Shoes stolen from GF Pool

[PinkPixel]

My 2 year old’s brand new for the trip, Native brand rubber shoes were stolen from the GF pool on our trip in June. They were with my husbands shoes in between our chairs kind of tucked under the lounge chair. They were gone immediately after we all swam together on other side of the pool. The pool was not super busy and I was aware of the groups around and there was not another girl that small at that point. They never turned up. It’s bothered me ever since. Is theft at the pools a known thing? What can I do to prevent this in future visits? Definitely took away some of the magic that night , looking around realizing something is gone and going to report stuff missing and thinking people in the pool area are resort guests only etc..As soon as I started looking around for them, I noticed a man with large clear plastic garbage bag swung over his shoulder call out to the group of adults that was near us that he had all their clothes and towels in the bag and was ready to go. It seemed off to me. I also have never seen someone bring a garbage bag to a resort pool. It didn’t make sense why he’d be carrying the rest of the groups clothes in a bag, they all seemed dressed etc. The shoes in question are popular, $40 a pair, easy to clean and I’m wondering where they are reselling them and how they got into the pool area. In general I’ve started to question my security at the MK resorts and just wonder if anyone else has experienced this.

 

[Darklord77]

I have learned one key lesson in my line of work: If you have nice things, someone else will want them. The only thing you can do is make it as difficult as possible for that person to take it. I would go out on a limb and say these incidents are much lower at WDW than your average public pool/resort.

 

[Lewisc]

Resort pools generally supply guests with towels, frequently after showing a room key.
The person leaving with the bag might be a pool crasher or a thief.
I try not to bring anything of value to a pool or Waterpark. Cheap flip-flops
Cheap sunglasses.

You could have asked the guy to check and see if he accidentally took your kids shoes. No doubt the answer would be no.

 

[loves to dive]

I've never had anything taken but I'm careful as to what I take to the pools. I wear an old pair of Old Navy flip flops, about $1 a pair. I wear my oldest shorts and tshirt as a cover up. I take only my room key (I stay at Dolphin) and my kindle. When I go into the pool I wrap my kindle in my clothes, put my key in the pocket of the shorts and put my towel on top of them and sort of glance over every once in awhile to make sure the towel is where I left it. If I go to the hot tub, I take the bundle with me and put it near where I'm sitting. I put my shorts on as soon as I've toweled off after getting out of the pool or hot tub because I don't like sitting around in my bathing suit. I figure if they take my shorts all they have is my room key, which does not have the number written on it and I can go to the front desk and get another one programmed. If they take my kindle I would hate it but it's an older one. The shorts, tshirt and flip flops aren't worth taking. I try not to make it attractive to take anything.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Always wear cheap shoes to a pool. Anything nice screams Steal Me whether it’s shoes for a 2yo or a 90yo.

Always question your security in a public location like that and stay vigilant. It’s not your backyard. There are thieves- and worse- around. You can enjoy yourself while being aware your stuff could be stolen, namely by only bringing stuff you don’t care about.

 

[purpliequeen]

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

I know it doesn't help, but this type of behavior can happen anywhere - in and outside of WDW.

 

[emily nicole]

Sorry that happened! I am always paranoid about that when we swim.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We use a cooler backpack at the pools. We put our stuff in there and use a suitcase combo lock to close and then use another to lock to the chair. Then no worries. Disney has crazies too. More than anywhere in my opinion. Just look around the parks

 

[Farro]

I can't even...who takes a baby's shoes???

Disgusting.

 

[Lilsia]

We never take anything nice on vacation. I even leave my wedding band at home.

 

[rileyroosmom]

When My daughter was 3 years old her new Tinkerbell flip flops were stolen from the Polynesian pool. On another trip at the Wilderness Lodge, a woman tried to take my son’s Buzz Lightyear towel from him claiming it was hers.

 

[PinkPixel]

Always wear cheap shoes to a pool. Anything nice screams Steal Me whether it’s shoes for a 2yo or a 90yo.

Always question your security in a public location like that and stay vigilant. It’s not your backyard. There are thieves- and worse- around. You can enjoy yourself while being aware your stuff could be stolen, namely by only bringing stuff you don’t care about.

