Are there any pickpockets or frauds to be aware of?

[Mickey the Mouse]

Maybe stupid question, but are there any pickpockets or frauds or maybe other crime to be aware of in DLPR?

[markpsych]

Aside from the very rare story of a bag/pushchair (the disney strollers that you can rent) being taken, I've never heard of anything.

Oh, but I'd avoid the cheap tat that you'll see for sale outside of the parks (men selling items displayed on blankets on the ground). No matter how appealing it looks it will be broken/falling apart before you get it home ;)

[torsie24]

Aside from the very rare story of a bag/pushchair (the disney strollers that you can rent) being taken, I've never heard of anything.

Oh, but I'd avoid the cheap tat that you'll see for sale outside of the parks (men selling items displayed on blankets on the ground). No matter how appealing it looks it will be broken/falling apart before you get it home ;)
This makes me so sad that these people sell their rubbish in front of the village!

Eurgh.

[MJ_always]

I know someone that got their bag dipped into and money stolen when they were watching a parade but to be honest I dont think their bag was 'too secure' with the fastening.
Apart from that though like the others said, mainly just those guys selling fake things.

Ashleigh x

[ukstitch]

I don't think it's too bad, but then again I think it would be slightly naive to think it absolutely didn't exist.

So long as you take "sensible" precautions - keep an I on your valuables, don't leave your bags unattended for hours on end in plain site etc then you'll be just fine.

[leebob]

I don't think the problem is an epidemic. I'd just recommend that you use the same common sense that you would anywhere else. Most people are there to have a good time but anywhere you go you'll find a few bad apples.

[thelittlemermaid83]

Oh, but I'd avoid the cheap tat that you'll see for sale outside of the parks (men selling items displayed on blankets on the ground). No matter how appealing it looks it will be broken/falling apart before you get it home ;)


These people get moved on by the police several times a day its a shame they cant take the hint and keep coming back with there cheap and shoddy items.

[torsie24]

These people get moved on by the police several times a day its a shame they cant take the hint and keep coming back with there cheap and shoddy items.

Who wants to buy a crappy (scary with red glowing eyes) little barking/walking dog toy when you're at disney anywyay?!

[ukstitch]

Presumably there's not a lot that Disney can do. By placing themselves outside the station, I assume that part of the Parks is pretty much public property (due to the station), meaning that these people are probably free to do what they want there (within the limits of the law of course).

Somebody must be buying their stuff though, because otherwise, they wouldn't keep coming back because they'd make no money. I'm glad it's not just us who dislikes them though - does anybody else get the urge to kick the little robot animals as they get in your way?

[torsie24]

Presumably there's not a lot that Disney can do. By placing themselves outside the station, I assume that part of the Parks is pretty much public property (due to the station), meaning that these people are probably free to do what they want there (within the limits of the law of course).

Somebody must be buying their stuff though, because otherwise, they wouldn't keep coming back because they'd make no money. I'm glad it's not just us who dislikes them though - does anybody else get the urge to kick the little robot animals as they get in your way?
Very very much so!! Although i'd feel bad about it as my love for animals extends as far as stuffed ones. It's not normal I know but mistreated fake animals upsets me.

I had a dream that I'd heard someone shoot a stray cat the other night, woke myself up crying and couldn't get back to sleep for hours......

what a loser :(

[leebob]

Aww, that's sweet. :)

[Tillybud]

when we were there in June not only were the guys selling the cheap tat there but there were also blokes trying to take your picture on your way up to the bag check area ... the only way I could get rid off one of them was to try and take his ankles out using our buggy, don't think he understood the words 'no thank you' !!!

[Emergency Kitten]

I find a firm 'No, go away please' usually works. Said with a very scary EK face.

that, or singlemindedly refusing to look at them, coupled with 'Get away or I'll call security' if necessary.

But it really, really upsets me that this is necessary at Disney; it spoils the whole arrival experience for me. So in the way of things I don't like, I pretend its not there....

if Disney could buy the land (it must be public land, otherwise they'd never allow them to be there) then perhaps they could kick them out for good? :confused3

EK

[I <3 DLP]

along with them men with the little blankets sellin muck i hate the men that try to take your picture and sell it to you we say no every time or just ignore but they still hassle you its so annoyin it kinda ruins the buzz leavin the village. :mad: last year they just took it anyway and told us we had to buy it.. but we didnt.

[squizz]

along with them men with the little blankets sellin muck i hate the men that try to take your picture and sell it to you we say no every time or just ignore but they still hassle you its so annoyin it kinda ruins the buzz leavin the village. :mad: last year they just took it anyway and told us we had to buy it.. but we didnt.

