In a previous blog post, I shared with you the horrible experience we had with stroller theft at Walt Disney World. We felt so violated and just so broken-hearted to have something so cruel happen to us in a place that is always supposed to be HAPPY!
After the stolen stroller incident, I was very anxious as we planned our next Disney trip. I ended up deciding to re-purchase the same stroller that was stolen because quite frankly, I loved that stroller and wanted it back. I was so scared of dealing with it being stolen again but we really still needed a stroller–my four year old could simply not walk 10-12 miles a day in the September heat of Orlando. And so, I scoured the internet for all the ideas I could find to protect my stroller. Here’s the best tips I’ve found.
- Label your stroller clearly. Some people make a laminated sign that clearly has your last name on it and they zip tie it the back of the stroller. I have a Cricut, so I cut out waterproof vinyl letters that had our last name and applied them to the sides of the stroller. I also put our phone number on the inside of the little console storage area next to the cup holder. I was a little emotional so I think it said something like “This is not your stroller. Return immediately or call ——–.” You can head over to my Etsy shop and shoot me a message and I’ll gladly help you come up with a custom vinyl sticker for your stroller!
- Protect yourself. Seriously, be smart. Do not ever, ever, EVER leave anything in your stroller while you go on a ride that you would be sad to lose. That means definitely not your phone or wallet or car keys. Probably not any souvenirs that you just purchased (did you know Disney will hold those for you so you can pick them up when you leave the park? True story.) If you are staying on property, you can charge everything to your room using your magic band–you don’t need your wallet with you (you may want to keep your ID on you but that’s about it). DOn’t leave anything in your stroller that looks appealing or tempting.
- Avoid covering your stroller with a poncho. I know, I know. EVERYBODY does it. The problem is everybody does it with the exact same poncho that you have because Disney only sells one poncho. Guess what happens to stroller parking when it rains? Every stroller looks identical because they are all covered with the same poncho. Uh oh! This means that not only is it easy for a thief to steal any old stroller because no one is going to notice, it also means there’s a good chance of someone accidentally taking yours and leaving theirs behind. Find a stroller cover that is CLEAR and meant for your stroller model or just don’t worry about it getting wet. Just avoid the poncho temptation. Trust me on this.
This is the typically Disney poncho. If it rains, Disney will sell hundreds of them in a matter of seconds. They are everywhere! Don’t use one to cover your stroller! - Attach your phone to your body some way that makes you not accidentally leave it in your stroller. Personally I liked this little gadget–I could hook it to my lanyard and always have it ready to take pictures PLUS I could get great ride videos of my kids faces with no worries about dropping my phone!
- Sew a Tile to your stroller to track it more easily. Tile is awesome. First of all, chances are good that when you exit a ride, your stroller will not be where you left it. Cast members are constantly shifting strollers around to fill in gaps and keep the area organized. Sometimes it
Tile is a handy tool for helping track your stroller at Walt Disney World. is really hard to figure out which one is yours, especially if you happen to have a popular model. I sewed a Tile to mine in a place where it wasn’t super noticeable (inside the fabric padding for the arm of the stroller). Whenever we came out of a ride, I could open my phone’s Tile app and click a button to make the Tile play music–then I could track my stroller down quickly. The other cool thing about Tile is that if your stroller was actually stolen and it was taken out of rang of your cell phone (it’s blue tooth, so it’s not a long range), if someone else walks by your stroller and they happen to have the Tile app running on their phone, your phone will get an alert to where your stroller was last “Seen” by the Tile app! This is incredibly helpful! It gave me a lot of peace of mind as we prepared for our trip. I never had to track it down but I did have to make it place music several times after a cast member relocated it–so useful!
- Make your stroller stand out. Some people attach battery-powered lights to their stroller because a thief is far less likely to take a stroller that draws attention! I’ve even read a suggestion that you should throw some trash in a plastic shopping bag and tie it to the handle of the stroller–it may not look very pretty but it is likely to deter a thief, who would rather have a clean, pretty stroller.
- Get the insurance. That is, if you rent a stroller from one of the rental companies in Orlando, you should opt for the insurance. It’s a no-brainer. They rent out high end, expensive strollers. If it goes missing and you didn’t insure it, you are stuck paying the bill to replace it. OUCH!
- Pop a wheel off your stroller when you park it. Now, honestly, I don’t recommend this one but some people swear by it. A thief wants to be quick and isn’t going to take the time to reassemble a stroller to take off with it. I get that. But remember the cast members–it is somebody’s job to continually rearrange the strollers to make them fit the space. If you are missing a wheel on your stroller, you are making their job very difficult. And if EVERYONE does it? How miserable does that make their jobs? It’s your decision. It is an option. It’s just not one I choose to use.
- Leave your good stroller at home and buy a crappy, cheap, or old stroller on Craigslist to bring with you. The attitude with this option is that if it’s stolen, at least it wasn’t your good stroller. Plus, you can re-sell it when you get home and break even. Personally I don’t get this one. Why have a good stroller if you are afraid to use it? But, a lot of people go this route and it’s definitely an option.
So there’s some options for you to keep your stroller safe on your next trip to Walt Disney World. Remember to use common sense and don’t forget that just because it’s Disney doesn’t mean everyone there is honest. Have a magical time!
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World soon?!? Check out my new WDW vacation planner, Countdown to Magic!
Do you have any other tips for keeping your stroller safe? Share them in the comments!
