scooter & stroller questions

[DisneyJade]

I've been google searching for an hour and can't seem to find the answers to a few basic questions about ECVs at Disneyland. My dad is renting an ECV from an off-site company for our trip in a couple of weeks. He has mobility issues but can walk for short distances at a time. So, for example, he can probably go from one ride to the other in Fantasyland without getting back on the scooter. My questions are:

1. Can he park the ECV at any stroller parking spot and just leave it there for a couple of hours?
2. I'm reading that ECVs can be locked to avoid theft, but then how do cast members move it if they need to shuffle strollers for any reason?

I also have a stroller question that's really more of a call for opinions. We have twin toddlers and would strongly prefer to bring our home stroller (it has all of our desired attachments, proper-fitting rain cover, etc.) but I am paranoid about theft. Am I taking a big risk bringing an expensive stroller to the park? (It's $850 with all the attachments - nowhere near the $1,800 stroller that made headlines after it was stolen at WDW but also not cheap. Also, it's a bright red, so somewhat conspicuous. Not sure if any of that makes a difference.)

TIA!

 

[gottalovepluto]

1. Yes
2. There are manual releases on each scooter they use to move it. It would be very obvious, painful & difficult to hold that manual release on a scooter all the way out of the park. Never heard of an ECV being stolen, I have heard of stuff being stolen from them so don't leave anything in it. I'm sure they would if they could- it's just not practical.

I have zero stroller experience but there is no way I would bring an $800 stroller to DL. Anyone could walk away with it & ruin your day. Red is easy to spot- if there aren't 50 people between it and you like at DLR. This is from 2013 but imho still relevant: https://www.ocregister.com/2013/07/29/strollers-can-be-theft-target-at-disney-parks/ Stroller theft happens, even at the happiest place on earth.

 

[Geemo]

I've been google searching for an hour and can't seem to find the answers to a few basic questions about ECVs at Disneyland. My dad is renting an ECV from an off-site company for our trip in a couple of weeks. He has mobility issues but can walk for short distances at a time. So, for example, he can probably go from one ride to the other in Fantasyland without getting back on the scooter. My questions are:

1. Can he park the ECV at any stroller parking spot and just leave it there for a couple of hours?
2. I'm reading that ECVs can be locked to avoid theft, but then how do cast members move it if they need to shuffle strollers for any reason?

I also have a stroller question that's really more of a call for opinions. We have twin toddlers and would strongly prefer to bring our home stroller (it has all of our desired attachments, proper-fitting rain cover, etc.) but I am paranoid about theft. Am I taking a big risk bringing an expensive stroller to the park? (It's $850 with all the attachments - nowhere near the $1,800 stroller that made headlines after it was stolen at WDW but also not cheap. Also, it's a bright red, so somewhat conspicuous. Not sure if any of that makes a difference.)

TIA!

You can park a ECV right in with the strollers. To prevent theft, always take the key with you once you park.

I wouldn't take an expensive stroller anywhere I wouldn't always be there right with it.
If you decide to chance it, I'd recommend having a few pictures of it.
If it did come up missing, at least security would have a photo to help locate it.
Some people have talked about a wheel lock for strollers.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_94i1djfr0v_e
Something to consider.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wheel lock for strollers. Put it in the back wheels so someone moving it has to tilt it up on its front wheels. Obvious and awkward. But it allows for CMs to move it.

That’s an expensive stroller. Wow.

 

[maltdizzy]

We had a stroller stolen from DL (Critter Country). Orange Bugaboo Frog. And it was the one time... one time... my wife decided it wasn't worth pulling the diaper-bag (which had her wallet) out of the stroller. Total loss...$2000. At the time, we were told the odds of having a stroller stolen at DL was 1 in 20. The thief was eventually caught 5 months later and was convicted in part because he still had our stroller (apparently it was one of three he never could sell...we were humorously insulted); the stroller was returned and he paid full restitution over ~2 years.

Anecdote over. All this said, I do not consider it a BIG risk to take an expensive stroller to the parks. However, my recommendation as someone who has pushed a stroller around DL for years...small, light, single umbrella strollers. You want as light and as agile as possible with good wheels. Paths and store aisles are MUCH narrower and more crowded than at WDW.

 

[DisneyJade]

Thank you, Everyone! After reading the responses here, we decided to invest in a wheel lock for the back wheels. I know a really determined person could use bolt cutters, but I hope it will be a deterrent. We are also bringing our single umbrella strollers as a backup option. I will have to weigh the risk of theft against the ability to lay the seats of our larger stroller all the way back and the extra storage space it gives us for diaper bag, etc.

