line" no longer exists. All the security check points have been moved around, and for the MK, everyone needs to go through a metal detector. For example, there is a separate security screening over by the resort bus area, one for every resort hotel on the monorail before boarding, and at the TTC before taking the monorails or ferry. There is a special one on the walkway between the Contemporary and MK, too. Everything has changed!

While you are correct in the security has been redesigned at MK there are certainly still no bag lines. I use them all the time, most recently on a 2 week trip in June. And we did not always go through a metal detector, except for when we came in through the boat from WL. When coming in on a bus we rarely went through them.

People without bags do not wait in line to get checked in behind people with bags at the bag check tables. At least we sure have not. Even back in IG in Epcot, they only place there actually is no no bag line, we went past those with bags to get in line for the metal detector.

 

[CAS239]

The "No Bag Line" no longer exists. All the security check points have been moved around, and for the MK, everyone needs to go through a metal detector. For example, there is a separate security screening over by the resort bus area, one for every resort hotel on the monorail before boarding, and at the TTC before taking the monorails or ferry. There is a special one on the walkway between the Contemporary and MK, too. Everything has changed!

There's no bag line in every park and really the only park where 99% of the time you have to go through metal detectors for everyone is epcot.

MK right after you get off the tram is still random even though everyone tends to follow the line and bunch up. If they don't advise you to stop then you head right towards the ferry/monorail

AK and HS are still random as well

 

[WDWGeek1971]

While you are correct in the security has been redesigned there are certainly still no bag lines. I use them all the time, most recently on a 2 week trip in June. And we did not always go through a metal detector, except for when we came in through the boat from WL. When coming in on a bus we rarely went through them.

People without bags do not wait in line to get checked in behind people with bags at the bag check tables. At least we sure have not. Even back in IG in Epcot, they only place there actually is no no bag line, we went past those with bags to get in line for the metal detector.

Thank you! That's new information. I was there the end of May, and it seems to have changed again! That is one thing Disney is good at--test and adjust. I bet people were complaining about the absence of the no bag line!

 

[AngiTN]

Thank you! That's new information. I was there the end of May, and it seems to have changed again! That is one thing Disney is good at--test and adjust. I bet people were complaining about the absence of the no bag line!

Our trip was from 5/24 till 6/9 so not sure it's changed since your trip or not. Maybe you missed the no bag line? It was there if not as obvious as before when it was in the center of the check points

 

[JZCubed]

Trying to decide if we might go bagless for a couple days. If we did, I'd want to have a few things in our pockets. Does emptying pockets and going through the metal detectors slow down the process enough to not make it significantly quicker than the bag lines? And I read where some people folded a small bag in their pocket to use later. Has anyone done this? Thank you!

As others have mentioned, it kinda' depends on when you arrive.

I arriving for Rope Drop - it does not matter all that much.

And at some point in the afternoon, there is a lull, but that time is difficult to generalize.

 

[MrsDuck]

We are spoiled... we never take bags and it saves a significant amount of time. We are having our first baby in November and I'm so sad our no bag line access will change.

 

[LoveAndHonor]

Thank you, everyone, for the great information! The day that I was particularly interested in saving time was for EMH at AK (mid-July.) We don't have FP for FOP and want to be at rope drop and get to FOP as quickly as possible. I think going bagless that day sounds like it could be worth it?? I appreciate hearing all your experiences! Thank you!

 

[KiniShakenBake]

We were last there before metal detectors, but I can attest that going bagless means less to deal with, end of story. Getting through security, if there is a No-Bags line, is ridiculously faster.

We use cargo shorts and minimalist packing. A little RFID-blocking pouch holds a DL, CC, enough cash to get us through the day should the MB system go down, and a reloadable Disney GC for keeping spending under control.

My cell phone goes in my pocket. His goes in his. He also gets to carry the charging stick(s) unless we'll be back in the room mid-day. He also carries the small bottle of sunscreen. If we're feeling particularly brave, each of us grabs a granola bar. We get water in cups in the parks and generally get our food from the parks.

That's all we carry, because anything more gets in our way. Granted, we don't have kids with us, so YMMV. The feasibility of this goes dramatically down once you have kiddos and they have needs. I would still make note of comfort stations and do everything possible to minimize carry in the parks. The more you carry, the more you have to figure out when it comes time to go on rides, wait for parades, or discombobulate/recombobulate and there's a real time-spend there.