Robbed at Magic Kingdom

[dolphindan1]

Yeah we got robbed on one of our Disney vacations too....it was not at Disney though...it was off site...we were off being tourists one day...My wife, 2 boys, MIL and SIL and I....we stopped at a few shops on 192 and the women put there purses in the trunk...being from a small town in SC this is common...we dont worry about theft too much....our mistake....anyway we came out of the place we were in went down the road to a resturant....guess what all the purses were gone....My wife and I lost about 50 bucks and our Pleasure Island tickets...all my father in laws cash that she forget to put in his account before we left....he is on disability and my MIL left him so my wife and I take care of him....couple credit cards...my SIL had all her stuff on her except license...MIL lost about 150 which was all she had and her debit card so she was broke...talk about stress....those 3 women went crazy...I stayed calm gave my MIL money to get her through the trip....we filed a police report went on our way....there was no evidence on that car that anyone broke in....what hurt the most was losing the pleasure Island tickets....MIL was keeping the boys that night for the wife and I to have a night out...well after much convincing I got my wife to cheer up and go and we would get tickets at the gate....well they wouldnt let her into any adult clubs beause she had no ID...I even showed the police report...so we went to Dinner at Fultons....Wife was still upset...the waiter and a older couple beside us heard the story...and tried to console her...well the older couple apologized and left..when I asked for the ticket the waiter said it had been taken care of and that Fultons wanted to treat us to Dessert...I still dont know if Disney flipped the Bill or that couple paid the bill...but it reaffirmed mine and my wifes faith in poeple and Disney...we still had a wonderful trip.....lesson learned...

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I am so sorry to hear this happened to your family.

I would like to second the comment that you should cancel your CC's even though they were recovered. All they need is the numbers and the internet and could charge up quite a bit.

While we would like to think somewhere like Disney is immune to this, unfortunately it is not the case. We keep a bag in the stroller, but all that is in there is diapers, wipes, snacks, etc., maybe extra clothes for the kids. Any cash, CC's, tickets, are on my person at all times and our camera. Yes, this means I have to wear a funky fanny pack, but I would rather look like a touristy geek than be out who knows how much money.

Nothing surprises me anymore. This year alone, thieves have stolen the Thanksgiving turkeys from a church soup kitchen, a bunch of toys out of a church that were being collected for needy families, and just yesterday, they broke some poor lady's car window and stole almost $1000 worth of toys that she had picked up and was taking to another charity.

Sad sad sad.

 

[Sammie]

So sorry this happened.

We too have had things stolen at Disney. When I first read your title I thought you were actually robbed which would have been so scarey to have been personally confronted.

 

[joshsmom]

After reading more of this thread, I think it just reminds me to be as careful with my things at Disney as I am anywhere else. I think we go to Disney and we feel the magic and think we are immune to the harshness of the rest of the world. Although it is true that there is Magic at Disney that you can't find anywhere else, there are also opportunists waiting to take advantage of that.

The one thing that bothers me the most is that bags can be "cut" from your person. This has never happened to me and frankly, I've never even thought about it. We carry everything on our person--but its all in a small bag I bought at Disney that resembles a camera bag. It's usually hanging down from my shoulder. When we go in May, I think I will be more cognizant of the fact that it could be snipped from my shoulder.

 

[Karnak]

Your experience just shows why the only thing I leave in a backpack and/or stroller, are non-valuable items (blankets, sodas, extra clothes, etc.).

I agree with this poster all the way. When I visit a WDW park I tend to carry nothing around with me. I like both hands free. If it won't fit in my cargo shorts, it don't get to go to the park.

Enjoy.

 

[minkydog]

It makes me sad to hear of things like this in my favorite place, but I know from personal experience it happens. I laid my coat (which was a plain ole navy blue heavyweight hooded sweatshirt, not a Disney one or anything) down the first week in Dec at Epcot while I rented an ECV and someone walked off with it. Never turned into lost and found so it was obviously stolen. Not sure why anyone would want it but it was blasted cold later in the day, and I had to buy a sweatshirt I hadn't planned on, which wasn't nearly as warm as the heavy duty one I had brought with me.

Even if the item isn't particularly valuable you feel violated that someone would take your stuff, and whoever took the OP's child's backpack, double shame on them! It's bad enough stealing from adults, but from children! How sad!

sara

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

 

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

I am sorry that happened to you. Nothing like a thief to mess up a family vacation. I am glad you were not sufferers of identity theft.

That may be what they want you to think..This happened to me 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.

Keep a VERY close eye on your credit info, if I were you I wouldsign up with one of the credit reporting agencies that most credit card companies ofer now, they have a credit monitor that will alert you anytime a line of credit has been opened, or a change has occured on your credit file.

 

[ufgator]

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.

