Spinoff -- What do you leave with your stroller when you park it?

[labdogs42]

I'm reading all of the threads about diaper bags and strollers with great interest. We are traveling to WDW with DS for the first time in May and he will be 15 months old. We are planning to take our Graco Quattro Tour stroller because of the nice size basket and comfort for the little guy. I'm wondering what everyone trusts to leave with their strollers and what you carry on rides with you. I assume you leave the diaper bag with the stroller and take a smaller bag or fanny pack with your id, money, camera, etc. on the rides with you? What about rides where a camera may get wet? Do you trust it with the stroller? I need some BTDT advice, please! Thanks!

(BTDT means Been There, Done That in case you don't know that one!)

 

[LauraL]

We always leave our diaper bag in the stroller while on rides. Sometimes we have even leave our video camera bag in the stroller when we go on rides...it's usually under the diaper bag or under something else so it's not in plain sight. There are so many strollers which are packed full of stuff...I guess I'm trustworthy when I'm at Disney and never worried about something being taken.

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

Hello
We have made many many trips to Disney now with babies. This year will be our first in a long time without a little baby in tow. Youngest will be three. With that being said. We have usually taken our double stoller. Thankfully we have never had a trouble with theft or anyone bothering with it while it is parked. We usually take our knapsack on the rides. We keep our cameras in there as well as any other valuables and my DS's asthma medicine. We leave in the stoller, our little cooler for bottles and baby food, ponchos and other things. Usually by the end of the day it's always so packed full of stuff, hats sunscreen, toys. Surprised I didn't find a kitchen sink in there! I have heard of theft of strollers and bags, so just be careful and don't leave anything you are not willing to part with just in case!
Have a great trip!
Lisa

 

[Annette_VA]

I leave the diaper bag on/in the stroller, because all that's in it is diapers, wipes, maybe some snacks. Camera bags come with us. ID's, room cards, etc are in a small wallet DH carries

 

[labdogs42]

We always leave our diaper bag in the stroller while on rides. Sometimes we have even leave our video camera bag in the stroller when we go on rides...it's usually under the diaper bag or under something else so it's not in plain sight. There are so many strollers which are packed full of stuff...I guess I'm trustworthy when I'm at Disney and never worried about something being taken.

This is how I would tend to be. I can't see myself carrying the video camera on all the rides, but I'd like to have it with me. My DH always thinks that people will steal stuff if we leave it somewhere. Hmmm...I'll be interested to hear what everyone does.

 

[jfranklyn]

Things I will leave in the stroller: Ponchos, drinks, food (popcorn, etc), lunch bag, diapers and wipes, clothing (sweatshirts, etc), small toys. Things I won't leave in the stroller: souvenirs (unless they are too big to bring on the ride); cameras, wallet, purse, medicine, etc. Also, don't leave anything there that you wouldn't want getting wet - even on the best days it can rain very suddenly in Florida!

 

[beattyfamily]

We used to leave our diaper bag (when we needed it) and we leave drinks, sweaters, coats etc...anything that we would be too upset to loose.

We have a backpack with our cameras in it that we bring everywhere. I'll admit that we have left it in the stroller once or twice in the past but I always worried until we got back to the stroller. So we don't do it anymore.

I also don't leave souvenirs in the stroller either.

Our money, cell phone, park passes, ID etc...are either in my fannypack or DHs wallet.

I've been lucky with nothing being stollen but I've read many stories over the years here on the DIS of others not being so lucky so be careful. Even at Disney there are thiefs.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

We usually bring the diaper bag with us, since we keep our wallets, camera, cell phones and video camera in there! It's just easy to take the whole bag.

(that's why I started another thread asking about getting a perfect diaper bag that will fit on my Maclaren, but I can take off and carry with me at a moments notice!)

 

[SanDiegoDayTripper]

I agree with the previous posters. The only things I leave are things I wouldn't be crushed losing: sweatshirts, blanket, sometimes toys/souvenirs.

I have kids that almost don't need strollers, so I've been known to park at the first ride of a "land" and leave the stroller for a few hours until it's time to move to the next land, or until someone falls apart. Knock on wood, I've never had a problem, but I carry anything valuable and a few diaper paks in my backpack that never leaves my shoulder (I lean against it on rides...nice a squishy for my aching back!)

 

[njdisneyfam]

We always leave our "stuff" bag in the stroller - diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, etc.
Souveniers get sent back to the room.
Wallets/phones in backpack with us on the ride.

Also, we never leave bottles or babyfood in the stroller. I worry about the heat (and the possibility of tampering).

 

[labdogs42]

Souveniers get sent back to the room.

