Warning: Theft at CBR

[dopeyeq]

Just back from CBR and thought I'd warn all you trusting Disney folks out there (like I was!)...our backback, complete with brand new Sony camcorder, autograph books, medications, etc. was stolen from the Martinique bus stop or on the MGM bus that we boarded (we're not 100% sure of exactly when it occurred). We kept thinking that someone just picked it up by mistake and that it would turn up, but here we are, a week later, and now home, with nothing! I just still can't believe it! It really sucked the magic right out of our trip! By the way, Disney was not that terrific about the whole thing, and after losing our luggage when we switched over from the Poly, and trying to assign us to a smoking room, when we had specifically requested non-smoking (AND faxed the room controller), we are just soooooo disappointed!

Sorry all----- I'm not trying to spoil anything for all you...just want everyone to be careful!

[sharoncity]

Sorry to hear what happened to you! I have to say, we were at WDW several weeks ago and I was wondering about such things. I mean we kept the camcorder and stuff close to us, but with two kids and crowds, sometimes you can't help but lose sight of things for a minute. It seems like these types of things are not that common at WDW (or at least no one else is owning up to it.) And it would definitely have put a huge damper on our trip if it had happened to us.
Not that it will rectify everything, but if you have homeowners insurance, you can look into making a claim on it for the value of the items stolen(ie the camcorder.) I had my purse stolen a few years ago. My good watch was in it at the time and insurance reimbursed me less my deductible. Just a thought for you.

[nwdisgal]

Sorry to hear about that! I left my pjs at CBR by accident this past April and received a notice from their Lost and Found via postcard. They ended up shipping them to me once I confirmed that they were mine. I hope that your backpack turns up in Lost and Found and that they are as responsive. I found the head gal at CBR Lost and Found to be very helpful (unfortunately, I discarded the postcard with her name on it, otherwise I would give you a name to contact).

When we were at MK this past April, I noticed someone had dropped a bottle of prescription drugs in the boat at Pirates. I wasn't able to catch the CM as the boat took off, but when the boat returned, I pointed it out and one of the CM's turned the medication in to Lost and Found. What surprised me is that the boat loaded and unloaded and no one else either saw the bottle or took action. I think sometimes people just get so busy and caught up with the attraction itself and overlook the obvious. Also, unfortunately, Disney is not immune from crime. I read on the DVC board about a children's lawn chair being stolen from the pool area at one of the resorts. Go figure!

Also, sorry to hear about your situation at the Poly.

I hope your back pack turns up and it all works out for you in the end.

[ducklite]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. But I am a little concerned over your use of the word "Theft".

You yourself are not sure where it was last seen. It's quite likely that you left it someplace, and it was accidently picked up by someone thinking it was theris, who DID turn it in to lost and found, but not in any place that you would think, such as a waterpark or DTD. It's also possible it rode around on that bus for awhile until the driver noticed it at the end of the day, or if someone turned it in to him it might have stayed on the bus with him until the end of his shift. The driver could have driven through every resort and park that day, and had no way of knowing when and where it got on his bus. If this is the case, it would have ultimately ended up at Property Control. It's likely it's still there. You might want to call WDW and ask to be transferred there, and see if they can help.

Was your name, address and WDW resort info on both the backpack, and the camcorder? We lost an item several years ago that had our name and resort info on it, and got it back very quickly.

Anne

[dopeyeq]

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, our name and address were inside, and yes, we contacted central lost and found of WDW, transportation lost and found, and CBR lost and found (her name's Ellen) DAILY. To clear things up, we had the backback at the bus stop, got on the bus to go to MGM, and when we went to get off at MGM it was gone. We are pretty sure we had it when we got on the bus. But, we immediately got a cab, went back to the bus stop (after an absence of only about 15 mins) and it wasn't there. We, too, thought that someone mistakenly picked it up from under our seat on the bus or found it at the bus stop and would turn it in. But since it's been over a week, I guess not. Security told us that things usually turn up in a day or two and at this point, they more than consider it stolen, which is why I used the word "theft".

