Disney break-ins, burglaries, & thefts?

[k5thbeatle]

Ok I know this is a bit of a dark topic but there have been mentions of this on other threads. I'm not trying to take away anyones fun or cast a dark shadow on anyone's trip (heck for that matter I'll be there in 10 days) but would like to get a feel for just how many have ACTUALLY been robbed while at Disney.

Here's a bit of how this came to be. Talking with a business associate and in casual conversation our upcoming trip came up. When I said Disney he related how his company had rewarded them with a paid trip to WDW. They were at the BC and had their room broken into. That little safe that you can put things in was no deterant for them. Luckily they really didn't lose too much except for a very expensive digital camera that they decided not to take with them that particular day. I believe he said this happened in 2002.

So who here has actually been robbed while on Disney property? This can mean having your car broken into, your room robbed, or items taken while at the pool. Please share your story.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I was...though it wasn't that big of deal. When I was in my early twenties, I owned a Jeep Wrangler and we were staying at the Contemporary Resort. Someone broke in, basically unsnapped my top, and stole my car stereo and about 20 cassette tapes (that's right cassettes...now you know it was a while ago ). I didn't report it or anything...I just chalked it up to one of the many problems with Jeep ownership.

 

[k5thbeatle]

I guess I should add that I have never experienced this happening to me. About the only thing that was a little strange that happened to us was at the BC about 4 years ago or so if I remember right. It was a morning we decided to hit the parks early and relax at the pool in the afternoon. By noon my wife was feeling a bit ill and wanted to maybe just go back and lay down for an hour or so before the pool. Quite frankly I was a bit tired myself and thought this would be a good idea. About thirty minutes after laying down I heard a quiet little knock on our door. I don't know why but instead of calling out, "who's there", I instead snuck out of bed to the door and peeped through the eye hole. There was some guy who to me was dressed rather oddly for a tourist. The weird thing was after knocking lightly once again he then started fiddling with the door handle at which time I shouted, "who's there?" Our room was right next to the staircase and he quickly walked away and as I opened the door (only after seeing him walk away) I saw him dash down the staircase.

I immediately called the front desk and relayed what had happened. They were very nice and the manager asked us if we would like to switch rooms to which we said no. A detective came by and I gave a full description. Nothing else ever came of this except we constantly saw Disney staff on our floor the entire rest of our stay!

Other than that we have not had any other incident. I don't know maybe it was some lost guest and I just embarrassed or frightened him but it was suspicious.

 

[ReadingBelle]

Hmm... I don't think I have ever known anyone who was robbed. In fact, I know some great stories of people who had things returned to them. My parents left a diaper bag behind once containing a camera and other relatively expensive stuff, and it was waiting for them at Lost and Found with everything still intact. I'll be interested to hear about negative experiences.

 

[mickman1962]

My Mom had a necklace stolen from her safe at the Contemporary in 1982. Disney reimbursed her.

 

[Kimberly815]

Well, on our trip to WDW last May, our rental car was broken into.

They got a backpack full of souviners, hats, a very expensive digital camera (with a lot of our photos still on it), and other small things.

The tough thing was that my to-be mother in law always gives her children a special little packet of metals/crosses and things like that when they travel. There was some stuff from her childhood and included a rosary that was blessed by the pope at the vatican. That was not an easy call to make and tell her about them. She was wonderful about it and was just happy that it was only the car that got broken into and not anything worse.

 

[dizneybelle]

My DH's family likes to go to WDW and camp on property for MNSSHP. The first year we did, which was 6 years ago, my SIL had their explorer broken into. She was keeping her purse in there because she thought it would be safer. Someone stole her debit card, her SSN card and a single check. She had to put an identity theft flag on her credit bureaus. Someone called her about a month after the incident because they had found her check in their front yard in South Carolina. A couple of years later, we were camping at the same time of year and their laptop was stolen out of their new truck. They had not even taken it out of the truck, so who knows how the thief knew it was there. Orlando police came and took a report, but honestly Disney didn't really seem to care. They said it didn't happen very often, but I find that hard to believe since it happened to the same family twice. Needless to say, we are very careful about what we bring camping now.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

During my Dec 99 trip I brought my new toy, a Handspring Visor, with me to keep track of purchases and such. Like a goober, I didn't password protect it like I knew I should have, and on our last day (why does it always happen then?) while at MK I noticed it was gone. Either I sat it down somewhere or it popped off my hip (most likely) and we couldn't find it anywhere.

