Stolen FE\Pixie Dust Gifts

[cvjw]

Interesting. Im not a fan of policy changes depending on how much you spend with DCL- either everyone should get help with missing magnets & FE gifts or they shouldn't (and I say that as a DCL cruiser who is about to go on sailing #16- all since 2020). Glad they helped you and you were reimbursed but they either need to offer this to everyone or no one

I personally think DCL should put a stop to the random theft. It would be super easy for them to do - catch a few people, make an example of them and word would get out. It would make other thieves think before stealing - especially if they knew they were on camera and security was monitoring the cameras.

The whole theft and how it was handled gave me a little pause on sailing DCL. I am sure I am not the only one who finds this distasteful on such an expensive vacation.

DCL handles things on a case by case basis. Always has. I had no problem with the reimbursement. I am sure they did not want to lose me as a customer over $15.

 

[CamColt]

I'll start with the disclaimer, I do not participate in FE or Pixie Dust. I have done FEs twice back in the day when it was a fun thing to do among friends, however now I see it as a military operation that causes stress, hurt feelings, bitterness etc... I have enough to worry about before a cruise, including suitcase space, that I cant be bothered with bringing junk for strangers. With that said, I get some people love it and it really makes the cruise for them. That's what makes the world go round.

So, no, I don't think it should be banned. Should cruises cost extra for security to protect these gifts? NO! A cruise is expensive enough without having to pay for "insurance" for knick knacks, that I don't want or get. IMO, if people want to participate they have to go in knowing that something could be stolen. It's not right, and hopefully it doesn't happen but as with anything left out in public, it could easily be taken. Participate at your own risk. If kids are upset something went missing just tell them the pirates took it.

 

[dreamer17555]

I'll start with the disclaimer, I do not participate in FE or Pixie Dust. I have done FEs twice back in the day when it was a fun thing to do among friends, however now I see it as a military operation that causes stress, hurt feelings, bitterness etc... I have enough to worry about before a cruise, including suitcase space, that I cant be bothered with bringing junk for strangers. With that said, I get some people love it and it really makes the cruise for them. That's what makes the world go round.

So, no, I don't think it should be banned. Should cruises cost extra for security to protect these gifts? NO! A cruise is expensive enough without having to pay for "insurance" for knick knacks, that I don't want or get. IMO, if people want to participate they have to go in knowing that something could be stolen. It's not right, and hopefully it doesn't happen but as with anything left out in public, it could easily be taken. Participate at your own risk. If kids are upset something went missing just tell them the pirates took it.

I find often it is adults who react more negatively to things going missing- even things like Pixie Dust going missing caused some adults to get upset and Pixie Dust is a bonus small tiny gift that no one should be anticipating. It is the adults who will see the item in their FE and leave it for their child to find (vs bringing it into the stateroom to keep it safe and letting your child find it there). In most cases the child has no idea that an item is missing because they never saw it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Asking for more clarity (not disagreeing with you)- If it meant that DCL needed to devote more manpower to do that (watch the cameras, have extra staff to deal with thefts) would you be okay with your fare ever so slightly increasing to cover the cost of the extra manpower? Would you still be okay with it if you were not participating in FEs?

What point would you say a minor caught stealing should be removed from the ship? Should they be removed over any theft (maybe taking pixie dusted stickers)? or would it depend on how many rooms they stole from? or depend on the value of the item taken (most are very low value items)? Again just wanting more information on your thoughts

I'm not suggesting extra manpower, but just "normal" security measures. Yes, there is security on the ships. And , yes, they handle misbehaving guests (adults as well as minors). I'm just saying that stealing is stealing and should be delt with.

Initially, IF A MINOR IS IDENTIFIABLE as someone who's been stealing onboard, a meeting with minor/parents/ & security to discuss the repercussions. If it continues, then removal (both child and parents) from the ship could be warranted.

 

[dreamer17555]

I'm not suggesting extra manpower, but just "normal" security measures. Yes, there is security on the ships. And , yes, they handle misbehaving guests (adults as well as minors). I'm just saying that stealing is stealing and should be delt with.

Initially, IF A MINOR IS IDENTIFIABLE as someone who's been stealing onboard, a meeting with minor/parents/ & security to discuss the repercussions. If it continues, then removal (both child and parents) from the ship could be warranted.

