Stroller safety

[Glynis]

Hi. I'm not new to these boards, but I actually have a question I hope someone can answer.

My family is scheduled to be in DL June 1-5. We will be bringing a stroller for our baby who will be 6 months old at the time. We've done this before and never had any problem. We mark our stroller, so we can identify it, and leave it in marked stroller parking when on rides.

My question is this: I'm hearing rumors that there are cases of strollers being stolen at WDW and DL. Should I be worried about this? Should I bring a bicycle chain to lock the wheels of my stroller? Should I just ignore this and hope for the best?

Like I've said, we've never had any problems in the past, but these rumors have me a bit worried. It's been about 4 years since we've had to take a stroller with us, but we were surprised with a miracle baby in November. So, we're back to the stroller stage.

Can anyone set my mind at ease?

 

[wendypooh22]

I never had a problem with thef of our personal stroller, but we did have a problem with someone trying to steal our DL rented stroller. Unfortunately for them my sister saw it happening and chased (yes chased) them down. From that day on, I never left anything in the basket of a stroller... Just in case.

 

[Mugglemama]

we've been to DL over a hundred times in the past 8 years, always with a personal stroller. i've never had a problem. i wonder if the one's being taken were nicer/pricier strollers? when we had to take infant strollers, the one we were taking was an expensive one, but once we made it into jogging and umbrella strollers, we just took average ones. i always notice there are some REALLY pricey strollers in the parks, though. if you're concerned, i wouldn't take a $300 stroller into the parks. maybe just pick up a cheapie one before your trip?

 

[mechurchlady]

Stroller theft is usually people in a hurry and grabbing the wrong one. I have not heard of thefts in parks. I would not waste my time locking up the stroller as that is wasted energy and time. It is something that is hyped and rarely or never happens. Don't worry and be happy. Make your stroller unique with a balloon or sweater or something and personally why would you take a $500 stroller to parks if you are using an airline for transportation, crunch and tear comes to mind when I think of my damaged luggage. Ithey bent the metal frame on my luggage, steel frame.

Never lock something in Disney parks if you are locking the item to a fence, railing, light post or other solid matter. They can and will cut the chain or bust the lock to move your item if they decide they want to move it.

 

[Glynis]

Stroller theft is usually people in a hurry and grabbing the wrong one. I have not heard of thefts in parks. I would not waste my time locking up the stroller as that is wasted energy and time. It is something that is hyped and rarely or never happens. Don't worry and be happy. Make your stroller unique with a balloon or sweater or something and personally why would you take a $500 stroller to parks if you are using an airline for transportation, crunch and tear comes to mind when I think of my damaged luggage. Ithey bent the metal frame on my luggage, steel frame.

Never lock something in Disney parks if you are locking the item to a fence, railing, light post or other solid matter. They can and will cut the chain or bust the lock to move your item if they decide they want to move it.

I would never chain a stroller to a part of DL. Only lock the wheels together so it couldn't be easily moved, or would obviously be stolen. Does that make sense. We're not flying, but driving, so wear and tear on an airplane is not a concern.

We will definitely identify our stroller, make it unique. Like I said earlier, I've never had problems with strollers, but these rumors made me think about it. We only have one stroller now (after our twins were born, we got rid of EVERYTHING thinking we were done, but then our little boy came as a surprise to us and we had to start all over), and I'd hate to lose it, but I'd also hate to waste precious Disney time worrying about something that's not likely to happen.

 

[mechurchlady]

My statement is a general one because while you are very wise and know Disney parks someone may read your post then go off and chain their stroller to a bench. I try to give enough information because often one person asks the question and then someone else reads the information.

I am 52 and thus have heard so many rumours like that the logo of a company is satanic, that the meat in a restaurant is from another source, and with parks I have heard rumours like perverts and thieves. I just use common sense, watch my surroundings, and do not worry about thieves. I have even left my purse on pirates and Toy Story Mania tucked in a messenger bag because it was an CM only spot. How many time has you had theft in the park?

Sorry to offend.

