Security at the parks

[Macfr3ak]

So i came across an article on another site stating there were some threats over this past weekend about a possible explosive device on Universal premises. I looked into it further and comments on Facebook from people who were caught in the mess were being posted stating Universal did not handle the situation all too well.


My quesiton: do we feel safe at the parks? Are their security measures and emergency response practices up to today's security standards?

We live in a strange world these days and it's something that's always in the back of my mind as i enter the parks.

Anyone have insight as to these measures or the event that occurred over this past weekend first hand info? Thoughts?

Thanks!




** this is my first thread ever started on this forum, i looked around to make sure im not bringing up something thats old and i couldnt find anything that would say so. I hope im not double dipping here **

 

[MrRoamer]

I think Universal does a decent job of security, especially during HHN. Seaworld is kind of lax. Disney may be a little too lax, bag checks are pretty minimal, and the fact that two guns have been found on premise are a bit of a worry to me.

 

[Kevin38]

I think they did an excellent job. You do not tell what the response will be or the bad people will find out and try to evade the security.

If you suspect a vehicle with something bad in it do you stop it @ a crowded parking booth plaza or
do you let it enter and let no one else up there or in there (that is what happened)

Once you clear the people who parked just in front of this vehicle .Then it is only a danger to property(cars and the parking deck)

Universal Security Cleared the people anything after that was the responsibility of Police/Sheriff Dept.

 

[Macfr3ak]

I think they did an excellent job. You do not tell what the response will be or the bad people will find out and try to evade the security.

If you suspect a vehicle with something bad in it do you stop it @ a crowded parking booth plaza or
do you let it enter and let no one else up there or in there (that is what happened)

Once you clear the people who parked just in front of this vehicle .Then it is only a danger to property(cars and the parking deck)

Universal Security Cleared the people anything after that was the responsibility of Police/Sheriff Dept.

thank you for the insight on the situation that took place.. now i do think they handled this well going by your description of the incident but the question that remains is the level of comfort and calmness they promoted during the event as the comments i came across on Facebook from people claiming to be there said there was panic and fear as well as miss-communication between universal employees and security why keep people in the circles why not take them back in to citywalk.. just thinking out loud cause not only are they responsible for the security of the guest but for the comfort as well.

 

[Macfr3ak]

I think Universal does a decent job of security, especially during HHN. Seaworld is kind of lax. Disney may be a little too lax, bag checks are pretty minimal, and the fact that two guns have been found on premise are a bit of a worry to me.

i agree that out of all parks universal does provide the most security yet using other parks to compare the level of security in the park doesn't say much as well as using past events to say Universals security is tighter than another parks is false. in today's world the level of security i believe needs to be much tighter. i do completely agree that the highest level of security at the parks is during HHN events with the metal detector scans thorough bag checks etc but do standard security protocols currently in place mean anything? checking bags with two sticks over the top trusting a swift inspection hoping the one security officer sees everything in a 5 second bag check is asking a lot.

 

[Kevin38]

thank you for the insight on the situation that took place.. now i do think they handled this well going by your description of the incident but the question that remains is the level of comfort and calmness they promoted during the event as the comments i came across on Facebook from people claiming to be there said there was panic and fear as well as miss-communication between universal employees and security why keep people in the circles why not take them back in to citywalk.. just thinking out loud cause not only are they responsible for the security of the guest but for the comfort as well.

You can only tell a Tourist so many times .No sir you can't go get your ,Cell phone,Poncho,Ect before you start getting a bit annoyed .Plus they did not know if isolated so information has to be tightly held.

Also they probably had less info than you once Police,Sheriff and/or Feds got involved .

 

[MrRoamer]

i agree that out of all parks universal does provide the most security yet using other parks to compare the level of security in the park doesn't say much as well as using past events to say Universals security is tighter than another parks is false. in today's world the level of security i believe needs to be much tighter. i do completely agree that the highest level of security at the parks is during HHN events with the metal detector scans thorough bag checks etc but do standard security protocols currently in place mean anything? checking bags with two sticks over the top trusting a swift inspection hoping the one security officer sees everything in a 5 second bag check is asking a lot.

I use other parks past examples because we haven't had any of those occur yet. The bag check area is check number 2 sometimes 3. At every entrance you are greeted by security guards whom are offering a first line defense. I have seen many people get stopped by them before making it to bag check land. One thing I think they could do better at checking, as much as I hate to see it, is with cargo pants. I wear these almost exclusively so I can be the group donkey without worry of the checks nor locker trips.

