Theft at Disneyland

[Louise]

I would just like to warn people that theft can and does happen at Disneyland. We had our expensive maclaren twin stroller and all our belonings stollen the other night while parked in stroller parking near small world. We got a call from Disney the next afternoon to say they had found it abandoned in the park later that night. When we went back to lost and found to claim it, there were 3 other couples in the 15 minutes we were there, also reporting stollen strollers. We did have some personal items taken (jacket, cell phone, glasses) but consider ourselves very lucky that it wasn't worse. It was hard on the kids who missed out on a night at Disneyland and were left without jackets, baby food, diapers, and water bottles on a cold night while we filled in paperwork- overall very upsetting and stressful.

So please think twice, if you think "it doesn't happen at the happiest place on earth". In the future we will take a cheap umbrella stroller and not leave anything of any value unattended. We have been annual pass holders for more than a year and have always felt very safe at Disneyland, and have never had a problem before; in fact this was the first time I had left my cell phone and glasses in the diaper bag. It will benefit all of us to be more careful and alert in the future.

 

[darph nader]

THAT STINKS and I'm being REALLY polite. If there is any justice ,what goes around comes around. I know this does'nt help much,but hopefully they will get theirs.

 

[jemilah]

I put down my camera for a second at a popcorn stand and turned wround to see some caracter walking by...........and then it was GONE! CM said she saw nothing and we too went to lost and found , stood in line , it was a popular place. Just use common sense ! Don't leave your eyes or hands off your stuff! By the way stealing from babies is just plain sick

 

[familyoffiveAZ]

So sorry that happened to you.

On a personal note, I don't feel like such a freak now for locking mine to itself. Only takes a few seconds and gives me peace of mind while on the rides.

 

[tmt martins]

Went on a service call at SSA today co-worker left his sunglasses at the x-ray machine went back 5 mins. later and all the guards were like Don't know what you are talking about .EVEN with all the cameras around in a secured location people just don't care anymore .

IT'S a THE WORLD OWES ME ATTITUDE

 

[Dukland]

So sorry that happened to you.

On a personal note, I don't feel like such a freak now for locking mine to itself. Only takes a few seconds and gives me peace of mind while on the rides.

How do you lock it to itself? Do you mean just lock the wheels?
We didn't have a problem last year, but I'd be really pissed if that happened to us. We always kept our autograph books in the stroller when we weren't chasing down characters. The kids (and me, the family Disney-fanatic) would have been devastated if our autograph books were stolen.
Last year I bought a fanny-pack, just so I could carry my camera, money, debit/credit card, ID, etc with me at all times. I will have to think of something for the camcorder.
Maybe I should invest in a crappy umbrella stroller. I know I just have to have one with a cup holder/tray at the top. Does anyone know if the ones you rent at Disneyland have that?

 

[eatmypixiedust]

My bro and I were sitting at some tables in New Orleans Square. We walked a short distance and my brother immediately stopped and said: "Shoot, I forgot my camera." He hurried back and saw some guy carrying away his camera bag. He ran up to the guy and said: "Hey! Excuse me, but this is mine." The guy then look startled and said: "Ooh...ummm....I just found it and I was thinking about reporting it to somebody." My brother took it from him and said: "Yeah right!" We were both upset that he had said he was "thinking" about reporting it.

There was over $1,000 worth of camera equipment in his bag. Thank goodness he got it back. You can never be too careful, so it's always best to carry all valuables with you at all times.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

A friend of a friend said they know people who have had their stroller stolen, and warned me not to take ours. I have no idea if it was stolen in DTD (apparently most of the reported thefts are from there) or inside the park. I am still planning to take ours, because I'm not interested in carrying one or both sleepy children in the evenings. But I will not leave anything in it, and I like the idea of using a bicycle chain lock; the CMs can still move it, but no one will be able to steal it to use.

 

[being-dragged-to-DL]

I am so sorry! what a bummer that people would ruin a family vacation and not even think twice! Rotten. We rented strollers and kept everything, and I mean everything in a backpack that we carried with us. My husband and I each also wore fanny packs, ugly as they were, they were so handy! I wouldnt even leave a drink in those rental strollers. And, as proven by your story, renting is the way to go. Actually, ours were free with AAA. Again, Im sorry someone would do this to you and your kids. Babies with no bottles in the cold night makes me fightin' mad! NO PIXIE DUST FOR THEM! Only ashes of old poops... and not sprinkled, DUMPED!

 

[familyoffiveAZ]

How do you lock it to itself? Do you mean just lock the wheels?

We pull a cable through one of the wheels (spokes) and through the frame, then lock. It makes it so CMs can move it if they tip up on the front wheels, but anyone trying to move it on all fours wouldn't get far.

Now that you asked though, I wonder if everyone would be able to do that. Many strollers have those small, solid wheels......or are some spoked? Hmmm.....I guess I don't understand how it even could be done in that case.

 

[munchkinsmom]

It happened to us last Labor Day weekend (2005)!

We were there on day one of a multiple day trip. And guess where it was stolen from? The parking lot in front of "It's a Small World!" We checked with Lost and Found the next few days we were there and unfortunately, we never saw our beloved stroller, our diaper bag or jackets again.

We have been going to the DLR for years (we're APers as well), bringing our Peg Perego Pliko and our Maclaren TT and never had a problem with our strollers until last year.

My DH drove a 1 1/2 hours back home and 1 1/2 hours back up to the hotel to pick up our single stroller and another diaper bag. When my folks (who had the kids at the time while my DH and I rode Space Mountain) took the kids on the Small World ride, they parked the stroller and left the diaper bag with my DD's epipens inside. My DH had to drive home to pick up extra epipens. Not fun at all.

Oh, I totally feel your pain when you said that it was upsetting and stressful to have to fill out paperwork and also being without your jackets and the diaper bag. The long walk back to the Hojo was really sad for our family. My DD kept asking why someone would want to take our stroller from us and felt really bad about it. My folks felt awful and responsible since it was stolen on "their watch."

We have since bought a new Mac TT, but we now carry and use a cable lock to secure our stroller. I do not want to be in the position to have to buy another stroller, and I'm happy to report that we still have our stroller after several visits back to the DLR since Labor Day weekend.

Thanks for posting. It's important for people to know that while odds are in their favor that their stroller won't get stolen, it CAN and does happen.

 

[azgal81]

I for one don't understand why anyone leaves there belongings not secured or on them at all times at disneyland. There are so many strollers that would be so easy to steal and people just leave all there crap in them. I have seen purses, cameras, ticket hoppers, jackets, bags from the shops, phones, sunglasses just sitting on top of these strollers waiting to be snatched up. I mean I wouldn't leave anything just sitting on a park bench why would you leave it in your stroller. I would never take an expensive stroller into that park they just seem so easy to steal. They are all sitting there out in the open only 10% of them are secured it just seems stupid to me. I guess I just don't trust people not to take my stuff. I guess the point of my story is always secure your stroller and don't leave your crap in it.

 

[undertheradar]

Years ago, when we used strollers, we had our baby blanket taken at WDW. We looked allover, it was not to be found. We checked with lost and found, made a report, etc. About a week after getting home, our blanket arrived in the mail. With little things, sometimes little guests can't discern of it belongs to someone else. On vacation, parents don't always pay as much attention. Obviously with a stroller, some visitors find it cheaper to use someone else' rather than bring or rent one. In terms of leaving personal belongings in the stroller, that is simply crazy. We carry a backpack everywhere and keep all our belongings in it. We naver carried a "diaper bag," a backpack was easier to secure.