Why can't TSA look at passenger loads, or be advised of them by the airlines, and then plan their staffing and line configurations accordingly?

Maybe because they are incompetent? Or because everything is run for the benefit of the union and not the airlines/passengers.

One or the other most likely.

Because that would be too logical of a solution. ;)

At MCO the problem I think is more just the large amount of passengers, and the type of passengers (tourists, older individuals, and families, lots of kids etc.) that take a longer time to get through security. Compared to other airports around the nation, I think the staffing at MCO seems to be OK...I have never thought they need more staff, and at times it actually seems as if there are a lot of TSA agents walking around but they don't seem to be doing much (at least that's how it comes across).

The lines are just confusing and disorganized...they used to have TSA PreCheck lanes at the very end of Airside 4 (or very start depending on how you look at it) and that made it seem like a very short wait for PreCheck pax...very short walk up to the scanners/xray. As of the last few months they moved the PreCheck lanes right to the middle and combined Airside 2 with Airside 4 PreCheck...if I'm not mistaken, what happens is that it all converges into the same line...previously it was separate - Airside 2 had their own PreCheck line as did Airside 4. If I'm incorrect on that, my apologies in advance (it just seems as if the waits at PreCheck have gotten considerably worse in recent weeks)...but the setup at MCO for security is terribly inefficient and makes you wonder if a kid going to Disney organized it.

Our other airport in town is replacing TSA with a private company and hopefully that will be better. Orlando International has been looking into doing the same.

That would be the ideal thing to do but.....

... and it is a government agency. Need we add more?

You are correct about the way it used to be. It was amazingly efficient but TSA mgmt added a wrinkle that made the old setup impossible. They were pulling many people out of the regular lines and moving them to PC. Well, these pax didn’t have a clue what to do so what was very fast turned into a nightmare line and there was no way to get around these people.

Moving the PC line toward the middle means there is a larger gap between the TSO and the x-rays, making it possible to (sometimes) slowly get around the newbies. That said, the PC lines are still often very long because MCO TSA apparently didn’t get the memo to stop sending so many kettles to the PC lane.

Another thing to consider about MCO is the poor layout of the security checkpoints which were designed before 9/11 and stricter security standards. That coupled with the large number of families with small children is a recipe for disaster. IMO, they should redo security so that people go through it right after checking in. Move most concessions airside, and perhaps make a small area so people can get to the Hyatt or walk from A to B without having to go through security.

Of course, the TSA being constantly understaffed won't help things no matter what they do. The PreCheck randomizer makes things even worse for those who actually deserve PreCheck. While one of the main advantages of MCO for me was PreCheck, that advantage has gradually gone away. Security at DAB is much quicker, not to mention DAB has PreCheck (lite). Because of this, DAB has become my preferred airport, even if means connecting in ATL over taking a nonstop.

Agree with you about DAB. Plus parking is astonishingly close. Only problem is airfares are almost always significantly higher than MCO. This holds true for TPA and JAX, too, and of course, GNV ... all of which I check for most flights.

I have a Monday morning flight at 7am to LGA on Nov. 3rd. a weekend after halloween weedend, how early should I be at the airport? thanks!

My target arrival time at MCO, my home airport, is 45 minutes before scheduled departure. Of course Pre Check plays a big part and I typically have an employee drop me curbside.
Some tips - the slowest traffic days for MCO are Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, pretty much in that order. In the afternoons, say 11:00am to 4:00pm, the place can be a ghost town. Mornings are always busy, families and international travelers account for that surge. So, I work hard to schedule Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday travel in and out of town. I don't like early morning travel from home so I very rarely arrive at MCO before lunch time.

A tip given above is helpful as well - traffic comes in to the A side, north (Southwest is primary here) and Delta is the first slot on the south, backside, B side. You can save yourself 10 minutes by jumping out at SWA and walking 40 yards into the atrium where the TSA screening awaits (this avoids traffic and driving around the entire complex to approach from the south side - the closest way is a straight line, right?). Coming in from the northside the entire screening operation is to your left, with PreCheck exactly in the middle. Also, the travelers do not have to use the TSA lines closest to their departure gates, just know your gate number and watch for the proper tram. The TSA lines at both the A end and the B end both release people to the area where you chose a train, again, watching for the one that goes to your numbered gate.

Finally, all bets are off in the Summer and for special holidays. Things are pretty slow now, Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Years will have us slammed, quiet then until Easter and Spring Break, - deep breath - then Summer will slam us with the once a year travelers.i

Within MSP Delta sends out charts of hourly ticketing pax figures covering five days at a time. The other airlines don't seem to do this, but since DL is so dominant at MSP their figures are the most significant. TSA at MSP does vary their staffing and line configurations over the course of the day. For example, the PreCheck line at checkpoint 6 is open only during the busiest times.