Stolen Strollers - Is this a problem?

[mommy2twins]

I have doing research for my trip with my 3.5 month old boy/girl twins. We are going from 10/26 - 11/2. I purchased a side-by-side stroller... the Maclaren Twin Traveller for this trip. We have a duoglider at home, but it is bulky and the front seat does not recline all the way. We got the Mac because it has full recline for the babies and it handles very nicely. Now after reading various sources, I am afraid that my stroller might get stolen. It was relatively expensive for me > $300, but it is the only thing that will work right now. The only othe choice is two gracos. What is the real deal with stolen strollers at Disney? How can I protect my investment?

Mich
Mommy to Reagan & Ricardo

 

[CEDmom]

I honestly think that incidents of strollers being deliberately stolen are rare. A much more frequent occurrence is someone mistaking another stroller for their own. I would recommend personalizing your stroller. You can do this by tying a colorful bandana to the handle or putting stickers on the canopy. Also CMs will move strollers to keep walkways clear which can make people think their stroller was taken.

 

[spr0m]

The first time we took our double Maclaren we had the same fear but have been back 3 times with no issues. I did etch our name and address on to the stroller so if some did claim it was theirs I would have no problem proving it was mine. I also took a sharpie marker and wrote the name and address inside the visor in case it got lost in luggage handling tags can always break off.

 

[jel0511]

I've traveled to WDW with MANY expensive strollers; Peg Perego Milano, Maclaren, Combi Twin Savvy, and Peg Perego Pliko. I've never had one of them stolen, misplaced, or even damaged at WDW. Go, and you won't have a problem. I always did have a name tag on the stroller, in case it did get misplaced, but I never needed it.

 

[mom1in99]

We've been 3 times with strollers (expensive and not) and have not had problems. We opted for 2 strollers this past summer and will do this again for New Years because of convenience (getting on and off trams and buses, double strollers are heavier and bigger, but we also have a huge group going so we have lots of adult help with carrying things and kids) We personalized ours (OSU emblem with our name and address and cell #'s) mainly because I thought ours was stolen our first trip with kids, but it turned out the cast members often move them around to make room for more stroller parking, so with personalization, ours were easier to find! Have a great time!

 

[Del]

When we last time, we put on a hot pink and bright blue bandana on the stroller handles. It was never taken by mistake. I also don't believe they are stolen, just taken in error. good luck

Del

 

[JodyTG]

Would there be a problem with taking a bicycle chain and chaining up the stroller to something?

 

[mom1in99]

You aren't allowed to chain your stroller to anything permanent. We took 2 strollers and hooked them together, thus they got moved together. The strollers must be able to be moved by a cast member. If you are only taking one stroller, stick the chain thru the wheels. It's still able to be moved, but next to impossible for someone to use if they took it. In reality, you really don't have much to worry about. Usually people don't pay hundreds of dollars to go into a theme park to take other peoples strollers.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's my understanding that deliberate thefts inside the theme parks are very rare. It is also my understanding that deliberate thefts at Downtown Disney are not nearly so rare, so keep your eye on your buggy at DD.

 

[mommy2twins]

Thanks you guys for all of your answers. I was wondering why so many people would suggest taking your strollers to Disney, if theft was a problem. I guess that some people are overly dramatic and sensationalistic about this *problem*. I think that we will be avoiding DTD, except for the HOB and then we willbe taking the babies in their carriers/sans strollers.

Thanks
Mich

 

[dizney dreamin']

I have never had a problem BUT a very good friend of mine did have their stroller stolen in MGM. They thought they were safe because they were in Disney and left the video camera with all the video from the trip on it and the child's autograph book. I think this was a rare incident but please be careful.

 

[Belle1962]

IMHO......Those guys were probably after the video camera--not the stroller and it looked less like a theft if they took the entire stroller (like it was theirs) then to just walked by and take the camera.

Just like anywhere else--don't leave anything of value in the stroller. Water, snacks, extra clothes, diapers, etc can be replaced a lot easier than a video camera, money, purse, wallet, etc. (Unless money is not a large concern of yours )

 

[jay1929]

Well this is a funny incident about an attempted theft at MK. I was taking a break and feeding my DS a bottle in Fantasyland. All of a sudden this little boy reached on my stroller tray and grabbed my DS's pacifer and started to walk off with it. This child was atleast 5 yo. Luckily my DH was sitting next to me and was able to grab the passy from him but he actually tugged on it. I couldn't believe my eyes: Here is my DH playing tug a war with a 5yo over a pacifer. Any way DH got the passy back. The mother of the child didn't say a word about her child's actions. I was floored! My DS would have had a fit if someone had taken his passy. I guess that proves you should always stay on your toes. Another funny thing is the child was playing tug a war with a policeman.

 

[jessiesue]

We never had a problem with anything being stolen. We leave camera, video camera, etc. in it all the time. But just to be safe, we don't leave $, Credit cards, park passes and drivers lic.

 

[kfeuer]

Originally posted by jessiesue
We never had a problem with anything being stolen. We leave camera, video camera, etc. in it all the time. But just to be safe, we don't leave $, Credit cards, park passes and drivers lic.

You've been lucky. This last trip, I accidentally left my wallet w/ my ds's stroller. I realized it about 20 minutes into our dinner and it was already too late. We tried not to let it ruin the trip, but losing money, ID, credit cards etc. really put a damper on things. Don't have a false sense of security because you're at DW. It's sad, but there are thieves everywhere. Dishonest people stink

 

[sillyminny]

I have twins and would rec'd two strollers. It is easier to manoveur them. Get two that can hook together or come apart. You won't regret it!
Take back packs as opposed to diaper bags as you can take those on a ride.
Have fun.