ANAHEIM – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on Thursday began requiring some guests to go through metal detectors before entering the theme parks and now ban the possession and sale of toy guns.

Handlers with dogs trained to sniff out explosives and other things will now roam just outside the parks. Visitors ages 14 and older will not be allowed to wear masks or costume into the park, either.

Disney announced the changes just before guests started arriving Thursday morning. A Disneyland official said the new security measures are not in response to any threat, but they come in the wake of the San Bernardino massacre on Dec. 2 that left 14 dead and other terrorism tragedies and threats.

Disney has now joined a groundswell of entertainment or sporting venues that openly deploy detectors, wands, dogs or other visible means of protection.

“We continually review our comprehensive approach to security and are implementing additional security measures, as appropriate,” said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland spokeswoman.

After guests walk past Disney employees who have long searched bags and purses, some are selected to go through the metal detectors. As to who is picked, Disney would only say it is random.

If selected, the security official asks that person to step out of the line, and empty any metal objects from their pockets before walking through the detector.

About 16 metal detectors are stationed around the esplanade; there’s also a couple in front of the monorail station at Downtown Disney, and even another for the AMC Theaters.

As of Thursday afternoon, no arrests had been made at the metal detectors, Anaheim police said.

Inside Disneyland, toy guns that once filled stores – such as the plastic guns that blow out bubbles, “Star Wars” blasters, and the Buzz Lightyear astro blaster toy that lights up and makes sounds – have been removed.

The Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition, a shooting arcade, and attractions that use fake guns as props won’t change.

Brown, the Disney spokeswoman, said the company decided to discontinue the sale of toy guns to lessen any confusion for employees and security officials.

“I am surprised it wasn’t done sooner,” said Roland Abalos Jr., 48, an annual passholder from Burbank, about the enhanced security.

“As a Disney fan, I don’t have a problem with Disney trying to promote a safe environment,” he said. “I just hope they do it fairly and not via some ‘random’ process because that will lead to claims of [racial] profiling.”

Steve Tabata, 38, of Carlsbad, said getting into a Disney park may take longer, but “it’s better safe than sorry. … It’s a great move on their part. Finally, some decent screening.”

Rob Stelmar, a member of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars cosplay group, said he’s disappointed by Disneyland’s decision to not allow adults to wear costumes.

Stelmar and others have dressed up as Storm Troopers at Disneyland. Disney’s old policy allowed him and his Storm Trooper friends to dress up so long as they removed their helmets in the park; they could take photos with their helmets on.

“I’m disappointed, but I understand,” the Brea resident said.

Security at Walt Disney World in Florida was similarly beefed up Thursday, and Brown said Disney’s parks in other countries will boost it as appropriate.

In recent months, heightened security has been noticeable around the Disneyland Resort. Uniformed Anaheim police, Disney security officers, and bomb-sniffing dogs could be seen near the parks’ entrance. Thursday was the first time Disney publicly acknowledged the dogs.

“It’s not a world where we want to live in, but that is our world now,” said Charles Segars, a safety and security expert and partner at Opsec Alliance, a Los Angeles-based global security firm. “For the safety of the families coming in for the entertainment experience, this is required.”

The two Anaheim theme parks attract a combined 25 million visitors annually. They are now taking the same level of precautions that many sports stadiums, airports and other theme parks adopted years ago.

At Knott’s Berry Farm, guests have their bags checked and sometimes walk through a metal detector or by a security officer deploying a metal-detecting wand.

At Six Flags Magic Mountain, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the park has worked closely “with local law enforcement officials and utilize metal detectors, bag checks, off-duty officers, and other layers of seen and unseen security to help ensure a safe environment,” said spokeswoman Sue Carpenter.

Disney’s announcement comes as Sea World and Universal Studios Hollywood also said they would enhance security measures. On Tuesday, Universal began testing the use of metal detectors on non-special-event days.

“We’ve long used metal detection for special events, such as Halloween Horror Nights,” said Audrey Eig, a Universal spokeswoman, in a statement. “This test is a natural progression for us as we study best practices for security in today’s world.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3764 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney