stolen stroller VENT !!!! my personal one

[SueM in MN]

One can simply loop the lock through to stroller's wheel and attach to the frame, so the wheel won't spin, or lock the stroller to a heavy object. Sounds like a good tip to me.

I'm just guessing that they won't let you lock your stroller to a fixture in the park because the CM's adjust the strollers at times as crowds come and go don't they? Putting a lock on the wheels is another thing however - guess the stroller could still be moved but just not easily - certainly no one would want to steal it.

You have never been able to lock your stroller to anything. It's not only so the CMs can move them around, it's for fire safety and evacaution purposes. The need to have clear paths. Locking the strollers wheels together is OK and does work. If you lock 2 wheels together, the stroller can still be moved, bit not used. Other people have locked the stroller in a way that makes it useable, but it can't be folded. That way, if someone does take it, they can't fold it to get on a bus or into their car.
The "used diaper trick" is written all over the internet. I expect most theives already know about it and i wouldn't count on it to be much of a deterrent. Anyone who really wants your stroller will just throw it away.

From what I have read, a lot of the strollers are taken for use just that day (whether someone takes it by mistake and then turns it in later when they realize it's not theirs) or actually steals it. (I guess some people think it's better to steal one for a day than rent one). If it's not well identified, it can't be returned later, so the hints about marking it are important.

 

[pintrader]

With rain and heat it could have been an honest mistake. Your friend really should have gone to Lost and found. I just went over to property control with a friend and they had groups of 12 strollers for sale for $10.

People bring those little inexpensive ones for reasons like this. I have talked with people who take their little "cheap" one and leave it at the end of their trip intenionally as they are taking gifts souvenirs back.

If I have learned one thing at Disney, it is remove all valuables before parking your stroller and ALWAYS go to Lost and Found or call for 2-3 days after a loss. Sometimes people don't even discover their mistake until they are warm/cool showered comfortable and fed in their hotel room.

It takes time to get those things over to L&F By the way things are kept for 30 days. Have your friend call. If for no other reason than to save other people's image of the goodness of people when they are at Disney.

P.S. If this ever happens to any of you, ESPECIALLY like when the CM "SAW" a guest take the stroller, guest services can always get one to help you continue out your day. They won't replace it for your entire trip, but it can ease the trauma of that day.

 

[InstImpres]

Another tip... I use to tie something to it (a bright colored bandana or a large colorful ribbon). This made it easier for me to find after the CM's did the stroller shuffle and would help avoid someone taking mine that looked the same.

Sorry about your day.
Sandy

 

[Kaycee]

Hi Michelle! I'm sorry this happened to your friend. I just wanted to say that we were at the same place at the same time. We rode Small World during that rain storm on Monday, June 16 also. I had lime green yarn on my fanny pack, but it probably would be hard to spot in that downpour.

 

[piglet33]

We are bringing a bicycle lock with us for this very reason. If they won't let me secure it someplace, then I will just rig something up with the cable to secure my stroller.

I don't care how much money someone paid for something, it doesn't give anyone the right to just "borrow" it. We work very hard for our money just like most people and don't appreciate anyone taking our stuff. It's just the principle of not taking something that isn't yours.

Ok, off my soapbox now. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Didn't mean to.

 

[bigsis1970]

Thanks everyone for you words of wisdom and yes that is the point Piglet33 - even though it was a cheaper one someone shouldn't have taken it and if it was a mistake then they should have contacted the name on the southwest tag to admit their mistake or at least bring it back to the ride they took it from. I would never personally do that - take someone elses stroller ( or anything for that matter ) no matter how tired or cranky my kids were - Oh well what is done is done and while i would expect something like that at a mall maybe but never at Disney World !!
Thanks for listening and best of luck to all those traveling soon to the World .. Michelle

 

[LeeAnn]

This has me rethinking what I was going to bring to the park.

I was going to bring my infant carrier car seat (part of a travel system) along w/ the Snap and Go.

I need the carrier for the airplane and car rides. I thought my Snap and Go would be an easy solution.

