How common is theft in the parks?

[agavegirl1]

Theft has been known to happen in your resort room, at the pool bar, in the parks, in the lobby etc. This is a WORLD WIDE DESTINATION. All types of people will populate your WDW visit. Use the same cautions you would at any vacation destination.

Lock away valuables. Carry with you only what you will need for the day.

Secure your wallet/purse to your person as best you can.

Do NOT leave anything valuable on a stroller.

Keep duplicates (copies, phone app etc) of any gift cards or ticket media. Take pictures of the front and back of everything.

 

[disneyygirrl]

Those weren't squirrels

Haha, this made my evening!

 

[999DoomBuggies]

I have left my wallet on top of stroller and always leave a camera laying around and never had someone steal from us. The only issues you will encounter is Brazilian tour groups and mean people.

 

[mom2rtk]

Those weren't squirrels

Dave comes through again!

 

[LBIJim]

As with anyplace, leaving a valuable item unattended means that there is a risk the item will be stolen.

I would not recommend leaving anything valuable in a stroller.

Of course it is going to be a question of what is valuable to someone else. If they happen to think it would be a good idea to steal a refillable mug and they see yours sitting out in the open unattended, then that will be the mug they steal..

It blows my mind that people actually DO steal someone's refillable mug. It happened to us TWICE on two different days at Six Flags' water park. (Yeah, yeah, what do expect from the Six Flags crowd? )

Left the mugs under the chaise lounges to go into the wave pool. Thieves didn't take towels, t-shirts, baseball caps, or even a friend's cigarettes. But they want someone else's dirty, germ-ridden refillable mug half filled with warm watered-down soda?

Once was bad enough, but then another day it happens again?? Maybe it was the same thief.

Hopefully they caught cooties from our mugs.

 

[TwoCortWort]

I'm not blind to the world around me, I know even in Disney things can disappear.

I'm bringing a purse for all valuables so it will be with me at all times and hopefully safe.

What I am wondering is I am renting a stroller for my 3year old in case he gets tired. There will be odds and ends stored in said stroller like extra clothes, our refill mugs, sunscreen etc. Nothing we would not survive without if they vanish.

I do also want to bring along my baby carrier for the end of the day when we need to get that sleepy kid onto a bus and he cannot sleep in the stroller. My carriers all have a decent value $$$ wise, but even more so sentimentally. I am a little paranoid it would vanish from the bottom of the stroller at some point.

Am I being realistic and need to think of a different plan, or am I being silly its no more likely to happen than someone taking it out of my car in the driveway?

I witnessed the victim trying to summon help today for their belongings being taken and the guy barely spoke English too and the CM didn't really help out either but he was holding the line sign for Seven Dwarfs. I always make sure to take my belongings with me. Like others have said it's rare, but it happens

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

It blows my mind that people actually DO steal someone's refillable mug. It happened to us TWICE on two different days at Six Flags' water park. (Yeah, yeah, what do expect from the Six Flags crowd? )

We've had two refillable mugs stolen at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Since we are local and go often we just laughed about someone taking our half full mugs of Coke and wandering off.... we left them for about a minute while we rode Apoolo's Chariot (roller coaster, cant bring them with you but the CMs let you leave them by the wall).

Hopefully they caught cooties from our mugs.

That's what my boyfriend said... I honestly thought "ew!"... I mean, why would you take someones half-full drink? lol, you dont know what kinds of germs they have/had!!!!!!

 

[AriesAriel]

A Minnie style fannypack:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/187127...to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

 

[tinawv]

Sure it can happen but never has to us. Always leave ipad in room usually not in safe...never a problem. Leave my big purse with money and credit cards laying around room all the time. Leave jackets, bags of purchased items in wheelchairs all the time...always fine. Left an expensive camera sitting on top of a garbage can a couple of years ago. Put it down for some reason Znd walked away. When I remembered it about 15 min later it was gone. I was very upset. Not for the camera as much as the photo cards. As we were leaving park I checked in at lost and found not expecting it to be there. Another visitor had turned it in. But I'm in general one of those people who just assume everything will be fine...and it usually is.

I too left my camera on top of a trash can in Canada in Epcot. Got to the bridge before I realized it, ran all the way back to the trash can just to find it gone. Checked with lost and found each day after that to no avail. The biggest loss for me was also the pictures I had taken up to that point. That being said, I have been to WDW a total of seven times and this was the only time I had something stolen. Needless to say I keep a good hold on my camera these days.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have left my wallet on top of stroller and always leave a camera laying around and never had someone steal from us. The only issues you will encounter is Brazilian tour groups and mean people.

You cannot guarantee that anyone else will have the same luck you have had.

There will be odds and ends stored in said stroller like extra clothes, our refill mugs, sunscreen etc. Nothing we would not survive without if they vanish.

That's great. But, I ask you...how will you feel if one of those things IS stolen from you? Do you think it will bother you, that you have had someone steal from you, no matter how unimportant? If so, don't leave a thing in that stroller. Not even water (especially not water, especially not already-opened water...leaving something you're going to consume, alone, in public? shudder).


We haven't had anything taken at WDW, but that's only because DS was out of the stroller by the time we went to WDW. We DID have things taken at DLR, so even if DS had wanted to use the Volo on our first trip to WDW (we brought it and it was his choice if we should bring it) we wouldn't have left a single thing in it.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

I have only left diapers & wipes and a bag of animal crackers or juice boxes in the stroller. I didn't want to leave the ergo carrier. Never left my camera or anything else of any value.

