This Just In - Current USH Happenings

[12th Man]

I get how this is how to tighten security because some of the recent events, and I do acknowledge that. But really! As some people have said, when you are at Six Flags it gives a vibe of "this place isn't safe" but now every major theme park has them.. And why exactly today? Is it because X-Mas break starts next week?

 

[k_peek_2000]

 And why exactly today? Is it because X-Mas break starts next week?

Correct, lots of work places and schools get out for winter break tomorrow. From what i've been told (at least at Disneyland) the metal detectors will only be up for the busy holiday season.

 

[12th Man]

Ok cool! I'm going the 1st week of January (wonder if that is still considered winter break?) to Universal and Disney, and hope the metal detectors aren't there. I don't mean that in a bad way and know they are there for our safety, but it would be much easier and reduce the waiting for them if I am heading in and out of the parks.

 

[Zxylruc]

I sent some pictures to the IU twitter. They didn't install any of the big metal detectors but instead they use the wands. Everyone is checked before getting to the ticket booths and then people are randomly chosen for the metal detector screening. Not everyone goes through the metal detectors or else it would really back up the crowds.

I don't know where people are getting that its for holidays only? None of the news coming out today states that. Disney has even gone as far as removing all toy guns from the parks.

 

[Allen The Actor]

It's not just for the holidays. I'm so thrilled they're doing this!!!

 

[William]

Disneyland has also stopped selling any merchandise that resembles a gun (even down to the bubble shooters and Astro Blaster ray guns). I doubt Universal will stop selling their Autobot weapons and fart guns anytime soon.

 

[Wesker69]

I don't see how anyone can be thrilled by the parks becoming like an airport... Just because they take these extra security measures, you can't stop stupid. I despise the metal detectors, it was one of the joys of being an AP holder at Universal Orlando during haunt season.. You didn't have to exit the park & go through the metal detectors before the event. I don't know about you, but I'd rather NOT have to empty my pockets every single time I go to the park. It was annoying the 3 nights I went to HHN this year and also had to remove my belt (which was a normal belt, nothing fancy) before going through the security check point.

Disney is getting a little over the top with this stuff... This whole removing this or that, boosting security, etc... its as bad as USH removing something someone complained about during HHN.. its showing weakness. If you want to overhaul the main entrance to have hidden built-in metal detectors, fine... but the parks don't need to look/act like you're at an airport.

 

[peasoupprincess]

I don't see how anyone can be thrilled by the parks becoming like an airport... Just because they take these extra security measures, you can't stop stupid. I despise the metal detectors, it was one of the joys of being an AP holder at Universal Orlando during haunt season.. You didn't have to exit the park & go through the metal detectors before the event. I don't know about you, but I'd rather NOT have to empty my pockets every single time I go to the park. It was annoying the 3 nights I went to HHN this year and also had to remove my belt (which was a normal belt, nothing fancy) before going through the security check point.

Disney is getting a little over the top with this stuff... This whole removing this or that, boosting security, etc... its as bad as USH removing something someone complained about during HHN.. its showing weakness. If you want to overhaul the main entrance to have hidden built-in metal detectors, fine... but the parks don't need to look/act like you're at an airport.

Disney is doing it for a multitude of reasons. The biggest being we just had a mass shooting in San Bernadino so people are on crazy high alert. Second, they had two incidents in the past month at WDW where people tried to bring a gun into the park. The metal detectors are a random selection type deal for Disney, so it's not causing too much of an inconvenience. I'm honestly more annoyed about the bubble guns because those things are so obnoxiously not gunlike in any manner. Frankly, I don't want to have to sit there and explain to disappointed parents WHY we don't sell them anymore. (Plus it'll be so inconvenient for people that already have them and like to bring them to have to go back to their cars.) I get the ones that look like real weapons, aside from their paint jobs. But a big light up rainbow bubble gun? Come on.

 

[Allen The Actor]

If these metal detectors deter any potential idiots and stop at least one death, then they're worth it. No, you can't stop terrorists and crime 100%, but any effort is good, even if it's security theatre. Better now than after some tragedy. I don't mind waiting a little longer to enter the park.


But banning the bubble guns is dumb....

