Walt Disney World plans to implement new security measures at its Magic Kingdom on Monday that’ll make it more difficult than ever to bring prohibited items into its Florida theme park.
Effective April 3, Magic Kingdom guests will been screened by security prior to boarding the monorails, ferryboats and buses that lead into the park, a Disney spokeswoman confirmed this week.
“As part of an ongoing effort to enhance the arrival experience for guests at the entrance to Magic Kingdom Park, we have relocated some of our bag checks and metal detectors to the Transportation and Ticket Center and the monorail stations at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort,” Disney spokeswoman Rebecca Peddie said in a statement this week.
Disney guests currently aren’t subject to security screenings until after they arrive at the Magic Kingdom by monorail, ferry or bus. When the new policy takes effect Monday, however, visitors will be greeted by Disney security before they’re allowed to board any of the vessels destined for its sprawling theme park.
In addition to making it more difficult for Disney guests to bring prohibited items into the park, the new policy is expected to reduce the time it currently takes to enter the Magic Kingdom by providing multiple alternatives to the routinely-congested security checkpoint currently within its main gates.
“Spreading the load should help reduce wait times to clear security, especially for guests staying at one of the three high-priced monorail resorts,” wrote Robert Niles, the editor of Theme Park Insider.
“[M]oving the checkpoints closer to the parking allows guests who are found with selfie sticks, costumes or other stuff that they’re not allowed to bring into the Disney parks to return them to their vehicles without having to take a couple extra tram, monorail or ferry rides in addition to going through the security line again,” he added.
Nearly 20.5 million people visited the Magic Kingdom in 2015, making it the most popular theme park in the world that year.
Other items prohibited throughout the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida include guns, folding chairs, glass containers, alcohol, drugs, weapons and any other objects deemed harmful of disruptive.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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