REMINDER: Keep your stuff close

[sponica]

I have no doubt it happens. I guess luckily enough for us, we've never encountered this...either personally or saw someone talking to a CM about it.

We leave stuff in our stroller all the time, or our beach chairs at the water parks, but it's nothing of any value. If someone wants a few dollar store ponchos, sunscreen, or a peanut butter sandwich that badly, they can have it. The most "valuable" things we ever leave may be a small souvenir here or there.

Yeah, don't leave valuables...not just at WDW, but anywhere.

Yeah if they really want to steal my diaper bag with diapers and wipes, have at it....

 

[Erzengel]

My wife had her mickey ears and took them off during Mickey's PhilharMagic. She forgot them and it probably fell off her lap. We didn't even leave the gift shop and waited for the next show and they were gone. I even tried to scan everybody near the row we were sitting as they were getting up and leaving.

If I found something I'd bring it to Lost and Found.

 

[HopperFan]

I remember when this happened last year...
http://saintpetersblog.com/spring-hill-mother-uses-daughter-steal-stroller-disney-world/

Annual Pass is small investment for dishonest people to work such a lucrative place.

 

[holden]

When we used to leave stuff on our strollers I did it knowing full well it might not be there when we return. I never left anything valuable (such as cameras, souvenirs, etc.).

Now it's nice to go bagless!

 

[otten]

We leave stuff in our stroller. Not a lot of stuff and nothing valuable. If someone steals something from it they're getting a change of clothes and some water and snacks. We only use a small umbrella stroller so I'm also not especially concerned about it getting stolen. I am well aware of the risk and weigh that over the convenience of not having to bring that stuff on rides.

 

[otten]

Yeah if they really want to steal my diaper bag with diapers and wipes, have at it....

Not at Disney but a friend of mine once had her diaper bag stolen. All it contained was her wet bag (bag containing wet/dirty diapers). Bet that was a nice surprise for the thief!

 

[KenHutch]

That's why I believe in renting strollers and spending money on the insurance. And after watching in person that notorious gang of thieves (squirrels) near the Coral Sea Restaurant I don't let anyone leave food in the strollers.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

My wife had her mickey ears and took them off during Mickey's PhilharMagic. She forgot them and it probably fell off her lap. We didn't even leave the gift shop and waited for the next show and they were gone. I even tried to scan everybody near the row we were sitting as they were getting up and leaving.

If I found something I'd bring it to Lost and Found.

We had the opposite luck at philharmagic. On the way in my neice dropped cash. Luckily a mom picked it up and she had actually seen who dropped it so she approached my niece and said “I think this fell when you were getting something out of your bag”. So there are good people out there too. I like to try to focus on that side of it!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We never leave anything of value in our stroller. And yet, we’ve still had something stolen that we didn’t even realize was that valuable!

In May, our nice heavy duty rain cover for our double stroller was stolen during a downpour. We were in the Epcot Character Spot. I know it was attached to our stroller when we arrived because we had walked through a downpour and my kids and the seats were dry. We also specifically pulled it back over the stroller after we got the kids out so that the water wouldn’t drip onto their seats. There were many people hanging out in that covered walkway by the entrance to the character spot waiting out the rain. The cover could not have blown away in that location, plus it wrapped all the way around the stroller. It was gone when we returned to the stroller. We suspect someone waiting out the storm watched us go into the character spot and grabbed it, or someone parked nearby took it when they were leaving.

Moral of the story: Stroller rain covers are a hot commodity in a Disney rain storm!

 

[mydisneyanytime]

We have had two different situations. My mom left a bag with souveniers in it on the back of a bathroom stall. Realized it a little while later and went back and it was there. She also lost her wallet (yes, we have lost her a time or two as well and had to spend time looking for her - one time she was asleep on a bench near Pirates) one year out of her backpack. It was found with everything in place and mailed back to us at home. I know it doesn't always happen that way but I do believe that more people are honest than dishonest though you do have to be careful and watchful.

 

[Silvermist999]

During the time when we needed to rent strollers, we just rented the Park strollers. And we never left anything valuable in it unattended. My husband always wanted to leave the Disney misting fans behind in the stroller but I always took it with us. It’s sad but people will take anything, or maybe let their children touch and take things that don’t belong to them.

