Pocket knives at the parks

[R W B]

I meant to ask this before but has anyone else been stopped entering a park because of a pocket knife?

Last month I was entering Epcot If I remember right and my fiance had a bag so I was standing next to her while she was getting it checked and right afterwards we took maybe 1-2 steps away and the security officer turned towards me and asked if I had a pocket knife on me, he obviously saw it clipped to my pocket. I of course said yes, no reason to lie and so he asked if he can see it, I told him of course and I turned so that pocket would be facing him so he grabbed it and then asked if he could open it, once again I said yes so he did. Now in my home state of Louisiana the law is the blade on the knife can not be longer than the width of the palm of your hand, my palm is about 4" wide so I carry a 3" knife to make sure I don't have any trouble here at home. Well the security officer opened it and then asked if I was law enforcement or military and I replied no sir. He closed it and handed it back to me and asked me to keep it inside of my pocket and not just clipped to the inside of the pocket. I've carried one everyday on every trip I've been on and never have been asked about it at the parks before. Did something change in the regulations recently or something? I only carry a pocket knife because it comes in handy throughout the day, I'm always using it to cut open boxes, cut ties or those annoying plastic cases so many products come in nowadays and sometimes I even cut food with it lol.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Here are Florida's knife carry laws. http://www.knifeup.com/florida-knife-laws-explained/

I'm surprised Disney doesn't have a rule against people bringing in pocket knives. What are they security checking for if not possible weapons?

 

[Scooter]

I don't know why anyone would need to carry a knife, no matter how big or small it is, into Disney World. If you need to trim your fingernails or toenails, then a toenail clipper should do the job. If you need to open a package that you bought on Disney property then I would imagine some castmember would or should be available to help you open it. Just leave the knives at home. They aren't needed on Disney property and if I were a Disney security guard, I would conviscate your pocket knife. I've been going to Disney World twice a year for 20 years and I have never needed my pocket knive even though I carry mine at home every day.

 

[HakunaMatata89]

I'd feel lucky you got a laid back security guard, although like above i don't see why you'd bring one in the first place, when id go to disney if i did happen to have a pocket knife i would just leave it in the car.

very surprised even if before it was ok with the recent school attacks involving knives he let you go in with it.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I see no reason to bring a knife into a WDW park or any park for that matter.

Seem like it just brings on debate and possible problems.

Leave the weapons at home or your hotel room.


AKK

 

[HRHPrincessAriel]

I agree with everyone else.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I would venture to say there are more injuries from ECVs and strollers each year than there would ever be with knives. But I agree that if Disney has a rule against them they should be left outside the gates.

 

[mcurtiss]

i tend to carry pocketknives/multitools in my pocket, so I understand carrying one can be a habit; but at the same time, I don't see the need to bring one to the parks.

 

[Bairstow]

I meant to ask this before but has anyone else been stopped entering a park because of a pocket knife?

Last month I was entering Epcot If I remember right and my fiance had a bag so I was standing next to her while she was getting it checked and right afterwards we took maybe 1-2 steps away and the security officer turned towards me and asked if I had a pocket knife on me, he obviously saw it clipped to my pocket. I of course said yes, no reason to lie and so he asked if he can see it, I told him of course and I turned so that pocket would be facing him so he grabbed it and then asked if he could open it, once again I said yes so he did. Now in my home state of Louisiana the law is the blade on the knife can not be longer than the width of the palm of your hand, my palm is about 4" wide so I carry a 3" knife to make sure I don't have any trouble here at home. Well the security officer opened it and then asked if I was law enforcement or military and I replied no sir. He closed it and handed it back to me and asked me to keep it inside of my pocket and not just clipped to the inside of the pocket. I've carried one everyday on every trip I've been on and never have been asked about it at the parks before. Did something change in the regulations recently or something? I only carry a pocket knife because it comes in handy throughout the day, I'm always using it to cut open boxes, cut ties or those annoying plastic cases so many products come in nowadays and sometimes I even cut food with it lol.

That's really interesting.
I usually have a pocket knife on me at all times, including Disney, though the last couple of times I haven't been able to because I was flying without checked baggage.
It's interesting to hear how sensible their approach is.

 

[AndyS2992]

A knife is still a weapon and is not safe at the parks.