There of course is security on the ship... I'm not sure if they have enough to deal with pixie dust and magnets going missing (but I might be wrong- they could be bored out of their minds with nothing to do)

At what point would you suggest a family be removed? Like does the item's value matter or just number of offenses? Like if they did it one one cruise at 10 and another at 14 should the family be removed?

I highly doubt DCL would want the sort of press that would create... It would show they have a problem with theft on their cruises (tarnishing the brand image) and I am sure the family would spin it to point out their child was pressured (likely by peers) or has some other issues that caused the thefts and with the value of the items being so small there would be headlines like - Family removed from Disney Cruise over a $10 tumbler and stickers (which not fair but in our click bait world seems likely).

 

[cvjw]

There of course is security on the ship... I'm not sure if they have enough to deal with pixie dust and magnets going missing (but I might be wrong- they could be bored out of their minds with nothing to do)

At what point would you suggest a family be removed? Like does the item's value matter or just number of offenses? Like if they did it one one cruise at 10 and another at 14 should the family be removed?

On several cruises I have been on, there was an unsupervised group of teens causing trouble. Running down the hallways stealing, causing problems in shows and in public areas, harassing cast members, etc. If DCL would put a stop to this, a lot of their problems would be solved. I feel like DCL is on the slippery slope to going viral like Carnival Cruise has for fights and bad behavior. All it would take is for one viral clip to change people’s perception of a Disney cruise.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I was on the Dream in 2023 for 18 days over three B2B2B cruises. For the first two, we were on deck 5 down the hall from the kids club. Had a bunch of kids running between the club and the elevator/stairs and they would stop by for a lollipop. A few left their wrapper on the floor but most took it with them (or the room steward picked it up). On the last cruise, (had to move to deck 8) my lollipop holder was stolen on the next to last day. I couldn't believe it! I asked GS if they found one to let me know - just in case someone found it in their stateroom on the last night and turned it in. They seemed less than interested in even taking my lost item report. All of the housekeeping cast members were bummed since they got lollipops quite often from my holder! Next cruise I'll zip tie it to the fish.

 

[SleepyDeb]

I think the question is, what does (or should) Disney do about petty thefts. Whether the items stolen are FE items, door magnets, (inexpensive) sunglasses or a book on a lounger left while using restroom is really irrelevant. If someone is stealing from FE's, it's the same as pick up small items in a shop or anything someone leaves sitting on a table in the buffet while getting more food. FE items aren't unclaimed property. They belonged to the giver until placed in the FE, then they belonged to the receiver. Petty theft is petty theft.

I disagree that parents of these kids/teens will necessarily think their prince or princess can do no wrong. Some would, but I think most wouldn't. We are empty nesters now, but our daughter was about 11 when we went on our only cruise with her. It did not occur to me to sit her down in advance to tell her not to steal bc she knew damn well that stealing ANYTHING was wrong. She was an incredibly well behaved child. However, I am not so blind as to think, if there was a ton of peer pressure from kids she thought were cool, she would never do such a thing. But if DCL had told me they'd seen or caught her stealing, she wouldn't have been out of our sight for the rest of the trip and would have had some grounding at home. If we'd gone on another cruise with her, she'd again not be out of our sight until we were sure she'd outgrown the stage of succumbing to peer-pressure (probably age 18.)

I don't know what Disney does if/when they catch someone taking small items from a shop.

By the way, I don't participate in FE's, but those who do should be able to do so without worry. Yes, I'd pay slightly more if DCL took reasonable action about petty thefts of all types. When committed by children, reasonable to me would be a warning to the parents and if it happened again, not being allowed to bring that child on a cruise again until they are 18.

 

[Moonspinner]

I think the question is, what does (or should) Disney do about petty thefts. Whether the items stolen are FE items, door magnets, (inexpensive) sunglasses or a book on a lounger left while using restroom is really irrelevant. If someone is stealing from FE's, it's the same as pick up small items in a shop or anything someone leaves sitting on a table in the buffet while getting more food. FE items aren't unclaimed property. They belonged to the giver until placed in the FE, then they belonged to the receiver. Petty theft is petty theft.

