What is safe to leave in stroller during rides?

[sbroglie]

I'm brand new to the DIS boards and heading to WDW after 14 years away.

I have a question regarding leaving personal items in your rental stroller while on rides/attractions. Are your items relatively safe in the stroller (i.e. diapers, wipes, blanket, etc.)? What should we carry on the rides with us versus leaving in the stroller (including the obvious of course like camera, wallet, etc.)?

Thanks for your help...we will be travelling as a large extended family (6 adults and 3 young children ages 1, 2, and 5).

(I've heard to mark the stroller handle with something personal to keep others from mistakening your stroller for theirs)

 

[dolly-dawne]

My family has never rented a stroller but we always have our own. I have heard about the clearly marking your stroller so no-one mistakenly takes it. I may be a fool but for the most part.. in all of my Trips to disney in the last 14 years with strollers I have always left everything in the stroller. We have even left cameras and camcorders on the bottom basket. It is probably not the smartest thing but I have never had a problem. Coolers with water, backpacks with snacks, diapers wipes and all the rest are usually left in the stroller. Actually next summer will be our first trip without needing a stroller and I am actually thinking of bringing one to carry all of our stuff for the day.

 

[Princessbaby]

We have never had a problem with theft. But, I always take things with me that would cost a lot to replace like my camera or camcorder. Other than that, if a stuffed Daisy or Mickey was to go missing then that is easy to replace.

 

[debjoisme]

We were just there in October, and we had blankets, extra clothes, a small cooler and fruit snacks, and nothing was ever bothered. Some days we even had things that we bought from the stores in the basket, and again nothing was ever touched. A BIG hint though is to buy colorful ribbons to put on your handles. We had bright line green ones, and I could always find my stroller right away.
Debbie

 

[bumbershoot]

I won't leave anything in a stroller anymore. We left DS's newly purchased $12 pirate hat in it, and it was taken, despite having another hat and a sweatshirt on top of it. (at disneyland, but people are people)

 

[t-beri]

I used to leave almost everything in my stroller too until last year when DD's sippy cup was stolen out of the cup holder. Who steals sippy cups? But try to find one at WDW when you need one!!! We didn't have a sippy cup for the rest of the trip (of course this year we saw tons of them in the stores....that's NOT the point here)
I just realized that if someone would steal a plain sippy cup that was clearly being used by someone that nothing was safe!!
GROSS!!
...t.

 

[CastleCreations]

Someone posted something about making a fake dirty diaper and leaving it ontop of your stuff in the stroller. I thought that was a hoot!

 

[ahilly]

We just returned and we left everything in the stroller. I agree w/PP about marking your stroller w/ribbons etc, we saw people who bought a balloon and tied that to the stroller, we just left the bright lime green gate check tag on ours. There was only one time when it had been moved by a cast member and we had to ask for help in finding it, that was outside Buzz.

 

[sbroglie]

Thanks for all the info...this helps alot!!!

Who steals sippy cups?

Sounds like a young child walked by and snatched up your cup...I'm sure it wasn't an adult. The parents probably didn't know which stroller the child stole it from and couldn't return it to you.

 

[emma'smom]

We leave everything in our stroller except wallets/camera. DH has a small camera case on his belt and we each just slip our wallets into our pockets. Many people don't even bother with a wallet and just use their room cards to charge everything. I like to have my ID, debit card, and room card with me. I dont' really carry a full-wallet...just these three things in a small credit card holder.

Anyway, we leave purchases, sweatshirts, diaper bag, etc. We've never had a problem. The CM's do move our stroller from time to time.....but everything is always in it. Also, even if you are taking your own...plan to mark it well. It is amazing how many blue Maclarens and red joovies can look like "ours" in the sea of strollers.

 

[Princessbaby]

We leave everything in our stroller except wallets/camera. DH has a small camera case on his belt and we each just slip our wallets into our pockets. Many people don't even bother with a wallet and just use their room cards to charge everything. I like to have my ID, debit card, and room card with me. I dont' really carry a full-wallet...just these three things in a small credit card holder.
QUOTE]

We also charge everything to our room. It makes it so much easier- I don't have to carry my things around. My DH carries his wallet with a little cash for drinks or whatever.

 

[sahm1000]

We left almost everything in our stroller when we went last April. We did take the real valuable things (camcorders, camera, wallets) with us on rides and left the rest. My diaper bag was usually in the basket and I left everything in there. I agree with everyone that suggested to mark your stroller somehow to make it easier to spot. It is very helpful when you are in a sea of strollers, especially after a CM moves them. Have a great time!

