Is The Next Step Arming Mickey And Donald?

New security measures for Disney's Magic Kingdom start Monday

Moving the bag checkpoints to transportation center, hotels

Sandra PediciniContact ReporterOrlando Sentinel

Visitors to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will go through metal detectors
 and get bags checked at the Transportation and Ticket Center starting Monday.

The center, commonly known as the TTC, is a major hub for Magic Kingdom
visitors. People driving to the Magic Kingdom park at TTC, then board monorails
or ferries to cross Seven Seas Lagoon and reach the attraction. Currently, visitors
can board the monorails and ferryboats without going through bag checks or metal detectors.

Guests arriving at Magic Kingdom via the monorail or ferry won’t have to go
 through security once they get to the theme park itself. However, the Magic
Kingdom will still have some bag checks and metal detectors for visitors
arriving by other transportation, such as buses.

Also beginning April 3, guests staying at Disney’s Contemporary, Grand
 Floridian and Polynesian resorts will begin going through security at the
 resorts’ monorail stations.

All three of the major theme park resorts in Orlando installed metal detectors
 at their entrances in December 2015.

In an emailed statement, Disney called the new procedures part of “an ongoing
effort to enhance the arrival experience for guests at the entrance to Magic
 Kingdom Park.”

It should make things move more smoothly, said Robert Niles, editor of
Theme Park Insider.

“Since it’s become apparent this is going to be long-term, if not permanent,
you have to think about where is the most effective place to put this,” Niles
said.

spedicini@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5240; Twitter @SandraPedicini