Hiya Sandra,
Welcome back to planDisney. Oh boy! You are only a few weeks away from
The World's Most Magical Celebration! I hope you have planned time to enjoy the
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival! It is my son's absolute favorite thing to do at
Walt Disney World Resort. You and your taste buds can nibble and sip around World Showcase Lagoon, purchasing amazing culinary treats from six continents. Come hungry as you just may want to try them all!
Great idea regarding the backpack. The good news is with all the new
security measures in place, most Guests are able to simply walk through the designated security area and would not need to stop and have the bag opened. The Resort Security Officers will let you know if they need to take a closer look at the contents of your (or your mom's) bag, otherwise you all would be able to continue through security and head to the park gates. In the event further review is needed, they do ask for you to place the bag on the counter for their ease and safety, so zip ties could cause a problem in these instances.
I have a few suggestions though. One is to attach the bag using zip ties however keep a small reusable or plastic bag with you for entrance. Place your items in the additional bag to carry through security and that way if they need to be checked further, you could place that bag on the counter for the Guard to examine. Once through security, simply place everything back in the backpack including the reusable bag (find one that folds up nice and flat). My other suggestions is to use large velcro strips instead of zip ties. You should be able to find fairly large and sturdy styles at a local hardware store. We use them to attach gym bags to hooks or organize large extension cords to hang on the garage wall so I know they hold a decent amount of weight and are very handy. By using velcro, you could attach the bag but then easily remove it if needed at security and simply re-attach.
I hope this helps you all keep rolling right along during your visit. If I can help with any additional questions, please stop back and
see me.
T-T-F-N (Ta-Ta for now),
Margaret