Stolen Strollers?

[Weather_Lady]

I've seen anecdotal reports of strollers being "stolen." Frankly, I think in the majority of cases the stroller was either moved by a Cast Member, or else someone with a similar-looking stroller mistakenly walked off with the wrong one. Still, I'm sure some level of stroller theft happens.

Some ways to avoid this scenario are: (1) bring or rent a cheap stroller (in a loud, unusual color if possible), not something flashy or expensive that screams, "I'd make you a ton on Craigslist," and don't fill it with merchandise -- if you must put some souvenirs in it, stow them underneath the seat inside a ratty old diaper bag or in a similarly unassuming wrapper; (2) personalize the stroller in some way, such as tying on a colorful bandanna, to minimize the chances of "mistaken stroller identity;" and (3) if you're really paranoid, make your stroller distasteful to steal by putting a faux "dirty diaper" bag on the handle (take a diaper, splash it with some Coke or apple juice, and put it inside a clear grocery bag -- instant theft protection!) If you're really hardcore, add a brown smear of chocolate on the handle from your Mickey ice cream bar...

 

[WWWD]

We have used one of these http://www.kyssbags.com/ and wrapped it through the front wheel. That way the CM's could easily still move it a short distance, but a thief would have to do a wheelie through the park. Also, the bag helps to deter since the chain is very visible. Like anything, at least make it a hassle for the thief.

 

[George]

To actually answer the initial thread query - 534,723:1

 

[PhilharMagician]

We rented a stroller and never had any problems. Make sure it is marked and easily identifiable so you can find it in a sea of other strollers. We also used to leave our backpack, jackets and nearly anything we were carrying in the stroller and never had anything taken.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Never had a theft while we rented strollers from WDW often, never heard of a stroller theft while we were there, and never saw a stroller theft either although I am not sure I would recognize a theft if I actually observed one. Odds? Like playing the lottery. Unlikely, nearly impossible, but not beyond very remote chance.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We've had 3 trips with strollers and aside from it being moved by CMs, we've never had any issues. I did always make sure to tie a very distinctive marker to the handles of the stroller to help avoid any confusion.

 

[Gabe1]

Can anyone tell me - what is the likelihood of having your stroller stolen?

We had Disney rental strollers lifted several times. Disney just gave us a new one with our receipt. There is a reason why this happens. The problem with there not being any records of theft is Disney doesn't make that info public. Most guest just report it to Disney or Disney security. Where if outside the World of Disney, we would file a police report if there was a theft especially for a $1000 stroller that are the thing these days. This is not limited to strollers it is in rooms, cars in lots, we on a whole act differently when at Disney. Disney had some real problems at the MK parking lot a year or so ago with break ins. But the records didn't pick up on it and Disney didn't offer up that info to guests. How many guests would just contact Disney and let their security file a report. Reality, guests should be contacting the Sheriffs department not Disney. Then there would be a police report and data.

I had a similar situation when my son had an iPad stolen from his dorm room. Security filled out an internal report. He was irritated by the caviler filing of the report and gut feeling nothing beyond that would be done.
I told him to go to town and file a police report. It annoyed security but after the police found a pattern they did track down the student who still had many stolen electronics in his dorm room. Like the college security, Disney isn't going to do what a Sheriff department is going to do. As guests we should have a better thought process when it comes to theft.

 

[eliz603]

Luckily, no missing strollers! Once I even left our camera up in the adult cup holder during the Great Movie Ride. I was happy to find it still there! I have a $1 scarf that I tie to the handles to help me find it, especially after the CMs do their reorganizing.

 

[mattdenine]

I guess this question sort of belongs here. Instead of leaving merchandise in your stroller can't you have anything you buy sent to your room? I guess this only applies if you are staying on site and if Disney still does this.

 

[stevehousse]

I guess this question sort of belongs here. Instead of leaving merchandise in your stroller can't you have anything you buy sent to your room? I guess this only applies if you are staying on site and if Disney still does this.

Yes Disney does this still, however, my kid is not going to be happy to purchase something and then I have to tel them he can't have it for a day! We squally use the service for items probe to breakage that we don't want lugging around the park. Our past trip we did this wih a big jack Skellington coffee mug my wife got! I didn't want to chance it falling out of the stroller and breaking!

 

[xdan0920]

What I like to do is trade up. I bring a crap umbrella stroller with holes in it, and just trade up the ladder as my trip goes on. By the time I head home I've got the Cadillac of strollers, no one is the wiser.

 

[mattdenine]

Yes Disney does this still, however, my kid is not going to be happy to purchase something and then I have to tel them he can't have it for a day! We squally use the service for items probe to breakage that we don't want lugging around the park. Our past trip we did this wih a big jack Skellington coffee mug my wife got! I didn't want to chance it falling out of the stroller and breaking!

Thanks for the answer, this trip in April will be the first with my kid so I just thought they might be distracted with everything else going on and not notice the new toy wasn't around.

 

[SMS55]

Never heard of such a thing. Think of all the stuff you've scabbed and washed off your kid's stroller. Now realize that other people's kids have done something similar in theirs. Why would you want one.

 

[Gabe1]

What I like to do is trade up. I bring a crap umbrella stroller with holes in it, and just trade up the ladder as my trip goes on. By the time I head home I've got the Cadillac of strollers, no one is the wiser.

Plenty to choose from

 

[englanddg]

lol plenty to choose from

*******

That dinna work, Captain!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I guess this question sort of belongs here. Instead of leaving merchandise in your stroller can't you have anything you buy sent to your room? I guess this only applies if you are staying on site and if Disney still does this.

You also have to look at the timing. i.e. sometimes it can take several days for them to deliver your goods. I remember in 2010, I bought princess dresses for our girls on a Tuesday for a BBB appointment that Wednesday. I asked to have it just sent back to our room at WL so we wouldn't be carting around poufy princess dresses all day, but they said it wouldn't be delivered until Thursday. So, we had no choice but to carry around our purchases.

 

[Sudcaro- Sudcaro]

This is good to know. The fake dirty diaper is something I would have never thought of - but who doesn't put yukky ones in the restroom trash can?
By the way, are there several "stroller parkings" in MK, or just one?

 

[4disneylovers]

Packages only go back to resort not room anymore. You have to pick them up usually in the gift shop.

There are stroller parking areas around a lot if different areas/attractions. Definitely mark it with something unusual as said many times. I panicked first time til I realized it was CM moving our stroller.

We always had a bag clipped to the handled with a toggle clip through the handles with all valuables. Easy grab whenever leaving stroller. Everything else we could live without if stolen. Nothing ever was.

 

[A W Reezy]

We kept our Gate Check tag on our daughters stroller when we were in WDW. That helped us differentiate between our stroller and the other 10,000 red strollers that were around.

Also, don't keep any food or drink on the stroller when leaving it parked. We caught a couple of squirrels browsing around other strollers in EPCOT one day in the stroller parking area near Nemo. They were going through bags picking out snacks to eat. We alerted the attendant on duty and she said that happens quite often.

 

[Dwarful]

In all of the years of pushing our strollers we never had one taken or any merchandise removed. Once on Christmas Day at MK I left the girls pins and lanyards - during the height of pin trading - in the stroller out in the open while we had a Character Christmas dinner at Liberty Tree. By the time I remembered and pushed my way through the crowd to get to the stroller everything was still there.