 

[Wesker69]

Screw the bubble guns... Disney just released their biggest movie of all time which is VERY gun heavy.... Stormtroopers use blasters, Han Solo uses a blaster, Chewbacca uses a crossbow blaster... Removing toy guns seems pretty counterproductive for sales..

Whats next? They're going to do away with "Build your own lightsaber" too?

 

[Allen The Actor]

Dude you're being a bit selfish and insensitive in my opinion. If you think Disney taking steps of precaution to make the park more safe is a bad thing just because you're gonna be inconvenienced to wait to get into the park a bit longer and there are no more toy guns, that's just sad. Better safe than sorry, especially with everything going on in the world. The little boy or girl can find another toy to buy at Disneyland or just wait to buy a toy gun outside of Disney. It's not the end of the world. I'd rather be inconvenienced but feel a bit more safe.

 

[William]

Personally speaking, I'm glad they're taking these extra precautions. I'm fine with waiting a few extra minutes to get into the park if it means another tragedy is less likely to take place. I agree that having metal detectors lined up around the entrance plaza for either DLR or USH isn't the most visually appealing, but I'm sure they can implement a more permanent design later on that doesn't make the entrance of the park look like TSA.

 

[DonRaf]

I have to agree, I would rather have the extra safety then not, you never know what some nut might try these days.

But, I feel limiting toy gun sales does nothing for safety, but I understand the action as a way to be sensitive to recent victims.

It is sad I cannot take my future child to disneyland and get him a rubber band gun or the like in frontier land, but again we live in strange and scary times, and we have to make small concessions now for the sake of safety and erring on the side of caution.   

Hell I don't smoke but I wish we could still do so on planes, have you seen how glamorous flight USED to be? Things change for better and worse.

 

[Allen The Actor]

Personally speaking, I'm glad they're taking these extra precautions. I'm fine with waiting a few extra minutes to get into the park if it means another tragedy is less likely to take place. I agree that having metal detectors lined up around the entrance plaza for either DLR or USH isn't the most visually appealing, but I'm sure they can implement a more permanent design later on that doesn't make the entrance of the park look like TSA.

It's definitely not visually appealing but I'm sure both Disney and USH will have permanent solutions designed soon, since USH is in the middle of updating the entrance, and I've been hearing that Disney will want to heavily update and redesign the esplanade before Star Wars Land opens and before the full roll out of the MyMagic+ thingamajig.

Again, we can complain till we're blue that things aren't the way they used to be in many different aspects, not just theme parks. But look at everything going on in the world. Change is inevitable, and I'd rather it happen NOW than AFTER a tragedy. Again, let's remember that suicide at USH that was pretty recent. What if he had shot up a bunch of other people in SSFL and not just himself? Look at all the horrible tragedies everywhere that are becoming all too common.

If that means I have to wait a few extra minutes to pass through security and kids can't buy a fake gun, but everyone feels a BIT safer, it's worth it!

I visited Israel during the summer of 2006. Everywhere you went, be it the mall or movie theatre, you had to be scanned with a metal detector wand before you enter. It was offputting at first and uncomfortable, because I wasn't used to it, and was very young, but guess what....I started liking it. I never forgot about that to this day. I really did feel a lot safer. It's weird in the beginning but this only benefits us all.

I absolutely agree though that itd be nice if they made them aesthetically more pleasing. I wish this happened sooner!

 

[Wesker69]

We had the suicide at the park & yet, we still had guns featured at HHN this year... go figure..

The waiting longer to get into the park because they beefed up security isn't the issue.. It doesn't actually make you "feel" safer.. all it does is make you live in fear.. Seeing more security measures taken doesn't exactly make it feel "safe", instead it gives off the illusion that you're entering a place that is the exact opposite. I may seem/sound insensitive, but that's because I'd rather not let fear control my life. I go to the parks to escape the real world, while yes the real world tends to creep into the "safe zone" that are theme parks"... it doesn't mean I want a TSA strip search every time I go... (although knowing USH, they'd just make that another AP benefit for the new APs)

 

[Allen The Actor]

Who the heck ever said this will make everyone live in fear and have fear control their life?! How is more security an illusion that the parks are not safe? You DO realize everything going on in the world, right? I don't want to get political on here, but do you suggest the parks do nothing and wait like sitting ducks to be shot up? Because it was only a matter of time.