 

[disneydancer1969]

sorry that happend! when i was a dancer at disney in the shows, someone stole another person's purse and they immediatly told me because i was the closest. it took us all 3 hours to find it. everything was stolen, her little girl was in hysterics, and i just felt really bad. we finally got everything back and the crook is in jail. (this all happend in 2004 when i was 22) it took forever but we got it. i even walked them back to the hotel. they got a bunch of apology gifts. i am so sorry that happend to you.

 

[PuckHeadBill]

I can't believe the CM wouldn't let you use the gift shop phone.

2 different folks (SyracuseWolverine and Joanna71985) have already mentioned on this thread that the gift shop phones can't call outside numbers, and that the CMs are "strongly encouraged" to leave their cell phones in their lockers backstage.

 

[NotUrsula]

WDW has always had some problems with pickpockets working the crowds exiting parks after the big closing shows, especially at Epcot and at MGM after Fantasmic. It isn't hard to lift wallets when you are packed into a crowd like sardines. Think about it: an annual pass more than pays for itself when you can score several hundred dollars in cash in just one night of pickpocketing. Americans are not even the best targets; that dubious honor goes to Asian and South American tourists, who tend to not use CC's; they sometimes carry absolutely insane amounts of cash, and the thieves are very well aware of that.

I'm very surprised that anyone would be surprised at the tactic of cutting a bag strap. That has been a common technique used by street thieves, literally for centuries; it is especially popular in Italy and parts of Greece, where thieves will ride up on scooters near pedestrians on sidewalks -- one good slash, and the bag is riding down the road. Travel specialty stores sell bags with steel cable running through the strap for just this reason.

 

[bearbear]

I was just at Disney and at the MVMCP that night. I have to say I tend to be more trusting at Disney than at home. I work in a high crime area(Camden NJ). I never leave anything unlocked or unattended and never walk to my car alone at night. I think I left my cell phone and room key in the bag on the stroller. I will have to be more mindful when we go back. I should never let my guard down. Sorry this happened to you. It makes me sad that this happens at the happiest place on earth.

 

[RobInBigKC]

Why does WDW not have metal detectors?

While I hate to think of the hassle of this (having to unload keys, coins, camera, cell phone, and pager from pockets multiplied by tens of thousands of guests), I've wondered the same. Many (maybe all?) of the Six Flags parks have metal detectors.

Let's see. I have a knife or gun in my bag. Oh, they're doing bag checks? Now, I guess I have a knife or gun in my pocket. At least it (a bag check) keeps the really big weapons out!

-- Rob

 

[Eljay]

Reading all these posts makes me wonder how many surveillance cameras there are in the shops and probably at the entrances to the restrooms, etc.
WDW obviously has to protect themselves from "slip & fall" artists, etc and I would almost guarantee that the theft of the OP's bag is on film somewhere.
I know that the casinos in Vegas have a data base of "usual suspects", what do you wanna bet that WDW does, also?

 

[LoriMistress]

I'm sorry that your vacation got ruined because of a theif but you have to remember that it's not Disney's fault that your items were not carefully looked after. I'm tired of some (not all) people who leave their crap aside (in a stroller/wheelchair/etc.) to do something (yell a some kids/look at a shop/etc.) and they come back with their crap stolen. Just because Disney is a "magical place" doesn't mean that Disney is a tourist attraction and many bad locals go to tourist theme parks to prey on naive tourists who happen to be distracted.

 

[Eljay]

I'm sorry that your vacation got ruined because of a theif but you have to remember that it's not Disney's fault that your items were not carefully looked after. I'm tired of some (not all) people who leave their crap aside (in a stroller/wheelchair/etc.) to do something (yell a some kids/look at a shop/etc.) and they come back with their crap stolen. Just because Disney is a "magical place" doesn't mean that Disney is a tourist attraction and many bad locals go to tourist theme parks to prey on naive tourists who happen to be distracted.

What if their belongings are not crap?

 

[Luv2Roam]

Nice to know it is us locals who are the riff raff too.

 

[mikiclements]

So much for the security checks at park entrance.

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.

 

[RobInBigKC]

Nice to know it is us locals who are the riff raff too.

LoriMistress did not necessarily limit it to Orlando locals. I think the thought that it is locals that intentionally enter the parks with the plan to steal only makes sense. I don't think my local thugs would fly/drive to Orlando to steal
people's backpacks when they could strike closer to home.

Just because most of the thefts in amusement parks are probably done by locals doesn't mean that most of the local guests are thieves and I don't think LoriMistress implied that they were.

-- Rob

 

[Luv2Roam]

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.

At USO we have seen metal dectors machines on Halloween Horror Nights. Even those are somewhat of a joke as they seem to using them at whim.
As USO PAPholders, we have never had to go through one. So I guess AP-ers at USO are okay and the the remainder are not.
We would see guests emptying out their pockets and everything, just like at an airport. Checking strollers alone would take forever.
Sometimes we would see the machines, but no employees nearby or using them.
Disney would almost have to allow no outside strollers, wheelchairs, etc, just to get the crowd through faster. Then there would be complaints on that as there would not be enough and they would have a monopoly on those inside the parks.