Disney Springs Was Mateen's Original Target! -- NBC News

[Bairstow]

Even thought it’s the first we’re hearing about this, I wonder if it’s the reason that several amusement parks amped up their security last year. I’m ok with the “inconvenience”.

Probably.

I imagine that the FBI confidentially told Disney, Universal and the other major theme parks about this possible vulnerability, but I wonder if Disney's own security had already put the pieces together to know just how big a bullet they managed to dodge that day.

Anyone remember the false "shots fired" scare at the Springs around Christmas, 2015? I wonder how heightened their security already was after that. I also recall their security people spotting people with concealed weapons at the Springs in the past. Some dude got fired for that.

 

[Bairstow]

I think a lot of the new security measures that have been implace recently are mainly for liability.

If something happened WDW mangement can say they had Screening at the entrance of all their parks and not look bad.

Even if you judge Disney's motivations cynically, their biggest incentive to perfect their security measures isn't liability, it's the feelings of fear and grief that would result in the wake of any such attack. Families come to the Orlando parks because they offer safety and fun, and if people were to associate these places with death and terrorism instead, attendance would suffer terribly. Even though it wasn't directed at a theme park, the Pulse attack, as it happened, took a big bite out of Orlando tourism in 2016 (the alligator and the virus didn't help either). If there ever were a successful mass casualty attack on any of the Orlando theme parks, the financial reprecussions to all of them would be devastating.

 

[Mouse Trap]

Probably.

I imagine that the FBI confidentially told Disney, Universal and the other major theme parks about this possible vulnerability, but I wonder if Disney's own security had already put the pieces together to know just how big a bullet they managed to dodge that day.

Anyone remember the false "shots fired" scare at the Springs around Christmas, 2015? I wonder how heightened their security already was after that. I also recall their security people spotting people with concealed weapons at the Springs in the past. Some dude got fired for that.

There’s a dedicated FBI/CIA office area on Uni and Dis property. They’re more in the know than we think.

 

[Tom P.]

Disney does not care about your privacy, safety or civil liberties. They care about their bottom line. In that interest they will take draconian measures to keep their guest visits ever higher along with their profit margins. You can be as skeptical as you desire and it makes no difference.

Oh, please. This line gets tiresome after a while.

Yes, Disney is a huge corporation and, yes, much of what they do is motivated by the bottom line financial result. But Disney is not run by emotionless robots. Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, George Kalogridis... these people are human beings. If you think that a massacre at WDW would not horrify and deeply sadden them for reasons totally separate from financial impact, well, you are a far more cynical human being than I could ever be.

So, yes, I do think the people running Disney care about their guests' safety. Yes, I think Disney tries to maximize profit and they often make decisions we disagree with. But there is a big difference between not fixing the Yeti and not caring if people get killed.

 

[larryz]

... If you think that a massacre at WDW would not horrify and deeply sadden them for reasons totally separate from financial impact, well, you are a far more cynical human being than I could ever be. ...

Besides, a massacre at the TTC would just not play well on the evening news.

 

[NelleBelle]

Besides, a massacre at the TTC would just not play well on the evening news.

and that wouldn't be good for the "bottom line". If we though there were low attendance levels post-911, a mass-shooting at a Disney park/property would likely have massive repercussions.

 

[NelleBelle]

Just morbid curiosity, does WDW have a plan in case a mass-shooting event happens at one of parks or hotels? I'd imagine the park or location it happened in would have to be closed for a few days, there might be damaged that would have to be repaired as well.

I'm sure they have a plan should the worst-case scenario happen (our trauma center had one in place and was practiced frequently; found it disturbing that we were running drills on how to barricade patients in their rooms, etc). I can't even hazard a guess how long they would close the affected area.

 

[Bullseye1967]

There’s a dedicated FBI/CIA office area on Uni and Dis property. They’re more in the know than we think.

I have no clue about Uni but there is no FBI office on Disney proprty and CIA doesn't handle domestic issues. That being said, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes at Disney Parks and DS then anyone could imagine. Ever wondered how they catch the folks who have been trespassed or banned?

 

[Bullseye1967]

The Finger print we all provide when we enter a park.
...?

