Have you ever had anything stolen

[helenm29]

Contrary to what we believe about Disney being the perfect place, it's NOT. If you don't take precautions and be sensible things are sometimes going to "disappear". I am amazed at how many things AREN'T stolen! all of those things in or on strollers for instance. We have never had the misfortune to have anything go missing in our rooms or anywhere else but I am always sure to put my valuables in the safe. It would be terrible to lose any of our other things but at least they could probably be replaced. By the way, they need to make those little tiny safes BIGGER please. Helen

 

[Skroops]

I have never had anything stolen, just the opposite!

We are the people who leave our nice stroller full of goodies while we are on attractions. Now we aren't stupid enough to leave our wallets, cameras or valuables, but we do have our diaper bag and minor purchases in it. It has never been touched (but the stroller is sometimes moved).

I have had my ID and cash card returned after leaving it behind by accident, and I have had my designer sun glasses turned in as well!

We have also turned in a few items people have left behind, including a video camera in its case left on a bench at a resort bus stop.

Wherever you go, you should use common precautions to help minimize theft. The only reason we leave things in the stroller is because it is easier to not carry everything around. The things we leave in there would be a bummer to lose, but the ease out weighs the risk. We wouldn't challenge our trust by leaving cash out in our resort (hidden maybe) or leaving things easy to grab. Not that we do not trust mousekeeping, mind you, but do you ever see how easy it could be to distract a mousekeeper while the door to a guest room is open? Yikes!
We have left our laptops in our rooms because they don't fit in some of the resort safes. We put them in the case though, and sometimes in a suitcase as well.
My list of precautions:
1. Do not bring valuable jewelry I am not wearing the entire vacation. I have however, put it in the room safe while going to the water park.
2. Keep cash in the room safe, not all of it on you.
3. Do not put valuables in your checked luggage (cash, jewelry, valuable electronics).
4. Keep "easy grab" items out of view when you are not in your room. (Game boys, i-pods etc).

Most people are honest, but a bit of personal awareness is good. Luckily the couple of times where I was a ditz, good people were looking out for me!

 

[beeayekay]

We have never had anything stolen, but then we never leave anything of value in the room or even bring anything of great value. I only wear my wedding band, never bring any other jewelry. My camera fits really well in my little bag, which never leaves my body! We bring minimal money since dining is paid. One debit card, uses a pin, and we are done!

But I did read a really cute way to styme stroller borrowers in the UG. One couple tied a diaper in a clear plastic bag to the handle. And just to deter potential thieves, the DH poured a little root beer on the diaper before tying it up. Ewwwweeee.......

 

[jimmalru80]

DD had her IPOD stolen from our room in 2005.

 

[Mrsduck101]

I left our battery charger (for AA's for the digital camera) plugged in with batteries charging in our room at AKL in 2003. It was gone when we came back from a morning at the parks. We reported it but it was never returned. Of course I then had no charger and only 1 set of batteries so I had to buy over-priced batteries the rest of the week.
I was disappointed in how AKL treated us - kind of like oh well too bad for you. Won't keep me from going back, though, because we love AKL. I only charge batteries when we are in the room now, no matter where we stay

 

[irishbosoxfan]

DD4 had her gold minnie ears taken at MGM--When I first realized they were gone I thought she lost them someplace but in thinking about it...She LOVED those ears and she wore them constantly unless we went to eat or on a ride where I thought they would blow off then she made a big production out of taking them off and laying them just right in the stroller basket so they wouldn't get smooshed--So I believe while we were having dinner at 50's someone took them because I know she put them in the basket when we went in and that was the last time we seen them--She was crushed so I've been trying to find her another pair.

DS11 left his disposable camera on a wall near the teacups at MK and when he went back it was gone and noone turned it in.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

My friend had her video camera stolen last year. They had it under everything, in the stroller basket, when they went on Aladdin and when they got off, it was gone. They were very upset.

And personally, not that it was stolen, but I had put my bottle of water..that I had just bought, in the VERY hidden part of our stroller and when we came out of 50s Prime Time, it was sitting on the ledge, most of it was gone. I had drank a couple ounces of it myself before putting it in there too. Yuck!

 

[Karnak]

That lost or stolen scarf reminded me of a tip I read a long time ago ...

