No Guns for Police Officers at Disney World

Six-Flags has a similar policy.

Don,

Disney can refuse service to anyone since they are a private business. Their position seems to be, though I don’t agree with it, that you can disarm and enjoy their park, or they can decline to do business with you.

I personally believe that any law abiding citizen who has a state issued carry permit should be allowed to exercise their rights to self protection. I also believe that it is doubly true for off-duty cops.

Thanks for the comments!

Richard

As a memebr of CPD that travels often to Florida I am troubled by this practice. Granted I am referring to the incident where an ODPO was shopping in Utah but imagine that or worse at Disney. I might give you civilians regardless of their concealed carry permit and training, but “Sworn” law enforcement absolutely not… This may be something that needs to referred to the National FOP, PBPA, Teamsters and any other bargaining unit for the police.

Stay safe guys and keep your family safe

A fellow officer who frequents Disney as much as myself tells a good story from one of his visits years back, before 9-11 even.

He was in the Country Bear Jamboree waiting for the show when one drunken and disorderly male started causing a scene. Within moments three large men in plain clothes, not in the usual Disney security attire or in the usual shape as described above, came inside out of no where and politely escorted the male outside without a scene never to be seen from again that trip.

Where they Disney Special Forces lurking about? I would hope so, because as stated, a definite target rich environment.

Stay safe!

I am a NY State Resident (not a cop), with both a NYS Full CCW and also a Florida NON-Resident W-CCW permit. Disney, as others have suggested, is a prime target for a tragic event. If you walk inside, with your family and think otherwise and get brainwashed to think that you are not possibly subject to a violent random act of some nut, you better wake up. You can not predict where, a violent act can occur. To be able to personally defend yourself, at all times can’t be outweighed just because your in “Dream World” for a day.

Foolish,

I’m not sure how it would hold up in court, but the places I mentioned above dont exclude Fed officers. NO ONE who is visiting the location gets in with a strap.

When I was working overtime at Universal Studios Hollywood during Halloween a few years ago, we had a FBI agent try to come into the park with her off duty weapon. She was told by security that she could not come in with it, and she made a scene. She was told by security (not us) to either leave, or face arrest for trespass (I SO did not want to be standing there right at that moment, the security supervisor was dead serious about hooking her up)

My Sgt and I smoothed things over by having her secure the weapon at our substation, and then walking her into the park.

The way that it has been explained to us out here in SoCal is that the locations are private property, and can exclude weapons if they so choose to do so.

I am a full time sworn police officer and I never carry my gun off duty. It is a major hindrance to me and to difficult to constantly maintain security of, especially during recreational activities like running, swimming or play football. I plan on removing my family immediately from any dangerous situation and letting the local police handle the matter then to get involved in any way. Undercover and off duty cops die all the time because they think they are on-duty when they are not.

Some advise to the 24/7 gun carrying off-duty cops - Better to make a good witness then a fatal statistic.

PG

Well, I have been through the same experience in Six Flags in n.Texas.. I was in full unifom and they wont let me go in there with my gun on me.. they told me i could take off my duty belt and secure it in a locker then go in.. even off duty cops can NOT get their weapons inside.. u lock it up like when u go to the jail..sucks..

Can the officer take a weapon to Disney if he is looking for a suspect to arrest?
Do private citizens have the right to deny LEO’s access to their property because the officer is armed?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m on officer’s side on this…

Read the law and follow it. If it doesn’t say anything about businesses having the right to post “gun free zones” then you are NOT in legal hot water. Then its just between you and the business… and yes, they can refuse you service (as silly as that sounds) for carrying a gun — or an umbrella for that matter… but that doesn’t mean diddly in legal terms.

My philosophy….. I carry anywhere I damn well please — within the law, of course —

In other words, screw the little signs and stupid rules some businesses like to put up. Go in, have fun, and be safe.