 

[mickeylove2]

We left everything in our stroller, with the exception of a wallet (in hubby's pocket) nothing was bothered. I'm talking a small cooler, 2 small backpacks with my dds lanyards with over 100 pins combined, autograph books and pens, cameras, snacks, sweatshirts, 2 Pal Mickey's, 2 sets of Mickey ears etc. On the other hand my sister did the same thing and 2 of her boys' cheasy white fishing hats that they had to get signatures on disappeared- they had only gotten 2 or 3 signatures and the hats were only a couple of $$ but who steals stuff like that?? She had 3 sitting there and they were generous enough to leave 1!!

 

[goofygal531]

Disney items I don't think are really stolen, I think while parents are getting the stroller, loading things in it, children tend to take the items from the other strollers. This is just my "magical" guess. I can't see other parents steeling these items. A child will grab anything attractive and interesting.

I tend to hide all my kids toys/stroller toys on the bottom of the stroller basket under a blanket.

I leave my diaper bag with the stroller if it's a quick ride, and I wear a small handbag with my personal belongings.

Something also to mention, my first trip to WDW with a stroller I actually thought the stroller was stolen after my first ride! We parked the stroller right in front of Snow White's adventure, and I came out and thought, someone stole the stroller! Turns out it was illegally parked and towed to the stroller parking lot at the far end of Fantasyland. keep this in mind when parking!!

mare

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Our first trip in May 05 we left everything in the strollers and didn't have a problem. In Dec 06 we took most everything with us and we were glad we did. There must have been a wave of theft while we were there. We had DD's stroller toys stolen which were attached to the stroller, a small bag containing two of the hot wheel sized Disney cars and also DS's knit gloves with mickey on them. It was cold while we were there so maybe someone thought it was worth stealing them to keep their hands warm.
So after the last expierence, I won't leave anything in the stroller that I'm not willing to part with.

 

[goofygal531]

PACKAGE DELIVERY!!!!

I NEVER keep WDW purchases in the stroller!

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney items I don't think are really stolen, I think while parents are getting the stroller, loading things in it, children tend to take the items from the other strollers. This is just my "magical" guess. I can't see other parents steeling these items. A child will grab anything attractive and interesting.

But that is still being stolen. My son is still angry with the "bad pirates" who took his hat (that explanation was so that he wasn't angry with our fellow guests, we didn't just tell him we lost it b/c otherwise he would have wanted us to search until we found it like we do at home for lost items, and Disney pirates are good, lol), and it doesn't matter in the least if it was a fellow 3 year old or some 40 year old with nothing better to do than to root under sweatshirts and other caps to get a pirate hat.

On the other hand my sister did the same thing and 2 of her boys' cheasy white fishing hats that they had to get signatures on disappeared- they had only gotten 2 or 3 signatures and the hats were only a couple of $$ but who steals stuff like that?? She had 3 sitting there and they were generous enough to leave 1!!

I don't know about DisneyWORLD, but if that sort of thing happens, be sure to get it to the attention of cast members, and more importantly, to their "leads". Which I assume is their word for supervisor.

I'm quite sure they would have done some magical helping out in that situation, and while it might not have been fishing hats, it could have been something nice.

Two full days after the bad pirates went rooting in our stroller (while we were on Pirate's Lair, no less!) DS was talking to CMs preparing the area for the fireworks, and told his story, and once it got to a Lead, she came out and gave him a "pinocchio" slip of paper, which replaced his hat. We were so impressed (I cried, I'll admit it). Even though we had already bought a different hat for DS, it was nice to have the original replaced!


Is Disneyworld better about their package delivery than Disneyland? We were on-site at DL but every time I tried to have the package delivered to the room, they were out of whatever they needed to do that, and wanted me to go elsewhere. Very annoying.

 

[everylastbreath]

we never had a problem with anything getting stolen, but I wouldn't leave anything that might tempt someone. Also never left my GS's favorite blanket because we would have been lost without it, so it was almost more valuable than the camcorder.... So I wouldn't leave anything that you could not easily replace if it was taken.

 

[nettii]

We have never had any thing stolen but i have seen squrells and birds helping them selves to food and what not in the strollers!LOL

 

[hansel1]

We have never had any thing stolen but i have seen squrells and birds helping them selves to food and what not in the strollers!LOL

I've seen that plenty of times as well. Near coral reef this past january I saw a squirrel take a whole cookie out of a stroller. (and by whole cookie, I mean a big one) he was having trouble carrying it, but managed to get it through the railing and ate it out in the grassy area underneath the monorail line. Funniest thing I ever saw. A little squirrel with this massive cookie.