Oh yeah -- since I'm staying at a Disney Resort I can do that right? How does that work? When does the stuff get to your room? This is our first time staying onsite so I've never used that service before.

 

[beattyfamily]

Oh yeah -- since I'm staying at a Disney Resort I can do that right? How does that work? When does the stuff get to your room? This is our first time staying onsite so I've never used that service before.

Actually, it gets sent to your resort shop, not your room unless you are staying in concierge.

You just tell the clerk what you want to do and she and you fill out a form and it should arrive the next day in the gift shop. You cannot use this feature on your last day.

 

[rt2dz]

money, hotel key(s), tickets, fastpasses, cameras, anything of value stays on my person. Diaperbag stays in the stroller. I don't worry about it much a sWDW, for better or worse. Besides, if someone ever needs diapers and wipes that badly, more power to them. Other things that get left in the stroller are ponchos, changes of clothes, snacks, and other easily replaceable things.

We've never had a problem with anything. Well, there is the time that some guy took my bottle of water, but he was super embarrassed when I came to get my stroller. He thought it was his stroller. I don't think many people have problems, although I'm sure some do, but it is probably about 1% or less of visitors that do.

 

[liznboys]

We only leave park maps, drinks, that sort of stuff. I travel lightly in the parks (even though we have little ones, I don't carry a separate diaper bag-I don't need to, I put all the diapers, etc., in my bag). So I carry one bag and everything goes in there and I take it with me on all rides. We carry the camera bag too, usually dh holds that.

We witnessed a mother discover her bag was stolen from her stroller in Fantasyland. She was so upset, of course!

 

[carone0318]

Well, fortunately my kids are now out of diapers, but we have had several trips when they weren't and this is what I did. First, I wouldn't bring a diaper bag. I would get the pampers wipes travel thing and fill it, I would also bring how ever many diapers I thought I would need for the day and put them in a big tote bag (like the Lands End/LL Bean ones) also in our tote would be our cameras (video and photo) tickets and stuff. Without the diaper bag this would free up more space in the bottom of the stroller. when we go on rides and stuff, I would park the stroller and pull the bag out of the bottom, never worrying about having to gather stuff, just focused on the one bag. It has always worked for us. Plan to do the same thing next trip too, ds is out of diapers, but will be 5 and still needs the stroller for a Disney trip. When we would leave the stroller, I would leave our little cooler, ponchos and stuff like that. One other suggestion for when you leave your stroller, it you have a plastic stroller cover always pull it down over the stroller when you leave because you never know when the Florida skies will just open up and drench everything! That's my #1 tip....

 

[Sollenberger]

So true about the rain - we went into CP with the sunniest of skies, which opened up into a downpour...everything was soaked! We did carry the important things with us, but my husband left the camera bag (not the camera) and it was unzipped.
Another plus is that we tie a bright scarf/bandana on the stroller (really knotted) so we can identify our stroller in a crowd, of which there is usually at least 4 others that look like ours.

 

[SandrainNC]

We only leave things in the stroller that can be easily replaced. We leave the little cooler, extra diapers, light weight jackets, ponchos, etc. But we never ever leave anything valuable. Cameras are in our backpacks as well as money, tickets, etc. Just because it is Disney doesn't mean that bad things can't happen. Plus I would worry everytime I left the stroller and I don't want to have to worry about that.

Sandra

 

[minniedisney1]

We leave drinks, snacks etc. in the stroller. Pretty much anything we won't be to upset to lose. This trip I found a diaperbag/shoulderbag thing with tons of zipper pockets. I was able to put our ponchos & tripod in the bottom. The side part where you can put a bottle was perfect for my wallet & cell phone. Pull-ups, wipes, inhaler stuff, hand sanitizer, camera & camcorder in the main part. I brought ziploc bags to keep the cameras in on water rides. There is also a large mesh pocket with elastic at the top on the back. I hung it on the back of my stroller until we got on rides. Then I just slung it over my shoulder. It was very easy to manage. As for anything we bought in the parks, we had them sent back to the hotel. Or you can have them sent to the front of the park for pickup when you leave. I also like that I could just put it over my shoulder & have both hands free. Good Luck!!!

 

[Grammyof2]

We have on occasion left the camera bag under other jackets, etc, but don't recomend doing that. We have never had a problem with anything missing. They do move the strollers sometimes and you think your stroller, etc are gone but they have just been moved around the corner. Tie something to the handle and it helps to identify your stroller in a sea of strollers.

Send packages back to the hotel if on site or pick up at the front of the park and you won't have to worry about them. On the whole, I think things are safe but I tend to look at the world with rose colored glasses.

I don't leave drinks, bottles, etc in the open because you just never know these days. Better safe then sorry.

Have a great trip!