Abduction in Disney

[dwelty]

The way you described it, kind of what I heard on the news, it sounds like a drug deal that went sour.

This is a possibility. If it is the case, the police will notice inconsistencies in their story. The police know to be skeptical, and are looking for things like this.

 

[dwelty]

While I believe the Orlando crime statistics, let's not forget that WDW is in Lake Buena Vista which is a fair distance from Orlando.

MG

This is true, however, the kidnapping and rape that happened just a few months back, that was also mentioned in the story, was in Kissimee just next door.

 

[Mule2007]

Parking lot safety is not guaranteed anywhere - best to keep your wits about you and a wary eye.

Criminals admit they choose a target who is oblivious to their surroundings (either engrossed in conversation with walking companion or talking on a cell phone) The person who is looking around and alert - they usually leave them alone.

As for someone doped up looking to rob -- he has a mission and no plan. They are the most dangerous

Mule

 

[pilferk]

I read in the ORLANDO SENTINEL (10th June)that a couple got Abducted (at gunpoint) when walking back from Downtown Disney around Midnight.The spokes person for Disney confirmed that the couple were staying at a DISNEY RESORT but refused to name the resort.Does anyone know? I know they are both unhurt but very shook up. I can't understand why Disney refuse to say which resort.

They're from CT (my home state). The news mentioned their names, but I don't remember them off hand.

Ahhh...here it is:

http://www.nbc30.com/news/13475291/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

 

[pilferk]

Call my cynical but something about this story just doesn't add up for me. Two 20 year old tourists say they were hailed by a guy in a car and went to answer a question. The guy (which was actually a couple guys) pulled a gun on them and threatened them into the car. They drove around to an ATM (where there are cameras), ordered them to use their ATM cards to withdraw money (how much do 20 year olds keep in their bank accounts these days?). Then took them to an isolated landfill, ruffed them up but were startled by their own gun going off allowing the victims to runaway for help to a house.

If you're in a crowded parking lot and someone in a car threatens you, why do you meekly get inside it? A simple shout is enough to attract a lot of attention at midnight in DTD.

Why would criminals targeting tourists go to the trouble of driving them to an ATM and getting them to withdraw cash? Just take what they have in their wallets and not risk getting yourself photographed for police later.

If the criminals were bold enough to drive their victims to an isolated area and beat them up, why go all paranoid when the gun fires?

When you're running away from your kidnappers and are in the middle of nowhere, why do you escape on foot and not go for the car? In a footrace you're more likely to get caught.

They're 2 twenty-somethings, living in North Branford CT, who own a home. Just the North Branford part means they likely have $$$ (it's a pretty affluent town, in general), but owning a home in NB (provided they paid for it themselves) means they're doing OK.

The neighbors interviews all were shocked, talked about them being a nice friendly, well liked couple in their neighborhood, etc.

 

[dkostel]

They drove around to an ATM (where there are cameras), ordered them to use their ATM cards to withdraw money (how much do 20 year olds keep in their bank accounts these days?).

If these attackers are local, they probably know which ATMS they may be photographed at and which ones they can avoid a camera at. Also they probably ran when the gun went off not because they were afraid of the gun, but because it would attract attention, most likely police attention. The article said that the couple ran to a nearby home, so they weren't out in the middle of nowhere, where a gunshot would go unnoticed.

 

[disneygal55]

Don't you think that there are cameras in the parking lots? I read where there are cameras everywhere at the parks. I would think that they must have quite a number at DTD, including the parking lots. They need to increase security, especially at the walking paths.

 

[3DisneyKids]

For most of us, part of our love for Disney is that we get that feeling of being removed from the real world and transported to a magical...well....fantasyland where your dreams come true! So it is important to remember that all of the real world elements and ugliness still exist.

I will say, though, for the largest tourist destination in the world, you do not hear about these types of violent acts very frequently.

I live in an area where I never lock my house (honestly, I don't even think I have a key anymore!) and my keys are always in my car, resting on the center console clearly visible. Obviously, I live in one of the low crime areas (or non-existant in the case of my town! The "police blotter" section of the newspaper only carries stories of people be cited for noise ordinance issues b/c their dogs were barking too loudly! )

Because of this, though, I am on hyper alert whenever I go anywhere else. My kids think I am a freak when we go to places like WDW, airports, anywhere but home.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I don't see anything that makes it look like the victims did anything wrong. It is a coping mechanism people use- trying to convince themselves that the victims did something wrong, they were buying drugs... when we see a crime so random that could happen to anyone, it scares us and so we tell ourselves these things.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

This is an unfortunate incident that should remind us all that we aren't fully safe anywhere...even on Disney property. Between this incident, the Target kidnapping and sexual abuse & assault reported everywhere we really need to be on alert at all times.

 

[abordelon]

That is exactly what I thought the first time I heard the news.

 

[fishermouse]

Living where I live we never let our guard down . We just returned but would have never thought of going up to a car anywhere to answer a question .

It's not just that some think of Disney as a safe place but they come from areas that are very low on crime and just don't know any better or how to be safe .

I know this seems hard but it's the sad state of today . The criminals know people will have on hand or close by large sums of money while at WDW so why not target them. I know they have good security and sheriff enforcement but they can't be everywhere watching the thousands of people lost and wandering around a strange place

Guess it all depends where your from, at best I would answer thier question from where I was and not go to the car. And never get into a car even if there is a gun pointing at you. A running target is much harder to hit than someone sitting in the back seat. Plus they are much less likely to fire a shot in the parking lot than where ever they take you. Also Do not carry a lot of cash or even keep a large amount of money in your debit account, credit cards are must for vacationing, they're basically worthless to anyone but the owner and your not liable for anything.