Since we are virtually positive we had it when we got on the bus, it probably had to happen by someone who exited the bus before us. And yes, we do take some responsibility because we put it down and took our eyes off of it, but that doesn't change how we feel about someone taking those things from us.

Thanks, too, for the tip about the homeowners ins. I'll check it out.

[dopeyeq]

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, our name and address were inside, and yes, we contacted central lost and found of WDW, transportation lost and found, and CBR lost and found (her name's Ellen) DAILY. To clear things up, we had the backback at the bus stop, got on the bus to go to MGM, and when we went to get off at MGM it was gone. We are pretty sure we had it when we got on the bus. But, we immediately got a cab, went back to the bus stop (after an absence of only about 15 mins) and it wasn't there. Ducklite, we, too, thought that someone mistakenly picked it up from under our seat on the bus or found it at the bus stop and would turn it in. But since it's been over a week, I guess not. Security told us that things usually turn up in a day or two and at this point, they more than consider it stolen, which is why I used the word "theft".

Since we are virtually positive we had it when we got on the bus, it probably had to happen by someone who exited the bus before us. And yes, we do take some responsibility because we put it down and took our eyes off of it, but that doesn't change how we feel about someone taking those things from us.

Sharoncity, thanks, too, for the tip about the homeowners ins. I'll check it out.

[Andy123]

Disney doesn't like to talk about it... and certainly is very reluctant to use the "theft" word... we had a similar thing happen last September at the Polynesian pool... we went swimming, had my pouch (with my glasses in it, our room keys, and money) in it... and when we came back, my chair had been moved, my shirt which was over top the pouch was moved... and they couldn't have cared less... there were several people who were VERY helpful (the lifeguards and some of the front desk staff)... but the concierge staff (where we were staying!) couldn't have been LESS helpful... We spent the last night of our vacation filling out a police report while they were doing us a favor and not charging us to replace the stolen room safe key! Yes, we probably shouldn't have brought all of that stuff to the pool, but like most, you fall into the "it's WDW - no one will do anything"... never got any of it back. So, yes theft does occur at DisneyWorld even if they won't admit it...

[mickey7861]

It's always a bummer when something less than magical happens and you have to realize that WDW isn't perfect....sorry about your loss. One draw back to WDW is they have to move so many people, there's always a chance that not everyone on your bus is a vacationer. Anyone can get on a WDW bus and not everyone has respect for the belongings of others.

On the flip side last April we went to check out OKW for our upcoming ressies and my DD left her wallet in the bathroom next to giftshop. We didn't discover it missing until later that night. After returning home we mentally retraced our stops that day, called OKW and they had the wallet at lost and found, they shipped it to us the next day.

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by Andy123
Disney doesn't like to talk about it.....So, yes theft does occur at DisneyWorld even if they won't admit it.....

Not to pick on Andy123, but (1) is anyone really surprised that there is theft at WDW? and (2) does any vacation destination spend a lot of time talking about the crime that occurs there? (Of course, there are those shows on cable showing the pickpockets caught by the casino cameras in Vegas ;) ).

Still, another good reminder not to get too complacent. All tourist areas are what the cops call "target rich" for thieves.

[Chance's Mom]

I, too, was a victim of theft at WDW in Jan. 2002. We had rented a stroller at AK. When we went on the Kali RR, we left a jacket, my son's pressed pennies (book and lots of pennies), and a stuffed animal that my son had just won at Dinorama in the pouch of the stroller. Neither stroller nor contents were ever seen again. I encountered some down right nasty CMs that day. I love Disney, so this is even hard to admit. No one cared that we had lost our things. The CM at guest relations couldn't even understand why I wanted to fill out a missing items report, hoping someone had "accidentally" taken the stroller. Anyone with a 5 year old understands that pressed penny books are very important. I even check stroller rental when the park closed.
The worst part was the really "yucky" feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Someone who was a paying customer at AK had simply stolen our stuff.
I called the central lost and found (located at the TTC) even after we returned home with no luck.
Lesson learned--People will steal no matter where you are, even in the "happiest place on earth".:(

[JerseyJanice]

Wow, that stinks!

