Do you leave things in your stroller at DLR?

[mamaofthree]

While riding rides? The thread asking for photos of DLR strollers got me thinking about this. We've always (okay, only been there 2x with the kids) taken our own strollers and stowed our stuff in the stroller basket while parking it to ride. Three kids is a lot of junk (water and snacks mostly, maybe jackets and small souveniers), and there is no way I'm lugging it all around with me on my person. I also don't want to make them responsible for their own backpack yet, they are too young. I'll have my Overland messenger bag with my camera, sunglasses and cash on me of course, but I was wondering what the "norm" is. I'll admit I do worry about my stuff not being there when I return, including my stroller, but I guess not enough to lug it all with me. So what do you all do?

 

[keptwoman]

We did last time. Our stroller had a zip up compartment underneath so you couldn't see what was in it, it was so useful!!
Water bottles, food, sweaters etc all stayed in the stroller.
Cameras, wallets, money etc all came with us in bum bags (fanny packs to you guys)
I figured that I wouldn't leave anything in the stroller that I would be devastated if it was stolen, or would cost heaps of money to replace.

 

[teatime]

Nope, never going to leave anything in a stroller or my scooter. I have seen lots of folks get ripped off. I take a back pack, stow water bottles and lip gloss and camera. everything tickets and money in my lanyard on my neck.

 

[Mom of three]

I wouldnt hesitate leaving smaller items such as snacks, sippy cups, maybe a cheap jacket.

I definitley would not leave anything of value such as souveniers, cameras, ect.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not anymore.

Sept '07 we bought DS a pirate hat, then went over to the Pirate's Lair. Left the stroller on the mainland, with the hat under an old ratty sweatshirt. Got back, hat was gone.

This isn't stroller-related, but in May of '08, we'd bought DS an age-INappropriate (or rather size-inappropriate) build your own lightsaber, and on the 2nd day, it was so heavy he must have put it down. We had it while he was drawing at the PFF (when they had coloring pages), and 10 minutes later in ToonTown it was gone gone gone. We had stopped at the benches in TT, and he must have put it down there...when we went to look for it a few minutes later, it was gone forever. Never was turned in.

And on this trip, DS was given a simple and free balloon that he wanted to take into the parks on our second day. So we did. And I was informed that balloons (even small ones whose helium was leaking out) aren't allowed on the rides, and I would need to leave it on the stroller. So I did, and haflway into the day, we came back to the stroller to find it, too, was gone. It hadn't come untied, rather, someone took the tied balloon off of the plastic balloon holder thing...plastic and ribbon tie thing still on the stroller, balloon GONE.

I don't leave anything anymore, and won't be BUYING any balloons either, if a simple free one can't last on a stroller.


I cannot believe what people leave on strollers. If I were a thief I would never have to buy my kid clothes, diapers, food, toys...I could have more Petunia Picklebottoms diaper bags than I'd know what to do with. It is astonishing to me what people get away with considering the money they are leaving on their strollers...

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We don't leave anything valueable..

however, that said....

The guy who gave us the after hours tour said that numerous strollers are stolen, used for the day and then ditched somewhere in the park at the end of the day. Some people feel this isn't stealing since they don't keep it. We walked past like 3 sit and stand strollers that were victims of such crimes.

So really..it's a craps shoot.

 

[Canyon girl]

The thing about snacks, sippy cups, and water bottles is that they are open. Can you guarantee that no one will tamper with them while you are apart from the stroller. There are some sick people out there, and yes, they do go to DL, too. I would not leave anything on it other than the rootbeer soaked diaper in the ziplock that people recommend to stop people from swiping your stroller. Just my opinion. DH carries a backpack with what is needed. Everything else stays at the hotel or in a locker.

 

[specialks]

We left all our snack foods and misc junk in our stroller on our trip last September. That is why I was asking for photos of the strollers so I could see if there was storage for us to use. We didn't buy any souvenirs until our final day so we had no worries there. It worked fine for us with our cheap-o Target diaper bag and plastic bags with snacks & drinks. We will probably do the same this trip and hope our good luck stays with us. We take our money and cameras with us anytime we leave the stroller.

 

[LavenderPeach]

We put all our important stuff in our baggalini which we hang over the stroller as we're pushing it around. When we park the stroller we grab the baggalini and go. We leave water bottles and snacks in the stroller since they can be replaced easily. If we bring sweatshirts we try to bring old ones so we can leave them in the stroller and if they're taken it wouldn't be a huge loss.

I do worry a little bit about the stroller being taken but I decided I'm willing to take that chance since it's hard to carry DS back to the car or hold him while we wait for a tram.

 

[teatime]

The thing about snacks, sippy cups, and water bottles is that they are open. Can you guarantee that no one will tamper with them while you are apart from the stroller. There are some sick people out there, and yes, they do go to DL, too. I would not leave anything on it other than the rootbeer soaked diaper in the ziplock that people recommend to stop people from swiping your stroller. Just my opinion. DH carries a backpack with what is needed. Everything else stays at the hotel or in a locker.

