We came to Disneyland and they stole our stroller.... (Update: Stroller Found!)

[Skyegirl1999]

I hope it turns up today.

Although I know it happens, I’ve never actually known someone to have their stroller stolen.

I HAVE known several people who thought they’d had their stroller stolen, only to have it turn up later. We once spent most of a day “stroller sharing” with a friend who thought hers was gone, but it turned out it had been taken by security as “abandoned.” So, I hope yours turns out to be like that!

 

[maltdizzy]

I reported it to two security guards and they both assured me that my stroller was definitely in the park somewhere and someone had not taken it because that doesn't happen at Disney. It was really aggravating because he wasn't taking me seriously . I knew it wasn't anywhere in the area or in the park for that matter as I has searched for several hours for it

I will in the morning. They told us they couldn't do anything until morning bevaube they round up all the forgotten strollers at night and then we could be sure ours was missing. This just really sucks and I feel like security was just yeah, yeah, ok and blowing me off. My best hope is that someone grabbed it thinking it was theirs and just stuck it somewhere when they realized it wasn't.

Either things have changed or security employees are getting lazy.

Our stroller was stolen at DL in a decade ago and we were immediately escorted to the Anaheim police substation in Tomorrowland (backstage). We filed a report right then and there for the stroller and other belongings. We did follow up with lost and found several times. Three months later our stroller was recovered when they caught the thief. The thief had been stealing strollers for months, throwing away any contents, walking out of the park and selling them on Craigslist and eBay. He wasn't able to sell ours and still had it when arrested. They used our stroller to convict him and we received restitution checks from the Anaheim court system for a couple of years (he paid it all back). The Anaheim police gave us some insight ...

1. Stroller theft, backpack theft and pick-pocketing in the parks (Knotts included) happened at a relatively high rate (enough to offset the Anaheim non-violent crime statistics). A thief can have the item and be on their way down Harbor Blvd in less than 10 minutes
   
2. Security camera coverage of DL is overstated, and they won't pull footage to track something like a theft
   
3. The only reason our stroller was matched to our police report was because an officer was bored enough at work and started going through the paperwork. We picked it up from another Anaheim police substation in Downtown Disney

We looked at it as "$#!+ happens." This never stopped us from using a stroller again (we were APs), but we used an umbrella stroller with little value, always removed contents and locked one wheel with a cable lock. CMs can still move the stroller, but no on is rolling it out the turnstiles. I don't blame the thief anymore either, they say he was truly remorseful and thankful to be caught. We still joke about the fact that our Bugaboo wasn't sell-able.

 

[Dumbo777]

Update, they found our stroller. I'm one happy camper

 

[amyg1975]

Woohoo!!!!

 

[Girimama33]

You need a cool stroller tag....

 

[Dumbo777]

View attachment 387951
You need a cool stroller tag....

Love this

 

[Dumbo777]

Woohoo!!!!

 

[StarlitNight05]

That's great news! Were the jackets still in the stroller too?

 

[lcp9]

I'm glad your stroller was found, and thank you for posting this thread because it made me realize I am far too lax about ours in the park. We have 4 kids under 7, so we usually have our double Chariot - which is not cheap - and a lot of times i leave my DSLR in it, Tula baby carrier, and whatever else I can't take with me on rides where the whole family can go. We definitely need to be more careful about locking back wheels and leaving things.

 

[Dumbo777]

That's great news! Were the jackets still in the stroller too?

Yes ma'am. They also piled on a bunch if stuff like blankets and jackrts on it that were not ours .

 

[Dumbo777]

I'm glad your stroller was found, and thank you for posting this thread because it made me realize I am far too lax about ours in the park. We have 4 kids under 7, so we usually have our double Chariot - which is not cheap - and a lot of times i leave my DSLR in it, Tula baby carrier, and whatever else I can't take with me on rides where the whole family can go. We definitely need to be more careful about locking back wheels and leaving things.

I agree. I feel like because we are Disney that we feel like nothing bad can happen, but the sad truth is that it can.

 

[Dumbo777]

Either things have changed or security employees are getting lazy.

Our stroller was stolen at DL in a decade ago and we were immediately escorted to the Anaheim police substation in Tomorrowland (backstage). We filed a report right then and there for the stroller and other belongings. We did follow up with lost and found several times. Three months later our stroller was recovered when they caught the thief. The thief had been stealing strollers for months, throwing away any contents, walking out of the park and selling them on Craigslist and eBay. He wasn't able to sell ours and still had it when arrested. They used our stroller to convict him and we received restitution checks from the Anaheim court system for a couple of years (he paid it all back). The Anaheim police gave us some insight ...

