Continuing the discussion from Packing threads, Part III: What don't you pack anymore?:
Is bag check so bad that I really need to avoid it? We will be RD most mornings also most mornings we will be RD EMH. Will bag check be a huge issue?
Edit: our CL are predicted to be 6.
It wasn’t that bad when I did it. RD at MK was the worst, and it was maybe 5-10 minutes in line. Plan it into your schedule and you’ll be fine. If you are taking buses, you’ll want to plan to leave a little early anyway since you never know when they’ll actually show up.
But do make sure your bag is easy to inspect. Don’t have it stuffed full with lots of little pockets or they’ll want to pull everything out. If it is just one or 2 compartments loosely loaded, they’ll just reach in and move stuff around a little to see everything.
No, it moves very quickly. Epcot is usually the most thorough check/longest wait. But I don’t think I’ve ever waited more than 10 minutes and usually 5 or less.
I wasn’t thinking about Epcot. My last 2 trips I stayed near Boardwalk and came in through the IG, where the bag check line had as many checkers as guests when I came through 40 minutes before RD.
That is definitely not the case at the main entrance!
Its not too bad unless you are with me, I always pick the slowest line. They move quick but I would agree Epcot is the worst. Every time I get there either a parking lot tram or the monorail has just gotten out. Again this is probably just me. International Gateway is never a problem.
I never found bag check to be a big problem. We went in early May, so CL weren’t too bad. It did help to have bags without a million pockets. The easiest bag I had for check was a reusable grocery bag that we brought to make it easy to grab misc. stuff out of the stroller bottom (rain cover, water bottles, etc.)
We went in June with CL 7-8 and it wasn’t an issue at all.
It’s not that bad
It’s really not that bad. I was there this past weekend (Fri-Mon), with CLs in the 8-9s, and it was still fine. We RD’d MK, but showed up at the other three parks midday, so maybe it would’ve been much worse if we were getting there right at opening. But I like having a bag with me to put a hoodie in, plus my reusable water bottle, little wallet, and other small sundries.
Pro-tip (though maybe I should keep this one a secret…) for Epcot’s main entrance…
Go all the way to the left. That table is against a wall/fence so the checker is only working with one side of the table. The other tables the checker is alternating left and right.
This. I forgot about this, last time i went i got off the bus and saw the boat was just arriving. I hustled my family over to bag check real quick and beat them. Definitely try to beat the crowd if you see them arriving while you’re on the way.
I always carry a backpack. And I never find it to be too bad. DS and DH go through the no bag line, I have all the bags on the pocket open and generally sail through pretty easy. DH usually gets picked to go through the metal detectors, so he’s typically finishing around the same time I am. Epcot main entrance is the exception with long lines. I typically take an Lyft or Minnie Van and get dropped off at Beach Club when I go to Epcot so I can go through the International Gateway instead. (I will be very sad when the Skyliner opens and this trick is rendered pointless)
I have always taken a book bag. My pockets are very organized. I stopped letting DH take the bag through the check because he likes to strike up a conversation with the person and slow us down. I’m much less amiable in the mornings so now he takes his coffee cup through the bag-free line and it works out great. I’m not sure I could ever go without a bag. I’ve been on 7 trips this year alone and can’t leave it behind.
WOW 7 trips this year? You are my hero.
At Epcot, they also sometimes have a second bag check area open, sort of “behind” the normal one (if you come from the bus stops). Keep walking along the sidewalk to the left of bag check, and it will be immediately to your right on the other side of the monorail support. The only drawback is that you can’t tell whether it’s open when you come from the bust stops, unless you see people from the car park trams heading that direction. When it’s open we’ve found it to pretty much always be quicker.
Let’s be honest, most of those were weekend trips. We drive from NC, so we leave on Thursday night, finish driving Friday, 1/2 day in the park Friday, whole day Saturday, couple hours on Sunday and then drive all the way back.
Still awesome. 
Everyone already answered, but, I went during a CL 9/10 week in 2017 and bag check was never more than 10 minutes (MK) and usually more like 5.
DH got caught going through metal detectors a few while I was still waiting for bag check. 1st visit DD8 didn’t hear the CM tell DH he was being screened again and got caught up in the crowds coming through. Luckily a different security guard caught up to her beboppin away to our meetup spot we had pointed out earlier. After that DH made sure he went first so he could stop her if he got a 2nd screening.