I just got back from a week at Disney World and was pretty appalled at their poor security. I’ve been a cop for 12 years (minus 1 year military in Iraq), and carry off duty everywhere usually…I didn’t to FL because of the additional hassle flying down. I did notice the extremely poor searches at the gate. I wore a Camelback every day, and it was never checked at all. It could easily have been a suicide vest.
In Virginia we have King’s Dominion. After a bunch of gang bangers got into it a few years ago, they put in metal detectors and hand scanners, and security is much tighter. But they will not allow LEO to carry there either, even Virginia sworn officers! I had to lock it up in their office.
Surprisingly, the Smithsonian Museums in DC DO allow off-duty LEO to carry. You just have to check in with a security officer (and it allows you and your family to bypass the screening line for quicker entry).
For anyone who thinks carrying every day makes me a “cowboy”, in 12 years I have made 2 off-duty arrests (robbery and felony assault). I just couldn’t live with myself if I were unable to protect my family or a citizen because of a little inconvenience. I’m not a sheep. Be safe.

http://www.policeone.com/police-technology/robots/articles/1285796-Pipe-bomb-like-device-goes-off-at-Fla-Disney-parking-lot/

Pipe-bomb-like device goes off at Fla. Disney parking lot
READ THAT…DISNEY DOES HAVE PROBLEMS

A Florida Resident:

If I understand you correctly, you do not think police officers (and I assume any free citizen) should carry a firearm because responding on-duty officers may arrive and mistake them for the bad guy. If I misunderstand you, please correct me.

If I have gotten your argument correct, I’m afraid I disagree. Yes, mistakes happen, and the UCF officer that was killed is unfortunate. I work with some of his friends and have a better understanding of that case than most. I am also aware of other instances where officers have been killed by “friendly” fire in NYC and other places. They are unfortunate and tragic and I wish all agencies would provide better training to their officers in responding to incidents off-duty.

HOWEVER, what is even more tragic is the hundreds of people who are killed every year, including some off-duty officers, because they were unarmed.

In your example, let’s say it takes three minutes to get the first deputy on scene. How many people in a crowded area like Disney World can an armed nut kill before that first deputy gets on scene? 20, 30, 50, 100?

Sorry, but I am at greater risk to be killed by a homicidal killer if I am unarmed, than by a responding law enforcement officer who mis-identifies me when I have to shoot and stop the aforementioned homicidal killer.

For example, the Trolley Square shooting…homicidal maniac is pinned down by an armed off-duty officer until the on-duty guys get there and finish the job.

Disarmament does not equate to safety.

Admin,

I am not saying that responding on-duty officers are stupid or would automatically kill a well meaning off-duty officer. I am simply saying that it could happen. That said I do believe that off-duty officers, and all law-abiding citizens as you put it, should be allowed to carry with proper creditialing in most situations. However, I do believe that due to the very nature of theme parks there has to be some restrictions. As one poster put it many states differ widely in their “permitting”, so would you really expect a 40 to 80-hour trained security officer to be able to tell the real permits from the real looking and know every applicable law from every state. Perhaps off-duty officers could be allowed to submit a request to carry in advance which would allow time for local law enforcement to verify employment, law enforcement status, and do an NCIC check. I would be opposed to most non-law enforcement officer visitors (regardless of concealed carry permit, etc.) being allowed to apply in advance. Why? Quite simply law enforcement is trained in how to fire in hostile territory, how to control gunfire in and around a crowd, etc. where as many non-law enforcement/military carriers might not have the training needed to minimize the risk of accidental victims from someone trying to help take out a “bad guy” with a gun. Ever look at some statistics concerning shots fired to shots striking target in some law enforcement shootouts? Now imagine John Doe from Georgia (where by the way to carry concealed you simply have to apply, pay the fee, and have a clean criminal history - notice the absence of training classes) who got his permit last week, is emotionally distraught as a victim, and begins to fire wildly while trying to do the right thing. I think it is also important on here to note the variety of training/experience of law enforcement officers depending on the area they serve. I would have no doubt that an off-duty officer from say Orlando or another similar sized department might be an assest in a “visitor with a gun” type situation in a theme park, but what about the officer from the small 1,000 person town who has never had to unholster his weapon except once a year for training? I’m not trying to be little small town police (I’m originally from a small town of 6,700 people in Georgia myself and have worked in small town law enforcement), but am simply making the point that on a slow day the Magic Kingdom would have 20 times (or more) as many visitors as the small 1,000 person town. In closing, I am not against off-duty law enforcement officers doing what they can to help, nor am I opposed to law abiding citizens having the right to bear arms. I simply believe in using good sense and judgement when it comes to who theme park operators would allow to carry concealed in their parks. Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

A Florida Resident -

Thanks for your participation on this site; I sincerely appreciate it.

I think our opinions differ on two very important points.

