Security Screenings

[5thGenTexan]

How are additional security screenings chosen?

A hit on the metal detector or do they just sometimes pick people to go over for an additional screening?

Sunday I walked right on through at Magic Kingdom. Monday I walked right on through at Animal Kingdom. Tuesday I went through at EPCOT and they decided it was time for a closer look at me. I was carrying the same exact stuff in my bag each day. We joked it was because I was wearing a collared shirt that day. No more checks the rest of the week. Just that one time.

 

[mkt]

Metal detectors or they think they see something.

It's obnoxious, since they're not very effective.

 

[IanDLBZF]

They use the Evolv Detectors at WDW now, and only select people for screening if the detectors go off and it's something other than an umbrella or car keys.....

 

[mkt]

They use the Evolv Detectors at WDW now, and only select people for screening if the detectors go off and it's something other than an umbrella or car keys.....

Weird. They've never caught my happy juice.

 

[Cmunchy94]

on our last day we entered the Magic Kingdom and my girl friend got selected for extra screening, the queue was massive and when she finally got checked they said " oh it will be because of the portable power pack in your bag thats all" this was our tenth day and we had done multiple parks each day and had a portable power pack in each of our bags every day so this wasnt the real issue

 

[Raxel7851]

I typically only take my cell phone with me and like others have posted I’ve been “selected” for further inspection after going thru the same entrance and machine sometimes on the same day. It’s frustrating, but you just need to go with the flow. Using the wand, they never find anything that would trigger the wand to go off.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

As was said, it’s random to an extent…different units have different sensitivities and it’s also theater to keep everyone guessing. Yeah, it can be a PITA, but it is what it is…

 

[vikescaper]

My sister frequently get pulled over for additional screening because of her sunglasses case….

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

As was said, it’s random to an extent…different units have different sensitivities and it’s also theater to keep everyone guessing. Yeah, it can be a PITA, but it is what it is…

Yes, I believe it’s AI and each detector runs a different model. If the screening was successful, it gets rewarded. If it was not, it doesn’t get rewarded. They also can control sensitivity manually until they find the right fit. I’ve heard from security than they randomly test it by walking through with their taser or something, but I can’t speak to whether that’s fact or fiction.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

My sister frequently get pulled over for additional screening because of her sunglasses case….

Sunglass cases will almost set it off. You can hold it infront of you so you can avoid the screening, same as an umbrella.

 

[SplashJacket]

The Ai defectors are almost entirely worthless at stopping real threats. They’re efficient and cheap-to-run, which is why they were chosen. Effectively purely security theater now (infinitely more than it ever was).

You can carry almost anything along your hip now without any real issue. Only stops the really big stuff.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

The Ai defectors are almost entirely worthless at stopping real threats. They’re efficient and cheap-to-run, which is why they were chosen. Effectively purely security theater now (infinitely more than it ever was).

You can carry almost anything along your hip now without any real issue. Only stops the really big stuff.

You’re correct, but the same can be said for any metal detector. Even with the old system, someone could easily put something in their water bottle and security would never open it to find out. Even if they did, you could have had a small compartment for water so that some dumped out so you could prove it was a water bottle.

They’re used at all of the D.C. landmarks I went to, but all security is now is a deterrent. Have a metal detector and a sheriff of standby and that’ll scare most people away. The few that get through the deterrent will get caught 90-95% of the time, which might be better or worse than a human scanning a bag… the purpose of going through your bag isn’t even about searching the contents of you bag, as much as seeing you reactions to your bag being searched. Anyone who is overly nervous or distanced, or anyone supervising the screening a little too closely are all flagged as suspicious. This is the same as airport screenings.


This is all just to say that security has never and will never catch everything. If someone truly wanted to do something, there are so many ways around every form of (feasible) security screenings imaginable.

 

[vikescaper]

Sunglass cases will almost set it off. You can hold it infront of you so you can avoid the screening, same as an umbrella.

Yup, that’s what she does but she does forget from time to time.

 

[JIMINYCR]

The system is still a lot better than the old stand in line and inspect everyone singularly. Depending on the guard you happened to get you could pass along quickly or have every little crevice searched. Like the TSA agents some liked to take their role to the extreme.

 

[Andrew25]

Yup, I occasionally bring my laptop to the parks, so I just stick it out in front of me.

If you know something will set it off, just pull it in front of you.

 

[AndyS2992]

My sister frequently get pulled over for additional screening because of her sunglasses case….

Just about to write this.

For the first three days I'd always get dragged over to the table. On the third day I asked what the issue was and they said it was my glasses case. They told me to hold it in my hand as I go through but I just stopped taking it. No issues after.

 

[James J]

Yup, I occasionally bring my laptop to the parks, so I just stick it out in front of me.

If you know something will set it off, just pull it in front of you.

Exactly this. On day one of our trip last year, we found out that our portable charger and glasses cases were the issue. Held it out in front after that, and no more problems.

 

[anchorman314]

On my last trip, I had a backpack and small camera case on a cross-body strap. I kept getting sent over to the tables. It took a few days, but I "guessed" it was the combination of the two because one was on my back and one on my hip. So I gave the camera case to someone else in my party without any other bags. He had it in the same exact position, and neither of us got flagged for closer screening. Go figure.

 

[esskay]

So I kinda inadvertantly tested this in May.

• Entered wearing a belt with no metal buckle ~15 times and was never stopped
• Wore a different belt with a metal buckle, was stopped 6 out of 6 times.

Worth noting as well that both times I was carrying a camera bag with a Nikon D780 and a couple of lenses as well as a collapsible mini tripod. Surprisingly that never seemed to set anything off.

Maybe its a quantity thing, i.e if you have a certain amount of metal on you its enough to trigger the check.

Either way its FAR better than the old stop and search system.

 

[jloucks]

It seems totally random.

With the era of drones being available to everybody, I think security gates are possibly things of the past. You can drone in just about any small item somewhat easily.

Devils advocate: Having gates dissuades some gang-bangers from getting in easily and stirring up trouble.

I kid you not; the Six Flags by my house has security gates and enthusiastic crevice-searching crack squads of security personnel. You get through that line wanting a cigarette.

...and several locations around the perimeter of the park where you could huck a bazooka over the fence to a buddy if you wanted to.

I suppose it all goes back to making it tough on the casual gangster numbskulls.