Sorry that it happened to you.

[ophyllia]

You know I always wondered about things like this. Everytime you come out of an attraction you see hundreds of strollers sitting there with all these personal belongings in them. Do people not worry about leaving their stuff out as temptation? It is too bad that these people are taken advantage of and end up having their things taken. My theory if its too much to keep on your body ay all time than it is too much to be hauling around the park.

Good luck in getting your things back.

[Andy123]

Dancing Bear,

I wasn't talking about theft in general in WDW... I wouldn't expect them to "advertise" the crime rates/etc. What I was referring to was the cast members acknowledging - after saying to them "My stuff was STOLEN" - that it was in fact stolen. They absolutely refused to even think for a second that it was stolen - even after we filed the police report. They could have cared less. I wasn't looking for anything but "I'm sorry that this happened, we'll try to do better in the future". That's it. And they wouldn't even come CLOSE to that.

[DebbieB]

Did you file a police report? If you haven't, you should call the Orange Co Sheriff to put it on record. I lost a cellphone at OKW 3 years ago. I knew I had it when we were sitting outside by the dock waiting for friends to check-in. I thought I put it in my carryon bag. When I went to look for it in the room a couple days later, I could not find it. I had no idea if I had left it on the bench, it fell out of the bag or if it was stolen from the room. I didn't think it was likely that it was stolen because my roommates cellphone was sitting out on the table and not taken. I called the phone company and they told me to file a police report because I would be responsible for any calls made. Luckily no calls were made (I had a lock code on it). I called lost & found several times but no luck. The "free" phone I got a couple months before when I signed up for service was over $200 to replace (and I had a 2 year contract). When I got home, I called my insurance agent and homeowners covered it (-$100 ded). I was honest and said I didn't know what happened, if I lost it or if it was stolen. They just filed the claim as stolen and paid it. I had to give them the police report #.

Good Luck!

[GeorgeG]

Sorry to hear of the losses. That can really bring down an otherwise great vacation.

One of the things that makes WDW such a wonderful vacation destination is the feeling of safety you just can't help feeling. That's a good thing!

However, like DancingBear said, we can't become too complacent, no matter where we are. Even if 100% of WDW employees are honest, which they may or may not be, the odds are that at least a few of the many thousands of guests are not.

Take all the precautions you would on any other vacation and you should be fine.

[CM Tinkerbell]

I am also not surprised by this at all. There are so many people that come through Disney World and there is no guarantee that they are all good, honest people. Unfortunately, I'm sure there are many that are not. I also agree with the above poster that said that there are people that take advantage of vacation spots like this to pick up items that are left unattended. It must happen often.

I had a situation about a year ago where I had left my brand new camera in it's camera bag with all my accessories on the back of a chair at one of the counter service restaurants at MK. I realized that I had left it about 20 minutes later. My first thought was that someone would have stolen it. I thought for certain that I would never see it again. However, I asked at the counter and they said they had bought it to lost and found and sure enough it was there.

This is a good warning to give people dopeyeq.

It definitely is important to be extra careful. I definitly learned that. Disney does have signs in several areas that say that they are not responsible for lost or stolen items. We all need to be extra careful with and take responsibility for our own items while vacationing at WDW.

I am sorry to hear that it was lost and I hope that somehow it will still turn up. I can only imagine how disapointing it is for you.

[Bob O]

Andy123-I dont know what disney could do better in the future. Crime will happen no matter where you are and disney cant prevent it and isnt responsible for it. The cm could have displayed a better attitude but that wouldnt have returned your property.

[minnie56]

It is true....theft can happen anywhere, even at Disney!

I had a watch stolen from a beach cover-up pocket, left on a chaise lounge by the pool at the Polynesian a year ago. It was foolish of me to remove it in plain-site I suppose, but someone was certainly watching me do so!! It was a Gucci and Disney more or less told me not to 'expect it back' !

