Our stroller was stolen!

[Rivka]

On the second to last day of our trip, we came out of Mickey's Philharmagic to find that our stroller wasn't in the parking area anymore. We spent quite a bit of time walking up and down - it hadn't been moved. The attendant checked other stroller parking areas in the vicinity. Nope. Gone.

In the stroller were both kids' jackets, my son's R2D2 ears, my husband's refillable mug, a birthday card for me signed by the Winnie the Pooh characters, and a stuffed buffalo which is the mascot of my husband's company. (People take vacation pictures of it for the company newsletter.) Also our only bottle of sunscreen.

Everyone assumed that it would be ditched somewhere and then turned in to lost & found overnight, but no luck. It's really gone.

Yesterday the stroller attendant gave us a loaner, but guest services was surprisingly unhelpful - they just told me to call lost & found the next day and went on with what they were doing.

This morning the stroller rental people comped us a stroller for our last day, and when I went to guest services to ask for an incident report to give my insurance company the guy there wrote me a voucher for new R2D2 ears. So that was really nice.

I'm just stunned, though. Who would steal a stroller? WHY would someone steal a stroller? It's not like it was a super pricy model. Just a Combi umbrella.

 

[maxiesmom]

People steal them for any number of reasons. To resell them. Or just to get a free stroller for their trip. Or just because they are mean.

I'm sorry you had your stroller and belongings taken. I too had to learn the hard way that there are thieves at WDW. Even there you should not leave anything you value unattended. Disney has no one watching the strollers, and no way of knowing which one belongs to what family. There isn't a whole lot they can do if one, or the stuff in one, comes up missing.

 

[akcire]

I have an expensive stroller. One of my first trips to the parks an employee told me not to leave it in stroller parking. He warned it would be stolen. I had no where else to leave it, but remembered I could remove a wheel.

I took off a wheel and carried in a gift shop bag. This is what we always do.

If any DIS'ers see someone making off with a 3 wheeled stroller (with one wheel missing) take their photo. I'll probably be on here crying that someone stole my stroller too.

Mean people suck!

 

[jillianjigs7]

Wow. That's just awful. We go to disney a few times a year and have 2 expensive strollers - a Stokke xplory and an uppa baby vista. I think I may take a wheel off when we go next month. People are just awful.

 

[GotLabradors]

When you think of all the body fluids that a baby leaves on a stroller over the course of a day, why would you want to take a stranger's stroller?

 

[GoldieLocks5]

that is horrible!!!!

I wouldn't be shocked if they just wanted to steal it for the stuff inside of it and it was easier to take the whole thing than risk being seen taking things out. We never leave anything of any value in the stroller (just wipes/diapers/sunblock) because I just don't trust anyone.

we also rented a city mini double on our first trip b/c I didn't want to risk my expensive strollers being stolen... now I have a city mini double I got used for less than the price of rental that I bring- it's banged up a bit so nobody would steal it for the stroller it's self... so I feel safer with it.

so sorry you went through that.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm just stunned, though. Who would steal a stroller? WHY would someone steal a stroller? It's not like it was a super pricy model. Just a Combi umbrella.

Who? Someone who either needs a new stroller OR realizes that any money they can get from selling a stroller they didn't pay for is 100% profit.

 

[mrsp1030]

No it doesn't shock me at all...it's the state of our world today! A good friend of mine had her stroller stolen at Sea World last year. Maybe a stroller arm needs to be invented.

 

[tajz90]

Years ago, we had our stroller stolen at Disney. It wasn't even a nice stroller. We couldn't figure out who would actually want it.

Disney was very nice. They loaned us a stroller for the rest of our tip and they gave my son, who was just heart broken, a pooh toy, candy and stickers. Not sure why he was so upset, but he was and Disney was very nice.

 

[maxiesmom]

Wow. That's just awful. We go to disney a few times a year and have 2 expensive strollers - a Stokke xplory and an uppa baby vista. I think I may take a wheel off when we go next month. People are just awful.

Or you can buy a lock and lock the back 2 wheels together. That way it is unusable, but the CMs can still tip it and roll it on its front wheels if they need to straighten up the area.

But never ever leave anything in your stroller that you would be upset to find missing.