First, I believe that any U.S. citizen that is not specifically excluded from owning a firearm (convicted felons, mentally ill) has the right to possess and carry a firearm and to defend themselves and their families. I dislike the notion of concealed weapons permits as no right should be subject to this level of government intrusion.

The right to keep and bear arms is a strong a right as the rights to free speech and against unreasonable search and seizure.

The government cannot regulate newspapers (what is printed, where they publish, the news they cover, etc.) because the press is a right. Likewise, owning and carrying firearms is likewise a right and should not be subject to the intense regulation this right has suffered.

Second, I believe that law enforcement and private entities are unable to protect the individual and that people would be foolish to give up their rights and rely on the government for protection.

Having worked in law enforcement for more than 10 years, I know that as cops, we show up AFTER the crime has happened. The idea that I can protect a stalking victim, shop owner, or a crowd of people in an amusement park from a nut or coordinated group of nuts is silly at best. A person has to survive the violent encounter without law enforcement’s help, because it take a while for us to get there.

At no point should any citizen agree to give up their rights to make the government’s job easier.

In fact I was not refering to the 20% shot rate where officers are “killed”. There is however a cast that comes to mind in Chattanooga TN in the early 90s where a Swat Team entered a convenient store to apprehend a hostage taker. After all was said and done the hostage taker was shot and killed. He was shot a total of 5 times even though a total of 25 shots were fired at him from a distance of less than 10 feet. The reason given by the state was that the officers had not received enough training in live fire situations. I understand this is not always the case, but was only making a statement. Statistics are what statistics are I am sure you are well aware.

That said I never made the argument that a gunman who was “purposefully killing people in a crowded area” should not be shot.

In my very first post I made the case for a woman screaming “he has a gun”, and never specifically said whether or not he did. It was with purpose that the “gunman” in my first post was never shown whether or not he actually was armed. Keep that in mind someone saying someone else has a gun and your “armed nut purposefully killing others” are two drastically different situations.

Second I agree 100% that law enforcement should be allowed to carry inside the Walt Disney World Resort. I do believe, however, that this carry should be requested in advance partially for the protection of the off-duty officer and for the protection of the unarmed security officer who is patrolling this property. As a matter of fact, to be honest, I think it is ridiculous in todays environment for security at a place like Disney World to be unarmed. That said I have never felt threatened at Disney. I simply feel that an armed officer gives off a better sense of being able to respond to any situation. I think you would agree with me that a would be robber at say the Emporium on Main Street might not take too much stock in an unarmed officer being able to stop him, and with very good reason at that.

I would also like to clarify my stance on owning and possessing a gun. I am not anti-gun, nor am I an “over-regulate everything” believer. As a matter of fact I am a republican and very conservative at that. Keep in mind that the 2nd Amendment was originally put into place to prevent the government from being able to impose a military state on the citizens. Essentially the right to bear arms originated from the right to forcibly fight a corrupt government. That said I agree 100% that the right to bear arms in today’s society has to necessarily include the right to defend yourself against your proposed “nut”. I would like for you, however, to clarify for me how, without a permit, CCW process, etc., one is to begin to keep the guns away from those who are “specifically excluded from owning a firearm (convicted felons, mentally ill)”? I will be the first to say that requiring a permit does not keep these types from obtaining guns. I am simply asking for you to clarify a statement you made.

I would also like to voice my agreement with you that sadly law enforcement, by its very reactionary nature, can not in many cases be there to protect the citizen, but rather to respond after the citizen has been attacked. That said, being a conservative, I still believe in the right of a private business owner to set policies and proceedures that govern his private business. All of us as consumers can then lead support or disagreement to these policies by either frequenting or shunning these businesses. That is how a capitalist society should work after all. I think you would agree that over regulation by the government only creates more problems than it solves. With that in mind let us hope that Barrack Obama does not win the election, and seek to impose his very socialist beliefs on this great country of ours.

In closing, I appreciate you allowing me to voice my opinion on this blog, and like you, I appreciated hearing your views on my opinions.

Admin-
Well said. Of course making it illegal for felons to be in possession of firearms only works if they are caught with the firearm which I’m sure you agree with.

Like I said before I was not disagreeing with your statement simply looking for clarification as, at the time, it seemed almost contradictory. Now that you have clarified it I see that the seemingly contradictory statement was only in the wording or perhaps even my reading.

