TSA PreCheck Is Not Always the Airport Hack You Think It Is

If you fly to Disney World — or anywhere else — often, you’ve probably grown increasingly agitated by long lines at the TSA security checkpoints at the airport.

There is a way to bypass those lines (although that’s not 100% guaranteed), though. It’s called TSA PreCheck, and many folks swear by it. However, before you decide to put your hard-earned dollars down for PreCheck, we want to warn you about some things first.

TSA PreCheck is a government-sponsored program where you can pay to go through an extensive background check and interview that will allow you to bypass the regular TSA security lines at the airport for what might be a shorter TSA PreCheck line. In the PreCheck line, you do not have to pull out your little bag of liquids or electronics, and you don’t have to take off your shoes.

That might sound great, but TSA PreCheck does cost money, so it might not be as useful as it seems. Here’s why.

Smaller airports may not use it

If you fly into and out of smaller airports, you may not even find a TSA PreCheck line available. That’s because security is generally pretty quick at these airports, so it’s just not really needed.

If most of your flights are into or out of small airports, TSA PreCheck might not be worth the additional money.

The lines can still be long

TSA PreCheck doesn’t guarantee a shorter line. All it guarantees is access to the special TSA PreCheck line at the airport and being free of having to take things out of your bags and take your shoes off.

The program is not limited, so now that a lot of people have signed up for the program, you might find the PreCheck line as long — if not longer — than the regular security line.

It costs extra

TSA PreCheck is not a free program. In 2025, the program costs $78. If you’re traveling with your family, that cost could add up.

However, some travel rewards credit cards will reimburse you the cost of TSA PreCheck, so if you can get it for free that way, it could still be worth it.

If you don’t travel often, it’s not worth it

Speaking of cost, that $78 is not worth it if you don’t travel often. If you’re only traveling once or twice a year, you’re not really going to get your money’s worth with the program.

However, if you fly often, whether for vacation or work, it could be a valuable thing to have. But if you’re thinking of getting it just to travel to Disney World once a year, you just don’t really need it.

You might still get chosen for additional screening

The TSA often chooses people at random for additional screening. TSA PreCheck will not protect you from being chosen. So you may still get pulled aside at security for more screening (taking up your valuable time) even if you have PreCheck.

It’s really a luck of the draw when it comes to additional screening, but you need to know that paying for PreCheck won’t exempt you from that.

Before you decide to spend money on TSA PreCheck, you’ll need to look at the pros and cons and decide if it’s right for you. In the end, it might not be. However, if you’re flying out of Orlando International Airport, the free MCO Reserve program can still get you access to a shorter security line. This service allows you to sign up ahead of time for a specified time to go through security via a shorter line.