Expensive watch taken from room

[4kids4karen]

My husband's very expensive watch disappeared from our room one evening at AKL earlier this week. Didn't realize it was missing until we packed to check out the following morning. Reported it to the front desk and they treated it as a "lost property" incident, rather than stolen property, despite my suggesting that it had to have been physically removed from our room and that it wasn't lost somewhere in the room between the bedsheets. Supervisor came and said they would look at the door log to see who entered the room and that they would mail the watch to us if they find it. Seems to me that they were not prepared to deal with this as a stolen property incident. Has anyone dealt with this? Not sure what to do now that we're back home. If I was back in a hotel back home and not on my way to the airport, I would've insisted that the police be called.

If you have insurance (as any extremely expensive jewelry should) you will need to call them to confirm if a police report is mandatory or just a completed statement. I haven't read the replies yet, but I hope if it is "extremely expensive" you covered it on insurance.

 

[4kids4karen]

You should be able to claim this on your homeowners insurance. But I agree Disney did not handle this right.

My insurance requires that we list it with them. My wedding set is covered for sure. We made absolute sure we added it. I had a friend who while working a 12-hour shift for a military exercise left her wedding set on the bathroom sink to wash her hands. When she realized it she went back in and it was gone. Only about 6 females on that shift but they couldn't get anyone to fess up. I told her to file a police report. She was smart enough to put it on her insurance (same company as mine) and a few days later she was deposited the value amount of her wedding set. She got a new wedding set but was extremely sentimental over losing the original. People just suck sometimes.

 

[FigmentChick]

If you rely on hotel safes get a Milockie safe lock. They cost about $50 and let you add your own lock to the hotel's in-room safe.

Personally, I have an android tablet and a bluetooth webcam that work together to surveil my room while I'm out of it. I travel with some expensive equipment and much of it won't fit in a hotel safe. So I lock it to the furniture and fire up my motion tracker. I get a txt with a photo everytime someone goes into my room while we're out. I let the mousekeeper know the room is watched so she doesn't do anything embarrassing and then I just don't worry about it.

Could you let me know what software you use for the motion tracker/text messages? I think this is awesome as I travel with a lot of expensive equipment as well and worry each time I leave our room.

Thanks in advance!

 

[*Fantasia*]

The best bet is probably putting all the valuables inside the luggage and then locking them with a lock. I've done this all the time with my purse and whatever else that is valuable to me. Never had any problem.

 

[BlueGiraffe]

Wow, reading these posts has really opened my eyes! I guess I've always been naive about trusting staff because they work for Disney.

We stayed at ASMovies for 7 nights in 2006, and AKL for 5 nights in 2008 (our honeymoon) and I honestly don't recall using the safe on either trip - I don't even remember knowing there was one. Yet when we stayed in a privately rented villa, that no one else was accessing, we used the safe all the time to lock our money and passports away in (laptops were left out). I guess I'll be more cautious when we go to CSR next summer.

Locking items in your suitcase is a good tip. We did this in New York once, but I stupidly locked the keys in the case by accident, lol! I also left my phone on the bed after checking out. I phoned from the airport and they FedExed it to me as the housekeeper had found it.

Going back to the OP, I hate losing things and would be really cross if my watch went missing, and I'd be frustrated too if my husband didn't deal with it as I would have done. But maybe as it's his watch, he needs to be the one to worry about it.

 

[fla4fun]

Another thing to keep in mind is that housekeeping is not the only one with access to your room. Maintenance also has access, as well as certain management levels. Also, and this has happened to me, it's possible for a guest to be assigned to an already occupied room. Nothing quite like opening the door and finding a whole family already in there! A do not disturb sign will not keep maintenance out if there is a problem that needs to be addressed (such as a water leak that might affect your room).

So I can understand that Disney needs to do some investigating on their side before condemning the housekeeper, but I would still file a police report so your ducks are in a row.

 

[disneydreaming92701]

Why do people always blame the victim of a crime???

Just because you don't lock something up and it get's stolen doesn't make it your fault.

If I steal something from my fellow employees purse that she left sitting on her desk is it her fault?

