Metal Detectors Come To The Happiest Place On Earth

If you want to visit the happiest place on earth, you’ll have to pass through a metal detector first.

Due to the recent acts of terrorism in Paris and California, Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Orlando in the Orlando, Florida, area have now installed metal detectors at the front cue of their parks.

Metal detectors for guests to walk through when entering the theme parks have been enacted. SeaWorld started this process at the beginning of the holiday season, while Walt Disney World had no comment as to how long the detectors would be in place. Universal Orlando is using the holiday traffic to test the metal detectors at the entrance of the park.

Disney World has now discontinued the sale of toy guns and will not be allowing guests 14 and older to wear costumes into the park, even during Halloween parties. Park security has been even more prevalent lately, with trained dogs patrolling main areas, as well as a higher number of security guards and officers. Last week, a lawyer attempted to bring a loaded gun in to Magic Kingdom. Tom Schroder, a Universal spokesman, told the Orlando Sentinel that the testing of the metal detectors at Universal was not caused by a specific threat, but because Universal wants “guests to feel safe when they come here. We’ve long used metal detection for special events, such a Halloween Horror Nights. This test is a natural progression for us as we study best practices for security in today’s world.” h/t insidethemagic

Guests staying at Disney Resorts in the area appear to be receiving messages in their room phones alerting them to the new security changes.