Wonderful post !!!!!!
you hit the nail on the head ! why trust anything to people s imaginations ?? there could be a drug, or spomething else put into the drinks, food etc. I just refuse to take that chance. I also carry the back pack and everything needed for a good morning, once we leave to go back to the room we get new bottles and new snacks if needed. but we never take a chance with anything left in the stroller/ scooter.

 

[Mugglemama]

we've had things stolen before (an expensive sweatshirt that belonged to my daughter - we FOUND the thief with the sweatshirt minutes later, about 20 feet away, and took it back!), so we don't leave anything we care about anymore. just water bottles and snacks, left in a cheapie diaper bag. we've never had any problems with those kinds of things, and we've always taken our own strollers (not designer, but still in the $200 range...), without having anyone take them.

however, this fall will be our first trip without a stroller in....well, more than a decade! our youngest will be almost 5 when we go, and we are SO glad to be going stroller-free.

 

[bumbershoot]

however, this fall will be our first trip without a stroller in....well, more than a decade! our youngest will be almost 5 when we go, and we are SO glad to be going stroller-free.

Good luck! This trip was with my already 5 year old, the one who demanded (and needed!) a stroller. I think I'll start giving him an allowance, so I can take it back to pay for rental strollers, LOL.

Maybe next year his sensitive knees (genetics...I am prone to leg aches and always have been, most of my father's brothers and sister have had at least one joint replaced if not more) won't need one...

 

[Hester]

I'm paranoid about this.

This is what I do: I carry a small backpack containing my valuables that I take with me when parking the stroller (prescription glasses, cameras, etc.) I keep my wallet (including park tickets) in a front or back zipper pocket.

I would not trust my stuff in the stroller.

 

[joeysmommy]

Being the victim of stroller theft numerous times...esp on this last trip- NO.
Never leave anything valuable in your stroller, whether it is your own personal stroller or a rental.

Last year my friend's umbrella stroller was stolen, luckily nothing was in it.

On our trip this month my rental stroller was snagged on 3 different occasions. I checked the usual spots where CM's move the strollers but they were hijacked by lazy/cheap people who hopefully have suffered bad karma from doing so.

I try to make my stroller look undesireable by leaving dirty napkins etc in the cargo net but they don't care.

 

[keptwoman]

The thing about snacks, sippy cups, and water bottles is that they are open. Can you guarantee that no one will tamper with them while you are apart from the stroller. There are some sick people out there, and yes, they do go to DL, too. I would not leave anything on it other than the rootbeer soaked diaper in the ziplock that people recommend to stop people from swiping your stroller. Just my opinion. DH carries a backpack with what is needed. Everything else stays at the hotel or in a locker.

I guess I just don't believe that that is likely to happen. Can you point to actual reports of that at Disneyland? Not just urban myths but actual reports.
I can't see why anyone would want to drug us, and even if they did, we'd be in a group so fairly useless for any nefarious purposes and I'm sure they'd rather take any stimulating drugs themselves. I guess I just choose not to live in fear of bad people.

 

[jacs1234]

Oh Gosh, I can't imagine even thinking about stealing someones stroller. I really am surprised and shocked that so much of your stuff have been stolen. I will be careful on my next trip because we will have a stroller with us.

 

[teatime]

I guess I just don't believe that that is likely to happen. Can you point to actual reports of that at Disneyland? Not just urban myths but actual reports.
I can't see why anyone would want to drug us, and even if they did, we'd be in a group so fairly useless for any nefarious purposes and I'm sure they'd rather take any stimulating drugs themselves. I guess I just choose not to live in fear of bad people.

remember the tylonol scare? yeah folks died. ever hear of people getting there drinks spiked? why take a chance with anyone in your party ? There is a lot of freaks out there destined to do harm. and why would anyone steal a stroller of packages? BECAUSE THEY CAN AND WANT TO!

 

[mamaofthree]

Thanks for the replies. I can't believe how many people have gotten stuff stolen. I guess I like to think that only nice people visit DLR. Who wants to worry about someone stealing your stuff and/or stroller at the happiest place on earth? Pretty sad.

So I guess I'll make dh carry the snack/water backpack. He's pretty paranoid himself, so I'm sure he won't mind. I just bought a baggalinni expandable tote to stow all our junk in too, guess I won't need it now. We don't buy many souvenirs, guess we'll save that for the last day on our way out for a hotel break.

Any advice on how to keep my stroller safe? We have one huge, heavy Graco, that I'm sure no one would want to take, but I'm a little worried about my Mac Volo. Maybe I should rent one? Or are the rentals more likely to get taken cause they all look the same?

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

The DL strollers are even more likely to be stolen. They don't feel 'as guilty' about those. They just take the nametag out and claim it.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I guess I just don't believe that that is likely to happen. Can you point to actual reports of that at Disneyland? Not just urban myths but actual reports.
I can't see why anyone would want to drug us, and even if they did, we'd be in a group so fairly useless for any nefarious purposes and I'm sure they'd rather take any stimulating drugs themselves. I guess I just choose not to live in fear of bad people.

ITA. I will leave diapers, wipes, bottled waters & snacks in the basket under the stroller, but nothing I would be upset if someone stole. I have a better chance of getting hit by an ART bus crossing Harbor, than being targeted by some deranged psychopath inside the park....and guess what, I'll still walk!