We had a stroller stolen from DL (Critter Country). Orange Bugaboo Frog. And it was the one time... one time... my wife decided it wasn't worth pulling the diaper-bag (which had her wallet) out of the stroller. Total loss...$2000. At the time, we were told the odds of having a stroller stolen at DL was 1 in 20. The thief was eventually caught 5 months later and was convicted in part because he still had our stroller (apparently it was one of three he never could sell...we were humorously insulted); the stroller was returned and he paid full restitution over ~2 years.

Thank you for sharing. 1 in 20, wow! That seems really high and definitely gives me additional pause about bringing in the expensive stroller.
I have been a victim of theft twice, and this is so rare to have your items recovered and the thief brought to justice, especially after months have passed. I imagine that was VERY satisfying!

Anecdote over. All this said, I do not consider it a BIG risk to take an expensive stroller to the parks. However, my recommendation as someone who has pushed a stroller around DL for years...small, light, single umbrella strollers. You want as light and as agile as possible with good wheels. Paths and store aisles are MUCH narrower and more crowded than at WDW.

More good food for thought. I had not considered smaller shops, but that's a really great point.

 

[maltdizzy]

Thank you for sharing. 1 in 20, wow! That seems really high and definitely gives me additional pause about bringing in the expensive stroller.
I have been a victim of theft twice, and this is so rare to have your items recovered and the thief brought to justice, especially after months have passed. I imagine that was VERY satisfying!

I think the way they calculate the odds is different than 1 in 20 strollers actually getting stolen every day. And if people think they capture all this stuff on video at DL, they don't.

The officer who called us admitted they normally never go through old reports to match up found items, they just don't have the time, but it was a slow day and he found the report on our stroller, right down to the stain on the seat. It's what they used in court against him. The officer said the thief seemed relieved to be caught. Anaheim police have at least two offices on property (I've been to both)...one backstage in Tomorrowland and one in a trailer behind DTD.

 

[DisneyJade]

I think the way they calculate the odds is different than 1 in 20 strollers actually getting stolen every day. And if people think they capture all this stuff on video at DL, they don't.

The officer who called us admitted they normally never go through old reports to match up found items, they just don't have the time, but it was a slow day and he found the report on our stroller, right down to the stain on the seat. It's what they used in court against him. The officer said the thief seemed relieved to be caught. Anaheim police have at least two offices on property (I've been to both)...one backstage in Tomorrowland and one in a trailer behind DTD.

Interesting. I wonder if stroller theft is worse at DL than WDW due to geography. Easier for a local thief to pop into the parks in Anaheim. Total speculation, but it makes me wonder. The sheer size of WDW seems insulating, though I know there have been a few headline-making thefts there as well.

Maybe I will just pop a GPS on the stroller! Hide it in the lining or something. Ha!

 

[RedHotMama]

I would worry a little about theft. I wouldn't leave anything valuable in the stroller. But we always bring the most comfortable (meaning most expensive) stroller we have. With the hours (and miles) of pushing you will do and the hours of sitting and laying your kids will do, you want the best you can bring.
I do like the idea of a wheel lock for a very expensive stroller.

 

[azdisneylover]

Glad you are getting your dad an ECV for the parks. Even though the parks are closer together, there is still lots of walking to do, along with waiting. As for the twin stroller, I say, leave the big stroller at home and bring the umbrella ones, or buy two at Target a few blocks away from Disneyland. Like others have said, the pathways are smaller than WDW, couple that with walls up, it could be very crowded and not much room to maneuver your twin stroller. Even a single stroller takes up such room at Disneyland. think about what your really need vs what you want on hand just in case. Maybe you can hang a diaper bag off the ECV too. You should make sure you let your kids nap at their regular time back in the hotel room. It will cut down on the stuff you want to bring inside the parks.This will make your visit as well as all the other people visiting the parks better.

What ever you decide to do, I hope you and yours have a great time.

 

[maltdizzy]

Interesting. I wonder if stroller theft is worse at DL than WDW due to geography. Easier for a local thief to pop into the parks in Anaheim. Total speculation, but it makes me wonder. The sheer size of WDW seems insulating, though I know there have been a few headline-making thefts there as well.

Maybe I will just pop a GPS on the stroller! Hide it in the lining or something. Ha!

Yeah, at DL, a thief can be out of the park, off Disney property and well into Anaheim in 5 -10 minutes of brisk walking, then saunter home. At WDW, they have to take a ferry or monorail, parking shuttle, have to have a car. Let's face it, it can take guests 30-60 minutes just to go from a park to their hotel.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I take our expensive stroller. It is our only double.