When are they going to fix the Monorail/EPCOT security glitch?

[GADisneyDad14]

See, I figured I was wrong! Thanks for correcting me I completely forgot the entrance and exit are in different places.

I can totally understand why people think this. It’s a confusing area with a lot going on all jumbled together. Unless you stop in that plaza area and really look around/study where you are and what’s around you, it’s very easy to think you’ve ‘left’ the secured area when you walked out of the Epcot exit - because it sort of feels like you did!

 

[marsh0013]

I can totally understand why people think this. It’s a confusing area with a lot going on all jumbled together. Unless you stop in that plaza area and really look around/study where you are and what’s around you, it’s very easy to think you’ve ‘left’ the secured area when you walked out of the Epcot exit - because it sort of feels like you did!

And I just stayed at poly in October and used the monorail in both directions and *still* completely forgot! Ha. But for an Epcot heavy trip during food and wine, poly is definitely lowered on my list because of the duplicate screening. Just an extra hassle.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

And I just stayed at poly in October and used the monorail in both directions and *still* completely forgot! Ha. But for an Epcot heavy trip during food and wine, poly is definitely lowered on my list because of the duplicate screening. Just an extra hassle.

Yeah, I agree. I’ve changed my ways to go bagless when I go to Epcot. I don’t mind the second screening if I’m bagless but the bag check line on my trips this year has been no bueno!

 

[AngiTN]

It always amazes me how many think they go from Epcot to MK and skip screening. Just shows how we all walk with blinders on, especially at Disney. It's really obvious, if you stop to think about it, that when you walk out Epcot gates you never leave the security area when you walk up the ramp to the monorail.

As for the double screening going to Epcot, I haven't figured out why they can't move the screening tables out, sort of how they did at MK, so they only get the bus or car guests. Let the the arriving monorail ramp down be inside the secure zone. It doesn't seem to be that big of a move. Sure it may mean 2 security screenings instead of 1, I'm not sure because we never drive so I'm not exactly sure where the tram stop is. They have made the changes work at MK and it would be easy enough to move at Epcot too. It's not like it would take any construction or anything.

 

[ChrisNY2]

...
As for the double screening going to Epcot, I haven't figured out why they can't move the screening tables out, sort of how they did at MK, so they only get the bus or car guests. Let the the arriving monorail ramp down be inside the secure zone. It doesn't seem to be that big of a move. Sure it may mean 2 security screenings instead of 1, I'm not sure because we never drive so I'm not exactly sure where the tram stop is. They have made the changes work at MK and it would be easy enough to move at Epcot too. It's not like it would take any construction or anything.

The tram stop is the issue with that approach. (Though I don't remember whether it would be possible to route the tram passengers around using fences or something.)

 

[WEDWDW]

The tram stop is the issue with that approach. (Though I don't remember whether it would be possible to route the tram passengers around using fences or something.)

And finding enough room on out toward the Bus Depot-it would be a little more complicated that it seems-that's why they haven't done it.

 

[AngiTN]

And finding enough room on out toward the Bus Depot-it would be a little more complicated that it seems-that's why they haven't done it.

This I have considered and compared. The bag check at Epcot is very small (way too small in my opinion). There is space equal to the current bag check nearer the buses now, so they could move the exact set up closer to the buses without a problem. However, I'm sure that wouldn't cover the tram stop, so that would take a different fix.

 

[cigar95]

There has been discussion somewhere (here maybe?) about a major reconfiguration of the entire Epcot entrance plaza as part of the GoG construction and a potential adjacent hotel. That would take care of the issue with double screening.If this part of the plan, I wouldn't expect changes before then.
Would not surprise me if it included switching the entrance and exit ramps from the monorail, which would make it the way it was originally intended, I seem to recall.

 

[WEDWDW]

However, I'm sure that wouldn't cover the tram stop, so that would take a different fix.

Yes it is a Catch 22 situation-if you move screening closer to the Bus Depot to allow Monorail riders to skip screening,you then leave Tram riders unscreened.

