Can you use phones/ tablets while waiting for immigration at MCO?

[Whoppery5k]

Originally Posted by cartoonp

True tale we where coming off the flight a few years ago and this bloke said I give a @#£& what they say I making my calls when we got to the imagination hall he was still on his phone he was told to turn it off he said why don’t you F off while I doing my call all hell broke lose he was taken away with him still swearing I don’t know what happened as we just went though imagination.

See more...

Would love to have seen that... I would have pointed and laughed

[Kraken]

There are signs aplenty in the walk to immigration at MCO & in the immigration hall itself saying No phones / No photography. If you are seen using one, expect a stern reminder from the airport staff. If an actual immigration officer sees you using one near the front of the line & you happen to get allocated to their booth for processing - not a good idea! The airport staff who manage the queue can just tell you off & possibly report you to the authorities. The CBP immigration officers are the authorities and can make your day get a whole lot worse with ease.

Yes there are toilets in the immigration hall & I am pretty sure there will also be water fountains (as the two seem to be provided together in most places in the USA). You can duck out of the queue and try to rejoin - but always best to leave one member of your party in the queue so it's obvious you're not queue-jumping, rather answering a call of nature.

No idea what the rules are on using games consoles in the immigration queue. In theory as long as it has no camera function you should be OK. Any transmitting on a games console will be via wifi / bluetooth. There is no wifi in the immigration hall.

Some airports - Chicago T5 is one - actively block / jam mobile signals in the immigration & customs area. I just keep my mobile in flight-safe mode and out of sight in my pocket or bag until I am clear of customs at MCO. Normally turn it back to normal mode in the train station / on the train to the main terminal.

[toonarmani]

I pointed out the sign to a UK family when they were taking selfies in the queue last week (tried to be helpful). Bloke told me to **** off and mind my own business and they were promptly removed from the queue by local staff (not sure what happened to them but they were very rude to staff as well).

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by toonarmani

I pointed out the sign to a UK family when they were taking selfies in the queue last week (tried to be helpful). Bloke told me to **** off and mind my own business and they were promptly removed from the queue by local staff (not sure what happened to them but they were very rude to staff as well).

See more...

Two words - complete idiots!

Hope they at least got a nice grilling in secondary screening. It matters not what we think of the rules - when abroad you play by the rules of the country in question or face the consequences.

[Endeavour]

Even once through immigration, there's also no phone usage whilst waiting at baggage carousels.

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by Endeavour

Even once through immigration, there's also no phone usage whilst waiting at baggage carousels.

See more...

That is the Customs area, where you are still subject to inspection by a Customs officer, so no filming / phones allowed.

If you use the second bag re-check to the main terminal, you can use your phone at the second baggage claim in the main terminal.

[Moz]

I seen an female officer go absolutely crazy at a party of US schoolkids whilst waiting in line at Philly airport...she threatened to take the whole party away if she seen another phone

There are plenty signs - a ticker tape type banner stating no phones also... as well as the officers yelling to everyone entering the area that they cant be used
No sympathy for anyone escorted away

[sky13]

Unfortunately no phones and they will keep reminding you over the speaker system!

The first time I went through MCO immigration/customs I didn't know about this, so was incredibly bored waiting in line with nothing to read/do/etc.

Subsequently I started buying a magazine at the airport on my way out or making sure to bring a book, just so that I would have something to read while waiting in line at MCO immigration/customs!

[g1970]

We seen them kick off at a girl in the queue who had her phone out (and was quite obviously taking selfies).

She was trying to tell them it was off and she was using it as a mirror

[Sandra & co]

Definitely a big fat No, we thought we were done and went through Orlando airport with our bags and a officer shouted at ds with his phone. Apparently there was another area we had to put our bags through! We flew into Tampa twice before and never had this!