Security

The only thing they are stopping is some illicit booze, glass bottles, and children's bubble guns. Sorry but it's the truth. It exists SOLELY because Disney's Lawyers recommended it.

Well, you can tell that to the man in front of me who got stopped with a knife and could not understand WHY security was not allowing him to go into the parks with it. He was made to turn around since he claimed he couldn't go anywhere without it. The lawyers may have recommended it, but I wouldn't want to be on a ride next to that guy. I've also seen people stopped for having illegal drugs (usually caught by the dogs).
 
Well, you can tell that to the man in front of me who got stopped with a knife and could not understand WHY security was not allowing him to go into the parks with it. He was made to turn around since he claimed he couldn't go anywhere without it. I've also seen people stopped for having illegal drugs (usually caught by the dogs).
I carry a knife into the parks. I place it in the little tray they take and hand to you on the other side of the metal detectors.
 
Well, you can tell that to the man in front of me who got stopped with a knife and could not understand WHY security was not allowing him to go into the parks with it. He was made to turn around since he claimed he couldn't go anywhere without it. I've also seen people stopped for having illegal drugs (usually caught by the dogs).
Yeah this is the kind of thing they stop, people just casually carrying things in or being completely stupid (drugs) do you really think they could stop someone that is making an effort to get something by?

I've accidentally brought my pocket knife into the parks through security...forgot to leave it in the room..it went unnoticed
 
I carry a knife into the parks. I place it in the little tray they take and hand to you on the other side of the metal detectors.

I can only assume that your knife is a pocket knife or something of reasonable size which security doesn't deem to be a threat to other guests. The other guy's knife was hardly a pocket knife, and he should have known better than to try to bring it to Disneyland.
 


When we were there a few weeks ago, a guy a few people ahead of me went through with a vest that must've had about 30 pockets. For some reason, he got through the table screening but when we were directed to go through the metal detector arch thing, he set off the alarm. Then it took at least 20 minutes as he would empty a pocket, walk through, set off the alarm, and the process would repeat. It took all the security so two entire lines backed up while one guy was holding up the show. Why didn't they make him take off his vest? Why didn't they pull him aside? Why not call over another security person temporarily to deal with him? Instead, they made all of us already in the detector line wait while they used an extra security guy to redirect EVERYONE ELSE aside and through with no further security. It was ridiculous.
 


We are staying at DLH. How much earlier than rope drop should I plan to leave to get through security?
 
So this morning it took us 40 minutes to get through the bag check and metal detectors, there was no "no bag" lines.
It was really frustrating to waste so much time and felt like the bottleneck creates a potentially dangerous situation.
Where was this?
On August 30th, the lines for security at Mickey and Friends around 11:30am were backed up all the way to the restrooms. I opted to walk to Downtown disney screening instead, where there was no line at all. The park wasn't even busy that day. It was close to 100 degrees and we had about a 5 minute wait for every ride. I don't know why the security lines were so dang long at the parking structure.
 
Yes, I don't know why they can't have a 'no bag' line like Universal - surely it wouldn't be that hard.
What time was park opening and what time were you coming thru security?

Park opening was at 10, we were coming through at 10.20.

I saw horrendous security line photos on social media today. Monitoring the app - the wait times didn't seem to correspond with the crowds those photos implied. I was wondering if something had gone wrong like improper staffing or something.

Improper staffing. Only 2 staff on each tent (rather than the 3-4 we have had other days)
We were worried about how busy the park would be but it was a quieter day

I am curious about what you mean by "potentially dangerous situation"?

A terrorist attack.

What?! I thought Disney fixed that problem by adding more security screening tables/options. Bottling people up pre-security IS a dangerous situation- admittedly plenty of places don't seem to care (airports!!). Rant done. Now, practically:
-Were all tables open? Did it seem like there were less? (i.e. Is Disney being cheap?)
-Was security taking extra long to go through bags? (i.e. Was an elevated level of security enacted?)
-Harbor side? (i.e. For those who can pick to chose where to enter from)

Yes Harbour side
Security was not extra thourough, in fact it was one of the least thourough checks we have had this trip (DH and I had wondered the same thing while waiting)
No not all tables were opened

I'm curious because we are going tomorrow... What time did you arrive at security and which security entrance did you go to?
We were on Harbour side at 10.20
 
In contrast, I've walked through several times without them taking more than a glance at my cat's stroller when I've taken her through to go to the kennel. They tell me to NOT open up the top. They're afraid Riley will jump out or something I guess...

She's leashed in, by the way, and would stay seated anyways even without that safety feature. Only reason I close the top of the stroller isn't to keep her in. It's to keep the random people that think they can come up and pet her without permission at bay.

But I've also had them get upset over a few sewing needles but not a small pair of really sharp snips (that don't look like your typical snips). Go figure. I already accept Disney security tents as a dog and pony show anyways compared to the real security you can't see.

Thankfully I usually miss the large security lines. Worst I've seen was Tink weekend when they only had one security line open at each entry point (there's a reason the race this year started hella late). Line backed up all the way to Harbor and looped back up again towards the security tents. Runner security is always odd because they can't seem to decide if our flip belts and other very small, tight to the body things that don't actually close count as bags or not.
 