Now I'm worried that it would be stollen. Would you still take it?

I also have have a McClaren umbrella stroller (just didn't want to bring that and the the carrier). Should I bring that one?

My daughter will be 9 months. Thought she would be more comfortable in the carrier than the cheap stroller. I hate to buy another stroller. What do you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[asta]

When my children were younger (about 8 or 9 years ago) we rented a stroller in the MK and had it stolen 3 times in one day! As we left the raft from Tom Sawyer's Island, we actually walked up on a family taking our name out of the vinyl cover on the top of the stroller. The guy had already placed his child in the stroller. My husband didn't want to ruin our vacation by having a confrontation with this guy, but I still get steamed thinking about how low some people can be. Walking back three times to the entry for another stroller, we kept thinking we were jinxed.

 

[akasleepingbeauty]

We bought a relatively cheap but full-featured Graco stroller just to take to WDW trips as I was so worried that my good Peg Perego would get stolen there. I would still be very annoyed to have it taken but at least it would be a minimal financial loss. I do find it hard to understand how people could steal strollers knowing they are leaving another family in a lurch - how totally and completely selfish and what a horrible example to set for their children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LeeAnn,

I just had to respond about your stroller/carrier question. I am wondering if you know that the vast majority of infants, even small ones, outgrow their carriers by 6 months? Almost every infant carrier has a height limit of 27.5" (some even less) and a weight limit of 20 lbs. - outside of these limits the carriers no longer protect your child in the event of an accident. Most babies outgrow the height limit easily by 6 months even if they don't meet the weight limit. It has also been shown that continued use of an infant carrier past 6 months can delay some physical developments like crawling. This information is not commonly provided so many people aren't aware of it and continue to use their infant carrier far beyond its safe zone. So, given this information, you may want to plan on getting and using a convertible carseat by your trip and using a regular stroller (either your Maclaren or a cheaper one that you won't worry about so much).

 

[A Mickeyfan]

When my youngest (now 10) was an infant, I took my Aprica because she was too little for an unbrella (and back then the unbrella ones weren't as good as they are now). I used the bike lock thru the wheels an it worked. I also looped the diaperbag strap (kept in basket under carriage) thru it as well. I did take my wallet with me. The lock was a pain, but it worked great. I am glad my stroller days are over..... but now I have to carry everything LOL

 

[NotUrsula]

My DS got technically too big for his carrier at 22 weeks. I asked my ped about it, and he said that we should immediately move him to a rear-facing convertible carseat for safety. He said that he thought it would be OK to use the carrier outside the car (in restaurants, etc.) until he was sitting up on his own, but not beyond that point, slumping in that position is hard on an older baby's back.

I've taken my Maclaren Vogue to WDW several times. I don't lock the wheels; that is such a PITA that I got careless about it. What I do instead is to take a long-hasp padlock and put it through the braces on the lower back; with the lock on, the stroller won't fold.
This way, I only have to mess with the lock once per park, unless we want to take a train ride at MK. I also attach a profusion of metallic curling ribbon to the handles, and use a plastic zip tie to attach a LARGE (about 6"x6") laminated tag that shows our resort name and number, and our surname, plus our cell phone number. With those precautions plus the labels that are shellacked under the frame, if it does wander, I'm confident that I will get it back fairly quickly.

 

[LeeAnn]

Thanks for your input.

My daughter was born premature and is on the small size. She's 5.5 months now and still in size 0-3. 3-6 runs still a little big. Although w/ cereal eating, she may grow faster. At the current rate, I think she'll still meet the requirements. I guess I will know better as it nears in time.

If I brought the carrier, do you think it just too easy to steal. It just snaps off the Snap and Go.

And if I took an umbrella stroller, do you think she would be big enough for it?

As you can tell, I'm a new mom. Thanks for your advice.

 

[NotUrsula]

The requirements for the carseat/carrier are based on weight and height, so if she fits under the rules, sure, keep using it. However, I think that once she is easily sitting up, she would probably be more comfortable at the parks in a stroller that would allow her to sit up or recline, so that she can sit up and see what's going on when she's awake.

