Following an incident where a senior citizen found a loaded gun on a ride at Disney World last week, the security at the theme park has been brought into question, according to FOX News. Visitors entering the theme park don't pass through a metal detector, and must only pass through a security checkpoint if they have a bag.
"You're coming to the happiest place on earth, you're there for a great time," Dennis Speigel, a consultant to the theme park industry and president of International Theme Park Services, said. According to him, visitors are very sensitive to the experience of entering a theme park. "We've always tried to make it so it's not invasive, so it's less cumbersome for the guest."
"It would really destroy the illusion of safety that Disney's going for," Jason Cochran, the editor-in-chief of Frommers.com, said. "It would be a really unpleasant dose of reality at the start of your adventure."
In addition to finding a loaded weapon on one of the park's rides, Disneyland officials had to evacuate and close down Mickey's Toontown last week after a dry ice bomb exploded in a garbage can. An employee of the park was later arrested and charged.
Bombs and loaded guns are not the ideal associations for the public to have with the Disney brand.
"Does it happen?" Dr. Abraham Pizam, the dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. "Yes, it does.
"Does it happen frequently?" he continued. "Absolutely not.
"Security is one of the issues that if it works, everyone takes it for granted," Pizam added. "But if it doesn't work, everyone is a critic."
Cochran expressed surprise at the infrequency of incidents at Disney, due to the sheer number of people in and out of the parks every day.
"Given that tens of thousands of people are in these parks every day, it's nothing short of a miracle that there aren't many guns discovered," Cochran said.
These incidents have brought metal detectors into the conversation, as many wonder if Disney should have them. Other theme parks, such as Six Flags, have had them for over a year now.
"Theme parks are some of the safest places on the planet, because of their stringent safety inspections - by themselves, by insurance companies, by accountants," Speigel said. "Parks have to realize that they're going to have to beef it up."
Park representatives declined to say what they might consider to improve park security.
"We don't talk about our security measures at all," Kathleen Prihoda, the media relations manager at Disney, said. "It compromises their effectiveness."
Disney did assure park visitors that safety is the highest priority.
"Providing a safe environment for our guests is always our first priority," Tom Schroder, the spokesman for Universal Orlando, said. "We believe our procedures are effective, but we don't discuss the specifics of those procedures."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