 

[akcire]

Wow. That's just awful. We go to disney a few times a year and have 2 expensive strollers - a Stokke xplory and an uppa baby vista. I think I may take a wheel off when we go next month. People are just awful.

I have a stokke also. The wheels come right off when you squeeze the pin. I put it in a bag and then reattach when ready. It's 5-10 seconds to protect my stroller. I do this at restaurants or if I have to leave while on a ride

 

[DvF Diva]

I'm so sorry! That is so terrible that someone would steal a stroller. May karma do its thing.

BTW, I am so interested in this trick to remove a Stokke's wheel. I've had an Xplory for 2.5 years and it has, knock on wood, yet to be stolen. But I like the idea of removing a wheel if leaving it somewhere that's a bit risky.

 

[magicwishes]

We lock the back wheels with a cable lock. It at least is a deterrent. I'm sorry that really stinks.

 

[SweetMissy]

No it doesn't shock me at all...it's the state of our world today! A good friend of mine had her stroller stolen at Sea World last year. Maybe a stroller arm needs to be invented.

Not much shocks me the way some people are today but stealing a stroller at disneyworld does shock me. Being customarily a family place, going to disneyworld parents usually have their own stroller, also it's pretty ballsy to do so considering the amount of people there...anybody walking up can be the strollers owner. It's just crazy....some people are nuts! So sorry to the OP.

 

[davedmaine]

On the second to last day of our trip, we came out of Mickey's Philharmagic to find that our stroller wasn't in the parking area anymore. We spent quite a bit of time walking up and down - it hadn't been moved. The attendant checked other stroller parking areas in the vicinity. Nope. Gone.

In the stroller were both kids' jackets, my son's R2D2 ears, my husband's refillable mug, a birthday card for me signed by the Winnie the Pooh characters, and a stuffed buffalo which is the mascot of my husband's company. (People take vacation pictures of it for the company newsletter.) Also our only bottle of sunscreen.

Everyone assumed that it would be ditched somewhere and then turned in to lost & found overnight, but no luck. It's really gone.

Yesterday the stroller attendant gave us a loaner, but guest services was surprisingly unhelpful - they just told me to call lost & found the next day and went on with what they were doing.

This morning the stroller rental people comped us a stroller for our last day, and when I went to guest services to ask for an incident report to give my insurance company the guy there wrote me a voucher for new R2D2 ears. So that was really nice.

I'm just stunned, though. Who would steal a stroller? WHY would someone steal a stroller? It's not like it was a super pricy model. Just a Combi umbrella.

They stole your stroller to sell it and get all that crap you left behind in it(which lured them to it)..

 

[wiigirl]

No it doesn't shock me at all...it's the state of our world today! A good friend of mine had her stroller stolen at Sea World last year. Maybe a stroller arm needs to be invented.

or stroller gps locator

 

[disneypolybride2008]

well that is sad to hear! i will go write on my packing list my bike lock so i can thread it through the back wheels... just gotta find that key first.

 

[LilyWDW]

Not much shocks me the way some people are today but stealing a stroller at disneyworld does shock me. Being customarily a family place, going to disneyworld parents usually have their own stroller, also it's pretty ballsy to do so considering the amount of people there...anybody walking up can be the strollers owner. It's just crazy....some people are nuts! So sorry to the OP.

Which is actually really what makes it so easy. No CM is going to think twice about someone coming into stroller parking and taking a stroller. It is not like there is anything "odd" about that sort of thing. Nothing would stand out.

 

[Julie711]

Not much shocks me the way some people are today but stealing a stroller at disneyworld does shock me. Being customarily a family place, going to disneyworld parents usually have their own stroller, also it's pretty ballsy to do so considering the amount of people there...anybody walking up can be the strollers owner. It's just crazy....some people are nuts! So sorry to the OP.

I agree what if the owner of the stroller is walking up while someone is stealing it.. Awkward. I can't believe people do this. We have been plenty of times and thank goodness have never had this happen.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree what if the owner of the stroller is walking up while someone is stealing it.. Awkward. I can't believe people do this. We have been plenty of times and thank goodness have never had this happen.

My guess is that the thieves watch over the lot until they see the stroller they want. As soon as the guest leaves to get in line for the attraction (and out of sight from the stroller), the thief walks up and takes the stroller.