Do you feel safe in the "Disney Bubble?"

[kimis]

I do feel safe at disney however I don't let my gaurd down. In this day and age we have to be very careful no matter where we are!

 

[PrincessV]

I honestly feel as safe at WDW as I do in daily life. No more, no less. I take the same precautions there that I do anywhere else: stay aware of my surroundings, pay attention to where I'm going, secure my valuables, keep track of my child.

That said, I do feel more secure (I'm not sure I'd use the word safe) traveling to WDW than I have traveling to other places, and for one reason alone: I've become very, very familiar with the place. I know my way around and know what areas are well-lit and populated vs. those that aren't.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

The only time I've felt uneasy at WDW was this past October during our first stay at the Poly. The resort is gorgeous, but at night it is very dark! DH & I had left the children in the Neverland Club while we went for a very special dinner at the GF. I had purchased a cake for us to have there & there was a lot left over. When we got back to the Poly, I told DH to take the cake to our room & I'd go get the kids. We were in Samoa & it had been such a simple walk over to the Neverland Club when we dropped the kids off. Well, it looked a lot different in the dark. I got there fine & got the kids. I was listening to them tell me all about the fun they'd had & I somehow got turned around. Those tiki torches make for a romantic ambiance when I was strolling with DH, but it was dark & a bit creepy when I was alone with my kids, trying to figure out where we were. And we didn't see another person! We eventually came out at the beach (by Tokelau, I believe?) There were a lot of people on the beach, as the fireworks at MK were about to begin. Once I got there, I could find my way back.

This was very unnerving to me, as I usually have an excellent sense of direction. I won't say that I felt "in danger", but I definitely was much more alert of my surroundings when I was lost.

 

[MomWith2Cinderellas]

I think you need to stay aware of your surroundings. For your own safety you can not let down your guard just because you are at WDW.
With my little ones I will not let them out of my sight for a minute. I make them hold my hands if we are walking or looking at things in a store. They fight me sometimes, but I am paranoid that the minute I let those little hands go that they will wonder off. I would rather be overly cautious than sorry at WDW.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

bamagirl@hrt: Don't feel bad. I got DD2 and myself lost during the daytime at the Poly and I'm good at directions too. We were just walking around the resort (our room was in Tokelau) and I wanted to check out the other longhouses beyond the volcano pool area. We ended up walking around the quiet pool and back at Tokelau - I took a right too soon. DH got lost as well and he followed the signs. He slept in one day while I took the kids to the MK and he was to meet us at the castle for DD5's BBB apptmnt. He wanted to go to the GHC to catch the monorail but he followed the signs that said monorail & it took him to the TTC . Where he took the monorail to the MK and made it but it took him much longer.

We didn't stroll too far at night except to go to the volcano pool and we walked that path so much we had no problem. I would think to be turned around at night would be creepy because the only ones around are mostly by the volcano pool area.

 

[klmall]

You can't be too cautious in this day and age. I took a solo trip in 2001 and stayed at Port Orleans - French Quarter. The CM checking me in said she had given me a room with a great view but when I walked to it and found a large tree blocking the view of it and the room next door I insisted on a room change. I wanted a room where the door and window could be seen easily from all directions. The CM on duty readily exchanged rooms for me when I quietly reminded her that I was staying alone. I didn't care what floor or view just that the door and window weren't obscured by shrubs etc. I liked POFQ for its compactness and well-lit walkways during my visit. I felt very safe traveling alone there.

 

[sapper1]

I have always felt safe in the 'Disney Bubble' until talking to a friend at the gym a few weeks ago. He had just returned from a trip to Disney and said that while he was there, a couple had been mugged after dark at Pleasure Island. Until he told me about that I had never given security a second thought on the Disney property. Now I will be more careful.
I come from a part of the world where many people still don't lock their doors so it is hard to remember when I am travelling that the watchword is "caution".