When Walt Disney first imagined his theme parks, I am sure one aspect that he never envisioned was having the need for bag check lines and metal detectors. Unfortunately, with the way the world is now and the tension that sometimes is felt when it comes to going to popular public places, safety measures have become of the upmost importance.
This is why having security guards stationed before entering the park have become such a mainstay.
In my experience, the security guards that are at bag check are some of the nicest cast members that you will meet on property. They are usually friendly and engage you in conversation to help take some of the edge off the situation. However, this can be an intimidating process for the littlest of Mousekatots who are excitedly waiting to go into the park.
Not that long ago, the Walt Disney World Resort installed a few metal detectors at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Just yesterday it was reported that even more detectors have been installed at the entrance of Epcot.
Personally, for me, metal detectors at amusement parks is nothing new. Our local park, Kennywood, has had metal detectors in place for many years, so it was unusual for them not be in place at Walt Disney World.
The biggest thing to remember is to plan to leave early enough to account for the time you are going to have to go through security. In other words, if you are visiting Walt Disney World in the middle of July and you have a reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table at 4:30 p.m., don’t leave your hotel at 4:15 p.m. and expect to arrive at your reservation on time. Give yourself at least a buffer of 20 minutes to go through security.
Also, please keep in mind that these people are hired by Disney to give you a safe and wonderful vacation. Don’t be rude to them. Don’t say mean things or get snippy because the line is taking too long. They are just trying to do their job.
And finally, if you think your Mousekatot might be a little nervous, talk to them before hand about what the process will be like.
Once again I turn back to my Pittsburgh roots and recall something everyone’s favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, had to say about scary situations: look for the helpers. If something is scary, look for the people who are helping. And there is no better helper than the security at Walt Disney World.
Have you ever had an experience with security that made your day more special? Share it in the comments below.
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