Stolen Strollers

[Maineiak]

We brought our own City Mini on our trip a few years ago.

It was stolen on our last night of vacation, from Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. No valuables were in it, however, the stroller itself was expensive. The manager was a big help and extremely apologetic. We talked to him at the end of the night in the event there was an extra stroller (i.e. someone took ours by accident). However, that was not the case.

The next year, we brought a different, cheaper stroller, but it was miserable.

We just returned from another trip last week and brought a new City Mini with us. We did not lock it, but did have a bandana on the handle, as well as a sign with our name's securely zip-tied to the handle. No issues other than cast members moving it, which we expected. However, we did not take it with us to our two trips to Downtown Disney...

 

[nanalisa]

We brought our own City Mini on our trip a few years ago.

It was stolen on our last night of vacation, from Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. No valuables were in it, however, the stroller itself was expensive. The manager was a big help and extremely apologetic. We talked to him at the end of the night in the event there was an extra stroller (i.e. someone took ours by accident). However, that was not the case.

The next year, we brought a different, cheaper stroller, but it was miserable.

We just returned from another trip last week and brought a new City Mini with us. We did not lock it, but did have a bandana on the handle, as well as a sign with our name's securely zip-tied to the handle. No issues other than cast members moving it, which we expected. However, we did not take it with us to our two trips to Downtown Disney...

Not taking the stroller to Downtown Disney is a good tip. Thanks.

 

[AngiTN]

We have had no issues with strollers on any of our trips. I have always brought one, never rented one. We leave all kinds of things in the stroller (which is why I am bemoaning not taking it on our next trip) including camera equipment. Nary an item has been touched. I feel it very safe and if we ever find ourselves with a stroller again we'd leave things in it again.

 

[Maineiak]

Not taking the stroller to Downtown Disney is a good tip. Thanks.

Also, we contemplated renting. However, for a week-long rental, you can buy a brand new City Mini for the same cost (my wife sometimes finds deals).

As the person often responsible for pushing/folding/carrying the stroller, I can't say enough about them. They push easily one-handed, they're compact and they can be completely folded with one hand (a must for getting on trains, small water taxis, etc, etc)

 

[North of Mouse]

We have had no issues with strollers on any of our trips. I have always brought one, never rented one. We leave all kinds of things in the stroller (which is why I am bemoaning not taking it on our next trip) including camera equipment. Nary an item has been touched. I feel it very safe and if we ever find ourselves with a stroller again we'd leave things in it again.

Not a good thing to tempt fate!! Takes only 'one' time, 'one' thief!!

 

[AngiTN]

Not a good thing to tempt fate!! Takes only 'one' time, 'one' thief!!

Love to tempt fate. I'm not worried at all. The only reason we've taken a stroller on our last trips was to haul crap that I think we can't go without. DGD hasn't spent much time in it at all. We leave lots in it. Though this time we are going to try and move faster/lighter so I guess we are tempting fate again, by going without a stroller. And I'm in a panic

 

[Micca]

The UG used to suggest "tagging" your stroller with a diaper on the handle. For added effect, dab a little root beer on the diaper.

 

[DisneyMooners2010]

We've only used a stoller once so far and had no issues. I would suggest that you decorate or mark the stoller some way. It is literally just a sea of stollers out there and I could see how someone would easily take a stoller and think it was theirs. I made a laminated "first visit" sign with my daughter's name on it and tied it to the handlebar with some curled ribbon. It looked great and we had so many cast members call my daughter by name (she was 9 months and loved that). It was also very easy to spot our stoller, even if it was moved.

 

[nalajms]

I've been using a Maclaren single for over 4 years + renting a double for a few nights. Last Dec we had one night at the Christmas party before flying out the next afternoon. I bought a cheap Minnie stroller at Target for $15 and returned the rental early. It was stolen around 11pm while both strollers were parked infront of the merry-go-around. I believe it was because there was nothing identifying it. I don't believe it was taken by mistake since there were less than 20 strollers parked in the area at that time.

Last week I took our city mini double. I was afraid it would be taken. It's less than 6m old. I zip tied luggage tags with our names on it, left lots of "junk" in the bottom and back pockets, even had a bunch of old MB wrapped to the handle.

Kids tend to leave their toys in the stroller and we've been lucky those have not been taken. But we did lose an Olaf the day after purchasing it at MK. I think DD(2) dropped it somewhere between the elevator and our room. By the time we realized it an hr later, it was gone I told her she made some other little kid very happy to get an Olaf toy.