I have a FL CCW. I spend a lot of time at disney with my family, and I carry my Seecamp in deep concealment every time I go there. It is a safe place over all, but it’s leaving the property I am worried about! I have had my CCW since 1988 and never had a problem. Disney is safe, but Orlando is NOT. Every gangbanger from the South Bronx has moved to Kissimmee. It’s like gangland central there. If you come to Orlando carry everywhere. If you carry on Disney carry something small and easy to deep conceal.

Why in the heck do guns nuts want to take their guns everywhere?? If there is a problem requiring use of a firearm, we will call for the sheriff deputy to waddle on over. Its not your place to bring a gun into our parks unless we ask you to do so, as IT IS private property and if the Management really wanted to make a point they can really embarrass you to your department and even ARREST you by a uniformed sheriff deputy if you do not leave property when asked to. You endanger yourself, our guests, and cast members by ignoring our policy. Gun nuts, grow up. There is no immediate danger, there is no vast conspiracy, just get over it. Besides, we have things on property that even the military does not have. Oh, FYI we CAN pat you down with your permission, otherwise if we think you are lying, we will have the sheriff do it. Sorry if you do not like our “Gestapo” techniques, but they work and they work well.

Hi Richard,

I apologize for the term “gun nuts”. I have worked in the Security department for over 12 years now here at Disney. I am not here to debate the 2nd amendment, that is a back forth that will go on forever. The bottom line is that the matter has been settled in Senate Bill 43 which exempts the resort from allowing anyone to bring firearms on property which goes hand in hand with our company policy that has been in effect long before the NRA went sticking its nose where it does not belong. As matter of fact, we just termed someone here last summer in our department that has been here for many years. Having a gun on you does not protect you or your family anymore than a wooden cross works with a vampire. I understand and respect your point of view. Let me also point out that being a public servant that its a mentality and a state of mind to have or not have a firearm on or about you and our security measures are used to simply reassure the public that we handle things well. We have everything we need without firearms. We had a guy with a legal conceal carry come into Epcot a shoot himself New Years eve. In all my years in the private sector, I will never (or have) brought or used a lethal weapon as part of my job. The whole “what if” philosophy is simply a scare tactic. Believe me when I say that the company knows what the threats are, and its more concerned about someone blowing themselves up than hand guns which is why we are not so through at times. On an unrelated rant from one of the older posts about President Obama, I can honestly say that he has zero intention of taking away anyone’s right to bear arms. There has only been one gun grab in the United States and that was during and after Hurricane Katrina under Republican orders, in a Republican State, county, and law enforcement force. I am not a liberal and I DO SUPPORT the right to carry, I just personally feel that Government intrusion needs to be kept to a minimum in dictating who does what and in relation to private property and what not. In my opinion and even more Disney’s opinion, (like the sign says) “Private Property subject to control”. Thank You for allowing me to take time to express my feeling on this subject.

Here is a mutual article from last summer that is related to the topic: http://www.gunguys.com/?p=3096

Florida Resident -

Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation. I agree with you 100%.

Stay safe,

Richard

I was in Disney World in 2007 and they made me check my pocket knife. I was off duty and wasn’t familiar with Disney’s carry policy. I thought about badging them but remembered I was armed with a keltek 9mm and decided to just check the knife. The knife was clipped on my pocket and the gun was in an inside the waist holster.I didn’t want to push my luck. They taught me a lesson though. Now I just put the knife in my pocket instead of clipping it.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. They can kick me out if they want but my family will be safe no matter what.

Thanks for stopping by, Scottish Cop. You do have a different perspective, and while I disagree, I still value it.

I don’t trust the government to prevent any crime, any more than I trust them with my tax money, healthcare, or freedoms. The government has proven itself to be ineffective at stopping, much less preventing, crime. The only way to protect my family from violent crime is to defend them myself.

Metal detectors do not prevent armed people from entering the park. The US Capitol, one of the most heavily guarded building in the world, has state of the art metal detectors, yet, a single armed gunman shot his way through the metal detectors and into the very core of the capitol offices. He was eventually stopped by an armed police officer…not by a metal detector or any gun control legislation.

Thanks again for stopping by, and feel free to respond.

Richard

DisneySecurityLead - Your attitude towards the LEOs who have posted here (i.e “gun nuts”) is why you are working security instead of working in law enforcement. As Col. Grossman pointed out, there are sheep, wolves and sheep dogs. You are definitely not a sheepdog.

