Got a message from Monica, a friend of the blog, yesterday about a strange encounter she had traveling home from Walt Disney World via Orlando International Airport (MCO). Monica’s story should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone else who attempts to bring one certain piece of merchandise from the 2018 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival home with them.
On her Disney World vacation Monica visited EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival where she purchased a couple souvenirs including a commemorative 2018 cheese board in the shape of a wine bottle. At the end of her trip she packed it in her carry-on and left for the saddest ride of any vacation – the trip back to the airport.
When Monica sent her bags through TSA security bag check, her bag was flagged and TSA told her she couldn’t bring the cheese board on the plane. It was deemed a ‘weapon.’ Monica had to exit the security line, find a shipping service and mail it to herself via UPS or the Postal Service. A big headache.
We already knew you can’t bring snow globes on a plane, since they’re a) filled with water and b) can be broken and the glass used as a weapon. Now we can add to that cheese boards in the shape of a wine bottle. I guess TSA thinks it could be used as a paddle?
Were there any other Disney souvenirs you tried to bring through TSA that you were prevented from bringing onto a plane?
Not really. Well, not yet, anyway.
I remember after my family’s first trip to WDW back in… 2008? I think?, my Mom had bought some color-changing Buzz Lightyear hot chocolate mix or something to that effect for a friend back home and put it in her carry on. I think they had to test a bit of it or something to make sure it was what it said on the container, but we were able to bring it along!
Nail clippers with one inch nail file attached. They broke off the nail file.
My “Gunpowder” green tea I bought in the China pavilion was gone over with an explosives swab an examined carefully before I was allowed to carry it in board.
But a laptop can’t be used as a weapon? What am I missing here???
I came back from Jamaica (sorry not Disney) with a three-pac of full size rum bottles with no problems. That was 1997 though, and a LOT has changed.
Yes!!! Careful if you buy the large circle of crayons that are shaped like characters. The TSA sometimes perceived them as knives!
TSA overreacted with the board. I feel that they carry things too far deeming what can be used as a weapon on a flight. I retired from SFIA in 2007 and saw several cases of ridiculous banned items. TSA needs to reevaluate their banned items list.
My son collected the cast iron mini monorail sets Disney still produces and sells. Those buggers always gave TSA a headache as they can’t scan through the toy. One TSA lady took it upon herself to destroy the toy to ensure it was safe. This was the same lady who smacked me for trying to pick up my son’s stuffed rabbit from the filthy that she knocked off the belt. Most TSA agents are wonderful, but there are a few rotten apples. Sounds like this cutting board incident involved one of the crab apples.
I just recently left Orlando airport, and was flagged for a Ron Jons Surfboard wall sign for a gift for my son, they said someone could use it as a weapon to hit someone with. They escorted me out the tsa security line and suggested that I try to return it to the store or have them ship it. Well, if I spent another $30, to put it over $50, they would ship it. The big issue I have is that we asked them before we bought it, if it would go through security, they said yes. I am very upset that, why don’t they ban cell phone charger cords, people can wrap them around a neck and strangle someone! Come on! I had to return this to a gift shop at the airport. Everything could be used as a weapon if you think about it!!!! The honest positive people always has to pay the price for these idiots that ruin it for us!!!
My daughter was given a true size bowling pin at Splitsville for scoring over 50 when went for DVC night (we thought she was getting a pin – like the kind you collect all over Disney, LOL). I didn’t think anything of it until we were packing and was planning on putting it in carryon because it was heavy and might make our checked luggage over 50 lbs. Good thing I did a search on my phone – it is specifically listed as an item that must be in checked baggage and not carried on. :)
Back in 2009 at LAX, they wouldn’t let my son bring on his Disney lightsaber-like toy. It wasn’t a Star Wars saber, but it was plastic and NOT collapsable. They let me bend it in half and stick it in the carry-on bag! It was never quite the same when we got home. LOL.
TSA would not let us bring a snow globe on the plane which we had just purchased at Disney World. We went there after our wedding and I bought my wife the Mickey and Minnie wedding snow globe. TSA told us that some snow globes are filled with kerosine so they don’t let any of them on planes. Kerosine?!! Who does that? We had to get our checked bag back and put it in there. We were hand carrying it for fear of it being damaged. Fortunately we had a checked bag to put it in.
Better than a cheeseboard, I brought home my kid from Disney on Thursday. TSA swabbed his hands for explosive chemicals. Seriously… smh
The Disney “Earport ” Store at MCO Orlando International Airport will ship any purchase from Disney for the price of shipping .
Having lived in Louisville KY for many years the Louisville airport has a case of souvenir baseball bats from the Louisville slugger museum all confiscated. The museum even tells visitors the bats cannot be carried on and still TSA collects hundreds at the airport. All because a twelve inch round piece of wood could be used as a weapon.
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