I disagree that parents of these kids/teens will necessarily think their prince or princess can do no wrong. Some would, but I think most wouldn't. We are empty nesters now, but our daughter was about 11 when we went on our only cruise with her. It did not occur to me to sit her down in advance to tell her not to steal bc she knew damn well that stealing ANYTHING was wrong. She was an incredibly well behaved child. However, I am not so blind as to think, if there was a ton of peer pressure from kids she thought were cool, she would never do such a thing. But if DCL had told me they'd seen or caught her stealing, she wouldn't have been out of our sight for the rest of the trip and would have had some grounding at home. If we'd gone on another cruise with her, she'd again not be out of our sight until we were sure she'd outgrown the stage of succumbing to peer-pressure (probably age 18.)

I don't know what Disney does if/when they catch someone taking small items from a shop.

By the way, I don't participate in FE's, but those who do should be able to do so without worry. Yes, I'd pay slightly more if DCL took reasonable action about petty thefts of all types. When committed by children, reasonable to me would be a warning to the parents and if it happened again, not being allowed to bring that child on a cruise again until they are 18.

This was my thought reading over this thread. Stealing is stealing. Disney should be concerned about any stealing on their ships. We have been on 7 cruises with dcl and have never participated in FE. I do, however, think the entire thing is delightful to see. I love that there are people out there who put so much effort into things. I am very disorganized and the entire thing is daunting to me, but I did tell our kids we could do FE if they wanted. They are boys and were not interested. They do love looking at all the door decorations, Our kids also would never steal from people’s doors. If they ever do anything like that, we WANT them to be punished by someone in authority.

 

[scoobysgirl]

I know I'm going to be WAAYYY outnumbered in my opinion, but I think FE should be stopped. It will be much easier in the long run. DCL does not promote it and should not have to "police" it. Parents should, but you can see how that goes...

The first cruise we did, we participated in the FE gift exchange. It was fun, but a lot of work. Just because of that, I wouldn't and haven't done it again. And knowing the gifts would/could be stolen, that's just another reason not to do it.

 

[tgropp]

We only participated on the fish extender once. Half the people who signed up only accepted the gifts and never offered any. That was enough for me to never do it again. So I guess that you can see where some of these kids get their morals from

 

[yowcruiser]

A good conversation and likely in the category of "a few people running a good thing for everyone". My very narrow take on this...

• FEs is not a Disney supported activity.
• These gifts are left outside the stateroom in a semi-public area. While it is theft, one can make the case that leaving anything outside is at the risk of both the giver and gift recipient... and again, not DCL's fault
• For the above, DCL should not devote specific resources to monitor. They can be made aware and they may choose to keep a closer eye to what is going on in a specific area of the ship... but with all the hallway cameras... they know what is going on...
• My take is different when it related to anything that is provided by DCL (eg: copy of stateroom bill, event reminders, waivers for port adventures, certificates like Magical Moments)... in those situations, DCL should take action as it could have a direct impact on the guest experience (Yes, FE impact the guest experience but again, this is not a DCL activity)

 

[o&smom]

So up until recently we heard occasionally about stolen FE and Pixie Dust gifts but on a B2B this January on the Dream it was particularly bad. On one sailing it was a group of teens, one another a group of younger kids but old enough to be free roaming. Bad to the point that stateroom hosts were reporting seeing the kids running down halls taking anything they saw in FE (often leaving stuff they didnt like, like cards, on the ground) and multiple witnesses.


From reports of other guests DCL did nothing about it... I am of two minds if DCL needs to do more about this (thefts on cruises aren't a good look, but on the other hand devoting man power to minors taking pixie dust and cheap FE gifts when they are left out in the hall also seems silly- its not like DCL is making money on those FE gifts)... And I was curious what other cruisers think- should DCL do more to stop this type of behavior? If so how much? And at what point is it not worth the headache to DCL to deal with and they should just stop the FE exchanges all together (like during covid)? Let me know what you think!

Sad this is happening. DCL does not have anything to do with the FE. They allow us all to do this activity on the ships. I don’t feel that they should be responsible for policing it. I am afraid if they have to get involved FE would go the way of signed items.