I agree with all of that. But it wasn’t the caring about the shoes as much she still needed to wear them. I also, maybe naively didn’t consider Native shoes to be something that someone would steal, or scream steal me. Resell they probably sell for $10-20. You would have to be doing this kind of thing frequently or daily at the resorts and based on the bag on his shoulder and the way he acted it seemed like that was the case. I expect way more from a resort like Grand Floridian or any Disney pool that is gated, that we can wear rubber shoes kids wear to school and not have them swiped while my back is turned.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My 2 year old’s brand new for the trip, Native brand rubber shoes were stolen from the GF pool on our trip in June. They were with my husbands shoes in between our chairs kind of tucked under the lounge chair. They were gone immediately after we all swam together on other side of the pool. The pool was not super busy and I was aware of the groups around and there was not another girl that small at that point. They never turned up. It’s bothered me ever since. Is theft at the pools a known thing? What can I do to prevent this in future visits? Definitely took away some of the magic that night , looking around realizing something is gone and going to report stuff missing and thinking people in the pool area are resort guests only etc..As soon as I started looking around for them, I noticed a man with large clear plastic garbage bag swung over his shoulder call out to the group of adults that was near us that he had all their clothes and towels in the bag and was ready to go. It seemed off to me. I also have never seen someone bring a garbage bag to a resort pool. It didn’t make sense why he’d be carrying the rest of the groups clothes in a bag, they all seemed dressed etc. The shoes in question are popular, $40 a pair, easy to clean and I’m wondering where they are reselling them and how they got into the pool area. In general I’ve started to question my security at the MK resorts and just wonder if anyone else has experienced this.

Happened to us too. We were staying at BC. Someone took my daughter's Birkenstocks. A $90 pair of shoes gone. I know she shouldn't have worn them to the pool, not waterproof but we were in a hurry to get out the door so it didn't cross my mind then. Went to front desk to check lost and found. Nope. I knew someone just saw them and wanted them. Got her a pair of sandals similar to Birkenstocks at Walmart. $7 and waterproof.

 

[happiestpoe]

I'm so sorry that happened to your family.

If you haven't already done so, report it to GF staff, and report your suspicions about that party in question. You likely won't get the shoes back, but I'm sure they will do something for you-- a little extra magic.

 

[G719]

This happened to me but not at Disney. It happened at water country in williamsburg. I had a pair of crocs stolen by the wave pool. My daughters much more expensive chacos were there too but the crocs must have been more appealing. We've been to many water parks and lock everything up except our shoes. Guess I will start wearing shoes that can go in the water. It stinks that people take things.

 

[DLgal]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. My rule of thumb for hotel pools and waterparks has always been "bring nothing that I can't stand to lose." Unfortunately there are bad apples out there and you have to assume that anything you leave unattended might walk away by the time you return.

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

We've had kids goggles taken off of our chairs the last 2 trips at the Jambo pool (one expensive pair and one cheap pair). We are pretty careful about what we bring now. We use a Safego lock box which we attach to a pool lounger to hold our phones if we bring them to the pool to take pictures. We have specific pool shoes which are just Old Navy cheap flip flops.

 

[lorimay]

We had our sunscreen taken off our lounger on The Fantasy a few years ago, never crossed my mind that someone would walk away with it.
Live and learn I guess.

When we were at GF in June they were not checking who entered the pool when we went, I was surprised.

 

[TeddieM]

Happened to us too. We were staying at BC. Someone took my daughter's Birkenstocks. A $90 pair of shoes gone. I know she shouldn't have worn them to the pool, not waterproof but we were in a hurry to get out the door so it didn't cross my mind then. Went to front desk to check lost and found. Nope. I knew someone just saw them and wanted them. Got her a pair of sandals similar to Birkenstocks at Walmart. $7 and waterproof.

I wonder how much of this is by accident as we all know it can get a bit crazy with kids and packing up on vacation etc. I just can’t imagine ANYBODY wanting to take someone else’s used Birkenstock’s. Gross.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I wonder how much of this is by accident as we all know it can get a bit crazy with kids and packing up on vacation etc. I just can’t imagine ANYBODY wanting to take someone else’s used Birkenstock’s. Gross.

They were actually new. Had them less than a month. Hardly worn.