GPS stolen from Boardwalk Valet Parking

[CarolA]

Just my 2 cents...
Now onto my main point..
I firmly believe if Disney still ran the valet service you may still have your GPS. If not, you would have at least recieved better customer care from the person that you called.

I don't like the outsourced valet... Period.
I have written letters to Disney expressing my discontent over several valet issues.
It was a world of difference when Disney cast members were running the show..

MG

Oh yeah, that great service!! That service that took an hour to find my car at the GF??? That GF valet that "sighed" when I finally tracked them down to TAKE the car! But there hand was out for the tipl!!!!That service that gave my friends rental car to another family at YC a few years ago? Considering my "service" from the valet the few times I used it I think I don't miss Disney "service" there!


One other suggestion. I have a Garmin unit. At Best Buy you can get a "bean bag" mount. (I am sure you can get them other places) It sits on the dash and does not leave the "ring" mark on the window! I stick it under the seat and take the thing with me. I would not leave the mount out. A thief may very well think that you have just hidden it in the car!

 

[CarolA]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but your car isn't any safer if you park it yourself. The only effective way to park your car is to not leave anything visible that would entice someone to want to take it.

My work parking lot is accross the street from the police station, and whos' car's would do you think get broken into most often? Ours! Theives are bold and better equipped now, they don't even have to smash windows anymore, they have devices ? that unlock the doors. Crime happens every where and Disney, Orlando is no different, quite the contrary, tourist come w/ cash and toys to steal.

One of my co-workers cars was broken into in the Courthouse parking lot. He was there for a traffic ticket case and there were SEVERAL cop cars around him. They move fast! LOL! (THe cops did come in and find him to tell him that his car had been broken into, not that they found the guy who took his laptop!)


I agree that valet is not safer or more dangerous then self park. There was a huge thread on here last year where a woman had stuff stolen out of her car at SSR where there is self park only. I have also read stories of theft on the resort board. Actually as I think about it most of them are self park. The problem is not parking it's leaving toys!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Sorry this happened to you. And thanks for posting, because I take my Garmin with me to WDW and leave it in the car. I also leave my cell phone in the car to charge overnight, because I can't find my indoor charger. I put them under the seat, but still, how hard is that to find? I just ASSumed that the lots were kind of "watched". Not so, I gather.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Slightly off topic, I agree that the outsourced valets stink..period...and,yes, I did let Disney know how I felt. I witnessed a valet cutting a deal with a towne car driver and felt it was extremely unethical and unprofessional.

To the OP...I'm very sorry for the theft and yes, I've shared your belief that valet parking was more "protected". Between this outsourcing and housekeeping Disney has lowered their standards tremendously. Raise your voice. If our volume gets loud enough Disney just may listen.

Not only that, but now they are trying to outsource the bus drivers too! The outsourcing is going to be the downfall of Disney customer service. In fact, I think it has already lead to some serious downfalls in that department.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

OP that stinks but I will use this to add to the wonderful warnings.

1st >remove the mount and unit before you go into publix parking lots of any kind. (theives are sitting at the entrances and watching for what cars have the units when they pull in.

2nd >always take it with you you can pick up small carring bags or Camera bags work real well. They are stolen because they are wanted and for the most part untracable.

3rd > most theft are inside jobs someone knows someone and can leave a door unlocked and so forth. I had a friend that had someone work for an alarm installer that always put a kill switch in every install.Their friends would steal items from the car and then set off the alarm so they couldn't trace it back to the shop.

4th > agree non Disney CMs don't have the care of most Disney CMs and the outsourcing is a way for Disney to excuse itself from responsablity of things they know have a high risk of theft.

5th > watch your Car rental agreements ( and CCards agreements)if using a rental with Valet service most require you pay for and list all and any drivers. This includes valets and would void any insurance and such.


Last Disney is Disney but crooks of everykind are everywhere so don't let your guard down but don't let it ruin your trip either.

 

[sean-1966]

Sounds like it's time for a new company to handle the valet service. 2 break ins in one week sounds like a trend.

 

[lacool]

UPDATE 5/6/08 - see first post

 

[Chuck S]

I really don't know what, if anything, you expected in the form of a reply. It makes clear that they are unwilling to be held responsible...and you really don't know if they locked the car or not, do you? Given that automatic alarm system locks are fairly easy to over-ride. It seems to be the norm for most valet services.

Have you reported it to your own insurance?

 

[lacool]

I really wasn't expecting any reply since I hadn't contacted them since reporting the incident. It might have softened the blow to hear something along the lines of "if you have reported the incident to the police we will provide any information that they request." I did file a police report, but did not report it to my insurance company. With a $500 deductible and a $350 GPS, the point seemed moot and I didn't want to risk raising my insurance rates, adding insult to injury.

 

[dvc_john]

The only time my car was vandalized in any way at WDW was when my license plates were stolen while the car was parked in the BWV valet lot.

 

[snowbunny]

This is one of several recent reports of break ins to a valet-parked vehicle.

In one case, the poster seemed to think the car loaded with luggage would be safer given to a valet, as if the valets watch over the cars rather than simply put them in parking lots with a thousand other cars.

Anyway, don't use the suction mount for the gps. I don't like mine up in my line of vision anyway, I set it on the cupholder or the passenger seat, or have the passenger hold it.

 

[lacool]

Anyway, don't use the suction mount for the gps.

No worries there. I no longer own one.

 

[manning]

This isn't going to help you get your unit back, but this will help everyone to slow down the stealing.

Garmin has a lockout feature. This disables the unit. There are two ways to reactivate it. One is to enter a 4 digit pin number, the other is you select a location and go there. Then you enter that location into the unit. If you forget your pin you go to that location to unlock it.

There is no way to unlock the unit any other way. If you forget both pin number and location the only way to unlock the unit is to send it to Garmin. There is no way for them to instruct you over the phone or email.

That may be why they asked for the serial number in case the crooks tried to send it in to unlock it.

If enough of us do the above thefts may go down.

Also that ticket that has the statement about not being responsible etc.

It's meaningless.

 

[manning]

Sadly, I left the whole unit mounted, under the misguided belief that Disney valet parking was somehow more secure than the rest of the world. I just never think about crime in the "happiest place on earth." I guess I will now, though.

I wonder if it would be a deterent for theives if I were to leave the mount but take down the unit. Would they be tempted to search the car, or believe I took the unit with me? I just don't have a criminal mindset.

No, they see the suction cup mark or mounting unit and assume the GPS is hidden somewhere in the car.

 

[manning]

So sorry to hear about this. I know what you mean by saying you would never think of this happening at the "happiest place on earth". Thanks to everyone for the warnings. We have a Garmin and I have that suction ring on my window right now. I'm gonna be cleaning that windshield tomorrow morning! Hope everything works out for you!

Cyndi

For about 39.00 plus tax you can get rid of the ring. Get this friction mount for garmin.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=8100

You can get it at any garmin dealer.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Our primary cars have built in GPS units. I like them WAY more than portables. I have no intention of every buying a car without a built in GPS again.

For travel... I have AT&T TeleNav enabled for my blackberry. It costs about $10/month... but I was previously paying about $6 - $8 per day for a GPS option in rental cars. I am saving my company money by using TeleNav vs Hertz Neverlost... since I generally get several rental cars each month. What I like about TeleNav is that I do not have to schlep another device around with me. It always works 100% fine sitting in the cup holder of every car that I have ever rented.

I also like it (and Google Maps w/GPS) for finding locations when walking in a city. For example... I can find the nearest ATM machine, or nearest sushi restaurant... and get "turn by turn" walking directions.

/Jim