That is not a true fingerprint reader. It is just a biometric reader that captures the approximate size and shape of the finger. That's why the used ticket buyers/re-sellers are much diminished but still around.

 

[Mouse Trap]

I have no clue about Uni but there is no FBI office on Disney proprty and CIA doesn't handle domestic issues. That being said, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes at Disney Parks and DS then anyone could imagine. Ever wondered how they catch the folks who have been trespassed or banned?

I’ve wandered into the wrong portable before. It’s there.

 

[Bullseye1967]

I’ve wandered into the wrong portable before. It’s there.

That is news to me, and I am quite familiar the inner working of Disney security at all levels. I am a retired LEO, worked as a reserve LEO in the Orlando area, and have many close friends in security and management in the Disney security apparatus. One of them is their main outside consultant regarding threat protection. I think you may be mistaken what you walked into. The FBI and US Marshals are frequently on Disney property because criminals go on vacation too, but neither are based in any way on Disney property.

 

[draybook]

That is news to me, and I am quite familiar the inner working of Disney security at all levels. I am a retired LEO, worked as a reserve LEO in the Orlando area, and have many close friends in security and management in the Disney security apparatus. One of them is their main outside consultant regarding threat protection. I think you may be mistaken what you walked into. The FBI and US Marshals are frequently on Disney property because criminals go on vacation too, but neither are based in any way on Disney property.

If you have ties to Disney security, could you ask them to have less attitude at the TTC screening? Seriously, that's the only place that we had trouble at and I'll give more info in my trip report.

 

[Bullseye1967]

If you have ties to Disney security, could you ask them to have less attitude at the TTC screening? Seriously, that's the only place that we had trouble at and I'll give more info in my trip report.

Unfortunately in security like any other profession you are going to have people with good and bad attitudes. Disney does a pretty good job of weeding out the ones that are jerks, but everyone can have a bad day.

 

[Bullseye1967]

That's a lame excuse. If you're having a crappy day, leave it home. No Guest at Disney cares what you're going through, they're here to have a good time. If you can't control your emotions then perhaps you shouldn't be working with the public.

I couldn't agree with you more. Just stating how it really is.

 

[draybook]

Unfortunately in security like any other profession you are going to have people with good and bad attitudes. Disney does a pretty good job of weeding out the ones that are jerks, but everyone can have a bad day.

Well, I guess that Jeff(bald supervisor) is having a bad day every day, because the way he spoke to my wife was unacceptable. Had we not been on private property, it would have been more than just me asking who his supervisors name was. As front line representatives of the company, it's their job to maintain their bearing at all times and be polite, even when in disagreement. When a man is as smug and condescending to a woman as he was, he needs to find another job.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Well, I guess that Jeff(bald supervisor) is having a bad day every day, because the way he spoke to my wife was unacceptable. Had we not been on private property, it would have been more than just me asking who his supervisors name was. As front line representatives of the company, it's their job to maintain their bearing at all times and be polite, even when in disagreement. When a man is as smug and condescending to a woman as he was, he needs to find another job.

Great is great and bad is bad. Always contact guest services for either. Give credit if it is due, and if a CM was a jerk let them know about that also. They don't want CMs giving attitude to people either.

 

[draybook]

Great is great and bad is bad. Always contact guest services for either. Give credit if it is due, and if a CM was a jerk let them know about that also. They don't want CMs giving attitude to people either.

No doubt. Yeah, I'm supposed to call a rep tomorrow. I've got the names of the naughty and the nice. I'd say that 99% of them are cool, it's just the bad that give you a bad taste.

 

[larryz]

I’ve wandered into the wrong portable before. It’s there.

I'm guessing it's a desk they can use when they drop in for whatever reason...

 

[Bairstow]

...and after all that, Salman was found not guilty.
So, the FBI and the federal prosecutor let slip all this previously unknown info about how close Disney came to disaster for absolutely nothing.

I bet Disney is pretty p-o-ed right now.

 

[Kamikaze]

Ever wondered how they catch the folks who have been trespassed or banned?

Yeah, thats easy - they don't. Someone is banned could come back the same day and not get caught. The difference is that when you're banned and you get stopped by security again, they can press charges for trespassing in addition to anything else.