Robbed at Magic Kingdom

[Feralpeg]

The CM in the shop followed procedure. They are directed to contact security. They are not allowed to let guests use the phones in the shops.

 

[northie]

Hmmm, maybe it's a Disney conspiracy to increase clothing sales in December.

Naaaa, that was the weather! They got three sales from us because we were freezin' (which means I got three new articles of Disney clothing as the boys will never wear them outside of Disney World!)

One I got was a Christmas design and it's red polar fleece. I love it...has a cute a stylized line drawing in green and white of Mickey in a Santa hat with "Walt Disney World" embroidered in white. It was about $50 and I'd have wanted it even if I wasn't freezing (but I probably wouldn't have bought it). Comes in Pooh sizes and got it at MouseGear at Epcot if anyone's hunting for something like that.

Seriously we did see a ton of people buying and wearing new sweatshirts and jackets..they must have made made a killing on the sales of those! Also there is a promotion in the park gift shops where if you buy so much you can get a throw for $15...I bought four of them, one for us and three for gifts...and we saw a lot of people wrapped in those too!

Sara

 

[lovethattink]

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Did the cm in the store contact security?

Last weekend I noticed an unusually large amount of security in MK. Even passed by a (I think it was orange county) deputy on main street. Thought that was unusual since they are normally standing outside the gates not on main street.

 

[mickaholic4077]

I saw an Orange county deputy in the MK too yesterday!!

 

[ChipAndDale2006]

We were robbed in 2004 in July at animal kingdom. Someone broke in our van and stole expensive things left inside hidden in the trunk..Never thinking with security watching over in parking lots there this could really happen...We had a bag pack with credit cards stolen...They stole our lap top .....Game boy and about 60 game boy tapes...We went to customer service..at animal kingdom and reported it...the manager there was very nice and let us use the phone there to call our bank to report also a book of checks stolen and our credit card companies to report this happening.. here we are never thinking there people here that would be so greedy with no hearts....Now we go but never leaving anything at all in our vehichle.... Just Beware of THESE KIND OF PEOPLE AROUND THESE PARKS!!!!!!

 

[Schmeck]

I'm sorry your stuff was stolen but I'm glad you got some of it back. I can't believe the CM wouldn't let you use the gift shop phone. I always feel pretty safe at Disney, but I'm still always careful with my stuff.

If you read through the entire thread before you posted you would have seen the info that stated that the store phones would not have worked for her calls. The CMs are also not allowed to have cellphones...

 

[Karnak]

Can you imagine trying to get into any Disney park and having to pass a metal detector first? People complain about airports. Wait until that would happen to get into MK. The line to enter would be backed up to the Contemporary.

Good point; but a metal detector and through searches might cause people to carry only items they really need into the parks. It is unreal, some of the tons of stuff I've seen people lug into the parks. Don't bother me none that they do tho. I'm just happy not to be carrying anything but myself. If it isn't something I'm likely to really need, or if it won't fit in a cargo shorts pocket, it ain't a-gonna go into the park with me. Not nohow, not no way.

Enjoy.

 

[northie]

I saw an Orange county deputy in the MK too yesterday!!

Last week we noticed Orange County Deputy cars in the parking lots of MGM, MK, and Epcot. Not once, but every time we were passing through or over on a bus or monorail all of the 8 days were were at WDW. We even commented to each other wondering if something had happened on the outside world (we sure wouldn't have known, we were totally immersed in Disney!) that caused security to be bumped up. None of us remember seeing them there like that before.

Sara

 

[DizBelle]

If that were the case, the CMs could have at least handed over one of their own (its so common now to carry a cell phone, esp if your work phone can't dial out). Just to try to do SOMETHING to help in this extremely stressfull situation. I certainly would have

Next scam at WDW - pretend you were robbed to get an unsuspecting CM to hand over their cell phone. WOO HOO!!! FREE CELL PHONE!!!

