Offsite: Couple robbed at resort??

[letsgoagainsoon]

I just read on the DIS home page about the couple that was robbed at gunpoint while leaving their hotel...does anybody know which resort this was? Was it on-site?? Sorry, I am such a worry wart.

 

[safetymom]

No it wasn't onsite.

 

[OKW Lover]

Not to cause you to worry further, but there is a lesson to be learned in this news story. Just because you are on vacation does not mean that bad things can't happen to you. So you do need to maintain your viligence.

Continue to use your common sense while on vacation. Even Disney can't always assure you a safe vacation. Theives do target tourists and Disney isn't any exception. Tourists typically have lots of cash on them, not to mention credit cards, and often cary valuable electronics.

As the infamous bank robber Willie Horton is alleged to have said when asked why he robbed banks - "because that's where the money is".

 

[daver]

I personally feel more safe in Disney rather than out. While criminals can still get in I'm sure, they have to go through a few more security areas at Disney, after all, in most hotels outside, you can just walk into the parking lot.

What we did was take only the cash we needed everyday with us. We relied on charging to our room and having the bags delivered, so the rest of the cash stayed primarily in the hotel room safe.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I recently posted a comment regarding staying offsite. In my post, I explained how our room had been broken into while we were at our offsite hotel pool. We decided to go to the pool for a little while and we locked our room. Because we knew we would be just right down from our room and we would be gone less than an hour, we didn't lock our jewelry or wallets in the room safe.

When we returned from our room, our room key would'nt work. We went to the office and they said they thought we had checked out. When we told them we hadn't, they reactivated our room keys and apologized.

We went back in the room and everything looked in order, not that we were looking for any problems because we thought it had been a simple mistake in the computers.

A little later we realized that my jewelry, including my wedding ring and a birthstone ring my parent's gave me when I turned sweet 16, was missing and just one of my sister's credit cards was missing. In less than two hours time, some one had charged over $800.00 on her credit card.

The detective who was assigned to handle our case said this was very typical. The thieves watch the offsite hotels and rental homes and watch when they see an opportunity they break in the rooms. The rooms never even look like they have been broken in to. He said they have it down to an art form.

The thieves then sell the credit cards to a drug ring. The first person with the card goes to a gas station, fills up their vehicle and meets the next person carrying the drugs at another gas station, they fill up and do the same thing with the next person in line. That is how the charges built up so fast.

While my sister's credit card company did not make her pay the charges, I never did get my jewelry back!

Last year, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort and we visited Wilderness Lodge. We felt super secure due to the fact that you had to present identification at the guard station. I know that thieves will find any way they can to get what they want but I felt very safe while there.

Lisa

 

[jennymouse]

It was on the news while we were there last week. Like safetymom said, it was offsite.

 

[fla4fun]

The incident happened at a Travelodge on I-Drive. There has been an increase of incidents on I-Drive in the last couple of years, as there has been in much of the country. I think it's a combination of a lot of International tourists (who tend to spend more - so they may be carrying more cash) and a lot of foot traffic. I haven't heard of anything like this happening at a Disney resort (I think the last major thing I heard of there was when there was a hostage situation at the Boardwalk a few years ago), but no matter where you stay, use common sense and be aware of your surroundings. Don't carry more cash/cc than you can afford to lose, and don't carry any important documents.

 

[CarolA]

OKW Lover makes a very valid point. Just because you are on vacation doesn't make you safe.

Every so often on these boards I read the "should I take Disney Dollars or Cash to Disney?" The correct response is NEITHER. If you lose or have your DIsney Dollars or Cash stoten then guess what... it's gone and your vacation my WELL be ruined. I read a story several years ago on a tourist who was robbed at the AIRPORT someplace as she landed of all of the cash she needed for her vacation so the "I am going to put in the safe theory" has a few wholes in it. If you don't believe in credit cards look into a prepaid debit and/or travelers checks.

(The Boardwalk HOstiage situation was a family domestic dispute and was not a "walk in robbery" However, people have reported "I left my camera on the table at a Disney Resort" and it walked away. Folks that ID check is NOT security LOL!)

 

[angelmav]

Really CC are probably the most safe route, however since many places can put a hold well above the purchase price you can get in a bind pretty quickly (some friends of ours had nearly $1500 in holds above the pp on a cross country trip for hotels, food and gas), if you do take money, placing your wallet in your front pocket is recommended. Also there have been problems with people getting ripped off when they ring the purchase as debit because the pin code can be stored/hacked. All the things we have to worry about in this day and age........

 

[BrianD]

Crime does appear to be significantly up in the Orlando area particularly these past couple of years. It's something that they need to get a handle on, because eventually it will start to impact the tourism industry there, and that would be a very bad thing for Orlando's economy. I do agree with everyone that staying on site is a "safer" bet because of the additional security provided by Disney.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I think it would nice if the original poster or a mod changed the title of this thread to include the word "offsite" ...