I have been around guns all of my life. I learned to shoot when I was 10 years old and have owned a firearm since I was 12. I own several firearms now as an adult and I go everywhere armed. Everywhere. However I am not what you derisively term a “gun nut”. What I am, is a responsible, law abiding adult living in America and a law enforcement officer. Both of those positions entitle me to carry a firearm, one by choice and the other by the responsibility I am entrusted with by the community that looks to me to protect them. They expect me to protect them from threats ranging from armed robbers to active shooters to terrorists. I am doing a job a great many other people, yourself included either can not do or will not do themselves. Being a responsible gun owner or an LEO does not make me the kind of foaming at the mouth, machine gun waving, raving lunatic you conjure up when you hear derogatory terms such as “gun nut”.

As far as having a gun on you protecting yourself or your family I respectfully disagree with you. I have first hand experience in this particular area, and personally think in today’s society you are foolish to be allowed the option of carrying a gun for your protection and elect not exercising that option. The media is chock full of stories where an armed citizen was able to prevent becoming a victim of a crime, or where they protected someone else from a criminal who was attempting to victimize them. Those are success stories in my book for responsible gun ownership. Those people saved lives because they were in a position to take decisive action against a threat to someone’s life. The failure stories are the ones where the illegally armed criminals rob, rape or murder someone who could do noting to protect themselves from being victimized because they did not think carrying a gun was an effective means of protection.

As far as “no immediate danger” goes I’ll make a deal with you. When bad guys start wearing signs that say something like “On Thursday the 23rd at 2:10 PM I am going to go berserk in Disney World/Wal-Mart/the football stadium and start shooting people” I will stop feeling the need to carry my gun everywhere I go. When we can predict with 100% accuracy when and where a violent crime or terrorist event will take place I will happily conform to the anti-gun paranoia Disney and other places have. Because in my experience “Immediate Danger” is a close as the nearest criminal intent on victimizing someone or the EDP with a gun listening to the voices in the Cheerios telling him today is the day to kill everyone on the bus he is riding.

I personally do not understand the line of reasoning over prohibiting a qualified, trained off duty LEO from carrying in a venue that is a prime target for terrorism and crime. We can be trusted in our home jurisdictions to carry a gun, to use common sense, to enforce the law, to exercise good judgment under stress and to use deadly force when the situation calls for it, but we can’t be trusted with a gun inside your parks? Yet if I were an on duty Orlando cop running through the gate to stop an active shooter you would welcome me with open arms? If that is the case I respectfully decline to bring my family into a venue where not only am I not trusted to be the same professional cop I was outside your park, but where I have to rely on unarmed, unqualified security to protect me. I can’t trust you to hold my safety and the safety of my loved ones to the same standard I do as a “gun nut” off duty LEO.

Make no mistake here - you are barring legally licensed CCW holders, and off duty LEOs who have been vetted by extensive background checks from carrying a firearm in a place where they have a vested interest in their safety, and where the criminals who go around armed are carrying with impunity. I know for a fact if these thugs are carrying a gun in violation of all of the state and federal laws which make it illegal for them to possess a weapon, they are not paying the slightest bit of attention to your silly “Gun Free Zone” signs or “No Guns Allowed” policy.

I will concede your point about Disney property being private property. Yes you do have the right to bar licensed gun carriers from your parks. You have the right to bar off duty LEOs from carrying into Disney property (H.R. 218 does NOT supersede the right of private entities from barring firearms). But in return we have the right to not visit your parks and spend our money there.

And as to the comments made by other posters about CCW holders or cops going bad or committing crimes, yes occasionally that does happen. Every profession has its own problem people, law enforcement and private security included. But the irrational or illegal actions of a few should not be used as a benchmark for how the rest of that segment of society behaves. If that is in fact the case and is the standard by which Disney is looking at all of the off duty LEOS and responsible CCW holders, perhaps you need to remember how many Disney employees have been arrested in the last few years for things like child pornography, soliciting underage sex, drugs and other crimes. Are those few bad apples typical of the Disney barrel, or would you like us to be a bit more understanding of the fact a few bad associates does not mean every Disney employee is a potential scumbag?

I am a Law enforcement officer in Orlando and I used to work security prior to working with my current agency. I agree with you guys, but you are forgetting 1 thing. IT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY!