To keep people from stealing your stroller, soak a rag, towel, or baby diaper with root beer, and tie it on your stroller. I bettcha no one steals the diaper or the stroller.

Just might work. lol

 

[jjarman]

Last trip DS and I went to TL and I took a throw away waterproof camera. Now why I did this I don't know but we went on the shark reef thing and didn't take the camera tied to my wrist with me. There is a trash can right by where you get into the water and there were several other disposable cameras there so I left mine there too. When we came back around to get it all the cameras were gone. I don't think someone took it by mistake because the other cameras were yellow Kodak and mine was a green Fuji. Checked with LF several times that week but it never showed up.

 

[maxiesmom]

My new camera I left it in the back of my nieces stroller. Dumb!Dumb!Dumb! I lost our whole first days pictures. The ones of my sister's kids playing in the area at the end of the Journey into your imagination ride. And I had the bad luck to get a person at lost and found who was not friendly at all! She looked in back for like 10 seconds, and said no, we don't have it. Thanks for the effort, lady.

 

[Simba22]

I've never had anything stolen while in WDW, but we usually lock all valuables in the room safe anyway. My DBF grew up in the ghetto and is paranoid, although after reading these stories, I guess he has a good reason to be!

 

[Dizneydaz]

Anything actually stolen-no. But we have lost a few things that haven't been recovered as well as one item disappearing from our room and never being recovered.

Dec. 2002. Day before we went home one of my DD beanies (her favorite one, of course) disappeared in the sheets. I contacted all L&F departments before we left and after we got home. They assured me "Fancy" would find her way home. She never did. Of course, she was "retired" and hard to find a replacement. But, lo and behold, while visiting Las Vegas at the end of Dec. my sister "found" Fancy there! We told my DD that Disney had sent it there by mistake (we were there too) and she still believes in the "Disney magic" On that same trip she lost a stuffed Pearl (from Nemo) on our first p.m. at Epcot. I also called all the lost and founds but Pearl was never located. That was the first time we lost anything at WDW.

Jan. 05-we lost my DD autograph book (with several years of signatures) getting off the train at Rafiki's Planet Watch. I noticed it right away but it was never found. I checked with L&F daily-even visited it a couple of times. I do hope the person who kept it enjoyed it, especially the ones wishing my DD a happy birthday! Anyway, once again, more "Disney Magic" occured-several weeks after returning home we received a package in the mail from L&F-it wasn't our book but it was a new one completely filled out with every autograph you could imagine and then some. There was even a nice note from L&F saying they were sorry they didn't find ours, but here was a replacement. It was a very nice gesture!

That same trip I left my digital camera on the floor of our rental van when we returned it. I didn't notice til we got home. Even though I called (Alamo) as soon as I got home, it was too late, the van had already gone out for 2 weeks. I called back the day it was returned and, of course, my camera wasn't turned in. Again, I hope the person who found it enjoyed all my pictures. All I really wanted back was the SD card. Luckily, I had taken both my digital and my SLR. I used my digital for mostly non-people shots so I still had the pix of my family. And I replaced that camera with a better one.

We do leave items in our stroller, but nothing off value. I take my bag and all my cameras on the rides. Nothing has ever disappeared from our stroller. However, I did have a scare one time after getting out of Mickey's Philharmagic. I couldn't find our stroller (not a rental). I finally located it over where the skyway used to be, missing the poncho that was covering it. I mentioned it to the CM there and she said she could replace it but we actually found it on another stroller (our name was on it). I learned that even if there are other strollers parked in an area not marked stroller parking-don't park there. Your stroller may be relocated!

Those two trips were the only time we had items missing, or lost. Not too bad figuring how many times we've gone.

I do write our name (and phone numbers) on anything that can be written on, just in case. Ponchos, disposable cameras, mister fans, etc. I also have now put my name and phone number on all my cameras (and camcorder), since I lost the one in 2003.

I have turned in items several times. The last time was at at CBR in Jan. 05. We found a watch at the playground. I wouldn't feel right keeping something I found because I know I would want someone to turn in anything I lost.

My mom did lose her cel phone a few years ago at Disneyland and it was turned in. DL mailed it to her.

