Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg 2021

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I am not a huge fan of the policy but I also don't think some of you are being fair in your assessments here either. We know the park still has staffing issues including in security. wouldn't it make sense to limit the need for bag checkers so you can spread those resources out? We also know there have been issues with fighting bags holding something heavy are themselves a potential weapon so again limiting those reduces those potential problems. I personally don't like that it's come to this and hope for a better long-term solution but I honestly think that this isn't a horrible call on the park's part either.
 
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horsesboy said:
I am not a huge fan of the policy but I also don't think some of you are being fair in your assessments here either. We know the park still has staffing issues including in security. wouldn't it make sense to limit the need for bag checkers so you can spread those resources out? We also know there have been issues with fighting bags holding something heavy are themselves a potential weapon so again limiting those reduces those potential problems. I personally don't like that it's come to this and hope for a better long-term solution but I honestly think that this isn't a horrible call on the park's part either.
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Nope...its another bullshit cut by the park. If its a security reason ban them all together all day.
 
WDWRLD said:
Nope...its another bullshit cut by the park. If its a security reason ban them all together all day.
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They are trying to do the balancing act between allowing them during family time when some people HAVE to haul a decent amount for the kids and removing them from where they are an issue.
 
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Zachary said:
Time to adopt the SeaWorld Strat I guess—carry armfuls of stuff into the park and then get a paper bag from a gift shop to put it all into. What a fucked up timeline.
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Why use a paper bag when you can just fold up a cloth bag and put it in your pocket?
 
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I got to agree with @WDWRLD here of it does seem like a BS cut to either not make the rules consistent al day or staff the park the same all day. Actually rather mystifying they did it in this order and not the reverse to not have bag check early and then have back check later.

I wouldn't be shocked if they raise rates (or even increase rates) for the pickup service they run where your bags can be held up near the gate.

If there's a concern for the safety and worry that weapons could be in the bag, then limit size, make it see through, or have a metal detector. Invest in more security at that point too.

This just feels like a lazy haphazard way of trying to reduce violence.
 
ToddF said:
Why use a paper bag when you can just fold up a cloth bag and put it in your pocket?
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Thats what I do most times anyhow, have a colith cinch sack in my cargo pocket then just open it up once I get past security. I did the same thing at WDW for years to avoid the bag check lines, just carries everything until pasy security then pullued out the bag and filled it up.
 
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warfelg said:
If there's a concern for the safety and worry that weapons could be in the bag [...] make it see through
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If this were about security, this would be the solution in my opinion. The fact that they are allowing see-through diper bags but not other see-through bags makes the intentions here crystal clear in my book. I'm not opposed to going out and buying a clear bag for my stuff to comply with a new safety policy. I'm opposed to the all or nothing approach some of these parks have opted for with policies like this one.

Let me buy a clear bag to be exempt. Sell me a clear bag to be exempt! Make me empty my bag entirely at bag check to be exempt (like Disney). Make me wait in line as you put my bag through an x-ray thing like Universal or some Six Flags parks. Hell, charge me a couple bucks for a thorough bag inspection. I don't care. The inconveniences they could implement would very often be DRAMATICALLY outweighed by the massive inconvenience this policy will inflict on my visits while I'm in the park. The fact that there isn't a way for me to chose to onboard additional complexity or cost in order to make that decision for myself is what is so frustrating here.
 
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I can understand not being able to hire actors at a set wage. Security and turnstiles as well as food and ride lines MUST be staffed properly and you can't just say there aren't enough people to hire. If you can't get enough security workers, you need to be paying more until you get the jobs filled.
 
I may be wrong but the videos I have seen of the fights; I haven't seen a "bag" of any kind used as a weapon. I remember walking through the metal detectors with an expensive video camera. I offered it to the bag checkers and they just threw up their hands and said, "I'm not touching that" and waved me on through. What if I had been carrying a weapon. They never checked.
 
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Rothbury said:
I may be wrong but the videos I have seen of the fights; I haven't seen a "bag" of any kind used as a weapon. I remember walking through the metal detectors with an expensive video camera. I offered it to the bag checkers and they just threw up their hands and said, "I'm not touching that" and waved me on through. What if I had been carrying a weapon. They never checked.
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Again i’ve said it before, i’ve gone through with things that should never make it through. Even mid torso alarms are brushed off on belt buckles even when i’m not wearing a belt. I’ll give Universal credit…a couple weeks ago we were going through and the guy in front of me had a EDC Credit card multitool in his wallet and they found it. He said he’s had it in there for years and didn’t even think about it and said it has made it through TSA numerous times including his trip there. Not sure the outcome if they let him go or confiscated it but the fact they found and questioned it was impressive.
 
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ToddF said:
Why use a paper bag when you can just fold up a cloth bag and put it in your pocket?
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I do this all the time. Once, I had my husband roll up a cloth tote and put it in one of the pockets in his cargo shorts and they almost didn’t let it in at a venue in Pittsburgh.

We attended a music fest in Asbury park nj last weekend with a clear bag policy. I have a small cross body one, but with all the crap I bring these days like wipes, sanitizer etc, there’s no room for stuff I buy. So, I roll up the cloth tote and put it under my bra. They’re not gonna find it thru a metal detector or unless they go all TSA agent on me.
Turned out, they weren’t really enforcing the policy and I could have brought my usual day pack.
 
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Ice said:
I could see a group showing up at 4:30, being told they can't bring their bags in so they drop them off in the car, and then once they get into the park they see people (who had been there all day) with bags on and be extremely irate with guest relations about what they see as "how come THEY get to have a bag??"
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This is precisely what happened to @Zachary and me at SWO. Except my language when I started seeing backpacks was a bit more colorful.

Edit: and we didn’t harass Guest Relations.
 
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