So me and my family will be flying to Florida in December to visit Disney World, and I want to take a handgun, but I have some issues. I will try to keep this brief (unlikely).
This will be my first time flying ever (I think I'm looking forward to that more than Disney lol).
We will be there for almost a week, only visiting the different Disney parks, and staying at one of the Disney owned resorts/hotels.
I'd like to take a handgun with me to florida. I understand that my Indiana LTCH is honored in Florida, although I must conceal at all times in Florida.
I also understand that I can legally fly with my firearms, as long as I declare my firearm(s) in checked baggage, and I keep them unloaded, in a hardsided secure/lockable container (no plano boxes :-) ), with locks that only I have the key/combo to.
Both the Indianapolis airport, as well as the Orlando Florida airport, defer to TSA regulations regarding flying with firearms, so no issues there.
We will be flying there with Southwest Airlines, and should be returning with them as well (although those tickets aren't bought yet). They are personally fine with traveling with firearms, following TSA regulations of course. So no issues there.
I realize that it will be nigh impossible to carry inside Disney World itself. I never planned to, and see no real pressing need to. It's my understanding that they now have metal detectors at the entrances, and that they no longer offer secure storage of firearms at the park entrance.
I mainly wanted my handgun with me at the hotel, for short excursions outside, and so that I'd have something better than a sharp stick if all hell were to break loose while me and my family are so far from home (such as a North Korea attack, among other, however remote, possibilities).
So I think I have all of my boxes check-marked. But there's just a couple gray areas that I could use clarification on from those more experienced than I.
First off, we are staying at one of the Disney owned resorts/hotels, I don't remember precisely which one.
I'm assuming they don't have metal detectors or vigorously check for firearms as guests stroll in. If I'm wrong, please chime in and let me know. It's my understanding that "no Firearms" signs in Florida do not have the weight of law, but at the same time, I do not want to be booted out, or somehow mess up my family's vacation experience. We can't afford to take vacations often, so this isn't something I want to risk messing up.
Secondly, my family has elected to take advantage of Disney's "Magic Express" service. This service essentially puts you on a motorcoach at Orlando airport that will drive you directly to your Disney resort/hotel, while your luggage from your flight will be picked up separately by staff and delivered straight to your room for you.
My plan is to have my declared firearm in a hardsided locked case, and have that case inside one of our checked luggage bags. That way it's not obvious to anyone that there is a firearm inside.
Since we will not be picking up our luggage ourselves, I am concerned if this will conflict with any laws (Florida or TSA), or company policies or employee behavior, with regard to my checked firearm.
Because I've never been flying before, I don't know the details of their processes. I don't know if my checked bag with its declared firearm will, for example, have an identifying tag attached to it, showing to staff that it has a firearm inside.
I don't know if Disneys Magic Express staff will have any way of finding out, either purposefully or accidentally, that there is a gun in my bag, and then getting in a huff about it.
If we weren't using that service, I'd feel pretty confident in understanding everything well enough that I wouldn't encounter any issues.
I tried doing several google searches about it, but failed to read anything pertinent.
Does anyone here have experience flying to disney/florida with a firearm, especially when using their Magic Express service?
Thank you all for your patience in reading this long post.
This will be my first time flying ever (I think I'm looking forward to that more than Disney lol).
We will be there for almost a week, only visiting the different Disney parks, and staying at one of the Disney owned resorts/hotels.
I'd like to take a handgun with me to florida. I understand that my Indiana LTCH is honored in Florida, although I must conceal at all times in Florida.
I also understand that I can legally fly with my firearms, as long as I declare my firearm(s) in checked baggage, and I keep them unloaded, in a hardsided secure/lockable container (no plano boxes :-) ), with locks that only I have the key/combo to.
Both the Indianapolis airport, as well as the Orlando Florida airport, defer to TSA regulations regarding flying with firearms, so no issues there.
We will be flying there with Southwest Airlines, and should be returning with them as well (although those tickets aren't bought yet). They are personally fine with traveling with firearms, following TSA regulations of course. So no issues there.
I realize that it will be nigh impossible to carry inside Disney World itself. I never planned to, and see no real pressing need to. It's my understanding that they now have metal detectors at the entrances, and that they no longer offer secure storage of firearms at the park entrance.
I mainly wanted my handgun with me at the hotel, for short excursions outside, and so that I'd have something better than a sharp stick if all hell were to break loose while me and my family are so far from home (such as a North Korea attack, among other, however remote, possibilities).
So I think I have all of my boxes check-marked. But there's just a couple gray areas that I could use clarification on from those more experienced than I.
First off, we are staying at one of the Disney owned resorts/hotels, I don't remember precisely which one.
I'm assuming they don't have metal detectors or vigorously check for firearms as guests stroll in. If I'm wrong, please chime in and let me know. It's my understanding that "no Firearms" signs in Florida do not have the weight of law, but at the same time, I do not want to be booted out, or somehow mess up my family's vacation experience. We can't afford to take vacations often, so this isn't something I want to risk messing up.
Secondly, my family has elected to take advantage of Disney's "Magic Express" service. This service essentially puts you on a motorcoach at Orlando airport that will drive you directly to your Disney resort/hotel, while your luggage from your flight will be picked up separately by staff and delivered straight to your room for you.
My plan is to have my declared firearm in a hardsided locked case, and have that case inside one of our checked luggage bags. That way it's not obvious to anyone that there is a firearm inside.
Since we will not be picking up our luggage ourselves, I am concerned if this will conflict with any laws (Florida or TSA), or company policies or employee behavior, with regard to my checked firearm.
Because I've never been flying before, I don't know the details of their processes. I don't know if my checked bag with its declared firearm will, for example, have an identifying tag attached to it, showing to staff that it has a firearm inside.
I don't know if Disneys Magic Express staff will have any way of finding out, either purposefully or accidentally, that there is a gun in my bag, and then getting in a huff about it.
If we weren't using that service, I'd feel pretty confident in understanding everything well enough that I wouldn't encounter any issues.
I tried doing several google searches about it, but failed to read anything pertinent.
Does anyone here have experience flying to disney/florida with a firearm, especially when using their Magic Express service?
Thank you all for your patience in reading this long post.