 

[firefly87]

I just got back (today!) and we had 2 strollers with us. We have never once had a problem with our stroller missing or anything in it being stolen. However, I don't leave any expensive things in it, like camera and purse. Our strollers are well-worn, so they are def. not top of the line!!

The only time I have panicked was when we got on a ride and then the CM's came through and moved a bunch of strollers to another location (near the ride). But so far, we have not had any problems.

 

[Glynis]

My statement is a general one because while you are very wise and know Disney parks someone may read your post then go off and chain their stroller to a bench. I try to give enough information because often one person asks the question and then someone else reads the information.

I am 52 and thus have heard so many rumours like that the logo of a company is satanic, that the meat in a restaurant is from another source, and with parks I have heard rumours like perverts and thieves. I just use common sense, watch my surroundings, and do not worry about thieves. I have even left my purse on pirates and Toy Story Mania tucked in a messenger bag because it was an CM only spot. How many time has you had theft in the park?

Sorry to offend.

No offense taken AT ALL!!! I'm seriously glad for all comments. It's been so long since I've had to deal with a stroller, that I'm happy for any advice, etc., that is passed my way! Keep it coming!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I do take a couple of different expensive strollers to the park - a Quinny buzz which came free from being a Mother's Day audience member at "Ellen" and a Jane Double Jogger - a front/backseat model with stadium seating. Both are extremely bright colors, lime and red, respectively. We've been driving strollers for almost 4 years now.

We are there every two weeks or more on the weekends and we have never had problems. We also stay over 4 times a year at the DL owned hotels. No problems there either.

The thefts have happened. It's no rumor, but I think the likelihood of it happening is all in how you play it.

1) Remember to park your stroller in a designated parking area. CMs moving strollers to the proper locations often result in mistaken cases of stroller theft.
2) Use major identifiers.
3) Don't put anything of value in it. I even cover up the girl's dolls.
4) I do leave my diaper bag on the stroller, but filled with nothing but diapers, waters, snacks, etc.
5) Put the brake on the wheels. Sounds simple, but it makes it hard to be snatched quickly - so much so that someone will move on.

 

[mechurchlady]

No offense taken AT ALL!!! I'm seriously glad for all comments. It's been so long since I've had to deal with a stroller, that I'm happy for any advice, etc., that is passed my way! Keep it coming!

If you are uber paranoid then you could put one of them tracking devices in the stroller. You have seen the ads probably where a mom turns her back and the kid is gone. If your husband is really good then he could put a little battery and car alarm, lol.

Always park in designated areas and an old trick is to put something gross on the canopy like a clean diaper in a bag that has soy sauce or Coke stains on the diaper. Animation Bldg allows strollers and you can crash there, lol. Address labels inside or on things like diaper bags, cell phones, and camera helps the parks locate the owner. Always have extra stuff in the car just in case you do accidently loose or damage the diaper bag. For toddlers some people use dog tags with the parents name and cell phone number that are attached to shoe laces.

Anything else? Some people cannot or will not fold strollers for the tram ride. It is best to have the whole family load in the seats behind the wheelchair/stroller car in the front of the tram. If families would load everyone but dad on the rear seats of that first car then there would be more families able to board. If you are folding the stroller be prepared to do dibs on a seat. I have seen people push others out into the tramway.

Last tip is to have fun.

 

[bumbershoot]

I put the brake on and turn it backwards. So instead of having handles facing me, I turn it the other way. Makes it a pain to park and to get, and I'm sure CMs don't like it, but it just makes it a little bit harder.

We *have* had two things taken at the parks...one was out of the bottom of our stroller, and one was from probably a bench where we left it (realized within 15 minutes, searched everywhere, contacted lost and found repeatedly, looked for 3 or 4 days in stores, etc...it was originally misplaced, but ultimately stolen). We do not like the feeling. I won't even leave bottles of water in the stroller, b/c the feeling of having *anything* taken, even if it's replaced by kind CMs (the thing taken from the bottom of our stroller, once a Lead heard DS's sad tale), is rotten.