Tank,

My issue is not with Disney being private property. My issue is with the lack of trust I and other responsible gun owners are being shown. Like I stated in my previous post, if I were an on duty Orlando city police officer or Orange and Osceola county deputy or a FHP trooper coming into the park on a call, the doors would be wide open for me. If I were ANY kind of on duty LEO they would not have the first problem with me coming through those doors with a gun on my hip, yet the moment that uniform comes off, and the badge goes back into my wallet, I am suddenly untrustworthy? Based on what facts? How has who I am or how responsible I am changed by virtue of the clothes I am currently wearing?

Or let’s lose the “off duty” LEO angle and go completely by a responsible gun owner, legally carrying a concealed weapon. What exactly have I or anyone else who is a responsible, law abiding gun owner ever done to make Disney feel we are not the same trustworthy, law abiding people we were outside their park? That is the issue I take offense with. I am treated with suspicion and regarded as a threat because I walk up to the gate or to the park guards and quietly inform them that I am either off duty or a legally licensed concealed pistol holder, and had the courtesy to tell them I was coming in armed. So I am the bad guy now, yet who knows how many other people who may be less than honest or who are outright criminals/terrorists are walking into the park with God knows what in their bags and pockets? Do any of them have guns? Knives? Needles full of heroin or meth? Crack? A container of some sort of acid or volatile chemical? Or even an explosive of some sort? Is anyone checking the people coming in and out of the park for these kinds of threats? If not, then why are we being lied to about how “safe” the park is when in reality it is a major terrorist target, that is not being adequately screened and where we are forced to rely on unarmed guards, a lot of whom are older or retired folks, and who are not in the best shape of their lives to intervene and save lives in a situation that most likely will involve one or more people who are armed with some sort of weapon or destructive device and who has no qualms whatsoever about hurting me or anyone else? So, thanks to Disney’s narrow minded view of who can and can’t be trusted, and the state of denial they continue to operate in, my family and I get to be a sad statistic in the event something “unthinkable” does happen there if we choose to sacrifice our only means of protection simply to appease some corporate policy that claims I am safer inside their park without my gun than I am outside their park with it.

I could sit here all day long and give you “what if’ scenarios about the kinds of mayhem that can be rained down on a place like Disney by folks like the 9/11 terrorists, a pissed off ex husband of one of the employees bent on a murder-suicide incident, or a mentally ill person with a bottle of gasoline and a lighter. Something as simple as a truck bomb in the parking lot or a suicide bomber wearing a backpack full of explosives queued up with the other people waiting to get into the park would devastate Disney or any other public entertainment venue. Are most of these situations unlikely? Yes they are, in the same manner that I once thought the events of 9/11 were unlikely. However experience has taught all of us that “things like that can’t happen here” thinking is a very flawed way of looking at the world, and I choose not to put myself or my family at risk by patronizing places that see my exercise of my right to protect myself as some sort of sign I am somehow more dangerous than the people I am justifiably concerned may harm my family or someone else. And since I have the choice to not spend my money at places that treat me with that kind of suspicion, I do so. My family and I still have lots of other places we can visit to have fun times and some of these places are less critical of whether or not I am carrying a gun, if I even inform them of that fact to begin with.

Richard, as always thanks for allowing us to come here and respectfully debate these issues. Woof woof!

Richard and Collagecop WA,

First let me thank you both for allowing me to join in on your conversation.

I will tell you from experience, that Disney has had its share of incidents. Even in the short (5 years) I worked there. I know of a mentally ill man killing himself in the Boardwalk. I know of a jealous ex-boyfriend shooting at his ex-girlfriend at the entrance to EPCOT. I remember an OFF DUTY cop from southern Florida losing a 22 caliber gun from the holster and an A/D occurred, hitting someone in the foot in EPCOT. Just so he could get a better view of Illuminations. The story that always killed me was, a housekeeper found a loaded gun in a guest’s safe in their room. A security manager had the Sheriffs Office (S.O.) called and ensured the S.O. secured it. My question was never, “why does someone have a gun secured in the safe”. It was what is the housekeeper doing looking in the safe. The housekeeper was commended, not remanded.

Every time I enter the parks, I feel violated, due to me having to leave my weapon in the truck. I work the county that Disney World is in, but when off duty, I cannot carry within those 46 miles of property, called Disney World. Disney spent a lot of money lobbying the County and Sheriffs office to make the new patrol area. This has made more deputies visible, but again, Disney does not want to have their presence known to make a “Guest” fell uncomfortable.