 

[Chad&Janet]

I'm sorry for your loss. When we were there in 2003, our truck got targeted for theft in the Epcot parking lot. My wife left her cellphone in the truck on the charger. Since the charger has a light on it even when the ignition is off, the light could be seen even through tinted windows. Our lock was keyed and the cellphone removed. I guess we were lucky they didn't break windows or take anything else.

I later found out from a Disney security person, that that is a common scam that Disney is aware of where the miserable thieves just go through the theme park parking lots to see what they can steal. He said it's always safer to park in the resort lots since they have much fewer incidents there. So, it is wise, like a previous poster mentioned, to not leave anything at all in your vehicle at Disney. Also, it's wise to unplug any phone chargers so they can't see any lights on in your car.

It wasn't a huge loss for us either (the phone cost about $200 to replace), but it's just the feeling of invasion you experience. It is very sad to me that there are people who exist that target Disney World of all places to victimize. Ya know, most of us save up for years before our families can actually afford to go to Disney. Only to be victimized once we finally get to go. Orlando's crime rate is fairly atrocious, so it only makes sense that these highly skilled, highly technical crime rings would target the Disney parks. Being from a small town in Tennessee, we were ignorantly unaware of the need to remove every possible item from the vehicle.

All in all, I do believe that this is much more of a problem than Disney cares to admit and I for one, would appreciate any and every effort on Disney's part to secure their guests' safety and belongings. I think they could definitely do more than what they are currently doing.

On the other hand, I also agree with being dilligent and aware in regard to your own personal safety as much as possible and to just assume everyone is a thief. That's the kind of world we live in, I guess.

 

[mikiclements]

We were robbed in 2004 in July at animal kingdom. Someone broke in our van and stole expensive things left inside hidden in the trunk..Never thinking with security watching over in parking lots there this could really happen...We had a bag pack with credit cards stolen...They stole our lap top .....Game boy and about 60 game boy tapes...We went to customer service..at animal kingdom and reported it...the manager there was very nice and let us use the phone there to call our bank to report also a book of checks stolen and our credit card companies to report this happening.. here we are never thinking there people here that would be so greedy with no hearts....Now we go but never leaving anything at all in our vehichle.... Just Beware of THESE KIND OF PEOPLE AROUND THESE PARKS!!!!!!

Criminals just don't have a conscience.
Unfortuneatly, security is just customer service. They can't really do anything. They are not allowed to touch anyone. All they can do is call police if they see a crime. I am sorry you were robbed. That's awful. It's such an invasion. I hope you had good insurance on your stuff.

 

[Tiffany]

I just returned from a week at Disney world. We attended the MVMCP on 12/12/06. As my DW and I rode Thunder Railroad my disabled MIL watched our DD and rode her on her electric scooter. She went in the store at Splash Mountain to let our DD look around. We had our princess backpack attached to the basket on the front of the scooter. My dd was showing my MIL something she liked and when she looked back the backpack was gone. She immedently contacted a CM and they contacted security. My DW and I in the mean time had finished riding the ride and asked to use the phone to cancil our credit cards and cell phone since my DW purse and phone was in the back pack. The CM at the store refused to let us use there phone and directed us to the payphones outside the bathrooms at Splash Mountain. While we were franticly calling banks and cell phone company. A CM supervisor comes up and asks what has happened. We tell him the story and he asks us if we like for him to call security and file a report. YESSSSSSSSSSSS we tell him. Ten minitues later a female CM supervisor shows up with our back pack and says she found it in the ladies bathroom in a stall with the shoulder strap cut.The thief had stolen the cash out of my DW wallet as well as a gift card she had recieved at work for Christmas. Luckly they did not get any identification,credit cards, cell phone,cameria or a Disney visa reward card with $140 on it. We ended up losing $150 in the deal, but it could have been worse. I guess the moral of the story is that mean heartless people vist Disney as well and prey on us nice Disney lovers.We filed a report when security finally came by 45 minutues later. Disney was not much help at all. Please watch your valuables at all times.