I guess anything we leave in our locked hotel rooms is fair game for the hotel staff?

agreed. Maybe if people stop blaming victims crime rates would decrease... bad people do bad things. I can't tell you how many times when working in the justice system that criminals and sometimes their legal teams spend the whole time blaming the victims. In my opinion that is shameful.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

When we travel everything that fits in the safe goes into the safe. If it does not fit like a laptop, it goes into one of our luggage and it gets locked. We also lock all of the other pieces of luggage otherwise it's too easy for those less honest folks (if they get into our room) to figure out which piece has something valuable inside. Knock on wood; we have never had as much as a few coins left on the dresser taken from our room.

 

[Kristibo42]

Why would you bring an expensive watch to Disney then leave in your room? I say if there is any change that it might be lost or stolen leave at home.

 

[disneydreaming92701]

What surprises me is the number of people that travel with items that can not be replaced, that hold great sentimental value, or expensive.

We take nothing on vacation that is not insured, or replaceable. So our valuables and cherished items stay home.

It is a hotel room, accessible by many people, not a private residence.

Maybe those without children especially children who may have some type of special need or are young.... sometimes those most cherished movies can't be left at home even after talking to the kids about possibility of them being lost....

 

[luvthemouse71]

I own a couple of expensive watches and some nice jewelry..I don't take these items on vacation. I bring one of my cheaper watches, and go light on the jewelry. I do usually have my iPad along and my cell phone but the iPad goes in the safe and the phone comes with me. The safes I have used in WDW used the code not a key, though. I guess if the safes continue to be an issue, I will just lock valuables in my suitcase if need be. Either that, or rig up a nannycam.

Sucks when things get stolen. I don't think that the OP is being dishonest about a Mousekeeper possibly taking it. They did just catch a Mousekeeper stealing. But, it doesn't surprise me how Disney responded either. Without solid proof, they can't just accuse someone.

 

[disneydreaming92701]

I would have reported that incident immediately. We have to trust the housekeepers and now we have to trust friends they being along?

Or the friend was there for some type of reindevous. We checked in very late once at a hotel. We hadn't reserved to room so I am sure staff thought it was not going to be used. Well we checked in a about 1 am and about 2 am someone tried to get in the room giggling and saying shhhh. Well we had it bolted but looking out the peep whole there were two hotel staff at the door trying to get in and looking around.... we went first thing to the manager who insisted at first she didnt have staff who looked like we described working overnight we then told her they were in uniform and gave them the names on the name badges.... she quickly said ohh and refunded the room......I was livid...

 

[luvthemouse71]

If you rely on hotel safes get a Milockie safe lock. They cost about $50 and let you add your own lock to the hotel's in-room safe.

Personally, I have an android tablet and a bluetooth webcam that work together to surveil my room while I'm out of it. I travel with some expensive equipment and much of it won't fit in a hotel safe. So I lock it to the furniture and fire up my motion tracker. I get a txt with a photo everytime someone goes into my room while we're out. I let the mousekeeper know the room is watched so she doesn't do anything embarrassing and then I just don't worry about it.

I didn't know about the supplemental lock, thanks for posting.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Why do people always blame the victim of a crime???

Just because you don't lock something up and it get's stolen doesn't make it your fault.

If I steal something from my fellow employees purse that she left sitting on her desk is it her fault?

I guess anything we leave in our locked hotel rooms is fair game for the hotel staff?

It's just common sense. Most adults have figured out that there are dishonest people in the world and that you should be careful with your stuff. I wouldn't blame a mugging victim exclusively. Ultimately, the thief is the most guilty, but is the victim smart for walking around a bad neighborhood in the dead of night with expensive items? No, they are not.

While there are big differences between WDW and the ghetto, WDW is not a magic bubble where bad things don't happen. It still pays to think smart.

 

[Jenne03]

Who cares why the OP had an expensive watch at Disney? It has nothing to do with the OP. She was wondering if others had a similar experience and how they dealt with it. The fact is there was an expensive watch and it is missing.

With that being said , I am not sure how Disney should handle a situation like that. It was either lost by the op, lost in the room some place or someone took it. So how does Disney remedy a situation where no one is sure exactly what happened? I think you did right by bringing it to their attention and maybe you can keep calling and trying to find out if they did check the log and what they found. I hope you can claim it and file a report so at least you can get some of the expense back.