Do I think anyone would take a carrier snapped into a frame? I don't think anyone would take that on purpose at a WDW park. They tend not to be expensive enough to steal for profit, and most people don't have the situation where they bring an younger child in without a stroller and then regret it. I think that the "borrow instead of rent" contingent are more likely to lift a cheaper lightweight stroller that will hold an older child. I would think that mistaken identity would be the biggest risk with a seat/frame combination, and since there are not that many of them in the parks, it's not a big risk.

BTW, In a pinch while travelling, I've been able to put a carseat into a Maclaren with the baby in it. Since I had a sling, I reclined the stroller, put the carseat on top, and wrapped the sling around the whole thing, to strap the carseat securely into place. It worked fine for getting through airports without having to carry the carseat separately. Necessity is the mother of invention, but travel is the greatest inspiration for the inventive mother!

 

[FloridaCat]

Orlando is loaded with Tourists and Pawn Shops. You do the math.
Had some clowns in my area driving up to bag drops at golf Courses and loading up clubs and away they go. Even took some off the carts in front oft he snack shop

 

[NotUrsula]

Golf clubs go to pawn shops; they are heavy, for one thing. Pawnshops very seldom deal in strollers.

I could tell you where most stolen high-end strollers end up being sold, but I'm thinking that being here, most of us can guess.
(For those who can guess, please don't post it. No sense giving anyone any new ideas.)

If you have a high-end stroller and are worried about deliberate theft in WDW parks, remember that these are crimes that take place in broad daylight in a gated place. The thieves will not bother with a stroller that is clearly marked and bristling with unique identifiers or cable locks. They are going to go for the ones that have no other easily visible markings except maybe an airline check-tag. They don't know how long it might take for you to report the stroller missing, and they don't want to be stopped at the turnstiles with something distinctive. (I've been told that CM's do watch for adults walking out with an empty stroller and no children.)

Downtown Disney is another animal; never leave a stroller unattended there if you can help it, especially not around the restaurants at night.

 

[FreshTressa]

I think what we are going to do is use a cheapo bicycle chain lock and lock our two strollers together. It wont be easy to steal a stroller that is locked to another one.

They aren't high end strollers, but I worked hard to find ones that would fit my 6 year old!

 

[FreshTressa]

Oh, and the dirty diaper to the handle trick, I read somewhere you should put coke or chocolate on a cloth diaper in a plastic bag and tie it too the handle. Ewww.

While probably effective, I am not sure that I could stomach looking at it all day myself!

 

[djm99]

My girlfriends and I were reading this post (4 disney families are traveling next month). We just ordered two bicycle locks off ebay (1.95 each plus $3 shipping) we are going to lock ours together (thru the wheel spaces and hope for this best. I have learned so much on this board.

 

[SueM in MN]

Oh, and the dirty diaper to the handle trick, I read somewhere you should put coke or chocolate on a cloth diaper in a plastic bag and tie it too the handle. Ewww.

While probably effective, I am not sure that I could stomach looking at it all day myself!

That "hint" is pretty well known, so I don't think it would be very effective. Anyone who is going to steal a stroller is likely to know about it and just throw the "fake diaper" away. Plus, any "dirty diaper" left on a stroller is likely to be fake because who would leave an actual dirty diaper on their stroller when there is a garbage can about every 20 feet all over WDW?

 

[beattyfamily]

I take my regular lightweight umbrella stroller ($30) and mark it with our name and a ribbon or two and then I don't worry about it anymore.

I can't be bothered worrying too much about my stroller while on vacation. I did buy a bike lock over a year ago after reading 'stolen stroller' threads here but I ended up leaving it behind because I just knew I'd be sick and tired of locking the wheels everytime we leave the stroller.

I'll bet the % of stolen strollers vs. how many people bring to WDW is VERY low.

It's just not something worth worrying about (to me) on my very expensive vacation, but I do enjoy these threads as it gives me great decorating ideas for my stroller!