Disney Abduction or Urban Myth?

[Mickey_for_President]

He then mentioned that indeed things happen that you don't really expect to happen and that it even happens now and then that children are abandoned at the MK Parents just leave there kids there and don't ever come back!

Ugh!!! And people complain about the safe haven laws! That would be a way of doing it. Drop the kids off in the morning and have a long time for your get-away! How awful.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Not that I buy in to this one, but one of my regular customers has a daughter who has worked for Disney(Aurora, in the parks, etc.) and he always says that things happen at Disney that the public NEVER gets wind of. Murders, rapes, etc.

Pure b.s.! Sure petty thefts happen at Disney all the time. But let me assure everyone that there are absolutely no murders and rapes at Disney World that don't get reported to law enforcement. And if they're reported, these things get into the press. Disney World and all the theme parks are under press microscopes. Heck, even the occasional parking lot mugging of a tourist on I-Drive makes the newspaper. I also disagree that the Orlando Sentinel is in any way biased against Disney. The amount of positive free press that Disney gets from that paper would cost $thousands.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

He then mentioned that indeed things happen that you don't really expect to happen and that it even happens now and then that children are abandoned at the MK Parents just leave there kids there and don't ever come back!

I find it hard to believe any KttK Tour Guide would say anything like that.

I don't know about simply abandoning children at the MK... but I've heard of incidents where infants were left unattended in their strollers while their parents went on an attraction.

Now, there was an incident a few years back where a minutes-old newborn baby was found abandoned in a restroom (the ones by Space Mountain in Tomorrowland in the old Skyway building) . Long story short; the family of the mother (who was visiting from another country) was eventually located.

 

[pta-mom]

The part about parents leaving their children and never coming back is TRUE!

I know because it happened to ME! Disney was incredible, although I never enjoyed singing in IASW for all those years.

Thanks for my morning chuckle!! Very cute!

That's why I thought my girls to scream, "This isn't my mommy/daddy!" instead of just screaming. )

This reminded me of when my son was about 2 or so....we had been in the grocery store & he was being a little pain-in-the-you-know-what until finally I had had enough!! I grabbed him up football style under my arm & proceeded to leave the store. As I was walking out, he started to scream, "YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY, PUT ME DOWN!!! YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY!!" People were starring big time at me but I guess I must have looked the part of totally irrate mother because NO ONE said one word to me.

Funny part....my son looks NOTHING like me. I am a lily white lady with red hair & green eyes, think Irish old country...my son is part Chinese, SA & East Indian & Portugese. He is dark haired, eyed & skin. I honestly kept waiting for the cops to come to my door to investigate!! LOL! We laugh about it now...it's become a family favorite....but it is a little scary that NO ONE said a word at the time.

 

[thefirebuilds]

This rumor was started by Ted of Ted's High Top Sneaker Emporium.

 

[marsrunner]

Thanks for my morning chuckle!! Very cute!



This reminded me of when my son was about 2 or so....we had been in the grocery store & he was being a little pain-in-the-you-know-what until finally I had had enough!! I grabbed him up football style under my arm & proceeded to leave the store. As I was walking out, he started to scream, "YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY, PUT ME DOWN!!! YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY!!" People were starring big time at me but I guess I must have looked the part of totally irrate mother because NO ONE said one word to me.

Funny part....my son looks NOTHING like me. I am a lily white lady with red hair & green eyes, think Irish old country...my son is part Chinese, SA & East Indian & Portugese. He is dark haired, eyed & skin. I honestly kept waiting for the cops to come to my door to investigate!! LOL! We laugh about it now...it's become a family favorite....but it is a little scary that NO ONE said a word at the time.

I wouldn't automatically stop somebody if the kid was screaming they were being stolen or that whoever had them wasn't their parents. I did it to my parents, my wife did it to her parents and our son did it to my wife. My daughter hasn't done it...yet! It would depend on what the person looked like...I mean do they look like they are stealing a kid or is the kid just misbehaving and throwing a tantrum. Hard to say.

 

[mackay_j]

This does happen, may never have happened in disney but I know it happens in Italy. We were shooping in a large store in Milan, when all the doors where closed and every small child was inspected. I had to try and find out what was happening as I don't speak any Italian. The security gaurds were rubbing the hair of some of the Kids. It was mainly gypsies who where involved in this. I have also heard of, on news here includding interviews, an attempted abduction from a hotel pool, luckly a teanage boy saw the young girl being picked up as she came back from the tiolets, and he knew that she had not been playing in the pool with that man, so he screemed out and started chassing the man who dumped the girl and ran. However, the worst cases are some of the parents. On a holiday in spain, at a water park I came across a small girl crying, age 6. We asked what was wrong and she explained that she had lost her little sister age 3 and was scared she had drowned. She told us she had been left to watch her for a few hrs while her mum went to have some shots on the rides. We found the little girl (after 35min) and handed both in to security. It took an effort not to thump the parents when they finaly showed up. We do know that one of the other parents who helped look for the missing tot worked in social services and was intending to report the incedent on his return to the UK.