We don't have a fancy schmancy stroller though...Mac Volo...spendy enough for us (we aren't "into" strollers and would prefer to not use it, but DS's legs have other opinions), but fairly run of the mill overall.

 

[Mugglemama]

We *have* had two things taken at the parks...one was out of the bottom of our stroller, and one was from probably a bench where we left it (realized within 15 minutes, searched everywhere, contacted lost and found repeatedly, looked for 3 or 4 days in stores, etc...it was originally misplaced, but ultimately stolen). We do not like the feeling. I won't even leave bottles of water in the stroller, b/c the feeling of having *anything* taken, even if it's replaced by kind CMs (the thing taken from the bottom of our stroller, once a Lead heard DS's sad tale), is rotten.

that reminds me...we had something taken once, too. several years ago, a grown man took my daughter's sweatshirt out of the bottom basket of our stroller. i don't remember which one it was, but it was a paul frank or billabong or roxy or something like that (she's had so many over the years, i lose track, lol). they were very popular at the time and ran us about $50 a piece, so i was REALLY mad at this guy for taking it! fortunately, he was still sitting on a bench not far from our stroller and was holding it when i noticed it as we walked by. i thought, "hey, that looks familiar". lol, then i looked in the stroller and saw that ours was gone, and (naturally) he pretended not to speak english, but i showed him her name on the tag and yanked it out of his hands and called him a few choice names (not very disney-ish, i know, but i was really mad - *i* paid for that sweatshirt, not this sweaty, lazy guy who'd stolen it from my child!)

wow, i got mad all over again just thinking about that jerk, lol!!!

anyway, since then, we don't (as others have stated here - and it's good advice!) leave anything we care about in the stroller when we get onto rides or go in restaurants. just waters, inexpensive non-name brand sweatshirts, etc. i take my cameras with me on rides, and we wait until we're about to leave the parks for the night or at the end of our trip to buy souvenirs, so we don't have them in the strollers, either.

 

[MichaelColey]

I have to believe that the frequency that things get stolen at Disney is relatively small. Most of us who go are families, there to enjoy the park with our kids. Who would want our stroller, diaper bag or snacks?

I've felt totally secure leaving the stroller and our stuff (nothing valuable) anywhere in any of the Disney parks we've been to, and have never had a problem. I didn't feel the same way when we were at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which has a totally different audience [to put it nicely].

I suspect that many "thefts" are really just mistakes or confusion. Forgetting where you parked it. Having it moved by a CM when you parked it somewhere you shouldn't have. Someone mistaking it for their own stroller and taking it by mistake.

If we ever did have something stolen, I would just look at it as someone else needing it more than we did and feel sorry that they had to resort to stealing. It's just money and you can easily replace things. No need to let someone ruin your trip over something trivial.

For those who don't know, you might want to check out the no annual fee Disney Visa. One of the benefits is that you can get two free stroller rentals per day at Dinseyland. (Bring a bright ribbon or something so you can easily identify yours.) Plus, they have a really great policy that if your rented stroller is lost or stollen, you can take your receipt to the nearest stroller location and get a free replacement. Talk about a friendly policy! Most other parks would probably charge a deposit and keep the deposit and charge you again. Not Disney.

 

[tracer]

This topic was on the boards a year or two. Although we personally have never had a problem with personal strollers or personal items in strollers we don't risk any temptation to anyone. I don't think people are there to take your stroller and if it is moved, a lot of the time it's because a cast member has moved it to the correct "stroller parking" zone.

However, I remember someone bringing this up, the price of a 1 day ticket into the park is worth every penny to a thief. You wouldn't think someone would go through the trouble to go into Disneyland to steal from people. But some people leave expensive valuables in strollers. All it takes is for the owner to be away and they can get anything they want. Other DL visitors don't pay any attention to that or know what belongs to who.

-Never leave anything valuable (Cameras/video cameras, wallets, purses, iPods, cell phones, etc...)pretty obvious

-If you don't want to pack around a huge bag/diaper bag all day and prefer to carry a smaller one, leave extra wipes, diapers, change of clothes in a clear zip lock bag in the basket.