Why someone would bring a knife as well as guns to the parks baffles me.

If you are worried of being attacked travelling between WDW and home, which is usually the excuse, then keep it in the car or your luggage until you travel. There is no need to bring it in the parks.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

No change - someone just finally saw it on you, in a visible place. Disney checkpoints aren't about patting you down like they do at airports. As long as the blade is within the law (e.g. a pocket knife) and not a 6" bowie knife, they should be good.

 

[GeneralZod]

A knife is still a weapon and is not safe at the parks.

Why someone would bring a knife as well as guns to the parks baffles me.

If you are worried of being attacked travelling between WDW and home, which is usually the excuse, then keep it in the car or your luggage until you travel. There is no need to bring it in the parks.

A 2" pocket knife should certainly not be classified as a weapon, it is a utilitarian tool and to call it anything else is simply over-sensitivity. We are responsible adults and should be able to collectively handle seeing someone with a simple pocket knife with over-reacting. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to be able to remove the multitude of tags from my purchases without having to hunt down a cast member with safety scissors.

Also, if they (the collective they...sorry, not picking on you specifically. ) are intent on removing all possible tools that could potentially be used as weapons then I'd aim more towards strollers; they are far more prevalent and much more likely to be used as a weapon.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Theyve never had a problem with my Sgian Dubh, but then like me its sharp, short n stubby but its well made.

 

[draybook]

Leave the weapons at home? Uh, anything can become a weapon. It's not like the OP walked into Epcot strapped up like Rambo.

How many pocket knife attacks have happened before at WDW?

 

[thomas998]

Here are Florida's knife carry laws. http://www.knifeup.com/florida-knife-laws-explained/

I'm surprised Disney don't have a rule against people bringing in pocket knives. What are they security checking for if not possible weapons?

Because the security is really nothing more than the stuff you go through at the airport.

It isn't really going to make you any safer in the park or in the plane, it is just supposed to give you a feeling that everything is secure.

I am truly baffled by why they ever bother at Disney. I can't count the ways I could bring in every sort of terrorist device you could imagine. Frankly if you wanted to bring in a machine gun you could very easily do it by simply wearing it strapped to your back under loose fitting clothes. If they really want to avoid weapons in the park they need to go to the full on metal detectors, but I think they know that it would make things positively unworkable unless they expanded the entrance area by a factor of 10 and hired 10 times as many people to check guests, otherwise you might easily spend 5 hours in line just to get past security.

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

Why exactly do u feel it necessary to bring it to WDW? That's the ultimate question.

 

[MrDee]

Dwarfs cannot be trusted! Not sayin' pocket knives are the solution, but keep your eyes peeled....shifty little buggers they are.

 

[thomas998]

A knife is still a weapon and is not safe at the parks.

Why someone would bring a knife as well as guns to the parks baffles me.

If you are worried of being attacked travelling between WDW and home, which is usually the excuse, then keep it in the car or your luggage until you travel. There is no need to bring it in the parks.

But if you ban ALL weapons then you need to create a list of what to ban... so lets start.

crutches or canes - could be used as a club.
belts and shoelaces - could be used as a garrote.
pen and pencils - could be used to stab someone.
corn dogs - the stick in side could again be used to stab someone.
... the list could go on forever.

Bottom line is you don't need to worry about every little thing because if you do you'll end up with everyone having to walk around the park in flip-flops and hospital gowns because practically anything can be used as weapon. A pocket knife is not considered a weapon by anyone outside the overly paranoid public schools in America.

 

[WWWD]

Now if the knife is so large that it must be carried on a belt loop, I'd leave it at home. However, if you have a multi-tool/ knife small enough to fit in your pocket, then IMO, that's fine. I have used the scissors (cutting packaging) and screw drivers (tighten sun glasses) from my small multi-tool (about the size of my pinkie) multiple times in the parks.

 

[flynnibus]

A knife is still a weapon and is not safe at the parks.

Why someone would bring a knife as well as guns to the parks baffles me.

Because... for some people carrying a pocket knife is as common as carrying your car keys.

I know it's a shocker to some people... but those who work with their hands and are practical will probably have a knife in their pocket. Nothing to do with 'personal defense' but for the same reason a women might have a compact in her purse or a pen.