I am so sorry this happened to you, but it is a good reminder to everyone that you should treat a trip to WDW from a security point of view just like you would traveling to NYC. There are "bad" people everywhere in this world and they tend to target places where people let there guard down. I am glad that in the end it was only $150 that was lost and no one was hurt.

 

[brocklesnar69]

Oh man! This makes me very nervous. Maybe I should take along the Pepper Spray !!! (J/K)

 

[Fore2213]

While i agree there should be more of a "search" going into the parks, the problem is this.....If you increase the scope of how you search, you will most likley begin to feel the wrath of the "privacy nuts". Look at the people on this site who complain about a fingerscan. People like that are to blame for what we have go through (or lack thereof) I have no problem waiting an extra 5 to 10 miuntes for a complete search....my safety and the safety of my kids are worth it. If you have nothing to hide, who cares if they do a THOROUGH search. The less i have to worry about in a park, the better!!!!

amazingly they don't check people, just bags. unless something has changed. I went earlier this year and there was no metal detector, just rent- a- cops going sloppily through bags and looking bored.

 

[daisax]

My wallet was returned with all cards / ids still inside so I thought I was safe, until I found out that someone used my info to open a line of credit at QVC and home depot. The theif usually justs copeies down your info and uses it later.

I've never understood this. I understand stealing a credit card and going to a store and charging a big item, throwing it in the car and driving away scot free. I don't understand how you can order merchandise through the mail -- it gets delivered SOMEwhere, doesn't it? Wouldn't that information help nab the people doing it?

 

[Pedler]

I've never understood this. I understand stealing a credit card and going to a store and charging a big item, throwing it in the car and driving away scot free. I don't understand how you can order merchandise through the mail -- it gets delivered SOMEwhere, doesn't it? Wouldn't that information help nab the people doing it?

Many times they will have the merchandise delivered to an address where they know people are not home during the day. Then they just pick up the packages outside of the front door. I can't say how many times UPS has dropped off packages that required a signature without even ringing the bell.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Last year DH had his debt card (as in our checking account) number stolen.
The theives first bought a $100 gift certifucate from Land's End and had it sent to our home. That worked, so the same weekend they bought several hundreds of dollars of g.c. from Land's End and sent to various addresses.
Luckily, I check our checking account in the morning and discovered the unauthorized charges while they were still pending.
I called Land's End and told them it was a scam and they cancelled the orders before they went out. And our bank did not allow the charges to go through -- except one for $100, which they credited back a few days later. We were told if none went through, then the thieves could not be charged.
But I thought the same -- why gift certificates? Unless they were having them mailed to a cluster box where they break into them.
Ironically, Land's End would not tell us the names on the g.c. or where they were being mailed, even though it was my DH who supposedly ordered them. They would only confirm the first one of $100, since it was going to our home address.

 

[resol37]

It does actually sound like the CM followed procedure - though maybe some more sensitivity or tact could have been used. Those phones can only call within the park (I'm not sure if they can even contact the other WDW parks, I only ever used them to contact a manager). CMs are not allowed to have cell phones on their costume.

Had it happened at either of the attractions that I worked at, I would have let you know that I was contacting a manager and security so that you would be aware of that. But as far as making a phone call, a guest's cell phone or a pay phone are the only options for making outside calls in WDW.

I do agree that there should be more security in general at WDW and that security should have arrived sooner than 45 minutes after the incident.

I'm so sorry that that happened to you. I never witnessed any crimes comitted while I worked at WDW and never had to call security for anything, but a friend of mine over at RnR was punched in the face because he wouldn't let the guest's son ride - he wasn't tall enough. Just goes to show you that WDW is not exempt from the "anything can happen" real world.

 

[winterman]

Reading all these posts, I see one thing in common.Things can be stolen when you let them out of you sight. (except the bag that was cut off the woman's arm) I don't understand why anyone would leave any valuables and walk away from them. No matter where they are. Are people really that naive?