 

[Sammie]

I don't see anything that makes it look like the victims did anything wrong. It is a coping mechanism people use- trying to convince themselves that the victims did something wrong, they were buying drugs... when we see a crime so random that could happen to anyone, it scares us and so we tell ourselves these things.

I agree, there was nothing in the local news to indicate the victims were anything but that victims, Yes they were naive and probably are from an area with little crime and were not city street smart.

But lets not place any blame on them, if none exisits. Disney World is not free from crime, especially the Downtown Disney area. They have had problems with crime and especially at the Crossroads area with gang related crime.

There was even a murder in the area years ago.

 

[chip&dale1]

The reason I ask this infomation is so that my family and I can make an informed decision as to which routes to take from DTD.We are staying at SSR soon .If the Disney resort is not OKW or SSR then I would like to know where. As a DVC Member I feel Disney have a Duty of care towards it's guests. Part of the annual dues are for the upkeep and running of the DVC resorts....Security is part of this.
Please don't misunderstand me ,We are Disney fans and feel it is still a safe place in the grand scheme of things.(IE The amount of Incidents like this compared to the amount of guests)

 

[Sammie]

The reason I ask this infomation is so that my family and I can make an informed decision as to which routes to take from DTD.We are staying at SSR soon .If the Disney resort is not OKW or SSR then I would like to know where. As a DVC Member I feel Disney have a Duty of care towards it's guests. Part of the annual dues are for the upkeep and running of the DVC resorts....Security is part of this.

After dark I would not walk from SSR. Just my personal opinion of better safe than sorry. I would bus or take the boat if still running. If I had to walk I would take the pathway that is near the street and the bus drop off area; that comes out at Congress Park and not the walkway that is more isolated near Circque de Solei. I would never walk to OKW after dark and I think that path is closed at dark.

I would not advise women, or teens to walk alone. This is not the first attack in the tourist areas of Orlando lately.

Not releasing the info about the guest's hotel is a matter of policy to protect thier privacy.

 

[fishermouse]

After dark I would not walk from SSR. Just my personal opinion of better safe than sorry. I would bus or take the boat if still running. If I had to walk I would take the pathway that near the street and the bus drop off area that comes out at Congress Park and not the walkway that is more isolated near Circque de Solei. I would never walk to OKW after dark and I think that path is closed at dark.

I would not advise women, or teens to walk alone. This is not the first attack in the tourist areas of Orlando lately.

Not releasing the info about the guest's hotel is a matter of policy to protect thier privacy.

Well said.. no reasonable amount of security can stop all crime. We need to be on gaurd just as you would anywhere else.

 

[kimberh]

To the comment, how much money does a 20 yr old have? I know several that have more than most families. It's a fact. Plus I don't have a ATM card, never have, never will! That was what went through my mind, when I read this, How would I have convinced abducters of this fact? I am probably in the minority? I am not going to pay to withdrawn my own money, a whole different topic. What is a ATM withdrawal limit per day? Some of the 20yrs old that my children have brought over, would have had this.

We prepay for Disney and take the Disney visa. I take very little cash. I do not have a pin on the visa either. I am not paying the cash advance fee.

 

[Anthony1971]

Whne I go to Disney I carry my key to the world card my drivers license sometimes a credit card and maybe 60.00 in cash on a good day everything else including my ATM stays in the safe at my resort. If you are staying on Disney property I would see no reason to carry anything else you can cahrge everything to your room -- which goes on your credit card. I carry very little cash in my pocket even at other destinations and just a credit card never an ATM card. Maybe this is why Disney uses the key to the world card it is certianly a crime preventor unless you force a person to buy you disney stuff... something does not sound right to me here if they were staying at a Disney resort.
I am sure there is crime in Disney or any vacation destination but if someone got me they would not get mucj cas and a credit card that would be reported stolen.. I guess that is my way of letting mu guard down

 

[OneMoreTry]

Whne I go to Disney I carry my key to the world card my drivers license sometimes a credit card and maybe 60.00 in cash on a good day everything else including my ATM stays in the safe at my resort. If you are staying on Disney property I would see no reason to carry anything else you can cahrge everything to your room -- which goes on your credit card. I carry very little cash in my pocket even at other destinations and just a credit card never an ATM card. ....I am sure there is crime in Disney or any vacation destination but if someone got me they would not get mucj cas and a credit card that would be reported stolen.. I guess that is my way of letting mu guard down

Pretty much the same here. But I only carry a 20 with the Disney card, driver's license and credit card.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

yup we just returned with spending a big $120 in cash the entire week. Most of that was eating at the airports.

We carry KTTK,PAP,(DW)DEE,DL,DV ,$30cash. I even use my AmX for the room charges so I can track if something happens with the charges. I know if it happened away from WDW (Grocery store ,offsight) or from Resort.

Everything else stays in the safe at the room and thats not even much.

We had a young couple here in the city get carjacked in the wrong part of town. They accused them of trying to buy drugs and such. They even got turned away from the first police on the scene. Well they both insisted on blood/urine test and nothing was found in their system.

So just because this type of thing happened could be they were up to no good ,but could also just be that they were naive.