 

[Ariel on Land]

Never had anything taken so far.... I do zip-tie a laminated name tag to my stroller though. Zip ties can't be quickly removed, so just one way to make your stroller less appealing. We also have left a backpack in it, but only things like spare clothes, diapers, wipes, etc... are in there, so if it got stollen, wouldn't be the end of the world.

Although I think I might leave the stroller at the resort when we go to DTD!!!

 

[PartOfYourWDWorld]

We've taken a combo of expensive and super cheap strollers the past four trips. The only one we've ever had turn up missing is a $20 umbrella stroller. It was clearly a case of mistaken stroller as another stroller of the same make and color was left there all day (we eventually grabbed that one once we were confident that's what happened).

I'm bringing a City Mini double this time so I'm nervous about mistaken identity again with the popularity of City Mini double rentals there. Mine is a black GT, and I believe most of the rentals are gray and orange, so hopefully we'll be ok. I'm definitely going to personalize it as much as possible, and am considering one of those wheel locks as well.

 

[Gracie09]

I've taken an uppa baby vista and a city elite double and never had an issue. We have stickers with our name on them that we put is some obvious and not obvious places. I'm more concerned about stuff left I the stroller than the stroller itself

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I had no problem with my stroller at Disney. They do move them, a lot it seems, so don't panic right away.

Biggest problem with our strollers was that the airlines kept breaking them! ugh! If you are flying and wanting to bring your expensive stroller, be leery, they throw those things around (even with gate check). I would bring a cheap one bought esp for this trip (that's what we did) or rent.

 

[Legendteri]

What I did was tie a brightly colored pirate bandana around the handle and I also put neon pink duct tape at a few spots on our stroller too. This way I could always pick out our stroller in a crowd and I imagine since it had so many identifiers that would take time to get rid of, it would less appealing to thieves.

 

[yce22princess]

What I did was tie a brightly colored pirate bandana around the handle and I also put neon pink duct tape at a few spots on our stroller too. This way I could always pick out our stroller in a crowd and I imagine since it had so many identifiers that would take time to get rid of, it would less appealing to thieves.

That's exactly what we've done as well! We knot a bright scarf or bandana and put other "indicators" on it for the same reason.

 

[Bluegrrl]

It sounds like dtd is the main hotbed of theft, maybe bc its free, unlike the parks? Easier to target strollers, lots of people not guarding their stuff, etc. At the parks, a thief has to at least make a $100 investment in tickets to then steal a stroller.

And those darn cms - always moving stuff!

 

[sunkissed4]

We've used MANY strollers over the years. At least every other weekend we are there with at least one, sometimes two strollers and have never had an issue.

 

[luvmy2babies]

We have been 3 times. The first time I had a rental from Orlando Stroller Rentals, a Baby Jogger City Mini. I bought a City Mini after that so the other two times we traveled with our personal one. Renting again this time for a couple of reasons including because our personal one is starting to show age and I don’t think I want it to go on anymore plane rides. My son is 4 so his stroller time is growing short and I have no interest in buying another one. I do get the insurance when I rent. My personal one is gone, I’m upset yes, but I’ll make due. Theirs is gone and I’m out the retail price with nothing to show for it.

I usually put something on it to make it easy to spot and easy for someone else to know it isn’t theirs. When you rent they put a sign on it with your name, but it’s low on the back wheels; so, I still put something small on it. The only time it isn’t where we left it is when the people working move it and they never move it far. Although once a guy moved mine 5 rows over and to the opposite end and had I not seen him doing it while I was walking away, I would have had a moment when we returned.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Two years ago I was in line for Peter Pan ride in MK and the wife of the family in front of me yelled that someone was stealing their stroller.

Her husband leaped over the chains to get out (we were in that section of the line) while people moved out of his way and he got there in time to stop the man taking it. He decided to stay with rather than ride PP with his wife and kids.

I remember reading about that time that there was a ring of thieves going into the parks and stealing many strollers.

But like I said - that was a couple of years ago.

 

[Ariel Oswald]

We have been taking strollers for the last 13 years and visit 3-4 times a year. We have never had a problem with our stroller being stolen. We typically leave our rain ponchos and jackets in the bottom with no issues, either.....except for one trip. Our 'newest' stroller is a MacClaren and we had an older rain cover for it which did not have any holes in the cover for venting. Imagine our surprise when we came out of Chefs de France in the rain and pulled our stroller out from under the awning sheltering it and put on our rain cover.....it had holes! Shaped like Flower holes ! We all just stared at it. Even my 4 yr old knew it was not her cover. It was definitely our stroller as it had the magic marker stain from a previous trip's autograph pen and all our other stuff in the bottom. Just a different rain cover! We were totally dumbfounded! Now several years later, it just gives us all a good laugh everyone time we use the rain cover with the holes in it.