Go figure!

With that said, I did a search on the Disney web-site for weapon policies and here is what I found. It clearly says ” weapons of any kind”, may not enter the parks.

Q- Are there any personal items I should not bring with me into the theme parks?

Items that you may not bring into the theme parks include but are not limited to:
•Items with wheels, such as:
•Wagons
•Skateboards
•Scooters
•Inline skates
•Shoes with built-in wheels
•Strollers larger than 36″ x 52″ (92 x 132 cm)
•Suitcases, coolers or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24″ (61 cm) long x 15″ (38 cm) wide x 18″ (46 cm) high. (Coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations.)
•Any trailer-like object that is pushed or towed by an ECV wheelchair or stroller
•Alcoholic beverages
•Weapons of any kind
•Folding chairs
•Glass containers (excluding baby food jars and perfume bottles)
•Pets (unless they are service animals)

It’s not a matter of law, it’s a matter of private policy. Disney makes it a point to avoid big productions with those things. It’s not good for PR. They obviously can’t expect your awareness in the absence of a sign. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t enforce it. It’s probably printed somewhere in their literature. Now they can’t assume that everyone has read it. But whether or not you’ve seen it, they can make any policies they wish. We don’t have a sign on our property that says “no tresspassing.” If I’ve made contact with someone however and told them not to return, the sign becomes unnecessary.

At least in theory, their security should have caught it before you entered the park. The only way to ensure that is to conduct a search like an inmate at the local jail. They obviously can’t do that. Well, they could for a day. The next day though, they’d be protested and shut down.

Even law enforcement doesn’t have as many rights as some think. Weapons on personal time and private organizations don’t always mix. A lot of the confusion is two fold. First of all, an officer with a full commission is technically on duty 24/7. There is therefore an implied duty to act. The other issue, is that many departments have policies requiring the carrying of off duty weapons. With that comes the assumption that they’re exempt from those things. What many officers don’t consider, is that it’s a departmental policy, not a law. It has nothing to do with any private organization. In spite of a duty to act, they still need to exercise discretion when not armed. If they feel strongly about it, they have the option of avoiding that organization. It’s really that simple.

The same applies to concealed carry permits. Part of that permit by the way, usually requires a familiarizaton with those things. They’ll usually tell you that a private organization can restrict your access. That’s true with or without a permit.

They don’t have to post a sign to enforce it. A concealed permit doesn’t make you an entity that supercedes their rights. If they catch you with it and tell you to disarm, that’s all that is required. Again, it’s not a matter of law. You’re not violating a the law if you have a permit and are abiding by the state requirements. It’s just that Disney has every right to restrict it on their property. At that point, it’s up to you to decide if you wish to visit anyway. If you choose to challenge them, the law is on their side at that point.

Robert

I wish I had a nickel for every time a staff member went off because a police officer was armed in our facility on official business. I’ve told them many times that an officer has every right to be armed in the course of their duties. I’ve even gone so far as to recommend the arrest of staff members who obstruct official business in their attempt to disarm them or deny access.

That said, I’ve also had to argue many times with officers who are armed while on personal business. Some will defend the FALSE belief to the very end that they have the right to do so. The reality however, is that any private organization has every right to not only request, but demand that law enforcement disarm on their property if not on official business.