What’s going on? I haven’t been out there in since Halloween
I don't want to derail the thread, but I feel compelled to answer.
First, the process has been slowed down by the addition of plexiglass barriers between the security CM and the guest. The new procedure is to hand your bag to the security CM as soon as you get to the table where they do the search. The plexiglass is to prevent you from adding anything to your bag after you hand it to the CM. The security CM will slide it past the metal detector for you, and you can get it once you get through the metal detector. Previously, you would take your bag and slide it past the metal detector yourself. You would then walk through the metal detector and pick up your bag or whatever items you had.
The process is slowed down because the security CM needs to take anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds to walk the bag past the metal detector and then return to the end of the table to search the new bag. Additionally, they have changed their screening procedure, and they are checking even more thoroughly than before. I don't disagree with any of this, but they have not made adjustments to the number of open security lanes during the busiest times.
If you add 5 to 15 seconds to the process to screen every guest, you can see how quickly lines will back up when adjustments are not made to the number of lanes that are open.
To be fair, there are often times when there is no wait to get through security, but if you go at a busy time, your wait will be substantially longer than what it was a few weeks ago prior to the addition of the plexiglass barriers.
Second, because of the high turnover and lack of adequate training, security CMs will often identify harmless items and tell you that they are not allowed. I can give you an example from today. I have a very small, extendible back scratcher. It's keychain-sized. I have had it in my backpack for months, and I go to the park often. Not one security CM has ever had an issue with the back scratcher. It's small, it's made of plastic, and it's very light. There's no way to mistake that it could be used as a weapon, but the CM today tried to tell me that it was not allowed. I had to get a lead to tell the CM that the item was allowed. This happens too often, and I'm sick of it.
Yesterday, I also had an issue. I went through security at the Toy Story lot. There were no lines, which was very surprising. I handed my nearly empty backpack to the security CM. All the zippers were unzipped and the pockets were open. The backpack contained sunglasses, reading glasses, a hat, two water bottles, the back scratcher, and a wallet. That's it. The security CM proceeded to search the bag thoroughly one time. Although it seemed like he took longer than he should have, there's nothing I can do about that. There's no rule that a CM needs to search a bag in a certain amount of time. I'm fine with that. I have no complaints with how long it takes a security CM to do a thorough search of a bag.
The problem was that after he searched the bag completely one time, he looked behind me and he could see there was no one there. He then proceeded to start searching the backpack again. This time he started taking things out of the backpack. Please remember that the bag was nearly empty. There was nothing that would prevent anyone from looking in any of the pockets and not seeing everything that was in each pocket. Nothing needed to be removed, or if it did, it could have been removed during the first search.
At this point I asked the security CM to stop the search and I took my bag and found a security lead. I explained that I had never had a security CM try to search my bag twice. I showed the security lead my nearly empty bag and politely asked him to search it and explain why there would be a need to search it twice. He could not see any issues, and he apologized for what had happened. He then took my bag and walked me through security, after apologizing again for what had happened.
This is just what has happened in the past two days. It would take hours to list all the problems that I have had with security over the years, especially when it comes to my tripod, which is completely within Disney's guidelines.
I have talked to CMs who have similar complaints about security. I have had CMs in City Hall tell me that they get frequent complaints about security. Today, I had a security CM inside the park share his own frustration with security. The problem is not limited to me. The problem is that Disney refuses to adequately train security CMs. That's not an opinion. It's a fact. You can't argue that a security CM has been trained properly when they tell a guest that tripods are not permitted because they extend. I can't tell you how many times this has happened.
The situation has deteriorated so much that I have to keep a screenshot of the prohibited and allowed items on my phone because the security CMs just don't know the rules. I had one issue a few years ago where a guest control CM complained about my tripod. She said she would not get security, but that's exactly what she did. The security CM who first arrived was a very famous CM who no longer works at DL. After greeting him and explaining that I knew who he was because he was "famous", as CMs go, I politely asked him if he knew the rules about tripods. He admitted he didn't, even though he had worked in the park for 26 years. He then found his supervisor who told him that there was no issue with my tripod. Of course, I knew this, but the crowd control CM and a security CM with decades of experience didn't know the rules.
This really needs to change, and the solution is easy. The people who work in the parks need to know the rules. If a guest can take the time to know the rules and follow them, why can't the people who work in the park know them as well?
ETA: And since is the WDW forum, let's talk specifically about WDW security as well. Here's a word of advice. When a security CM asks you where you're from, politely decline to answer. They are NOT being friendly. They aren't. They are fishing. If you are from a state where the laws are more liberal regarding certain substances, they will take much more time searching your belongings. I doubt they are directed to do this. I think they do it because they are bored or because they hope to find something that is illegal in FL.
On a recent visit to the MK, I had a security CM ask me where I was from. I could tell exactly why he asked. I'm not paranoid. I just know boredom when I see it. I'm not going to let them play their games with me. I refuse, and you should too.
