Theft in park

[StageTek]

HopperFan, you are so right.

I worked on a TV series in the OC Jail. A rather large number of people booked were locals who use the resorts and parks the way thieves use big cities (Rome, Manhattan, Hong Kong) around the world. Lot's of distracted tourists means easy pickins...

 

[Silvermist999]

Glad they only took her money, and that nothing else valuable was taken.

We went to eat at a relatively upscale restaurant for a colleague's farewell lunch one day. Another colleague had her purse hanging on her chair. It was stolen while we were all sitting there. None of us saw or noticed anything. These thieves are quick. It can happen to you even if you are there!

 

[TLSnell1981]

The only thing they are a "victim" of is being an idiot. And in this instance some chastising is definitely warranted. I wouldn't call it shaming. Now if the person had the bag ripped from their hands, ok, but this was an extremely stupid move.

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

 

[MickeyWaffles]

The reason why I brought this to everyone's attention is because we frequent Disney a lot in the fall-spring (this was a rare occasion). We see many strollers with the diaper bags still attached parked while the family is on a ride. I have even on occasion seen camera bags on strollers left alone. Disney is not as safe as everyone makes it to be. Theft happens everywhere. We learned that the hard way a few years ago when someone stole our really nice stroller from Epcot. We assumed it was safe being parked with the other strollers. Guess not.

We implemented a "home base/satellite" bag system on our trips to WDW and Disneyland when DD was 1.

We leave our "home base" bag with extra backup baby gear in our stroller when we are riding rides. It doesn't have any valuables and it's a cheap bag. Even still, we lock this bag to the stroller so someone can't just snatch it out.. I know someone could just take my stroller then but they could do that anyway.

I bring a very small "satellite" bag with my money, ID etc. and one of each nonvaluable baby thing with me to rides, like mini case of wipes, 1 diaper, 1 pacifier, etc.

Last trip we had one 1yo and now that we have 2 kids 18 months apart I am using this home base/satellite system again. I am not lugging all our backup baby gear in line with us juggling a 2.5 yo and 1yo. I also don't want to leave it at the front of the park in a locker to avoid all the running around.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

I don't think it's different. I think it always happened. It's just no one knew about it because no one was talking to each other on internet message boards about it. It didn't make the newspaper. Way more info is shared these days online between online publications, blogs, message boards, etc.

 

[Disney_traveler]

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

Not so long ago? I'm 32 and I can definitely say it wasn't in my lifetime.

I also asked my 56 year old mother and she said not in her lifetime as well.

And we aren't talking about a towel or diapers and a bottle, we are talking about purses and camera bags.

 

[suedon70]

I have a little purse hanger that folds up in my purse and I can hang it of the table by my legs. If I forget it, I hang it off my knee. I feel I have an extra chair, I place it on the chair and push it all the way under the table.

While we were in Italy 2 weeks ago I used a small flat cross-body bag - in restaurants I would just place it in my lap under my napkin.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We've frequented the parks for 37 years and I disagree. I would say..last 10 years, we've seen a significant shift. Never tied backpacks or bags to table legs and left items in the strollers and/or scooters, while on attractions.

Now, we go through metal detectors and the minimum age requirement for unattended children has ben doubled. Heck, we've seen physical altercations go unchecked. A very different World...but just my observation and opinion.

 

[DisneyOma]

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

We've frequented the parks for 37 years and I disagree. I would say..last 10 years, we've seen a significant shift. Never tied backpacks or bags to table legs and left items in the strollers and/or scooters, while on attractions.

Now, we go through metal detectors and the minimum age requirement for unattended children has ben doubled. Heck, we've seen physical altercations go unchecked. A very different World...but just my observation and opinion.

I disagree - we've never felt like we should leave things of value in a stroller, leave a purse lying around, etc, while at WDW. No said you had to tie bags to tables, just not to leave them unattended.

The metal detectors are a response to terrorist/safety threats, not to deter pickpockets and quick snatchers. And what do you mean by minimum age for unattended children doubling?

 

[bluezy]

I don't think it's different. I think it always happened. It's just no one knew about it because no one was talking to each other on internet message boards about it. It didn't make the newspaper. Way more info is shared these days online between online publications, blogs, message boards, etc.

Exactly! I went to Disney on a school trip 30+ years ago and 2 girls in our group had a similar thing happen. They put their purses on a table at a restaurant to save their seats while they went to order food. By the time they came back, the purses were gone. They checked with lost and found thinking maybe someone thought they were left behind and turned them in, but they never turned up.

 

[JerseyJanice]

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

Too bad Disney can't install low-life detectors alongside the metal detectors.

 

[StageTek]

I wonder...

Is it true that "not too long ago" there was less theft or if before boards like this we didn't hear about theft as often.

I remember my sister getting her purse stolen from our mothers wheelchair while we were in Pirates. That was 1977. I also remember my mother "victim shaming" my sister by telling her she shouldn't have left her purse on the wheelchair while we were in the ride...

The times are changing, aren't they?

Love your post, JerseyJanice!

 

[snayak]

We've visited Disney for many, many years. There was a time, not so long ago, when guests didn't need to duct tape their belongs to their body. You could leave items in a stroller without worrying that some low life would snatch your belongings. Wonder why...it's so different nowadays?

I think it’s a combination of being able to share/tell people what’s happened, and the fact that more and more people are carrying around things of value (smart phones, cameras, etc) in the past decade or so.