 

[Disney & ME]

It's hugely annoying. But difficult to implement. Guests board the monorail at the MK to get to the Epcot line at TTC (they have, presumably, gone through bag check already at MK), but there are going to be those that are boarding at the TTC. How do you then differentiate between those who have gone through bag check and those who haven't. Maybe a hand stamp? But it is annoying to go through bag check once, and then have to wait in a long line to do it again at Epcot.

There is a screening at TTC to board the monorail too. We experienced that when we walked from the Poly.. But what about someone taking a boat from the Poly and then getting on a monorail at MK? They don't have to go through screening since not going into MK. Is there screening to get on resort boats?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

There is a screening at TTC to board the monorail too. We experienced that when we walked from the Poly.. But what about someone taking a boat from the Poly and then getting on a monorail at MK? They don't have to go through screening since not going into MK. Is there screening to get on resort boats?

If you take the boat from Poly to MK, you are screened at a security station right at the exit of the boat dock before heading into the front MK Plaza area. Same applies to boat from anywhere else (WL, FW, etc).

 

[heazer]

When we stay at Poly we typically walk to the TTC when heading to Epcot. It takes a lot less time than waiting on and riding the monorail to the TTC. I suppose if you are on the opposite side of the Poly, it wouldn't be such a convenient walk....but it saves us the double security check as well as a few minutes.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

When we stay at Poly we typically walk to the TTC when heading to Epcot. It takes a lot less time than waiting on and riding the monorail to the TTC. I suppose if you are on the opposite side of the Poly, it wouldn't be such a convenient walk....but it saves us the double security check as well as a few minutes.

When is the last time you stayed at Poly? Since the new security perimeters/procedures were implemented in April, if you walk from Poly to the TTC you are screened before entering the TTC. If you then go on to Epcot you are screened again at the Epcot entrance.

 

[buzzrelly]

When we stay at Poly we typically walk to the TTC when heading to Epcot. It takes a lot less time than waiting on and riding the monorail to the TTC. I suppose if you are on the opposite side of the Poly, it wouldn't be such a convenient walk....but it saves us the double security check as well as a few minutes.

We did walk to the TTC to go to EPCOT Went through bag check on the sidewalk walking to the monorail and then had to do a second bag check when we got off the monorail.

 

[epe105]

I hate being screened over and over again.

 

[Farro]

When is the last time you stayed at Poly? Since the new security perimeters/procedures were implemented in April, if you walk from Poly to the TTC you are screened before entering the TTC. If you then go on to Epcot you are screened again at the Epcot entrance.

This was our exact recent experience.

I never found the bag lines to be too long. The worst was at DHS, but that is because someone had, not kidding, 14 bags! I didn't see all the ones on the ground when I chose that line.
I think they were full of pins or something...

 

[bucky1023]

Maybe it is me but with all the craziness that is going on in the world today I don't find it that inconvenient to go through security twice. I would rather be save then sorry.

 

[Tomh]

I suspect that when the "Spine" area of the park is renovated, we will see changes to the entrance plaza which will address the double screening issue.

 

[DrKev]

Unfortunately, The "World's Longest Exit Ramp" at Epcot's monorail station was designed long before security was such a huge concern. It is too bad that it ends so far to the side that it can't be included in the security "bubble" somehow. They could probably build a new ramp that crosses over and ends down in the secure area, but I've seen no plans for that.

 

[Spork24]

Unfortunately, The "World's Longest Exit Ramp" at Epcot's monorail station was designed long before security was such a huge concern. It is too bad that it ends so far to the side that it can't be included in the security "bubble" somehow. They could probably build a new ramp that crosses over and ends down in the secure area, but I've seen no plans for that.

My guess is that a new "human flyover ramp" as I'm calling it will be built that lands guests exiting the monorail inside security. My guess is that will be part of the overall Epcot facelift and be in place in the next 4-7 years. Until then, it's double bag checks for all!