 

[Momofmany2and4legs]

My 2 cents. Stealing is stealing. I have no doubt the same kids that would steal the FE's would also steal from some ones purse, sun chair, or table given the chance. I've read a few instances from Disney where people have set their luggage out the night before disembarkation and things I missing when they pick them up. So I would say Disney has some skin in the game until they say no more they are somewhat responsible in keeping everyone safe and secure while cruising.

I also agree with it does come down to parenting and group mentality. Do I think there should be a limit on the age that kids can wander around unsupervised I'm not sure.. probably.... as a mom of 4 I would probably be annoyed with it however. My kids are young yet so I don't have to deal with it.

In summary.. I say just get rid of the whole thing so sticky fingers aren't tempted to start taking purses, cash etc they might see laying around as from what I'm reading it's escalating and will likely be next.

 

[MickeysPal49]

I find this to be a really sad development. I don't think DCL needs to be responsible for monitoring, but parents should be reminded that if they allow their kids freedom on the ship, they will still be responsible for their behavior. Guests need to be made aware that theivery is possible and putting items in fish hangers has the possibility of being stolen. I had an item I made for an on-board auction stolen off the table in a room being used for the auction. I recommend keeping items small so they aren't so visible and possibly making fish hangers with pockets on the back an only the opening to the pocket on the front. I love looking at the various fish hangers as I move through the ship. They make a mundane hallway into an art show.

 

[RedHead0186]

I think the question is, what does (or should) Disney do about petty thefts. Whether the items stolen are FE items, door magnets, (inexpensive) sunglasses or a book on a lounger left while using restroom is really irrelevant. If someone is stealing from FE's, it's the same as pick up small items in a shop or anything someone leaves sitting on a table in the buffet while getting more food. FE items aren't unclaimed property. They belonged to the giver until placed in the FE, then they belonged to the receiver. Petty theft is petty theft.

There is one difference: stealing from a shop directly affects DCL's bottom line, stealing from FEs, magnets, sunglasses, etc. does not. I don't disagree that all are theft, but a company is more likely to be motivated to take action against something, especially investing resources, if they can directly tie it to their bottom line.

 

[keishashadow]

I do think that if thefts become more common place and it becomes a headache for DCL to deal with they very well might get rid of them

First thing that popped into my mind: this is why we can’t have nice things

I feel like DCL is on the slippery slope to going viral like Carnival Cruise has for fights and bad behavior

It’s been sometime since I’ve sailed on CCL. Will say, their security was no joke at that time.

IMO it’s not whether there will be unfortunate incidents, it’s how the company handles the issues. Case in point, being trespassed @ an amusement park for fighting.

This was my thought reading over this thread. Stealing is stealing

Can’t put it any plainer, still; a contingent of parents will fluff it off as child’s play…not my little darling

parents should be reminded that if they allow their kids freedom on the ship, they will still be responsible for their behavior.

You’d think.

Always floors me to see the proliferation of groups of young kids free-ranging on the ships (every line I sail). Rarely have noticed it @ resorts that cater to families.

My kids are grown, we do take GD on many vacations, so not entirely out of the loop. Perhaps, my overall perception is different, as I come from a family/law enforcement background and have heard some real horror stories.

There is obviously a contingent of parents who have decided that since the ship is self-contained it’s ok to let their kids have at it, safety in numbers rationale. IMO it’s putting a lot upon the kids to do the right thing, especially; if they don’t have the same freedoms in RL and haven’t developed those sort of coping skills yet.

Most amusement parks have an age limit for unsupervised children to enter. Perhaps DCL should work that into the cruise contract as to needed adult supervision. would give them more leeway to quickly shut down any shenanigans via discussing the matter with the parental unit.

 

[Disturbia]

We were on the Fantasy spring break 2023 when we saw a cruise pin board where they had noted someone had stolen all the pins. We felt so bad for the person who it happened to.

We personally don’t participate in FE but have recieved pixie gifts - rubber duckie and a pair of sandals for DD in person. Kids were super excited and talked about it for days. We also gave away make a face sticker pages if we saw kids getting a little antsy during lines for character meets/shows. I would say if you’re not harming anyone (not putting ducks in places they can wash away or clog pipes) and making someone’s day a bit brighter, why not.