Oh well, a lesson learned!:(

[The Pluto People]

FYI: My sister gave me a little, waterproof plastic case with a cord on it so you can wear it around your neck in the pool. We lock all our valuables in the safe and then put the safe key and our room card in it - great for the pool! I am the least adventuresome swimmer in my family (no slides:eek: ) so I usually wear the case around my neck. My sister bought the case in Jamaica but I think they may be sold at some of the WDW pools.:smooth:

[TDC Nala]

I have the waterproof pass holder from Typhoon Lagoon. They're expensive there, but they are the right size for a Disney pass, a room key, a credit card, and a little cash. They're also sold at Blizzard Beach. Having one means I don't have to get a locker at the water park. Sometimes I wear it to the theme parks, too.

While on vacation, I wouldn't leave anything valuable anywhere it could be picked up (cameras, passes, cash, jewelry, etc.) Lock all valuables in the room safe if you don't want to hang onto them, or, if it's too big to fit in the room safe, take it down to the front desk at your hotel and let them lock it up for you.

[kylara]

Actually, I have heard Disney CMs say theft happens. One was a Security CM. About two years ago my sister was ready to leave her camera out in plain sight in the car (just a cheap point and shoot 35mm), but a security CM going by at the time suggested that she lock it in the trunk because while my sister doesn't think it is worth that much, someone else might. She took his advice.

Another time was when I found a nice camera bag with a brand new 33mm Nikon and about 3 different lenses (I know one was telephoto and one was wide angle but couldn't figure out the third). I mean this camera was beautiful and probably worth about $1000 dollars or more. It was just left on the walkway right outside the fast food eatery that is between Main St. and Tomorrow Land and it was right before the fireworks. When I took it to the CM in the resturant, she said that the people were lucky that I was honest and turning it in...she said that often people won't be...they'll take it home for themselves. She actually stated that they have a lot of theft of lost items.

[Kallison]

Considering the amount of people who vacation at Disney from all parts of the country and world nobody should be shocked that theft occurs. I'm sorry for your loss. We are always extra vigilant with our valuables, but I can understand how it can happen. We have only lost non-valuables such as autograph book at Disney or baseball hats and have always been lucky to find everything in Lost and Found more than once. I don't think there is any way that Disney could have prevented this, although a little sympathy would have been nice.

[pooh6890]

I have always felt the same thing about the strollers. I never took my kids to DW until they were old enough to walk around themselves. All those strollers just sitting there with so many personal belongings in there. I had my mickey antenna thingie stolen off my car a few weeks ago. I think what bothers me so much about it is the fact that person likes Disney too and would have the nerve to steal it. I guess we feel that Disney is special and Disney People are special too. NOT! Also, I live in Miami so what did I expect? There is theft and stealing everywhere so you have to expect it everywhere I guess. Sad, but true.

[manhattan]

On one of my first trips to Disney at CBR we arrived early so we headed to the pool and waited until check in time. I had placed my rings on my watch and placed it on my hip bag. Upon check in I took off my hig bag and heard my rings fall to the floor and I picked them up, but was busy trying to listen the CM who was checking us in. Upon entering our hotel room I noticed that my watch had also fallen. I immediately called the front desk and mentioned that I just lost my watch at check in and had noticed the family right after us was acting very weird (they actually accidently bumped into me) and asked if it was at all possible to see if one of their children had picked up my watch. They said they could not do that, but if they voluntarily turned it in they would notify me. Needless to say, I never saw the watch again- which was really depressing since it had been a birthday gift from my husband and was less than 2 months old.

After thinking about it, I couldn't believe that someone would actually see someone dropping something and instead of mentioning it to the person, they would just take it for themselves, and to do it in front of their children!!

Well I have been more cautious ever since and I don't judge people by their cover (I myself am a minority and am quite used to being looked at strangely or followed around by security) but it seems that we all learn the hard way to look at everyone around us!

[Kim&Chris]

This stuff happens everywhere, but as a previous poster stated, Disney is definitely a target for thieves.