Funny note - we got our umbrella stroller at BRU and were relieved that we almost never saw another one just like it. Yes, I said almost - after we rode on SSE, we accidentally buckled up our son in someone else's stroller and started to walk away when I noticed the diapers were missing. Yup, it was someone else's stroller! We turned around and put it back and found ours only 2 spots away from this one. I bet the owners were confused when they got theirs after the ride and found the buckle had been readjusted (I was wondering how the baby had shrunk so much in 20 minutes).

 

[robndani]

I've never left my purse in the stroller, but I have left pretty much everything else. When my kids were little and we would leave important things in the stroller we would sort of wrap it in a clean diaper. No one was going there! In fact, even though my kids are 4, I might do that in Septmeber!

 

[JZCubed]

On one accession we had the bag hanging from our stroller 'rifled through', but nothing was taken.

On another occasion, a stuffed animal was taken from the bottom basket of the stroller. Possible a child simply liked it and walked off innocently, not a true theft.

Two ways to help prevent your stroller from being stolen:
1.) Lock the wheels with a bicycle chain, or

2.) Affix something to the stroller to discourage theft. I have read here on DisBoards (when I was in your shoes, so to speak) about hanging a clear bag with a Coca-Cola filled diaper in plain sight. Similarly, but far less nasty, wrapping a ribbon or something that makes your stroller distinguishable in case a thief decides to walk off with your stroller. Matter of fact, a ribbon on the handle even helps when trying to locate your belongings after having been moved by Cast Members.

 

[cleophus12]

I don't know how large your carrier is, but would it fit into a locker where you could leave it until you need it later in the day? That might solve the worry about theft.

 

[hearts8701]

those weren't squirrels

lol

 

[jon18uk]

It blows my mind that people actually DO steal someone's refillable mug. It happened to us TWICE on two different days at Six Flags' water park. (Yeah, yeah, what do expect from the Six Flags crowd? )

Left the mugs under the chaise lounges to go into the wave pool. Thieves didn't take towels, t-shirts, baseball caps, or even a friend's cigarettes. But they want someone else's dirty, germ-ridden refillable mug half filled with warm watered-down soda?

They didn't want your half-drunk soda, they want the mug so they could get a refill on it (after washing etc). Although when we were in Six Flags Magic Mountain we were given wristbands to prove we purchased a mug (I guess that stops you bringing it back from a previous day) so the wristband would make a stolen mug useless too.

I don't understand people who leave things on a sunlounger at a waterpark, the risk of going missing always scares me. But then I spend more time on the slides than at the loungers.

 

[ArwenMarie]

If someone takes my dirty, used mug for free soda, they must have needed it more than I.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Thefts happen! Not only in park, but in-room. Lock stuff like jewelry, credit cards, and computer stuff away in the safes. I even lock my charging cords away! Definitely take only what you need into the park, and keep your purse/diaper bag with you. Things like clothes and toys can stay in the stroller (I don't know about keeping the Ergo with the stroller though. Those Ergo's are pretty popular. Maybe hide it the stroller?)

And take a stroller that is easily identifiable. There are a zillion black City Mini's currently - think about your brand and color and try to make it different from everyone else. Whether it's a bandana or flag or whatever, make it stand out so you can find it when the CMs play musical strollers.

Oh, and downsize your diaper bag as much as possible. I've started using a large purse (Fossil brand) as my diaper bag. Much easier to carry than my current diaper bag (purple Skip Hop), but my DS is 2 and he is more self-sufficient now.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

In all of our trips we have only had one thing (possibly) stolen. We generally do not leave any valuables in our stroller or laying around our villa. Everything of value in our room goes into the safe. Everything of value we take with us to the parks is kept either in my purse (small cross body) or in our backpack which we keep with us at all times.

Now that being said, we do leave our soft sided cooler and our refillable mugs in the stroller. None of those items have been stolen up to this point, but if they do end up getting taken, oh well. The risk of these items getting stolen is far less than the giant PITA that it would be to take them on every attraction.

As far as an item we had that was "possibly" stolen........ DH and I had a misunderstanding with our one camera outside of Kali River Rapids. We were baby swapping and it was his turn to go on and he handed me his wallet and phone and he claims he handed me the camera. His wallet and phone I put directly into my purse, but who knows about the camera? It is possible he laid it on the stroller assuming I would get it, it is possible he handed it to me and I laid it on the stroller and forgot about it. I have no idea and neither of us is admitting to anything.

Is it possible that someone lifted it from the stroller? Sure. In reality I think it just got left on the stroller and either fell or slid off while we were moving or dropped out when we had to fold up the stroller when we got on the bus.

Either way I called lost and found multiple times and it was never turned in. Finding something of value and not turning it in is just as bad as stealing IMHO. Or it is possible it WAS turned in and a shady CM decided to keep it (I'm sure this happens).


Lesson here: Don't leave anything of value on your stroller or in your room. Theft happens even in the most magical place on earth.

 

[bwang123]

We had a waffle in a bag stolen. The strange part about it- it had been under a blanket with the rain cover left on the stroller, so somebody had to dig in there to even figure out it was there... but they left items of real monetary value. This particular type of bag was airtight enough it wasn't an animal, but it was annoying as it was an allergy waffle and the only snack we had packed for DS that morning. Such a confusing moment to figure out we were missing of all things a waffle.

Squirrels at some golf courses will steal sealed bags of chips and then open them. They know whats in the bag and can probably smell the contents.