digging up an old thread here, but recently this happened to me and it ruined my day or "vacationing".
I just got back from a 6 day trip to Disneyland, coming from Oregon. 5 of those days were spent at the park. Each day we would take a few hour break back at the hotel and come back to the park. So that means i am going through these "security" check points at least twice a day. The first 4 days, and at least 9 trips through the security all they did was check the big compartment of my backpack and send me through. The last day i threw my bag on the table as usual and she waved me through and as i stepped away from the table she noticed my knife clipped inside my pocket, a Benchmade 551. Said i had to give it to her and she would throw it away (a.k.a sell it and make more money off me) or i could walk back to my hotel and leave it there. The hotel was getting to be annoying to walk to, so i walked outside the main gate and slipped it into my pants. As i started to walk back in i noticed an overweight undercover "security" guard talk into a wire coming from his shirt to his neck... so i went to the nearest hotel (across the street), waited in there for a few minutes, and came out. Moral of the story - Disneyland security is a joke. I carried and openly wielded my benchmade the previous 4 days in the parks to cut off tags, open food items, slicing fruit, cutting hangnails, and the thousand other uses my knife performs daily and was never spotted. 3 of the days i carried in a bottle of rum and it went unnoticed as i mixed them into the beverages i bought there. They also don't check baby strollers or wheelchairs. I didn't feel unsafe in Disneyland and never have the multiple times i have been there, and that's because it's Disneyland and the people going there aren't malicious. There could be zero security and i would feel just as safe. It's the fake sense of security they provide that upsets me.
The other times i have been unarmed of my knife i did so without an argument, because the reasoning was just, and the security was fair and understanding.
Two different times at clubs/bars in downtown Portland. Both of which told me i cannot carry a knife inside, but that it would be tagged and i could pick it up on the way out. Made sense; lots of people, everyone is drinking, close quarters, shit happens downtown and honestly it made me feel safer knowing the security was so tight that they could see a tiny black clip in my pocket before i even got to the entrance.
And another time at the Stratosphere in Vegas. Same scenario, no hassles, just holding it until i leave.
If Disney just had a return tag system. Or hell, even padded envelopes and stamps right there. Sell the envelopes for $10. Disneyland goers pay $7 for a corndog, why not ten dollars to return your knife safely to your home - i would have, just to save time and a headache.
I will never stop carrying a knife. Growing up, i was taught by my mother that a man should always be able to produce two things on command - Tools and Time. The number of times per day i help someone by glancing at my watch or by providing a knife is uncountable and invaluable.