A tip for disney is to use the hand reigns we used then on our youngest when she was about 3 - It made the trip much easier.

 

[Kies99]

Remember: www.snopes.com is our friend.

Can't tell you how many times I have to say this to co-workers who forward on "warning" e-mails!

This does happen, may never have happened in disney but I know it happens in Italy. We were shooping in a large store in Milan, when all the doors where closed and every small child was inspected. I had to try and find out what was happening as I don't speak any Italian. The security gaurds were rubbing the hair of some of the Kids. It was mainly gypsies who where involved in this.

I hate to say it as I like to think I have an open mind, but when I was living in Germany I just couldn't stand the "gypsies". Many times I had to physically push them away from me as they tried to beg for money (aka...pick my pocket).

 

[ZephyrHawk]

While my DH was working at WDW two of his co-workers were robbed of the "till" which they were taking into the tunnels to be turned in somewhere else. It was an inside job and the perpetrators were caught. Still...not something you expect to happen at Disney.

 

[pixiedustaholic]

A few years back, I read a book about all the "bad" stuff that happens at Disney. I can't remember the title right now, but I checked it out at my local library. It was very interesting. There was a lot about pedophiles working there...which made me really think about things. This would be the perfect place for someone like that to target...especially those who work in the childcare programs or yikes! in room babysitting services. I myself would never trust my children's safety to perfect strangers hundreds of miles from home in such a setting. Even if they do background checks, not every criminal has been caught yet. Before I read this book, we had taken our DD4 to the Wonderland Tea Party at GF. They expected parents to leave their children. My DH and I waited right outside the french doors and watched the entire time. They even played hide and seek...and there was this one male CM that just gave me a really weird feeling the way he looked at my DD and acted funny when I picked her up. I pray that she was old enough to tell me if anything bad had happened. It was just one of those mother's instinct feelings that something wasn't right with that guy. I'm sure I will get flamed but I would seriously reconsider leaving your kids alone with strangers. My DH and I have never really understood how people can do this and feel comfortable about it. Think about it...you are in an unfamiliar place no matter how many times you go to WDW and if someone wanted to, they could be gone sometimes hours before you even knew. My children are too precious for me to jeopordize thier safety. Dh and I will have a night out in our home town or when people we know and trust can watch the kids.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

A few years back, I read a book about all the "bad" stuff that happens at Disney. I can't remember the title right now, but I checked it out at my local library. It was very interesting. There was a lot about pedophiles working there...which made me really think about things. This would be the perfect place for someone like that to target...especially those who work in the childcare programs or yikes! in room babysitting services.

You're talking about "Disney: The Mouse Betrayed". It was a "hatchet job" about the company, and deliberately written to present the company in the worst possible light.

Any pedophiles would be too many -- but I would never say (nor have I ever thought) there were many working for the company. CBCs are run on each and every new hire, and Disney takes extreme, aggressive actions against any CM (or Guest!) accused of such things.

I read a book some years ago that talked about Pedophiles. Many realize what they are during their teenage years, and as they become adults they deliberately put themselves in positions where they have easy access to kids. WDW, with their aggressive policies and checks, would be a very poor choice for this... the odds are much higher of a pedo in your hometown as a coach, councilor, childcare provider, or sitter.

I'm a parent myself, and I have no issues leaving my child with a WDW CM.

 

[pixiedustaholic]

... the odds are much higher of a pedo in your hometown as a coach, councilor, childcare provider, or sitter.

I'm a parent myself, and I have no issues leaving my child with a WDW CM.

This is also why I don't leave my children with anyone other than close family(grandparents and my sister).

Everyone has their own standards which is why we would not choose to leave our children with complete strangers hundreds of miles from home in an unfamiliar area.

I love Disney as much as the next person and it is not my intent to bash them in any way. I do, however, think that it goes against common sense to think that bad things can't/don't/won't happen there. That's all I was trying to get across - that people need to use caution even in "the most magical place on Earth." I would hate for anything to happen because I was blinded by the pixie dust.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

I love Disney as much as the next person and it is not my intent to bash them in any way. I do, however, think that it goes against common sense to think that bad things can't/don't/won't happen there. That's all I was trying to get across - that people need to use caution even in "the most magical place on Earth." I would hate for anything to happen because I was blinded by the pixie dust.

I understand and appreciate your position. I'm not so naive (or so blindly loyal) as to suggest that bad things never happen at WDW; Caution is a Good Thing. But it would be a mistake to think that WDW isn't vigilant and complacent when it comes to ensuring the safety of the tens of millions of Guests who visit every year.