Stolen Strollers?

[TJ's Mom]

My sister is traveling with us to WDW in March with her baby. She has a really nice (and expensive) stroller that would be great to have with us. Has anyone had a problem with people stealing strollers? I hate to think that someone would do that, but..... Can she bring a lock and lock it up while we are on rides? I know we can get a cheap stroller and bring it. That is probably what we will do but was curious to know if "stroller stealing" is a problem. Thanks!

 

[Corryn]

My advice is to Rent One!!!
1. The strollers are not locked up.
2. You're not going to want to take the time to lock it up.

At the exit to a lot of rides, you'll see about twenty strollers waiting for their families to come and pick them up. You can tell the difference between them because they have large plastic pouches hanging on the back where they place a card with your name on it.

Honestly, I've even seen people leave their personal belongings (like backpacks, toys, hats, jackets, etc.) on the stroller while they were on the ride. I guess when you're in the Disney mode, you become very trusting...but why take the chance?

If you bring the expensive stroller, who's to say that it won't be stolen? It might or it might not. You'll never know unless you take that chance.
Someone might like it, they're going to park hop and they can wisk it away and you'll never see it again. Yes, it's probably as comfy as a Caddy, and the strollers at Disney are hard plastic, but I wouldn't chance it.

Even if you brought a lock with you to lock it up to a pole or something, you are going to get sick and tired of looking for a pole and/or locking it and unlocking it all afternoon.

I know it's your choice but my friends and family have all rented strollers at Disney and haven't had any problem.
Oh, I also brought my double stroller on the kids' first trip down there, but we didn't bring it into the parks for that one reason - we didn't want it getting borrowed or stolen.
Good Luck and Have Fun

 

[disneydiva06]

We took our own stroller with us in June. While it didn't get stolen, it was always in the back of my mind as we were leaving an attraction. Luckily for us, it didn't, but there were a couple times that I thought it was...because of CM's moving them down to make room for the next group of guests.

 

[Katems]

I think if this were a real problem we'd read about it. I've NEVER read about it. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but even the Unofficial Guide says strollers really don't get stolen. I've brought my stroller on three different trips and it's never been taken, and my sisters have brought theirs on three different trips and had no problem. Like someone else said, the CMs WILL move them around while you're in the attraction and you might panic thinking someone took it, but just look around, it'll be there!

BTW, I'm not a fan of renting because you have to go to the trouble each day, plus then you ONLY have it in the parks....no stroller from hotel to bus/monorail/boat....no stroller to wander Downtown Disney or your hotel grounds....if Baby falls asleep in the park you have to wake him up to give back the stroller, whereas if you have your own and you're taking the monorail or ferry, you can wheel Baby right on without waking him.

 

[lisadam]

We decided it was less expensive for us to buy an extra stroller - and used that for the week we were there - we did two or three trips with that stroller - and it came out cheaper than renting- we had a fairly decent stroller (not an umbrella - but lots of people do that too) with a sun-shade, a storage basket - a few cup holders, etc - I think it was in the upper $30 - to lower $40 range

I cannot for the life of me remember which one I got - but we went to target or babies r us and got a mid-range stroller that was on sale - we had DS try a few and picked the one he was comfortable with.

RE: theft
I am sure it happens - the things we leave in the stroller are things we wouldn't be devestated losing if the stroller "walked away".

 

[IBELIEVE2]

I am concerned about the same thing. I bought an expensive stroller that is light weight and folds up. We need to bring our own because our 18 mo. old grandson will need to lay down and nap, and he can't do that with rental strollers. And as the previous poster pointed out you only have it in the parks, and with a little one you'll need it in between parks. I have done a search here on the boards and this is basically what has been said. Very few people have heard of anyone having a stroller stollen. They have come out of attractions and found their stroller had been moved by CM's, or someone elses stroller that looked like theirs but wasn't because many people bring the same strollers and inevitably someone in a hurry makes a mistake and takes one that looks like theirs but isn't. Many of these mishaps are soon straightened out. Most have posted leaving their expensive strollers without any problems and so that is what I'm going to do. Here is a few suggestion I picked up from the search. Attach a tag or label with your name and phone number so if it does get taken by mistake you can be found quickly. If someone decides to "borrow" it for the day and leaves it some where in the park it will get back to you quickly. Also put inexpensive personal items on the stroller to help identify your stroller so it won't be taken by mistake (and would deter a thief because they won't want to be taking off your balloon, baby's toys, ect that are tied to your stroller, they'll take one that won't be easily identified) . Someone also suggested attaching a long looped paddlock on after the stroller is opened that prohibits it from being closed back up. That way if someone does take it they can't fold it up and will likely leave it in the park because it would be difficult and look strange for someone to put a fully opened stroller in their vehicle, and you would at least get it back from lost and found. I did buy this type of lock for ours and it does prohibit it from being folded, and I'll only have to lock it once after we open it in the park. Plus it is another thing attached to identify my stroller and hopefully deter a thief. I hope this helps, have a great trip!