-We are always paranoid when we buy something and leave it in the stroller, but we are not carring toys on every ride. We just try to cover them up with a sweatshirt or blanket so it's not visible. Although it is still there if you want it...

-After every ride I go through the basket to see if everything is still there...just has become a habit. Not a good one, because if something is gone it will just upset me the rest of the day.

 

[Teki]

While I haven't had any kids yet I havnt experienced bringing strollers in the park. When my lil sister was a baby my grandmother always stayed with her while we rode the ride. Ive never seen anyone bother the strollers while in the park. I think that if your really concerned just don't bring a high end stroller, and don't leave anything valuable on the stroller like your camera or purse etc.

 

[Glynis]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. You've all helped me put my mind at ease! I appreciate all the tips, too. It's been a long time since I travelled with a stroller, so the reminder of all these things is very good for me. I suffer from "old mommy" memory, so I appreciate this!

We'll just take our stroller, have a unique way to identify it, and make sure we place it in stroller parking!

 

[fairycat]

I want to add one more tidbit. It seems from what I have heard that most stroller "thefts" are actually mean "borrowing" or mistaken identity. I have heard that often times this is why more Disney strollers are taken is because some parent gets tired of dragging their kid around or their stuff and decides to help themselves to a stroller. I have heard of this happening with personal strollers but far more often with Disney Strollers.

Also sometimes if you have no markers or things on your stroller and you think you left it in spot A, if you come back and see the same model you will take it, but if CM moved it to spot B you might have just taken someone elses stroller, and now the person who knows they left it in Spot A thinks theirs was stolen.

Many CM's will tell you that if your stroller does go missing that most often it will be found by the end of the night either in a new location or just misplaced. It makes the point to well mark your stroller and don't leave expensive things in your stroller. But again it is very rare to have them actually be stolen.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have to believe that the frequency that things get stolen at Disney is relatively small. Most of us who go are families, there to enjoy the park with our kids. Who would want our stroller, diaper bag or snacks?

6 family visits, 2 things stolen from us. (again, the second should have just been a "I left it then remembered it and went back to get it, except someone had taken it") While visiting lost and found for the second or third time on our May trip, there was a woman in front of us who had had ALL of their coats stolen from their stroller. And they'd had something taken on their LAST trip as well.

If people only left diapers and snacks in their strollers it probably wouldn't be a problem. But people leave HUGE souvenir bags stacked all over their strollers, gorgeous Petunia Picklebottoms diaper bags (worth 150 or more themselves!) hanging from the backs of their strollers, etc. If I were a thief I'd be in HEAVEN at Disney. I'm astonished at the goodies people leave on their strollers.

However, I remember someone bringing this up, the price of a 1 day ticket into the park is worth every penny to a thief.

And most likely it's professional thieves who live in the area, so they likely have APs. If they can keep themselves to the non blocked out days, they've gotten all those days of stealing in a year for the cost of what, two day tickets?



Stroller theft we haven't had happen...but from-the-stroller theft yes (and from the park bench as well).

So don't leave stuff in your stroller.

 

[Lakewood]

I've seem people who unknowingly (hopefully) took the wrong rental stroller. They usually get about 10ft then realize it.

 

[avalon451]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. You've all helped me put my mind at ease! I appreciate all the tips, too. It's been a long time since I travelled with a stroller, so the reminder of all these things is very good for me. I suffer from "old mommy" memory, so I appreciate this!

We'll just take our stroller, have a unique way to identify it, and make sure we place it in stroller parking!

Boy, can I relate to "old mommy" memory!

Unofficial Guide had a funny (and somewhat icky) tip for stroller identification. They say that the weirder your identifier, the less likely your stroller is to be stolen. So they recommended stuffing an athletic sock with newspaper and tying it on there, or something like that. Apparently there's kind of a psychological deterrant. They included a tip from a lady who said that they took a clean disposable diaper, poured a little root beer into it so it looked "used," wrapped it in a clear plastic bag, and tied that to the handle of the stroller. Yep, that would deter me!