Evolv security scanners now at DLR? - still just testing :(

[Sailor310]

I think that if our security folks at least wore white gloves they would look a little more elegant.

 

[TP2000]

Disneyland's guest arrival situation really is embarrassing, isn't it?...

It's interesting to see how a company that gained a reputation for exemplary service can fall so short in so many ways.

Here's why I keep bringing up the other parks that do it sooooo much better.... because it's the same darn company!

It's not like Anaheim is run by Coca-Cola and Orlando is run by Pepsi-Cola and Tokyo is run by Dr. Pepper. It's all the same company!

Yes, yes, Tokyo is owned by the OLC land development firm. But when it comes to theme park design and operation, it's all provided by Disney; WDI to build the new security screening complex, and Disneyland International (headquartered in an Orange County office tower) to provide training materials and operating standards the OLC must then live up to if they want to keep their contract going.

This same darn company goes in vastly different design and operational directions depending on which park it is. It's bizarre and stupid, and more than embarassing for the Anaheim park who now can't seem to lower their old standards fast enough.

I think that if our security folks at least wore white gloves they would look a little more elegant.

It's a minor miracle the Disneyland security guys are still forced to tuck in their shirts. I expect that to change soon though.

Gloves worn in the service industry is a Japanese thing. They are rather formal, and exceedingly polite in Japan. Gloves worn by service staff used to be a thing in this country too, but went away in the late 1960's when the counter-culture took over and the Me Generation came in.

But that never happened in Japan. Department store elevator operators (they still have those), security guards, stewardesses, train engineers, policemen, etc. all wear gloves as part of their uniform in Japan. When you are at a fancy department store or boutique in Tokyo and the saleslady or salesman comes to help you, they put on white gloves before they handle the merchandise that you might buy as a sign of respect to you.

Tokyo Department Store Elevator Operator. Yes, this is the 21st century.

Disneyland Cast Members used to wear gloves if they were assigned to positions that required a touch of formality or graciousness. Tour guides, doormen, restaurant hostesses, etc. Especially in themed areas that evoked an earlier age than the present. But now? Well, we all know what's happened to the Disney Look grooming and uniform standards.

But in Japan? They still abide by the original Disney high standards. And for some CM's, that means mandatory gloves.

 

[TP2000]

Speaking of white gloves, and a late night Disneyland history lesson...

Did you know the Plaza Inn at Disneyland used to have a pretty hostess or two always standing out front greeting and smiling? It was a job a female CM at the Plaza Inn would get to do if she was lucky (beats dishing up green beans on the serving line), and they'd give her a parasol and.... WHITE GLOVES and she'd just go out there and smile and wink at grandpa and tell inquisitive folks how good the fried chicken was at the Plaza Inn.

There are many photos from the 1960's into the 1980's of the hostesses standing out in front of the Plaza Inn. And they always had white gloves on!

Grandpa is no fool! But since Grandma is probably capturing this Kodak moment, it's all in good fun.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

They will eventually build proper structures for them, but I think they are still waiting for major projects to get solidified. The DTD entrance has to be reconfigured from the north to the south, but that will probably come when ESPN Zone and AMC are eventually demolished for something new.

The eastern checkpoint also needs to be reconfigured, but closing that for construction is going to represent a huge hassle. These things just take time.

I had a similar thought, they’ve designed proper entrances for both (new hotel and eastern gateway project) but Anaheim’s stopped both projects.

That said… Disney should have come up with a quality interim solution over a decade ago that replaced tents with semi-permanent structures, this is one of the most creative companies on earth, tents for decades is just bad show.

 

[PiratesMansion]

TDA is still in the middle of trying to push for local rezoning to enable them to move forward on a massive investment into the DLR, including new security screening zones and entry points on the east and west sides of the resort. There is no point in investing in anything more than temporary at this point. If the evolve scanners come out, they too will be temporarily placed. Semi-permanent structures at the most. The only security location that is fully finished is at the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures. I would assume this is where the evolve scanners could be permanently placed.

While that's true now, they certainly haven't been, to my knowledge, sitting on plans to revamp the security screening for 20 years. They absolutely should have done something better, sooner.

Yeah, a lot of us here were around in 2016 when the Eastern Gateway was officially announced by TDA. That was 15 years after 9/11 and a lot of "temporary" tents and plastic tables set up around the resort.

Now it's 2021. The Eastern Gateway was canned in 2017 after Michael Colglazier destroyed the long relationship with the City of Anaheim. It's 20 years now since 9/11 and two decades of "temporary". As seen above, in that same time Tokyo has gone through two different versions of security screening entrance facilities; one very lavish by Anaheim standards, and one even more lavish that could never be duplicated by any American park ever.



I'm betting a lot of the folks that say that were in Kindergarten on the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. And yet... 20 years later there's no point in investing in anything more than temporary?



So that security screening facility is as good as it's going to get in Anaheim?
Cheap, serviceable, basic, like a very nice Greyhound bus depot but without the urine smell.

How sad that this is how low Anaheim's standards of hospitality and showmanship have fallen in this age of Billion dollar profits.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo...

For clarification, that Tokyo photo is their new turnstiles at Tokyo Disneyland that were just constructed, replacing their original ticket booths and turnstiles. The tables out front was their bag check location in 2019, just prior to going through the turnstiles and entering the park. I do not believe that is going to be their permanent location and in the past both TDR parks have bag check locations that had been in use for some time that are very WDW-esque. When I visited in 2019, the former bag check areas were unused because half of the turnstiles were closed for construction and everyone was routed to the other half, easily filling all available space well before park opening. It seemed like they moved bag check up to the turnstiles to ease congestion during construction.

I would assume that they will move back to their proper location now that construction is over, but then I believe they have also installed metal detectors since I visited. Perhaps @BasiltheBatLord knows more about the state of the current Tokyo entrance experience.