 

[Klayfish]

Since it hasn't happened to you, you don't know how you'll react, but for me and many others, once you have had something that was *yours* stolen, you realize that it's really really really rotten to have something of yours taken. Doesn't actually matter what the value is.

I said it hasn't happened to me at WDW, not that it hasn't happened to me ever. Sure, it stinks. But based on those experiences I've had, I can say beyond a shadow of doubt that beyond being somewhat annoyed I wouldn't care all that much. It's just stuff...intentionally cheap stuff to help mitigate our risks. I've posted before that we're the "extreme" family that packs our entire dinner and brings it in. So we have a stroller loaded with a huge bag of food, and a small bag with ponchos, or maybe a small trinket in it, or a popcorn bucket. We leave the entire thing in stroller parking for hours at a time. If it ever got stolen, sure it'd be a bummer, but not something that would ruin our trip...or even our day. As small as the risk is, we realize we're taking a "risk" when we leave it and are prepared to lose it if the worst were to happen.

We'd never leave our wallets, keys, jewelry, etc...because those are things we truly don't want to have stolen.

 

[DisneyMom93]

If they can't be clearly identified (hat/ hoodie/ scarf covering their face or if they're simply facing down for example), or if they've already left the park by the time it's been reported then there isn't much anyone can do with the cameras.

I just feel that they can be tracked as they walked (especially by clothing) and if they used their Magic Band to purchase anything or go on a ride they can easily find out who they are.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

We have been lucky enough to never have anything stolen out of our stroller or out of our truck in the parking lot. Heck, once I left the keys in the truck and it was still there when we got done at AK.

 

[DisneyMom93]

I've posted before that we're the "extreme" family that packs our entire dinner and brings it in. So we have a stroller loaded with a huge bag of food, and a small bag with ponchos, or maybe a small trinket in it, or a popcorn bucket. We leave the entire thing in stroller parking for hours at a time. As small as the risk is, we realize we're taking a "risk" when we leave it and are prepared to lose it if the worst were to happen.

Personally, I'd be more worried leaving my food that I plan to eat. Crazy people out there. I'd worry they would do something to my food, even if it couldn't kill me and it's just something gross.

 

[DisneyMom93]

We have left some stuff in our stroller before. Usually a stuffed souvenir, not much more. We've never had anything stolen, but if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't leave anything in my stroller that I wouldn't want to lose regardless of how little I paid for it.

We have left baby wipes, hand wipes, stuff like that... hoodies too I guess. Sad that you have to worry about such things.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I just feel that they can be tracked as they walked (especially by clothing) and if they used their Magic Band to purchase anything or go on a ride they can easily find out who they are.

The police can, perhaps. The legality is more complicated than that. Sadly, false accusations can lead to really big lawsuits and most companies aren't going to risk that (especially when the responsibility to protect personal items is on the guest, not on the business).

If the police can not prove beyond a doubt that it's the person they've accused (and depending on the state/ crime that means a clear view of the face- not the attire. Attire can be changed, and more than one person is walking around in the same shirt at Disney), there's a good likelihood it won't hold up in court.

 

[DisneyMom93]

This is VERY hard to do practically. The thief can easily say, "Oh, so sorry. We have almost identical things! I'm tired. I'm completely sure these were my things." You can't really argue with that unless someone's name or personally identifiable information is attached securely to the stolen property.

Well at least they can get the stuff back that way. And I would have them show me their "identical" stroller.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

Personally, I'd be more worried leaving my food that I plan to eat. Crazy people out there. I'd worry they would do something to my food, even if it couldn't kill me and it's just something gross.

We once saw a squirrel eating snacks out of the bottom of someone’s stroller. He was sitting in the bottom basket having a feast. I hate to think that the family may have returned and not even known then ate the rest of those snacks. So gross.

 

[Madame]

It’s sad- but you need be diligent. When we went in August it was amazing at the security lines how some families looked as if they were moving into parks. Bringing so much stuff in. Then seeing strollers overloaded-

Right now there is a thread on the family forum - people were talking about using strollers to carry stuff around. If it’s of value take it with you!

Disney is just like any other place. Also it is your responsibility to keep valuables safe!

We saw an entire family bringing rollies (like carry-on rollies) into AK.... Why is that allowed?!? They got into line at FoP with them!