Lots of people will panic unnecessarily. We know it was offsite - let's make sure the thread title indicates that.

J

 

[soupy11]

It is such a good idea to carry travellers cheques, we always feel so much safer and less of a target because of it. Just keep your wits about you and remember that criminals generally look for the easy score. If you protect yourself, they are going to move on to an easier target.

 

[calgarygary]

Do not get a false sense of security just because you are staying onsite. Do the same sensible procedures that you would in any hotel. Do you really think that a guard at a gate house that really is only checking for parking passes (that a thief can steal at any of the parking lots of the parks) is going to stop a thief. Bad things can happen anywhere but common sense can help prevent it from happening to you.

 

[spiceycat]

thiefs are why Disney has security guards at each and every hotel.

when there is a thief you need to show the guard (at the all stars only) not only your parking permit, but a valid key and ID (driver license).

there have been thiefs at every Disney hotel.

however that say - the guards hopefully will kept out the ones with guns...

cars have been broken into, and in some places - the balcony door at the hotel has been broken into.

one guy actually brought something to get into the wall and took the safes....

don't take your jewerly or anything else not replaceable on vacation.

I think this was at Disney - one guy was looking at a particular building - waited until everyone was gone to the parks - and broke the doors down... This surprised me - because DVC resorts have steel doors - but some of the other resorts don't.

wish is now why security guards prowl the entire area.

don't bring anything on vacation that is you will miss.

also be aware that Disney has pick pockets in the parks. the security in the parks is pretty good (camera everywhere) but still it is better for your peace of mind not to lose it in the first place.

 

[disneyfan67]

I have always felt safe and secure while staying on site and when I pulled up to the Poly in 02 for check in, everybody was required in my truck to provide ID. I have always felt secure when I stayed on site, especially the Poly.

Central Florida is the vacation capital of America according to some publications and it would only make sense for thieves to target that area. There must be thousands of hotel rooms and vacation homes in the greater Orlando, Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee area and then factor in the theme parks, you have a prime target. You have to take precautions

 

[calgarygary]

thiefs are why Disney has security guards at each and every hotel.

when there is a thief you need to show the guard (at the all stars only) not only your parking permit, but a valid key and ID (driver license).

Well that explains it, after I checked in and received my parking pass for the resort, I only ever showed the pass to be waved in. I didn't realize that it was only the criminals that had to show parking pass, key and ID.

 

[hmp2z]

I have to point something out. We live in the 4 Corners area, and there are a TON of Brits who come & vacation here. We see them at the Wal-Mart every weekend when we do our shopping, and they are invariably flashing serious cash around. I'm talking wads of $100 bills, and they're just standing at the cash register, pulling them out of their wallets, waving them around, walking around the store counting their money, etc.

I can only assume that Britain is a far safer place than the US, but here, you are just waving a red flag of "Victim!" in front of potential criminals' faces if you wave wads of cash through the air and act careless with it. I just wanted to point out, for tourists from other countries, the best thing to do is to, rather than getting out several thousands of US dollars, use a credit card. And, if for whatever reason, you have to have several thousand dollars, I would probably leave it locked in the hotel safe, or hide it somewhere in the rental house, rather than carrying it about on my person.

When you do go to a store, don't take out more than the money you need. Leave the rest concealed in your wallet. There is no need to show thieves that you're toting serious cash around. When you get change back, just put it straight into your wallet, discreetly, before you leave the register. Walking away from the register with money in your hand and your wallet open is not a good idea, because someone could just yoink! it away from you.

Just wanted to point this out, as we see this happening several times, every single time we go shopping, and it is always British tourists who seem to be waving the major cash around. Wal-Mart parking lots are never the safest places to be, particularly if you're walking around with an open wallet, showing everyone a stack of $100's nestled inside!

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[CarolA]

Well if you go to Britan guess who it is "waving around the cash" Yes, you got it, it's the Americans LOL! I guess it's a tourist thing! (My Girl Scout trip a few years ago had an incident where the other advisor lost $10,000 in traveler's checks day 1. Thank God it was traveler's checks, but it's a sobering lesson)

 

[kribit]

As fun as Disney is, and as safe as people feel there, Orlando Florida is still ranked among the highest crime rates in America. On a scale from 1-10 (10 being the worst), Orlando is ranked an 8. We have to be aware of our surroundings, even on vacation.

 

[spiceycat]

Well that explains it, after I checked in and received my parking pass for the resort, I only ever showed the pass to be waved in. I didn't realize that it was only the criminals that had to show parking pass, key and ID.

definitely need to read again what I write. but that is my handicapped - what I think I see and what I really write are and can be very far a p a r t.

if there is a thief - everyone is asked to show both (ID, key) to get back into the resort.
this is only at All star and Pop.