Let's be honest.....we go there normally with lots of cash, expensive cameras, and a carefree attitude. Thieves thrive on that stuff!

I was in one of the clubs at Pleasure Island one night & we were dancing and having a great time. One of my favorite songs started, so we went to the dancefloor. I took my purse and dropped it next to where we were dancing, as alot of women do. One of my friends nudged my arm and pointed to a guy who was standing, all alone, staring at the various purses on the dance floor. There was no doubt he was casing us out to see who's purse he could grab & run with. I quickly grabbed my purse and the guy disappeared. Talk about a scary situation! I had alot of cash in my wallet, as well as a Canon 35 mm camera!

From that day on, I learned a big lesson. I never leave anything unattended while I'm at Disney (or anywhere else, for that matter!).

[Katy]

I was at the World in April and about a week after we returned home I received an envelope from Disney. Inside was a letter stating that someone had found my "annual pass" (I didn't even know I had lost it" and turned it in. Disney sent it to me right away. Most people are honest but we can never let our guard down anywhere, especially at places like Disney where people tend to have a lot of valuables and cash and are very distracted by all that's going on around them. I believe that Disney does the best that they can or else they would run the risk of having a bad reputation.

[kidzmom3]

We had left some things on our stroller at epcot while we were in the American Adventure. Including passports of the world that the kids had been doing. When we came out, our stroller was gone. We notified an extremely helpful cm who not only got us another stroller (we didn't have to go get it) but she also asked for our room number and said she would report the loss. Well, when we got back to our room, there were 3 fully filled out passports with stamps etc.. 3 mickey lollypops and 3 pins. What a wonderful young lady she was. Her note said that she felt bad that the kids had to experience theft at WDW and she wanted to do whatever she could to make up for it. So there are caring cm's out there and if you see Jennifer, from Virgina at the American Adventure, be sure to tell her what a great gal she is.

[Magic2000]

I just don't understand why somebody would deliberately take something that wasn't theirs.
Last summer, we were at the Grand Floridian (I was waiting for my little girl to finish up at the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party). Anyway, I noticed a bag sitting on the sofa and no one was around. I sat there for about 10 or 15 minutes and still no one came for the bag. I brought it to the front desk and she looked to see if there was anything with a name or anything in the bag. It looked like it was just kids extra t-shirts. She offered to have me fill out a form for turning the bag in, and if it was not claimed, then it could be turned over to me.
I accidently left my camera on top of the stroller one time when we went in for a ride, and thankfully, it was still there when we returned. It wasn't an expensive camera, but still, it had some very valuable pictures of my girls with the characters!!!
Hope your stuff turns up!

[sgtpet]

We should all boycot WDW

[JLS]

I agree with what Katy said that "most people are honest." But its a numbers game... if there are, lets say, 50,000 people at WDW on a particular day (this number may be far off, I'm just using it as an example), even if 90% of the people are honest, that would still leave 500 people walking around just waiting for you to take your eyes off of your bag for a split second.

Of COURSE thieves target WDW because they know people there are walking around with a lot of vacation money - way more money in most cases than the average person walking around a city street would be carrying. People who think that WDW property isn't part of the "real world" as far as crime is concerned are just kidding themselves. But I don't think this reflects anything bad about WDW itself - as others have pointed out, Disney CMs cannot be responsible for the criminal intent of some guests, or for people's decision (or mistake) to leave personal belongings unattended. We can all just hope to find a nice helpful and sympathetic person if we are in such a situation.

Sorry to hear about your vacation downer.

[SeaSpray]

Theft can AND does happen anywhere and everywhere.

I am truly sorry that someone took your bag with your video camera and other items in it.

However, when I opened this thread, I thought you were going to say something was stolen from your room at CBR. Losing a bag on a bus is not the same as having a theft AT a resort. The title of this post gave me the wrong impression!

[epcotfan]

I have to agree with Seaspray. I was under a different impression when I first opened the thread. I thought something had been stolen from the in room safe (or something along those lines). I am sorry to hear you misplaced your things. Hopefully they will turn up.