 

[never_enough_pooh]

Well... In Oct 2004 I lost my cell phone on Space Mountain. I went to Guest relations, and they said they clean the bottom of Space Mountain about once every 3 months. I left my name/address and brand of phone "in case" it was found when they cleaned the bottom of the ride.

About 4-5 months later, I got a call from a Sherrif in Nebraska (a message was left on my new cellphone.. same number) saying the sherrif department had my cell phone!! Apparantely, someone tried to sell about 20 cell phones to a pawn shop in Nebraska. The owner of the pawn shop thought it was kinda odd, so he called the police.

This Sherrif was calling the owners of the cell phones that were brought to the pawn shop, and a majority of those who "lost" the phones lost them in Disney around the same 5 month span!!! Most, on Space Mountain!!

Hmmm... who cleans the bottom of that ride anyways???

I did get the cell phone sent back to me (AFTER I had to send a self addressed stamped envelope to get it back!!). Aside from a few dents encountered during the fall, it looked pretty good considering the trip it took!!!!

 

[dawgsgirl]

I took a solo trip a couple of years ago and noticed things I had never noticed with a group. One of the main things to get my attention was the "stuff" people left in strollers. Disney bags, cameras, just about anything and everything. I am really surprised more stuff doesn't get stolen. I witnessed a family at MGM have a total meltdown because their rented stroller had been stolen, and all their things with it!! The Disney parks are a thief's paradise!!

 

[momof2rphtoo]

We had our backpack stolen a couple of years ago. My DH left it hooked in a bathroom stall at the Y&BC when we went to B&C for dinner. He went right back after we noticed he had left it behind but it was gone. We checked back at gueat services every day but it was never turned in. Luckily there was nothing valuble in it just our rain ponchos water bottles and a disposable camera. It must have been a guest at the resort that took it because about a week after we returned home a package arrived in the mail from Disney. It had been left in a room,but since it was my DH school backpack her name and address were on the inside of the backpack. So... even at the nicer resorts you need to pay attention to your belongings.

 

[ls1222]

Yes!! The weird twist is that both times it (my purse) was found at the All Star Resort bus stop (or so they say). I left my "small purse" on the back of my chair at Pecos Bills to go to the bathroom (dumb, I know) and then my DH got up too and took the children to the bathroom and didnt think to get my purse, when I came back it was gone and then found several days later with all the money, small pair Mickey earrings gone.

Two years later I left my purse (same one) on the buzz lightyear ride. I got off took about ten steps and said oh, my purse so we talked to the CM who said just wait approx 4min until your car comes back and start looking but of course the purse was gone. Three days after we returned home the All Star Resorts called and mailed it home. All the cash was gone. My Dh was thinking that maybe the "All Star bus stop" was just where they say everything is found.

 

[rubbergypsy]

we were at mgm on mothers day this past may, we were in narnia and had left the rented stroller in the parking area for the strollers, when we came out it was gone along with our mug from pop century, told a cm and she called i assume someone who was security and they gave us vouchers for ice cream and let us into playhouse disney via a secret entrance

 

[IHeartTink04]

When I went with a group from school in the 8th grade one of the stupid guys we were with found 500 dollars in EPCOT. Even after much disgust and everyone trying to persuade him to turn it in he spent it. He spend it on stupid things too he went and got the WEIRDEST things around World Showcase. He ruined a poor families vacation and it ticks me off thinking about it.

 

[oldschooledge]

MY Cell phone disapearered from our room at the wilderness lodge last oct. the cm's were no help they said to call housekeeping whic we had to call like 3 or 4 times to even get a return call from they then told us it might have gotten caught in the bedding or something and that if it did it would turn up in the wash. i never heard anything.

 

[CindyAnn]

We haven't had anything stolden, and we've been really lucky with lost items, too. I left my hat at CRT and was able to retrieve it the next day from the TTC. The strange part is that they had 3 giant clear plastic bags of hats (only hats) found in Magic Kingdom the previous day. Fortunately my bright purple one was easy to find!

We also lost a camera battery, and I couldn't figure out why we were concerned. I was thinking $2.99 or something, but DH informed me that it would cost about $125 to replace. Okay, I'm on board now - let's see if it's been turned in. Sure enough, there it was, labelled as being found near Mexico in Epcot, exactly where we'd had the case open and dropped it.