?? On preventing stroller theft....

[disneygirl1977k]

hi guys,
just wondering about this one....maybe someone could give me a better idea....I am about to invest in a 2005 peg perego pliko p3 and I know stroller theft is not that bad at WDW, however, I know that I cannot lock my stroller to anything because the CM's move them around, but I was thinking about buying a couple of bicycle locks and locking the front two wheels and back two wheels together or locking the stroller where you cannot fold it down....just wondering if anybody has done this or have any better ideas...I know about the dirty diaper thing....and ugh I don't really want to do that... so I was wanting input and/or advice....thanks everyone....I am just not taking the chance of spending $300 before I leave to have someone decide to take my stroller, I am just not doing that....help!!
Kristy

 

[golfgal]

We are well beyond stroller age, but I read a post on this board where someone took a diaper, poured a little coke in the diaper, put it in a plastic bag and tied it to the handle. I think that would take care of any potential poachers! I loved this idea!

 

[crazywig]

honestly locking it would be more trouble than it's worth. disney is chock full of p3's and plikos, i would only be concerned about someone mistaking yours for theirs. so i'd put something identifying on the handle.

i've taken a few high end strollers (kiwi e3 for example) and nothing has ever happened to them...most people have no idea which strollers are expensive and which are not.

 

[Colinsmom]

The diaper trick won't foil anyone - why would someone be carrying a dirty diaper on their stroller when there are garbage cans every 50 ft???

We didn't do anything to protect our P3 in Disney and had no problems. If you want to hassle with it, you could use a bike lock threaded through both back wheels so that a cast member could lift the stroller to move it, but someone couldn't wheel it away. But it sounds like a lot to go through every single time you leave and come back to you stroller (constantly, it seems)!

 

[LauraAnn630]

I agree, no ones going to take your stroller. I havent heard of anyones stroller being taken. Ive seen video cameras in strollers unattended for long periods of time, no one bothered them. I wouldnt leave anything valuable in a stroller tho.

 

[HeatherPage]

Maybe you could get a second hand stroller for WDW and save your expensive stroller for home, that way if by some narrow chance someone did take your stroller, you wouldn't be devastated.

 

[ninaeve]

We traveled with 2 Mac Triumphs and had no problems with the strollers themselves(which was what worried us), but we did come back to our diaper bag having been gone through(all the many pockets were unzipped). Also at Sea World, ds's Animal Kingdom Hat got stolen from the basket and the strollers were only 5 feet behind us!
We usually put the hats in the bag or carry them with us, but didn't that time.

I think that locking the strollers would get to be a pain unless u plan on spending hrs in the same area w/o stroller use.

 

[KimWDW]

We're only bringing our $40 Combi Strolee, but I still want to make sure no one mistakes it as their own or selfishly decides to take it because they didn't bring their own and their kid is tired. So, all I'm doing is going out of my way to personalize my stroller. I'm going to print our name using our label maker and stick it to the handle and tape it down real good. I'm also going to tie something (balloon, scarf, something like that) to the handle, double-knotted. This way, no one will mistake it as theirs. And anyone that's looking for an easy steal won't take it because our name on it increases the risk that they'll get in trouble if caught. They'll move on to an easier steal. I'm also not leaving anything valuable in there. My camera will be in my backpack on the ride with me.

 

[Sleuth]

Actually when we went in May 2004 there was a family that got their stroller stolen! We were coming out of the flight of the Little Mirmaid and heading to the stroller parking area nearby. A family was so upset, someone put their diaper bag on this cheap umbrella stroller so they know that theirs was taken- swapped with a junky stroller. We felt bad for them but were glad ours was not taken!!!

 

[campingcorgi]

If you want to lock your stroller just get something and practice. You will be doing it a lot so get good at it.

I'd probably figure out how to lock mine so it couldn't be folded and put in a car. Not fool-proof--someone could be going in a boat and wouldn't have to fold it and might have tools in the car--but easier.

Me, I take my chances and we've been fine for 5 years now. Probably famous last words......

 

[SammieG]

I think you would have to be extremely unlucky to have your stoller taken - Im not saying it doesnt happen... but we often leave souveniers on our stroller and rucksacks.. actually one time my husband left the stroller somewhere when I nipped to the bathroom, and he had left my purse on it...
I actually feel pretty secure there.
Not saying it NEVER happens.. Im sure that it does .. but its unlikely. I personally wouldnt worry about it..

 

[becky7953]

We were one of those people to leave the cam corder in their stroller. We did it a couple of times. I thought hubby had it and he thought I had it. Nothing happened to our stroller or stuff. Let's just say it wasn't the brightest thing we have done, but luckily nothing happened.

I vote for getting another cheaper stroller and taking that. We did that, I took the money we would spend renting a stroller at Disney and that is the amount I spent on a stroller.

 

[welovedis]

It doesn't happen often but it does happen, unfortunately, and I guess we were one of the the unlucky ones. It was taken in the MK, and was a nice MacLaren model so it seemed odd that it would have been chosen (out of the last possible row of stroller parking-so they had to move other strollers to get to it!) unless the person taking knew what they were doing. We had it marked on the frame in a number of places (more because we travel frequently) but never saw it again.

The CMs were friendly and helpful & made sure we got a rental stroller brought over to us, helped us check in at lost & found frequently, etc...


I would say that some of the obvious things are to mark the stroller with either something permanent or something that is hard to remove. I also don't know what time of the year you'll be going but unfortunately any stroller locks are going to be a pain to keep locking/unlocking & if you are going when it is warm, that will make it all the worse! I know someone who took her pretty expensive Peg stroller and made a sign (laminated) to put on the hood or the seat that said "This stroller DOESN't belong to you so HANDS OFF" or something to that effect and said it got a number of comments from other mothers thinking of doing the same thing.

As far as leaving valuables in the stroller, that is really foolish, IMO. Theft can occur anywhere and WDW is no exception, unfortunately. If you wouldn't have a problem living without your diaper bag, camcorder, purse, souveniers, etc.......then go right ahead and leave it in the stroller. If will probably be there when you get back, but it might not!

Ok, so now you have heard of someone this happened to, glad we no longer need a stroller at WDW or anywhere else, lol!

 

[kaseyC]

What we usually do is make our stroller easy to identify. My DH wraps the handles with the tape you put around the handle of tennis rackets. We buy the brightes color we can find (our most recent color is traffic cone orange). We then take the neon circle stickers that people use to price items at yard sales and stick them all over the tray and other places. Our stroller is so loud and tacky, I thinl it scares folks. Also, a fringe benefit of the stickers is it keeps our youngest DDs busy. They spend hours trying to peel them off.

It is also pretty easy to remove them once you are home, soap, water and a stiff brush.

 

[mmb]

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know that we used a bike lock on our stroller last November and never had any issues (with CM's or with it being a pain to lock/unlock) We would park it out of the way and see all the attractions in the vicinity before we used it again.

I hate to say it but theft does happen, even in WDW. I do know some people that had their strollers stolen there, and though it probably doesn't happen often, why would you want to chance it?

Anyway, I hope this suggestion helps. Good Luck and have a great time!