Went to lost and found to report it, but I just figured someone got a nice christmas gift thanks to me and I learned not to bring unnecessary gadgets to the parks!

D4D

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

My Mom had a necklace stolen from her safe at the Contemporary in 1982. Disney reimbursed her.

That's very disconcerting- because wouldn't that mean it HAD to have been stolen by an employee? Unless ofcourse the door was somehow broken AND the little safe somehow broken/picked? Highly unlikely to happen -so I'm assuming it had to be an employee with a key to the room and key to the safe?


The only thing we've ever had taken wasn't all that big of a deal- it was our sunscreen spray at Blizzard Beach. I was just happy they didn't take my kids Disney towels (but from that trip in June until eternity we will never take our Disney beach towels again- we didn't on our last trip! This incident got me worried about them being taken!) but the problem was we were on a 10 day trip and this was only our 2nd day and it was a big brand new bottle of sunscreen and we hadn't brought any others with us on this trip. Also it was the spray, which is hard to find (atleast it was for me at Blizzard beach) and we really HATE the lotion stuff. But that's all we've ever had stolen.

One time on our trip in 2003 my husband accidentally forgot to get our backpack off the stroller when we went in to see Mickey's Philharmagic (ie: we were gone for quite awhile) but everything was still there. I was sure to make SURE he didn't forget it again after that- no sense tempting people. LOL (our backpack had things like our camcorder/etc.)

 

[missymagic]

I personally never had anything broken into. But I wanted to mention one day we came back to the room and their was package delivery needless to say it wasn't ours. We called the front desk they came and picked it up and delivered it to the correct room. So their some of us honest people out there.

 

[Pixiedusttravel]

We've always left our backpack on our stroller and have never (in the many times we've been) had anything stolen out of it. (of course I've never left anything of real value in there either) That said, one year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, and my sister did have cash stolen from out of the safe in the room.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

*sigh* The posts about things taken from the safe are really upsetting. That's the one place you expect for things to be safe! If you can't put things there and expect them to be there when you return- where CAN you trust to keep valuables??

I personally never had anything broken into. But I wanted to mention one day we came back to the room and their was package delivery needless to say it wasn't ours. We called the front desk they came and picked it up and delivered it to the correct room. So their some of us honest people out there.

That's great- but that shows a "problem" for things to be delivered to the wrong room. Not everyone is so honest and your things could end up in someone's room who decides to keep the items.

 

[Wendy1953]

I Personally Have Never Had Anything Stolen, And Hope I Never Do.(don't Want To Jinx Myself....going Down In 2 Days). Have Heard Of People Taking Other People's Strollers However On My Last Trip Down This Past June.

Sorry To All Of Those Who Have Had Things Stolen....
Also, When You Get Home, And Find That You Have Forgotten Something Back In Dis....make Sure You Call The Minute You Realize It, They'll Send It To You. I've Heard They Actually Hold On To Anything Found In The Rooms For At Least One Year.

 

[Pats Dragon]

I've been going to DW since the 70's and only had 2 incidents. The first was many years ago at Poly. Someone broke into our room but I woke up and they ran away. I heard that they took a pocketbook from a room across from us. When my son was a baby some mean person stole his baseball cap off of the stroller. That is all in an awful lot of trips. I feel very safe there.

 

[k5thbeatle]

That's very disconcerting- because wouldn't that mean it HAD to have been stolen by an employee? Unless ofcourse the door was somehow broken AND the little safe somehow broken/picked? Highly unlikely to happen -so I'm assuming it had to be an employee with a key to the room and key to the safe?