 

[IzzyB]

I use other parks past examples because we haven't had any of those occur yet. The bag check area is check number 2 sometimes 3. At every entrance you are greeted by security guards whom are offering a first line defense. I have seen many people get stopped by them before making it to bag check land. One thing I think they could do better at checking, as much as I hate to see it, is with cargo pants. I wear these almost exclusively so I can be the group donkey without worry of the checks nor locker trips.

Yeah my husband complains all the time that they will check his mom's fanny pack, but not his cargo shorts. So really anyone could sneak in anything they wanted if they wore baggy enough cloths. No park has perfect security and I guarantee outside of HHN there have been many people who have probably carried a gun into the park. Just because they were not stupid enough to get caught doesn't mean it has not happened.

 

[Jon84]

On the subject of bag checks, I felt that the WDW Security were checking in much more detail, I had my camera out of my camera bag, out of my rucksack everytime last April (quiet in the parks too so no excuse really).

UOR just kinda had a quick look!

 

[tielo]

I think bag checks are hilarious. If you wanted to do some serious damage you will enter as an employer. The parks are hiring all the time. During a night shift you plan the assault and make it go off during a peak day. No terrorist would walk into the front door.

safety wise I've never seen an incident but I remember going to Universal Orlando during a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The park was filled with at least 20.000 bikers (or so it seemed). Lots of hot bicker chicks and cool guys drinking and having fun. I was there with my mum who wore a pink teddy bear sweater. She waited for me while I road The Mummy and during that time had a great laugh with some of the motor guys.
In the end I saw security take a guy backstage who had clearly to much to drink. They didn't even touch the guy and it was no trouble. We felt safe all the time and had an awesome time although we saw some Disney moms losing their sh!t over the whole festiveness.
What I was thinking was what they would do with the drunk? It's irresponsible to have that guy drive a bike home. Does anyone know what they do?

 

[GAcoaster]

After the Boston Marathon bombings, they took all the garbage cans off the Monorail station platforms and off the Ferry Boats, and they still haven't been put back (except in areas where guests have been screened by security).

 

[Jakemeister]

I think they handled the situation relatively well. They shut down the garage for people's safety, escalated it to police and then gave it the clear when it was safe. People were inconvenienced, but that would have happened anywhere.

 

[IzzyB]

After the Boston Marathon bombings, they took all the garbage cans off the Monorail station platforms and off the Ferry Boats, and they still haven't been put back (except in areas where guests have been screened by security).

That is not true. Maybe the Monorail part, but there was Garbage cans on the ferry boats all the way until they removed the benches. I know, because that is where I stood all the time. I noticed them right away when they were missing, but it was long after the Boston Marathon bombings.

 

[Kevin38]

I think bag checks are hilarious. If you wanted to do some serious damage you will enter as an employer. The parks are hiring all the time. During a night shift you plan the assault and make it go off during a peak day. No terrorist would walk into the front door.

safety wise I've never seen an incident but I remember going to Universal Orlando during a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. The park was filled with at least 20.000 bikers (or so it seemed). Lots of hot bicker chicks and cool guys drinking and having fun. I was there with my mum who wore a pink teddy bear sweater. She waited for me while I road The Mummy and during that time had a great laugh with some of the motor guys.
In the end I saw security take a guy backstage who had clearly to much to drink. They didn't even touch the guy and it was no trouble. We felt safe all the time and had an awesome time although we saw some Disney moms losing their sh!t over the whole festiveness.
What I was thinking was what they would do with the drunk? It's irresponsible to have that guy drive a bike home. Does anyone know what they do?

The probably have a room for him to sober up in.
Plus they find out where he is staying and drive him to his home/hotel or put him in a cab.Unless he has someone sober with him who will take him home/hotel.

This is what any Bar / Restaurant with Alcohol License has to do so they don't get sued if he crash's after being served alcohol

He can afford a cab if he can afford to get falling down drunk in Universal @ the drink prices there.

 

[Macfr3ak]

After the Boston Marathon bombings, they took all the garbage cans off the Monorail station platforms and off the Ferry Boats, and they still haven't been put back (except in areas where guests have been screened by security).

this would be a GREAT measure to take and something along these line is what i am thinking we should start to see from every park.

Yeah my husband complains all the time that they will check his mom's fanny pack, but not his cargo shorts. So really anyone could sneak in anything they wanted if they wore baggy enough cloths. No park has perfect security and I guarantee outside of HHN there have been many people who have probably carried a gun into the park. Just because they were not stupid enough to get caught doesn't mean it has not happened.

