Stroller Theft

gmar1210

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 18, 2017
Was informed by a co-worker not to bring our nice stroller to the park. We were given a nice bugaboo stroller. She informed me that hers was stolen and never recovered. She had a BOB stroller. Did some searching online and found this has happened a lot in the past. This is the only stroller we have. Should I invest in something cheaper or not worry about it.
 
Although my kids are no longer stroller age, if they were and I was taking them to WDW, I would get a cheap stroller or maybe a cheap umbrella stroller. Or possibly just spend the money and rent one from Disney. And, don't leave anything with your stroller that you couldn't afford to have stolen.

FWIW, the "Disney Bubble" doesn't prevent bad things from happening.
 
We used to buy a cheap umbrella stroller and throw it away at the end of the trip. The bottom line is, your stroller will be left unattended for long periods of time and yes, savvy thieves have been known to steal them. Even if CM's are nearby, they have no way of knowing if the person rolling that stroller away is its rightful owner. The pricier the stroller, the more desirable it is to somebody else. (Same goes for that fancy camera bag left underneath the seat.)
Some people buy locks but the CM's must be able to move your stroller so I'm not sure how that works.
 
I have small kids and I would never ever bring a fancy stroller into the parks. On that note, please to do not leave valuables in the stroller basket. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people leave their $1000+ camera, ipads, etc while taking their children on rides. If it can't go with you on a ride, either get a locker or don't bring it into the park.

Also, with snacks, squirrels are known to grab things and go. Again, pack those things where curious critters can't get to them.
 
Was informed by a co-worker not to bring our nice stroller to the park. We were given a nice bugaboo stroller. She informed me that hers was stolen and never recovered. She had a BOB stroller. Did some searching online and found this has happened a lot in the past. This is the only stroller we have. Should I invest in something cheaper or not worry about it.

If you invest in something cheaper, make sure it is still comfortable to push. You don't want to go too cheap and end up with a stroller with short handles that leaves you hunched over and in pain from pushing it.

Or you can get a lock and lock the front two wheels together. That way a CM can still move it if they need to tidy up the area, but no one will steal it.
 
Yea my daughter is 3 so she will tire out and need somewhere to rest. We don't like the umbrella strollers since they do not maneuver well and typically do not recline well for her to take a nap which will happen. We drive to the parks since we live very close. Do they ever allow you to lock the wheels together (I have a snowboard lock) in case someone decided to take off with the stroller.

We never leave anything valuable in the stroller (maybe a poncho some snacks and water)
 


Anyone every use a bike lock instead? Would think one of the wire ones that can wrap around the frame and tire. Would be easy to lock/unlock and leave in the basket. Cheaper than buying a stroller.
 
I would mark your stroller in an identifiable way that acts as a deterrent towards a thief (like writing a name on it permanently in a very obvious spot). I brought a stroller in the past and did not any issues. It was a couple hundred dollars, but definitely not a "Cadillac" in the stroller world. This time, I bought a smaller (easier to collapse stroller) on clearance at Target for $50 to bring.
 
Wanted to add, a previous poster mentioned the CMs moving strollers. Yes, they do this all the time as to organize them. So don't freak out when you come out and your stroller is not where you left it. They probably just shuffled it.
 
yea no need to rent one since we never fly to the park. Would hate to waste the money on a rental when I can buy a used one off craiglist.
 
Anyone every use a bike lock instead? Would think one of the wire ones that can wrap around the frame and tire. Would be easy to lock/unlock and leave in the basket. Cheaper than buying a stroller.

You just can't lock the stroller to anything. And it still has to be able to be moved as the CMs will shift them around a bit as they neaten up the area.
 
Yea my daughter is 3 so she will tire out and need somewhere to rest. We don't like the umbrella strollers since they do not maneuver well and typically do not recline well for her to take a nap which will happen. We drive to the parks since we live very close. Do they ever allow you to lock the wheels together (I have a snowboard lock) in case someone decided to take off with the stroller.

We never leave anything valuable in the stroller (maybe a poncho some snacks and water)

I always use a cable lock to lock the rear wheels to the stroller frame (particularly if we are leaving the stroller somewhere for an hour or longer). As long as you don't lock the stroller to a post, railing, etc., CMs wouldn't give you any trouble.

Another tip - whenever we leave backpacks in the stroller, we consolidate everything into the main compartment, and then use a TSA lock (see example at link below) to lock both zippers for the main compartment shut and unto the frame of the stroller.

https://www.amazon.com/Approved-Set...=1517346417&sr=1-25&keywords=combination+lock

I know this is overboard for most people. But it literally takes 5 seconds extra to give you peace of mind. DW used to give me a hard time all the time, now she does it too after seeing reports of thefts in the parks. ^___^
 
Do get a cheaper one or rental, It can happen and even when is not a everyday thing and there will be other high end strollers in the park I won’t risk it.
 
I've been twice in the past 3 years with a stroller both times. From my feeling the theft concern is overblown honestly, it has happened, but I think it gets a lot of attention when it does compared to the number of strollers.

1) you can get those GPS tracker things if you really want to recover it.

2) don't leave anything of value in the stroller. We generally have left our backpack in the bottom and the cooler, but realistically its just a change of clothes for the baby, diapers, some snacks and water.

3) Disney is the Indy 500 of your stroller life, its what you've been training for, its an intense workout of both you and the stroller... you want good equipment. I'm jesting, but seriously, it is more miles than you put on your stroller regularly, you're pushing and pushing and it requires living out of it for each day, all day. I wouldn't want to have an cheap umbrella for that. Why have something decent if you don't use it when you need it. You're buying a cheap old car to keep the miles off of your new Mercedes, but not enjoying your new Mercedes.

4) I think the whole concept of renting a stroller for a week at over $100 is a waste of money. Use what you got. or if you must buy something on craigslist. Our strollers are more in that 150-300 range so maybe it doesn't directly apply to the $1K threshold. However, if you rent twice, you basically paid for a stroller, which is why I take the risk.

First time we went we bought a Graco stroller on craigslist for $50 to not take our Britex stroller and keep it nice. We ended up using it and liking it so much we eventually sold the Britex that we kept so nice and running the Graco into the ground over a number of years. 2nd time we took our Joovy Caboose.
 
Went through three kids at Disney often. NEVER take a valuable stroller, especially now that it's so crowded and things are easily taken. I've been there when security was involved due to stroller thefts. The people that hit the news were habitual stroller thieves.

Go to garage sales, craigslist or buy a cheap one if you don't have an older one you can afford to lose. I used to wash them well, bring soft thin blanket to put between kid and stroller, used decals and sharpies to personalize it, leave nothing of value.

You can surmise that the actual number of park thefts is much higher than what we hear. Disney Security handles ..... and well, a private security force will keep things quiet. It happens, as does pick pocketing and more. Just because it's Disney doesn't mean let down your guard.
 
It was news a few months ago, a woman was stealing high end strollers from DW and reselling them. That being said, I’ve been bringing strollers to DW for 17 years and never once had a problem. I tie a bandana to it so we can find it more easily in the sea of strollers. And like PPs said, take all valuables with you. I’m actually kind of sad for the day when I won’t need a stroller anymore, because Its so nice to have to hold things and be a cup holder.
 

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