The only thing we've ever had taken wasn't all that big of a deal- it was our sunscreen spray at Blizzard Beach. I was just happy they didn't take my kids Disney towels (but from that trip in June until eternity we will never take our Disney beach towels again- we didn't on our last trip! This incident got me worried about them being taken!) but the problem was we were on a 10 day trip and this was only our 2nd day and it was a big brand new bottle of sunscreen and we hadn't brought any others with us on this trip. Also it was the spray, which is hard to find (atleast it was for me at Blizzard beach) and we really HATE the lotion stuff. But that's all we've ever had stolen.

One time on our trip in 2003 my husband accidentally forgot to get our backpack off the stroller when we went in to see Mickey's Philharmagic (ie: we were gone for quite awhile) but everything was still there. I was sure to make SURE he didn't forget it again after that- no sense tempting people. LOL (our backpack had things like our camcorder/etc.)

No I don't think so. Those little wall safes are NOT full proof and that's what was broken into in my friends case. Even Disney recommends that if you have anything of real value to leave it at the check-in desk safe.

 

[pooh2001]

WOW - break-ins at Disney.
I guess we are lucky - never happened to us - but then again a theif would be disappointed unless he wanted our clothes.

My DH even makes me put away our hairbrushes and toothbrushes in a draw when we leave the room, before maid service comes in. We do this at every hotel - not just Disney.

We always carry our money/credit card,/license/cell phone/camera.
Our plane tickets are 'ticketless'. Not worth anything until you show up to MCO with ID. We keep just our e-mailed receipt.
The kids leave their game boys in their draw at WDW. But they would be under shorts/socks/t-shirts - not to mention their hairbrush and toothbrush.

We leave out our water bottles. If a theif was thirsty, I guess he/she could have some. A Disney guide book may be left out and some snacks too.
The theif could read our guide book, have some water and snacks and leave.
A thank you note would be nice

We do not bring down any extra jewlery. I wear my 1 pair of earings. We wear our watches. I wear my necklace (always- never take it off). Wedding rings stay on too.

So poor theif if he/she came into our room. I guess he/she could steal the Disney soap, if they are desperate.

Does this happen more at Deluxe resorts ?
We have stayed at the Dolphin and CR and I do not think we have had a break in. No shorts, toothbrushes, water bottles or game boys have been taken.

 

[merryweather's twin]

2 years ago our van was broken into at MGM.... Avery pricy laptop was taken . We did not know it but all of my hidden C cards had been scanned!! Fraud People at our bank caught them but not untill they took over $4700. Thank goodness for protection that banks give. We had to change everything...It took 3 months to clear it up.

 

[luckofthedraw]

We just got back from our first trip, and although we were not robbed, we had two incidences of people keeping what they had found.

My daughter left her pressed penny book and $20.40 worth of quarters/pennies on the bus back from EPCOT. We realized it immediately after the bus left, and filled out a report with Disney.

My son lost his Peter Pan knife during the MNSSHP on 10/2. We can trace back where it was lost to within a 30-foot span. It was gone the next day. Again, we filled out a report.

We did check lost and found right before we left Orlando, in hopes that someone turned one or both of the items in. The nice lady in lost and found looked for about 30 minutes. Neither was ever turned in.

 

[psiprez]

In a hotel anywhere, I would NEVER use the room safe, or leave ANYTHING non-expendable in the room.

I wear only my plain wedding band and simple earrings, and leave my best watch at home. I just don't see a need to bring the diamonds. Our cash, credit cards, tickets, camera are always on us. So that leaves clothes (clean and dirty), suitcases, and expendable souveniers.

But...if someone WAS to search through our room while we were out, or heaven forbid while we were asleep, I would completely freak out and have to leave immediately!!!

( knock-on-wood)

 

[extraredstuff]

I was staying at POFQ a few years ago and had my cell phone stolen from the room. What's worse is that my cell was in the bottom of a backpack we didn't take to the park that day, not locked in the safe of anything.

It was a little disconcerting that someone actually was going through my stuff..... but at least that was the only thing of value left in the room. Reported it to Disney, they checked card scans of our room and said the only two people who accessed the room (mousekeeping and a maintenence man to fix the bathtub had clean records with them) but I heard nothing more about it. Suspended service and had to deal with cost of replacing the phone when I got home.

Needless to say I still LOVE Disney, but I'm better about locking things in the safe which until reading this thread I figured was a safe bet.... maybe not so safe though