I think being at Disney gives some a false sense of security because it is such an awesome place. But just because it's Disney doesn't mean everyone that works for them is honest, good at their job, happy, etc.

I really hope you find it, have it returned, or at least are able to make an insurance claim op!! I am sorry your watch is gone.

 

[dbrn]

Very good points, even though something stolen from a locked hotel room does not necessarily mean it was hotel staff.

True. On three separate occasions, two different hotel chains, I have received the key for a room at check-in and upon arrival to the room found it to be already occupied (fortunately never walked in on someone, but all of their belongings were still there.) Mistakes happen, and it's entirely possible for someone to be able to gain access to a hotel room as a result. I never leave valuables out in the hotel room, and when I'm in it, the deadbolt is locked.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Many years ago, my dad stayed in a hotel for two weeks while at a training conference. He started to get a weird feeling that someone was going through the drawer where he put his socks and underwear (detective instincts - he was at a police training conference). He got the idea to set up a little trap using toothpicks. If anyone opened the drawer, the toothpicks would fall. The next day he came back and all of the toothpicks were gone. Apparently, the maid had opened the drawer, set off the trap, freaked out, and took the toothpicks. She was probably looking for money, but all she found was his little trap!

 

[gray52]

My husband's very expensive watch disappeared from our room one evening at AKL earlier this week. Didn't realize it was missing until we packed to check out the following morning. Reported it to the front desk and they treated it as a "lost property" incident, rather than stolen property, despite my suggesting that it had to have been physically removed from our room and that it wasn't lost somewhere in the room between the bedsheets. Supervisor came and said they would look at the door log to see who entered the room and that they would mail the watch to us if they find it. Seems to me that they were not prepared to deal with this as a stolen property incident. Has anyone dealt with this? Not sure what to do now that we're back home. If I was back in a hotel back home and not on my way to the airport, I would've insisted that the police be called.

Any "very expensive watch" should be insured... About $50/ year for $5,000 in coverage for a watch that is lost, stolen or damaged.

 

[cobright]

Could you let me know what software you use for the motion tracker/text messages? I think this is awesome as I travel with a lot of expensive equipment as well and worry each time I leave our room.

Thanks in advance!

You're very welcome.

If you want to do it all with Android (which is how I started) get an app like "Camera Trigger". All on its own it does a respectable job and there are similar programs that you can try till you find one that does it best for you.

I actually don't remember what I was using on my old android galaxy tab but I have tried some of the new apps and they work. One thing that was a cool feature and I don't know which ones support it but I was able to monitor video from the front facing cameras at same time. This let me position the tablet so the face-cam was pointed at a mirror and let me cover more areas in the room.

Anyway, doing it like that I just clipped the belt clip onto the headboard of the bed facing the door and made sure the curtains were out of the frame (people walking by).

When we got a little more flush financially speaking I went and got a cheap netbook (like an aspire one) and ran a program called YAWCAM.

With YAWCAM running on windows I can use old smartphones, webcams, and wireless cams to set upto ... maybe 16 video feeds. I can set triggers and hotzones so that I get a txt msg when the maid arrives but a phonecall if the safe door opens. If you put an IR light source up out of the way inside the safe, human eyes don't see it but the cameras will and it can be scripted as a trigger.

Someone asked me the obvious question, "What's to keep someone from stealing your surveillance gear". It's one of those questions that comes from a time before the cloud. The answer of course is that I would have high def footage of the theft.

Just post a note and let housekeeping know you are rolling film. A friend of mine caught the housekeeper changing her clothes in his room once and felt really weird about it.

 

[cobright]

Who cares why the OP had an expensive watch at Disney?

Sometimes I arrive to our resort separately, straight from a job somewhere. Because of the kind of work I do and the machines I'm around, I long ago added a rolex milgauss to my collection because it is specifically designed to withstand magnetics and radiation and ... higgs bosun for that matter. It's expensive, not like crazy expensive like some watch-heads get into but I think it was near $5k.

It would hurt to lose it. Disney resorts has been really weird about keeping it in the front desk safe and I would never trust the in-room safe alone. But I actually hate wearing a watch, so I find ways to secure my stuff.