Same, first time I encountered these Del Boys I thought they were just crazy tourists wanting someone to pose in a photo for their album, but then started trying to sell it to us for some extortionate cost, which I just said No to.. It wasn't even in focus properly.

Anyway, he lost some film, I kept my cash, he got all grumpy.. but hey never mind.

[diamond57]

Nearly two years ago I was at DLP with dd and as we were arriving my camera was stolen from the camera bag - I think it was as we were going through the gates or queueing for left luggage or even bag check, because our first stop was at the castle and by then it was gone less than 30 minutes off the Eurostar. While at City Hall we met some other English people who had the purses stolen and were told that they had had a problem with youngsters who were very professional who literally had been doing quite a lot of thefts in the space of 30-60 minutes then nothing more for the rest of the day. This may have been a short term problem they had, because I have never encountered anything before - including when we have left things behind places they have been handed in by others, and that time when a CM heard what had happened gave us dd's photo with a character for nothing (it was not very good, and I was not going to buy it but dd started saying about how we did not have photos from that trip because of the theft).

Looking back, it was very busy (Halloween), I was distracted trying to keep dd in check with all the luggage, had just spent time opening the bags in full sight of lots of people at bag check so any could have seen the camera (it was a good new one that I had got for my birthday). Never have we had things stolen from pushchairs left when going on rides. I was just say only take what valuables you need and use common sense when in crowds, you do not need lots of cash, or jewellery so do not carry it around with you.

[Bonnie]

It's such a shame that we have to worry about these things when in a place like Disney, isn't it? :sad2: I too hate the vendors outside the park gates - it really spoils the experience for me. At least they're not inside the park though.

diamond57, sorry to hear of your horrible experience. What a start to your holiday! :eek:

[cap'njack.]

In all the times going I've never had anything stolen. I lost a few things but that's my own fault.

I'd say you were no more (or less) at risk at Disneyland than you would be at any theme park in England (or anywhere else for that matter)

[bavaria]

I have to agree with the last poster. And I am continually amazed at how tourists drop their guard. Paris like any large city has people on the lookout for naive tourists. Don't respond to the women crying out 'speak English?' Don't agree to help someone look for their dropped wedding band. Don't have your photo taken by a stranger unless you ask them to do so. If you are uncomfortable with a situation, step away.

August in Paris and especially weekends means many tourists and few locals, and I was once again amazed by the people making themselves available to crime yesterday.

Having said that, my favourite handbags don't have a zipper closure on the top, and I have never lost my wallet, camera, etc.

I have been travelling on my own since about age 17 and have learned how to deal with questionable individuals and to say 'NO' and move away if needed (I did that yesterday at a major tourist metro stop)

Just be sensible, don't worry overly much, and avoid putting yourself at risk by responding to the type of offers I outlined above.

[tigger300686]

Somebody must be buying their stuff though, because otherwise, they wouldn't keep coming back because they'd make no money

Is that not just what their trying to do, earn I abit of money? No its not very disney like, and no maybe the stuff they have isnt wonderful- its not stuff i want to buy so i dont look at it but I dont think its right to be rude to them- a simple "No thank you" is fine.

[ukstitch]

Is that not just what their trying to do, earn I abit of money? No its not very disney like, and no maybe the stuff they have isnt wonderful- its not stuff i want to buy so i dont look at it but I dont think its right to be rude to them- a simple "No thank you" is fine.

I don't mind them doing what they're doing, I guess I just think it would be better if either:

a) There weren't so many of them
b) They were at the edge of the path, rather than in the middle where you're trying to walk

I'm never outwardly rude to them - I wouldn't dream of doing that. It's just one of those things I guess, that I start finding that after I've walked from parks to car park several days in a row with a large pushchair, I (internally) get a slight urge to kick the little robot animals they sell out of the way, because they always seem to be in the middle of the pathway, right where you're trying to walk.

[tigger300686]

Sorry,I wasnt sugguesting you would be rude or even refering to your opinion in your post, i quoted what your had said because it states the point I'm making- all they trying to do it earn some money and they come back because they do.

[ukstitch]

Sorry,I wasnt sugguesting you would be rude or even refering to your opinion in your post, i quoted what your had said because it states the point I'm making- all they trying to do it earn some money and they come back because they do.

No need to apologise, I just read your post wrong then, which is easily done on an internet forum :thumbsup2.

Even so, I realised that maybe my urge to kick them could have come across wrongly, so I felt I should clarify what I meant :goodvibes

There do seem a lot more of them in France than I ever remember in Florida though - whether the law is different in France or they're just less bothered about them I don't know.

[thelittlemermaid83]

Them people who sell them tacky toys by the train station do get moved on several times a day by the police which makes me think why do they keep coming back.