1. Stroller theft, backpack theft and pick-pocketing in the parks (Knotts included) happened at a relatively high rate (enough to offset the Anaheim non-violent crime statistics). A thief can have the item and be on their way down Harbor Blvd in less than 10 minutes
   
2. Security camera coverage of DL is overstated, and they won't pull footage to track something like a theft
   
3. The only reason our stroller was matched to our police report was because an officer was bored enough at work and started going through the paperwork. We picked it up from another Anaheim police substation in Downtown Disney

We looked at it as "$#!+ happens." This never stopped us from using a stroller again (we were APs), but we used an umbrella stroller with little value, always removed contents and locked one wheel with a cable lock. CMs can still move the stroller, but no on is rolling it out the turnstiles. I don't blame the thief anymore either, they say he was truly remorseful and thankful to be caught. We still joke about the fact that our Bugaboo wasn't sell-able.

Thank you. I'm sorry this happened to you .Sometimes people are jerks. I'm glad they caught the thief.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Update, they found our stroller. I'm one happy camper

DL keeps an eye out for empty strollers leaving the parks. Would have to be a pretty sophisticated plan with a decoy kid to walk out with a stolen stroller undetected. Doable with a plan and has happened, but not a simple crime of opportunity anymore.

More likely scenario is thief relocates stroller to another area of the park to go though it and see if any valuables are left in it...steal anything of value and leave stroller behind.

They are not going to tell you that as the reason, but that is why they can tell you it will likely turn up and not gone forever.

 

[Gisele]

I'm glad your stroller was found.
Had someone stole it or taken it by accident?
I've noticed strollers decorated in mini lights. It's pretty, but more over is done so it's much easier to find your stroller in a huge herd of them or if it's been taken by accident or otherwise, again, easier to locate. Also it's a deterrent for a thief.

 

[dieumeye]

So glad your stroller was found... but I assume this means it was not stolen after all?

I've been with people who swear their stroller was stolen, but in the end it was there all along, so I understand where you're coming from.

 

[Pamela M]

So glad it was found. A tip I use for my suitcase that would work for strollers at disneyland. I tie crazy colored ribbon (yellow with black polka dots) pieces on the handles. Those ribbons make it really easy to find my bag in the sea of bags.

 

[Elle23]

I'm glad your stroller was found, and thank you for posting this thread because it made me realize I am far too lax about ours in the park. We have 4 kids under 7, so we usually have our double Chariot - which is not cheap - and a lot of times i leave my DSLR in it, Tula baby carrier, and whatever else I can't take with me on rides where the whole family can go. We definitely need to be more careful about locking back wheels and leaving things.

I have been shocked by the things people leave in strollers at WDW! I am honestly amazed more theft doesn’t occur considering people just leave that stuff completely unattended for long periods of time.

 

[Insaneinthemombrain]

Happy for you! I am also glad for the reminder to lock my back wheels and not leave valuables. And also thanks to the poster for the reminder about the squirrels! I have seen many squirrels enjoying popcorn and cookies and coming in contact with straws/ drink lids but I still manage to forget every time and end up leaving a beverage or some snack the kids didn’t finish in the seat of the stroller. Makes me cringe HARD thinking about it!

 

[pahoben]

It’s Hook I tell ya and Disney Security protects the scoundrel. That is why they won’t pull the tapes. They do not want video that could make it on YouTube of Hook stealing strollers.

 

[dieumeye]

DL keeps an eye out for empty strollers leaving the parks. Would have to be a pretty sophisticated plan with a decoy kid to walk out with a stolen stroller undetected. Doable with a plan and has happened, but not a simple crime of opportunity anymore.

More likely scenario is thief relocates stroller to another area of the park to go though it and see if any valuables are left in it...steal anything of value and leave stroller behind.

They are not going to tell you that as the reason, but that is why they can tell you it will likely turn up and not gone forever.

This is interesting. I always thought the idea behind stroller theft was to sell the stroller online, at least that's the idea behind the stories I've heard.

Had not considered the possibility that someone would take the stroller, not to steal it, but to dig thru it to find any valuables. Still seems pretty brazen because there are cameras everywhere. But I guess who is going to be suspicious of some random person digging thru a stroller?

Actually makes me feel better about having a stroller in the park because I'd never leave valuables in it anyway.