This is why i brought this up you explained exactly my thoughts in a simple short paragraph... this concerns me. I dont think they should WAIT for something to happen in order to learn from it... i think they need to learn from other mistakes such as the marathon the schools the malls the theaters... need i continue? The questions and concern is there, are they doing enough? i don't think so... as some one mentioned above... with all this construction im sure there's temps and contractors coming in and out at all times night and day and i would hope there is tight security around the clock as well as ID checks and requirements that need to be met in order to gain access whether you're a universal employee a construction worker or anyone for that matter.


They need to pat people down at the least just to even make it in CityWalk UP the video surveilance and motion detectors and metal detectors it would be a small inconvenience for the piece of mind it can provide guest.

 

[knokout1]

Security guards aren't so much supposed to be the people fighting off a severe threat, but rather just a deterrent. They don't have time to check the bags of every single guest, and they know what to look for to tell if it is just filled with family stuff, or if they are trying to hide something. If something goes down, security guards are supposed to get down and call the police, which is why all theme parks have police officers permanently stationed there. And realistically there ins't much a security guard can do about small bombs or weapons in such a large place without making getting into a theme park be like going through an air port.

 

[sierrak5]

I never feel unsafe at the parks and don't feel they should up the entry security. The bag checks at Disney parks get ridiculously backed up; I definitely don't want the process to be any slower. It's more of a comfort thing anyway I think. The cargo shorts example was spot on as one time I fit my wife's bag into my cargo pocket so we could skip the bag check. Most of the time we just avoid bringing a bag altogether.

It's like gated communities. The gate only inconveniences the residents. Someone who wants to break in will follow in right after you or plow right through it.

No matter how much security you put up, if someone wants to do something bad they will find a way around it.

 

[natespf]

I never feel unsafe at the parks and don't feel they should up the entry security. The bag checks at Disney parks get ridiculously backed up; I definitely don't want the process to be any slower. It's more of a comfort thing anyway I think. The cargo shorts example was spot on as one time I fit my wife's bag into my cargo pocket so we could skip the bag check. Most of the time we just avoid bringing a bag altogether.

It's like gated communities. The gate only inconveniences the residents. Someone who wants to break in will follow in right after you or plow right through it.

No matter how much security you put up, if someone wants to do something bad they will find a way around it.

I've got a guard gate and it is funny (oh the stories I have about a gate :rofl: ). It still provides some benefit. Just like the 90 year old lady at the Walmart is not stopping anyone, but it discourages people looking for an easy target. So someone may have no problem getting into the gate, but there is a delay in the getaway making it more likely to get caught.

The bag checks have a similar effect. It can discourage, and it also gives the opportunity to spot anyone noticeably concerned about the search. It would not be safe if all of their security precautions were public knowledge, but I would say the bag check is not the first nor last line of defense. Their compact campus is an advantage for monitoring the funnel of people coming on property.

So just the visual security helps. But how thorough should they be given the setting? Like if they check cargo pockets, what about the other pockets? Just thinking 'outloud' there is a lot of stuff you can fit in a regular pocket, as well as regular looking pants with large pockets.

 

[GAcoaster]

That is not true. Maybe the Monorail part, but there was Garbage cans on the ferry boats all the way until they removed the benches. I know, because that is where I stood all the time. I noticed them right away when they were missing, but it was long after the Boston Marathon bombings.

They've only removed the benches from one of the three boats so far. The garbage cans have been gone since long before that boat went to drydock. I used to stand at the garbage cans all the time as well and they have been gone for nearly a year.

 

[KRAKENvsMANTA]

Security guards aren't so much supposed to be the people fighting off a severe threat, but rather just a deterrent. They don't have time to check the bags of every single guest, and they know what to look for to tell if it is just filled with family stuff, or if they are trying to hide something. If something goes down, security guards are supposed to get down and call the police, which is why all theme parks have police officers permanently stationed there. And realistically there ins't much a security guard can do about small bombs or weapons in such a large place without making getting into a theme park be like going through an air port.

Precisely this. I feel safe with the security the parks have in place. But let's be serious, if a warped-minded individual really wanted to do something terrible, they could find ways to conceal a firearm or explosive. A theme park isn't exactly sealed air tight. Obviously I never hope we see the day a tragic event happens at a theme park similar to the Boston Marathon or Colorado movie theater shooting, but heaven forbid it does, it will change security procedures forever. Getting into a theme park will be worse than going to the airport.