 

[RyanTTD]

Got to experience Universal wand metal detectors today. The set up is exactly the same as Disneyland. You go through bag check then a security guard will randomly select people to go to the wand station.

The wand station is set up in a white tent and has 5-7 security guards with wands. You empty your everything in your pockets into to trays and they they give you a quick wand. It was really quick and easy and IMO, far more efficient than Disneylands set up of two metal detectors per bag check tent.

They only thing that I do not like about this is the picking out of random people to go through the detectors. I was honestly a little offended that I was picked out. Everyone should be going through these detectors, not just a select few. It's only a matter of time before someone complains of discrimination.

 

[Jon Fu]

I visited Israel during the summer of 2006. Everywhere you went, be it the mall or movie theatre, you had to be scanned with a metal detector wand before you enter. It was offputting at first and uncomfortable, because I wasn't used to it, and was very young, but guess what....I started liking it. I never forgot about that to this day. I really did feel a lot safer.

I don't think it's fair to compare the situation in Universal or the United States with the situation in Israel. Completely divergent and unrelated subjects that are not at all related when you consider the context in which these detectors are being used.

It's weird in the beginning but this only benefits us all.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/tsa-failed-undercover-airport-screening-tests/

According to a report based on an internal investigation, "red teams" with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General were able to get banned items through the screening process in 67 out of 70 tests it conducted across the nation.

I don't have an issue with security screenings (specifically detection devices), but I sure hope they're effective. So far, many of these common techniques that use screeners seem to fall by the wayside when it actually comes to detecting dangerous objects. Careful vigilance and intelligence seems to be the most effective technique used at theme parks thus far.

I hope Universal is investing in that rather than simply using screeners and detectors to weed out potential conflicts.

 

[Allen The Actor]

I don't think it's fair to compare the situation in Universal or the United States with the situation in Israel. Completely divergent and unrelated subjects that are not at all related when you consider the context in which these detectors are being used.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/tsa-failed-undercover-airport-screening-tests/

I don't have an issue with security screenings (specifically detection devices), but I sure hope they're effective. So far, many of these common techniques that use screeners seem to fall by the wayside when it actually comes to detecting dangerous objects. Careful vigilance and intelligence seems to be the most effective technique used at theme parks thus far.

I hope Universal is investing in that rather than simply using screeners and detectors to weed out potential conflicts.

I think my comparison was completely fair and 100% valid. I'm not ignorant that the lifestyle in Israel and the situation in the USA and the parks is totally different, I was just using a real life example I've personally been through with metal detectors in everyday situations/locations. I wanted to make the point/connection that while they can seem like a nuisance and make one uncomfortable, I got used to them.

And I 100% agree that sometimes the metal detectors can just end up being security theatre as it's called. I know in Disney's case they're doing a bit more than just the metal detectors. Hopefully USH has some other undercover techniques as well.

I will simply repeat what I've already said....you can never (unfortunately) stop all the evil and bad guys in the world. Anywhere. But if protocols like these metal detectors stop ONE person from bringing a gun easily in, then I'm happy.

It might not be 100% effective, I agree. Your TSA fails is a good example. But it's better than doing absolutely nothing and letting everyone and everything get through without ANY filters, especially in this maddening world of ours.

 

[peasoupprincess]

Honestly, I feel way safer going to work now. I'm not living in fear. We had a guy stab someone just outside the park a few months ago, as well as someone get a gun into the esplanade with the intention of shooting people over summer. It's necessary nowadays. It sucks that people have to ruin it for others, but I care more about keeping people safe than anything. Who cares is the metal detectors look kind of tacky and potentially cause back ups? It could be the difference between someone getting hurt/dying and someone just getting arrested/kicked out/etc. Lord knows our crappy little bag check before barely did anything. I had a boxcutter in my purse, sitting on top of everything, and they still let me in. (Granted, I had just come from a class and even personally forgot it was in there until way later in the day. But it was bright pink and couldn't be missed so?)

edit: The whole point of Disney is to keep the outside world out. But realistically, safety comes first. (Safety, courtesy, show, efficiency are our Four Keys we're taught when hired and they are in that order of priority.)