Universal Studios have something like 20 security queues open at peak times in the morning. Disney has 3 on the Harbour blvd side. Hence the ridiculous waits.
I think Disneyland still hasn't got the hint that this isn't the off season anymore. According to touring plans historical data, there have been more people here the past few weekends than most days in the summer!!!

When we went last week it was the busiest time we have ever been. The whole park was severely understaffed from security to ride operators to maintenance. When are they going to get a clue? Their Halloween offerings are bringing in the crowds like they wanted, but they aren't staffing appropriately. So frustrating!
 
I think Disneyland still hasn't got the hint that this isn't the off season anymore. According to touring plans historical data, there have been more people here the past few weekends than most days in the summer!!!

When we went last week it was the busiest time we have ever been. The whole park was severely understaffed from security to ride operators to maintenance. When are they going to get a clue? Their Halloween offerings are bringing in the crowds like they wanted, but they aren't staffing appropriately. So frustrating!

Exactly and it's not like we are paying for an off peak ticket
 
We are staying at DLH. How much earlier than rope drop should I plan to leave to get through security?
If you are going thru right at park opening, allow an extra 5 mins. The entrance from the hotel side is usually pretty quick as it is mainly dealing with guests from the DLH and the PPH.
 
They are inconsistent at best, I go quite often and the last time I went was my first time with a stroller...the whole trip they just looked at the stroller and never touched it, i actually ended up emptying my pockets and putting everything in the stroller to make it easier, I had a travel system where the car seat snaps on top of the stroller, there is so much room under the loose fitting foam/liner of the car seat I could easily fit 3 compact hand guns in there..just saying.

My experience was more like this. We had a big double stroller and lots of bags... (and lots of kids, haha)
 
Universal Studios have something like 20 security queues open at peak times in the morning. Disney has 3 on the Harbour blvd side. Hence the ridiculous waits.
I have not been at Universal for a few years and if I had to wait 40 minutes in security to enter DLR then I would be frustrated too.

To be fair, the Harbor side has three main queues (sometimes only two of these are open) but if I recall each main queue splits into 4-6 sub-queues to go through bag check. So that would be 12-18 bag check lines in parallel when Disney has everything at maximum.

Each of the three main queues recombine after bag check into usually two queues to go through the metal detectors.

:wizard:
 
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They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. No "threats," people will just see them as a nuisance. Something happens and everyone is happy they're there. I don't work for Dis nor do I work for any security detail so I don't know exactly all that goes into Disney security program but security is now a part of our lives whether we want it, need it, or like.

Keep in mind, it's not like Disney reports to you directly everytime they stop a threat nor do they share with you every memo they receive from law enforcement at the state and federal level about possible threats. Security doesn't also just stop terrorists threats. They're there to stop protests or homegrown "terrorist" threats. People seem to think that terrorist is only about a foreigner "attacking" our country. We've had some large scale attacks over the years from foreign regimes but we've also had mentally ill people that are "american" carry out attacks too. School shootings, church shooting, mall shootings, etc...

I'm not saying they're going to "catch" any and all situations such as the pocket knife example that some shared earlier nor do I know if that is their number 1 priority but having them there is better even if they stopped one instance.

When I go to disneyland, it's always with my family so I don't want to be in any situation where my family is enjoying a trip to Disneyland that is then compromised due to any kind of dangerous activity. It sucks to go through "security." It sucks to be treated like you're guilty or assumed that you're bringing something into Disneyland when you shouldn't but I'd rather have them TRY and discover and prevent any bad situations then do absolutely nothing at all. My family is worth that extra "hassle."
 
They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. No "threats," people will just see them as a nuisance. Something happens and everyone is happy they're there. I don't work for Dis nor do I work for any security detail so I don't know exactly all that goes into Disney security program but security is now a part of our lives whether we want it, need it, or like.

Keep in mind, it's not like Disney reports to you directly everytime they stop a threat nor do they share with you every memo they receive from law enforcement at the state and federal level about possible threats. Security doesn't also just stop terrorists threats. They're there to stop protests or homegrown "terrorist" threats. People seem to think that terrorist is only about a foreigner "attacking" our country. We've had some large scale attacks over the years from foreign regimes but we've also had mentally ill people that are "american" carry out attacks too. School shootings, church shooting, mall shootings, etc...

I'm not saying they're going to "catch" any and all situations such as the pocket knife example that some shared earlier nor do I know if that is their number 1 priority but having them there is better even if they stopped one instance.

When I go to disneyland, it's always with my family so I don't want to be in any situation where my family is enjoying a trip to Disneyland that is then compromised due to any kind of dangerous activity. It sucks to go through "security." It sucks to be treated like you're guilty or assumed that you're bringing something into Disneyland when you shouldn't but I'd rather have them TRY and discover and prevent any bad situations then do absolutely nothing at all. My family is worth that extra "hassle."
The check points are so minimal that they aren't stopping ANY serious threat, I understand some may think that checking a little is better than not checking but that isn't true especially if it's creating a choke point that can now be exploited. Non secured choke points are the most vulnerable to attack (see manchester)
 

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