I would never buy any of that cheap rubbish that they sell, id rather Kyra go without then funding there criminal ways.

[tigger300686]

Them people who sell them tacky toys by the train station do get moved on several times a day by the police which makes me think why do they keep coming back.

I would never buy any of that cheap rubbish that they sell, id rather Kyra go without then funding there criminal ways.

How do you know their criminal, thats abit of an actuation.

[thelittlemermaid83]

How do you know their criminal, thats abit of an actuation.

Because they are not allowed to be there, which makes what they are doing illegal.

[tigger300686]

Because they are not allowed to be there, which makes what they are doing illegal.

I've never seen them be moved on.

[thelittlemermaid83]

I've never seen them be moved on.


I have once, well they didnt get moved more like legged it when they saw the police approaching :lmao:

[tigger300686]

I have once, well they didnt get moved more like legged it when they saw the police approaching :lmao:

Humm maybe they are different ppl to what i'm thinking of then, as at nye the police we stood chatting and play about with the toys looking rather friendly.

[thelittlemermaid83]

Humm maybe they are different ppl to what i'm thinking of then, as at nye the police we stood chatting and play about with the toys looking rather friendly.

:confused3 Maybe they was after a late Christmas bargain :lmao:

[rolorolorolo]

Hi everyone,

New to posting on this forum but a long time reader of other's posts, and thought a few of you might be interested in an experience we had in Disney Hotel New York in Mar 2006.

It was our first day, we had checked in and dumped our bag in our room on the ground floor, and put half of our money in the safe.

We went back to our room at around 11pm and found someone had broken in through a room further along the corridor and subsequently broke into each room through the adjoining doors. Luckily (!) only our safe was broken into, our suitcase hadn't been touched and our passports which were on the table were still there. Some rooms further down had bags ransacked and jewellery taken as well as cash and other belongings. We had to go to the police station at 1am meaning that by the time we got back to the hotel and changed rooms, the next day was wasted thorugh exhaustion.

Unfortunately the insurance (through Disney) we took out when booking didn't cover us for cash, so we didn't manage to claim anything back, but they did give us a free holiday to Disney Newport Bay for 3 days due to inconvenience, which was probably worth the same as we lost. When we went back they were really good to us (we were on the Admiral's floor with a lake view), so after swearing we would never go back to Disney, we have booked to go again in November this year.

This time we will take our own insurance out in the UK, so it's easier to communicate if making a claim, and will ask for a room higher than ground level!

rolo

[Cyrano]

Hi rolorolorolo and welcome to DLP DIS board :wave2:
We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each :goodvibes

If you have not had a look yet, DLP posting rules are here (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1477038), DIS posting guidelines can be found here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/guidelines.htm).

Glad you didn't let the actions of an undesirable affect your return :)

[silverka2002]

On our last full day, hubby had gone down to the car while the girls were getting dressed and I got the last of our cash out - 150 Euros to take to the parks.
It wasn't until I went in my purse later that afternoon I realised I had left the money on the bed in the room. :eek:
I thought oh well that's it, I have no proof it was there and my own stupid fault for leaving it.
Hubby drove back to the hotel and the maids had made the bed and the money was in exactly the same place albeit with the sheets on top of it.

This was the Premiere Classe at Bussy St Georges. :thumbsup2

Happy faces all round :dance3:

[tetley02]

Oh those little wierd dolls make me chuckle, someone I know goes to disney almost every year, one year they brought back a little yellow furry barking dog with bright green or red eyes. My daughter was about 2 then and she was terrified of it. When I told her we were going to disneyland all she wanted to know at first was, would she see the scary doggies!

[sam_rogers]

Who wants to buy a crappy (scary with red glowing eyes) little barking/walking dog toy when you're at disney anywyay?!

They just look possessed!!!

[Orion33]

I must admit it's not a trip to the park without spotting (or hearing) one of those squeaky cats for me! haha I have never really been approached in fact asides them being dotted about on the pavement i find them quite non evasive for street sellers!

You always know when the police are about though as the reason there stuff is on a blanket is so at the first sign of police they wrap it up and leggit-if they are running then there is usually a policeman not far behind

Very cruelly my husband and i were contemplating yelling "gendarmerie gendarmerie!!!!!!!" last time we walked past to see if we could make them scatter.

But no they really aren't a problem, they shouldn't be there but they really are hardly a threat and a polite no thanks always works (unlike the vendors under the eiffel tower......) there is a new guy who is at the gates with a polaroid who will walk right up to you and lift his camera, he got us every morning but again a polite no was all it took he wasn;t pushy he just moved on!

I think common sense prevails with your valuables but generally i can't think of anywhere safer :thumbsup2 people would disagree but then that is what these forums are for.