 

[faindrops27]

I took my children in October. And had purchased very expensive strollers 2 maclarens. I was terrified to get them stolen. So, I wrote, on the dark footrest. Thier names with silver sharpies. It was very noticable and bright. I put stickers on the poles of the strollers. Last but not least. I locked the strollers both together, backwards.(Disney does not have bars to lock strollers to) It would be almost impossible, for someone without a key, or lock cutters to steal them. Anyhow, they were never stolen. My suggestion is somehow, without ruining said stroller, make it stick out. To ward off thieves, if there are any??

 

[Msslaydbug]

We have a stroller corral going at our house. Literally - everything from a $900 stroller to ourr Peg Perego P3 travel stroller. I think we have 6 strollers total. I would never even think to take my more expensive strollers (that is just asking for trouble) and I do worry about my P3 getting stolen but we have now taken it 3 times and I start to worry about it less and less each time. It is almost always where we leave it unless a cast member has done a little rearranging. Even then it is never far away.

We always have identifying things on the stroller such a luggage tags or something of the sort.

Hopefully we will stay lucky. My daughter still naps in the stroller so there is no way I could rent one of the hard plastic ones.

 

[flortlebap]

Why bother renting when you can buy a cheap umbrella fold for $10?

We would never consider it, too many long lines and hassle at the beginning (and end) of each day, even worse if you park hop. Take your own (we're taking 3 of our own) and I highly doubt it will be taken. I guess there's always travel insurancei f it does, but I have more faith in people than that (however rental strollers are regularly taken)

 

[Schmeck]

You're not supposed to lock your stroller to anything stationary at WDW, as it becomes a safety hazard for crowd control. You can bring a bike lock and thread it through the front wheels, making it difficult to push.

 

[Disney Planner Mama]

We've taken our Maclaren stroller on every tip. Never had a problem with it and stopped worrying about it after the first couple of trip.

 

[The Sweetness]

bringing a super-light-wieght with us sounds like a good idea. But will it be easy to keep it from getting completely drowned by the fast moving rain storms that I seem to remember sneaking up on us every day? This is why in all of my trips I have only used my own stroller once. It got drowned one afternoon at Epcot

 

[faindrops27]

Sweetness. Buy a good rain cover for the stroller I know mine came with excellent covers. If yours doesnt you can always buy a good one. We just donned the strollesr, with a rain cover, anytime we left it, to go into an attraction, and never had drowned strollers. It worked like a charm. When we would come out of an attraction, and there was a downpour we would slip the kids through the side, and close them back up, kids or strollers never got wet!! Just a tip

 

[LAL77]

Hi. Last year we took two Combi Travel Savvy strollers for my girls. They are expensive for umbrella strollers but they fold down for naps, have sun canopies, storage, fold small for on the busses, and even have carrying straps. They were perfect for the parks. I wasn't nervous about leaving them because we got them especially for DW.

That being said, I wouldn't really have wanted to bring any of our REALLY nice strollers (and I'm a major stroller addict) to DW to begin with. Between the handling on the airplane, eating/drinking at the parks, the glitter in the girls hair, the crowds, the curbs, on and off busses, constant in and out etc. those strollers really took a beating. I wouldn't have been happy if I had brought my favorite expensive stroller.

My best advice is to find a nice stroller that will be easy to take on and off the busses, that the baby can nap in and will hold your bag underneath. Then that expensive stroller will be safe at home when you get back.

Have fun!
Lesley

 

[princessyahoo]

I had the same concern and ,I too, had read that if you personalize it, it's less likely to be stolen. We bought a Maclaren Volo just for this trip and didn't want someone to walk off with it. So I went to Michael's and bought iron-on ladybugs and letter patches to spell out my daughter's name and sewed them on the top part of her seat. We just got back and I think it worked like a charm since it was very easy to spot in a sea of strollers. Hope this helps!

 

[Em_in_FL]

We typically take two umbrella strollers when we go to Disney.

Once, we had one of the umbrella's stolen in Tomorrow Land at MK...

But I know it's not THAT common... just be sure to leave LOTS of name identifications on the stroller... and don't leave any expensive items on the stroller...

Good luck!

 

[antree]

I have never had a problem or heard of any problems about strollers being stolen. I bought a differnt stroller the first time I took my son because I thought the stroller come up missing, boy did I miss my stroller at home. The following year a bought another stroller to take, because now the one I had at home he just looks huge in and he is not comfortable, and the one I bought the yr before just plan old sucked.
My SIL doesn't have a problem taking her stroller, and it was expensive and she has never had a problem, she also took the carseat attachment when my DN was an infant, it worked out great for them and the baby.
If I could do it over again I would have brought my own stroller that we liked and was use to.
Just tie something bright on it so you can see it, they will move strollers when you are on a ride, and even though you know your stroller, trying to look in the monds of strollers is just time consuming.
Do what you are comfortable with.

 

[Hope73]

We rent stroller and have never ad a problem. We leave our backpacks in them and are ok. I have tied a scarf to the handle for easier spotting after a ride.

 

[christinou]

We use to take our double strollers when the girls were little and used to lock the back wheels to each other, we just used a ski lock to do it, so they don't take much space, we just did it so someone would not walk away with it.

 

[TJ's Mom]

Thank you all so much! I will share your ideas and suggestions with my sister and let her decide. That way if anything happens to her stroller if she brings it or hates the cheap one or rental, it will not be my fault!