I truly believe that Disney does not care. They, just like every other Corporate America Company, want to set guidelines to allow them to place liability on someone other than themselves, in case of a lawsuit. When negotiations were being conducted with the Sheriffs office to make the new patrol sector (sector 6), Disney was not worried about the response times, the amount of coverage that will be allotted to them. They wanted the Sheriff to ensure that every deputy assigned to sector 6, will have a new patrol car, or at least no older than 2 years. That shows me the guidelines were set to put the liability factor on- “Well the Orange County Sheriffs Office patrols WDW. Ask them why this occurred”.
From a legal aspect, again it is private property. They tell you that if you do not like it, do not visit Disney World. With that being said, we can not win that battle.

First off - their property, their rules. If you don’t like it, don’t go. If you care, tell them why. LEOs should point out that lunatics bent on killing people seek out places like this, VA Tech being a prime example. You don’t hear of shootings at gun stores, do you?

So we have three camps as I see it:

The “cop vs civilian” mentality, like Sean at the top. I guess there was a failure in civics education there - last time I looked, cops were civilians too, no matter how tacticool you dress. I can throw stats at you all day long about how CHP holders are just as vetted as police, have the lowest documented felony commission rate of any segment of the population (where, interestingly, LEOs as a group are not tracked), and how most police don’t seem to do so well at the action shooting sports (I understand, most have more important things to learn/do). Some would go so far as to say the bill of rights does not apply to non-citizens, and you’re off into very, very odious terrain.

The “don’t carry, ever” people, who, whether LEOs themselves or not, because “someone could get hurt” or some similar argument. As stated by others, when there is some lunatic shooting, it’s anyone’s luck as to who will get hit and who won’t. If you and your family can run faster than everyone else, I’d say you have a point, but otherwise, you’re denying yourself the _option_ <— yes, option of self-defense.

Then we have the carry everywhere people, who I think have a point. None I know advocate _everyone_ carry. As a non-LEO, I certainly understand that even in an active shooter scenario where I get the drop on the bad guy the two most likely outcomes are a) get sued by some of the survivors and b) get shot by the police, and my estate gets sued by the survivors. Nobody will care once it’s over, and most will be thankless. If you care that much about carrying, don’t go. Count me in this camp.

Did I miss anyone?

Was anyone’s mind changed?

Only on duty law enforcement officers are permitted to carry a weapon while visiting any Disney park or resort. Some of the Feds get a little testy but they always comply, usually after a brief explanation or, when they call the local office and speak with the commanding officer.

Trust me, we have it under control. Disney security and the local law enforcement are on site and we got it. Feel safe, enjoy the park and check your weapon at the local security office.

Disney Security.

I would like to thank you Richard for letting me express my felings I could talk for ever but it would’nt make a difference I agree 100% with Tank thank you Tank for stating a lot of things that were on my mind but you covered a lot thanks again.I would like to also apologize to those good officers here in florida its just that the ones I have encountered and talked to or have shared a conversation with I wouldn’t trust my dog with them plain old dumb and no understanding of what real law enforcement work is.Or safety really is. Thanks again.

Steven - Excellent points that reflect my observations and thoughts as well.

A FBI agent turned lawyer…what’s the world coming to? Of course, I married an attorney, so I guess I can’t talk!

–Richard

I have just returned from Disney this week. This is my 8 th trip to the Disney porperty since 1980 when I entered into law enforcement. I took my gun with me. After 8 trips to the Magic Kingdom I never got caught with my gun. That is the main reason you call it concealed weapon. You do not let anyone see the weapon, find the weapon or detect the weapon. If you connot conceal the weapon you should not be allowed to carry a weapon. For the subjects that feel you must of display a weapon maybe you should leave yours home. The rest of us that know how to carry a firearm will never have a problem. Grow up and learn what concealed carry means…

Guys, Disney is a great place. It is a lot of fun to go there. I respect their rights as property owners to dictate what happens in their parks. Having said that, just do like I do. IGNORE it. I’ve been a cop almost 20 years, I don’t give a crap what Disney’s policy is. I have been to Disney 4 times in the past 10 years. I packed every time and will continue to pack until I’m caught. I really believe they don’t care if you carry or not they just can’t say that. If they were really concerned about firearms in the park their security would be a little tighter. It is far easier to get forgiveness than permission. Don’t ask Don’t tell. Worst case scenario is that you are discovered and asked to lock it up. Just play dumb. You are not in violation of any law so why worry about it?