I was looking at Etsy for pixie gifts that wouldn’t take up space and I’m glad I didn’t purchase anything (basket fish extender looked awesome and a custom light up boat magnet). I was concerned about theft as we’ve already seen it happen.

I don’t think decorating your cruise door takes away from other people’s cruise experience. We love looking at other people’s doors. Would love to do that in the future if my family would agree on a theme.

Pixie dust ideas: We might take a few Moana and Coco play packs (sailing Treasure) and distribute make a face sticker pages (Dory and Mexican themed (similar to Coco); can’t find Moana anymore). We are flying in so have very limited space.

I do let our teen (16) and 8 year old venture out (to movie theatres) but we do get WiFi and check periodically. I did tell her about sexual assaults onboard ships and to call us even if a CM tells her to go somewhere. We do have a secret word and she is a third degree taikwando black belt. We didn’t feel confident leaving our then 4 year old at the kids club after reading about some bad experiences but Fantasy had just started a closely monitored program for 3-4 year olds last year and we left her for an hour 3 times (she has sensory issues and did not want to go back).

 

[mcd2745]

It sucks, but with thefts increasing, people are probably going to have to adjust some of the practices/protocols associated with FE exchanges. Personally, I know I would be more upset if I found out gifts we gave out were stolen as opposed to gifts left for us being stolen. And to me, one of the best aspects of a FE exchange is the anonymous and "surprise" nature of it...finding something in your FE at random times when leaving or returningto your room. If it came to people organizing a time to meet up and exchange gifts in person to ensure nothing is stolen, the whole thing is completely ruined IMO (others may disagree).

Perhaps, in an effort to keep thefts to a minimum, groups can set up a WhatsApp chat (or use the Navigator app chat function) where you can just let the rest of the group know that you just dropped off your items. This way, they can retrieve them as soon as possible (may not want to drop-off early on a port day where the recipient may not return for many hours). This way, the items are not sitting out too long, minimizing the opportunity for thefts.

 

[MomOTwins]

I don’t buy the argument that theft isn’t as bad if people leave something out “in the open”. We all have amazon packages sitting out on our porches and mailboxes—doesn’t make it not theft if someone steals them. We all set our belonging down on a lounger in castaway cay to go for a swim, but if someone walked up and down the beach swiping sunglasses and beach toys off chairs that’s theft too.

It also doesn’t work to say disney has no interest in policing guest on guest misbehavior. Of course they do—they do it all the time. If a guest is smoking in a nonsmoking area or a family brings their kids into Serenity Bay or the adult pool, that does not cost Disney anything directly, but it impacts the guest experience negatively and costs them repeat business in the long run.

And yes bratty parents will whine and fuss if their kids are called out, and yes that creates awkwardness for Disney, but I see that play out every single cruise when spoiled parents argue with the staff when their babies in diapers are turned away from the family pools, or the staff has to remove shrieking popcorn throwing kids from the theaters, or kick a kid out of the kids club for bullying.

I also don’t think it is fair to call FEs junk/trinkets. True some are, but a lot of guests put a lot of time and money into thoughtful gifts. We once got a set official disney parks minnie ears (retail for $30+ each), embroidered high quality towels and beach bags, custom yeti brand mugs, jewelry and other nice quality items. I have been spending less on FE lately and doing homemade items, but that doesn’t make my gifts less valuable to me—I spent over 40 hours painting and sealing individual hand painted coasters for each guest in my group, and my FE group loved them and it meant a lot to me they were so happy. I was nervous they’d be taken so put them put early morning on the theory that teeens taking stuff were likely night owls sleeping in. We’ve gotten similar things like hand sewn or crafted items and I know it is a lot of work. There is also pin board theft that happens in addition to FE theft and pins are quite pricey—I don’t do that, but I feel bad for folks who had their entire boards cleaned out.

So yes I do think Disney should review camera footage and confront thieves (if they are minors, then their parents). Kicking off the ship seems extreme, but at least talk to the parents (I do think some would listen and be mortified and revoke their kids' free roaming privileges). They can search the culprit’s room and store stolen pins/items to the owners. They could charge the guest’s account for value of stolen items like they do for people who steal the blankets from rooms. In short, they could treat this like any other crime on the ship.