I think, quite simply, there was less stuff an opportunistic thief could take before, but now we all carry around high value stuff like it’s no big deal, which is usually small enough to remove and conceal as opposed to a huge 1992 laptop or cell phone or something.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

the victim shaming.

I kind of hate this expression, because it suggests there's no such thing as common sense.

Leaving a purse full of valuables unattended is a dumb thing to do. If we can't call a spade a spade, then we are lost. I'm sure all of us have done something stupid at one time or another. I'm willing to bet that most folks responding here have, at one time or another, left items of value behind by accident.

But then I also disagree with this poster:

Parks are no safer(theft) than anywhere else.

Because this hasn't been our experience. We try to be careful with valuables, but over a great many trips to WDW with extended family, we never had anything (non-valuable) taken from a stroller.

No, I take that back, a seagull swooped in to steal our popcorn, and a crafty Universal Studios squirrel stole our french fries! In both cases, we were standing next to the stroller, having momentarily placed each food in the cup holder.

And quite a few times, we've accidentally left a bag or purse behind. We've also accidentally left stuff in the ride storage compartments (like the under the seat on Soarin'.) On BTMRR, my cell phone came out of my back pocket, and I didn't notice until I went to use it. Another time, a member of my family had their wallet fall apart on a plane. She didn't realize that $1000 worth of WDW park tickets, plus $500 had slid out of the wallet, back several rows along the floor. Honest folks returned our stuff every time.

Overwhelmingly, Disney and Disney guests have had an AMAZING track record of finding our stuff and returning it to us fully in tact. CM's are vigilant and honest. Guests have often been amazingly generous with their vacation time, even chasing after us with our stuff! Many times, we've also returned the favor.

For a great many years, WDW has often brought out the best in people when it comes to situations like this. Long lines may make folks grumpy, but they also go to WDW to experience happy endings. Finding your lost wallet in tact is among the happiest of endings!

 

[Planogirl]

I kind of hate this expression, because it suggests there's no such thing as common sense.

Leaving a purse full of valuables unattended is a dumb thing to do. If we can't call a spade a spade, then we are lost. I'm sure all of us have done something stupid at one time or another. I'm willing to bet that most folks responding here have, at one time or another, left items of value behind by accident.

But then I also disagree with this poster:


Because this hasn't been our experience. We try to be careful with valuables, but over a great many trips to WDW with extended family, we never had anything (non-valuable) taken from a stroller.

No, I take that back, a seagull swooped in to steal our popcorn, and a crafty Universal Studios squirrel stole our french fries! In both cases, we were standing next to the stroller, having momentarily placed each food in the cup holder.

And quite a few times, we've accidentally left a bag or purse behind. We've also accidentally left stuff in the ride storage compartments (like the under the seat on Soarin'.) On BTMRR, my cell phone came out of my back pocket, and I didn't notice until I went to use it. Another time, a member of my family had their wallet fall apart on a plane. She didn't realize that $1000 worth of WDW park tickets, plus $500 had slid out of the wallet, back several rows along the floor. Honest folks returned our stuff every time.

Overwhelmingly, Disney and Disney guests have had an AMAZING track record of finding our stuff and returning it to us fully in tact. CM's are vigilant and honest. Guests have often been amazingly generous with their vacation time, even chasing after us with our stuff! Many times, we've also returned the favor.

For a great many years, WDW has often brought out the best in people when it comes to situations like this. Long lines may make folks grumpy, but they also go to WDW to experience happy endings. Finding your lost wallet in tact is among the happiest of endings!

I think that most people are good and mean well - not just Disney park visitors. We hear so much about bad things that we tend to believe that no one can be trusted. Just my theory.

As for what used to happen, I remember hearing about video cameras and walkmans and so on being stolen. This is definitely not new.

 

[amberpi]

Real attendance numbers are up over the decades as well as exposure to hearing of such incidences. The percentages I'm betting don't change, we just hear about it more often and more people = more problems.

 

[scrapquitler]

The reason why I brought this to everyone's attention is because we frequent Disney a lot in the fall-spring (this was a rare occasion). We see many strollers with the diaper bags still attached parked while the family is on a ride. I have even on occasion seen camera bags on strollers left alone. Disney is not as safe as everyone makes it to be. Theft happens everywhere. We learned that the hard way a few years ago when someone stole our really nice stroller from Epcot. We assumed it was safe being parked with the other strollers. Guess not.

I used to always leave the diaper bag and our cooler bag and stuff like that in the stroller. But our camera, phone, wallet, and things of that sort went with me if I walked away from the stroller. Just plain common sense. I wasn't that worried about someone stealing a couple diapers and a change of clothes.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I think that most people are good and mean well - not just Disney park visitors. We hear so much about bad things that we tend to believe that no one can be trusted. Just my theory.

As for what used to happen, I remember hearing about video cameras and walkmans and so on being stolen. This is definitely not new.

Theft is as old as possessions.

Still, I thought it was important to say that CM's and guests have long history of helping others when bag and other items are left behind.

A little kindness often goes a long ways.

Expect the worst, but model the best!

 

[Simba's Girl]

I'm sorry this happened to your niece!

I bet she feels terrible about it.

Thanks for your good reminder that street smarts are even necessary at WDW OP

We need to recognize that people of all ages are around these boards and be thoughtful with our responses. Teens don't need a barrage of shaming on a public forum. I'm 100% sure she learned her lesson.

 

[georgina]

I put my purse on the table. Fortunately, I find that being a stocky, hairy, 42-year-old man squeezed into a size six dress typically distracts any would-be thief so much that he forgets his theft attempt.

OK, this is hilarious! Picture please!