Personal stollers in the parks

[RBrooksC]

We are bringing our own stroller when we go to Disney so my child has a little bit of home when we are there.

Since I never paid attention to strollers when I was in the park, what does one do with a stroller when one is on a ride as a family?

I assume one just leaves it in a designated area next to the attraction. If that is what is done, how safe is the stroller when it is left there.

[crazykids]

There are designated parking spaces for strollers, I would suggest marking yours in some way (bright ribbon, etc.) as there will be a lot of them. I honestly never heard of anyone having a stoller stolen, I just wouldn't leave valubles in it while you are away.

[Tigerlilly]

One thing I did not know or understand about stroller parking is, When people come back to get theirs and leave big holes near the wall, cast members move everything up to keep everything organized and out of the way. (Makes sense, I just never thought about it)
So when you come back, your stroller will more than likely NOT be where you left it. A cast member will have moved it.
That being said, they are pretty secure, usually in a roped off area being monitored constantly by cast members. Ours was an umbrella stroller which got folded up and hung on the rail of each area, it only got moved once.

When we were there in May, we were in MGM and were walking by a stroller area. I noticed in front of a stroller a diaper bag that had fallen over and spilled out its contents. Inside was a small video camera and a womans wallet (among ordinary diaper bag things. I crawled under the rope and put everything back into the bag, closed the bag up tight and wrapped its strap several times around the stroller handles and pulled the cover down over the seat. I then gave a thumbs up to the cast member who had seen me do it who gave me the thumbs up right back.
So, don't worry about it, but do not be stupid about it either:)

[kakn7294]

There are a few attractions where you can take your stroller with you but for the most part, you will leave it in the designated parking area and the CM's will rearrange those areas as necessary to keep traffic flowing. Like others have said, mark your stroller to make it stand out in a crowd and don't leave valuables behind although a diaper bag is generally safe. I always took a luggage tag (the kind that has the flap that covers you personal info and has to be taken off to be accessed) and put it in an inconspicious spot on the stroller just in case it was lost or stolen - it would be easier to identify. I also took a rain cover (or clear ponchos work too) and made sure the stroller was covered if going in the season of the daily afternoon thunderstorm - nothing is worse for little ones than a soggy, wet stroller.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We have always taken our own stroller to WDW. We have never had a problem with it missing (Besides the CM's moving it) or anything being taken from it. We park it at a stroller spot, do that area and then go back and get it. I love the one down by Peter Pan in MK. It used to be part of the queue for the Sky Ride or something I think. We park the stroller in there and then do most of Fantasyland without it.

The extra poncho tip for the stroller is a great one. We do the same thing. :thumbsup:

I love having our own stroller on vacation. Hope you have a great trip!!

[NJGIRL]

We used to take a stroller with us and have never had anything taken out of the diaper bag. My rule of thumb is don't leave anything in a stoller that you can't afford to have stolen. Leaving cameras, wallets or anything valuable is asking for trouble. There was a big thread a couple of months ago and a few people left their cameras or phones in the stoller and they were taken while on rides.

[disneyyoung]

FYI we just returned from Disney three weeks ago and our stroller was stolen from the Animal Kingdom park at night. My advice is to not bring one to expensive and label it as much as possible. We used to always lock our stroller up and we thought we look crazy but I guess we weren't so crazy after all.

[vamaggie]

Having a stroller from home will be helpful going to DTD or at the resorts as well as familiarity in the parks. We have never had any problems with the stroller or things being taken but again I would echo not to leave anything you mind losing in it. I have read stories of some meanies taking covers, fans etc out of strollers so don't leave what you can't part with.

[playdead88]

yeah we have always brought our stroller and have never had a problem - if a cm moves your stroller its not like they move it across the park its still in the same area - i carry a larger than normal purse that fits in the basket under the stroller and when we stop to ride something we just take the bag in and leave the stroller - have a great vacation!!!!! :mickey:

[Texas Tinkerbell Too]

We have never had a problem either. However, this year we have a more expensive model. My DH wanted to get a lock for it, like someone mentioned earlier. I thought how silly, this is Disney :mickey: "The Happiest Place On Earth." Why would anyone steal a stroller? :spoiler:
I guess maybe he was right. Thanks for the heads up!

[Imagineer1981]

strollers get stolen alot. There are plenty backstage that are either lost or stolen and found later. I have heard countless stories of the rented strollers being taken as well...they just pull the name out of it, and use it for as long as they need then leave it somewhere. I would not bring a personal stroller

[CleveSJM]

We've brought a stroller every year with the kids. Never had a problem. I think the odds are incredibly low that it would get stolen or lost, but there is the possibility.

Still, I'll always bring one. Too convienent...

[Jasper]

Considering the literally thousands of strollers that show up in Disney parks everyday, the amount that go missing is very small. I would hazard a guess and say that more are "lost" through the actions of the Cast Members moving them and then their owners not knowing where to look for them when they return then are actually taken by others on purpose.

I have read a trick in the past that is suppose to be foolproof to keep your stroller from being stolen. Supposedly you should take a diaper, pour on a little dark cola, add some mushed up tootsie rolls and then put the whole thing in a clear plastic bag and attach that to the handle of your stroller. I have never actually tried this but it sure sounds like fun.

One thing that happened to us many years ago was that we had parked our stroller to go onto Its a Small World and the stroller lot was full to overflowing. We asked a cast member where to park ours and did as they instructed us. However, when we came out our stroller was nowhere to be found. In looking further, we found that because of where the cast members were having us park, that the cast members from an attraction across the street (I think it was the Peter Pan attraction) thought the strollers belonged over there and sure enough that is where we found our stroller. Thus, on those few occasions where someone says their stroller was stolen I wonder if it wasn't something like happened to us.

[mttafire]

There are designated parking spaces for strollers, I would suggest marking yours in some way (bright ribbon, etc.) as there will be a lot of them. I honestly never heard of anyone having a stoller stolen, I just wouldn't leave valubles in it while you are away.
Thats how we do it....:thumbsup:

[pixiesmimi]

We've always taken our own stroller and marked it but usually by the second day, we decide it is easier to just rent one. Getting on and off the transportation except the ferry with one is usually a nightmare. But we did find out that you can take your own stroller folded up on the train around MK but not a rented one. This was great because we wanted to take it to Fantasyland and get off there and would need the stroller. We do leave bags in there when we go on a ride but not anything valuable. I, too, take a tote bag and we grab it when we go in anywhere. We always take an extra poncho to put over the stroller if it is raining or looks like rain. I have seen a lot of strollers get drenched even under a covered area because they didn't have a cover. We usually have two strollers and have even had them split up by CMs when they move them and have to search for two. Without them being marked some way, this would be a nightmare. Plus, as they said, you will need one for DTD or anywhere else you want to go out of the parks.

[Jared]

Personal strollers are less likely to be stolen than rentals. Mark and label your stroller. Most guests feel guilty stealing a stroller with a small, inexpensive item attached. The diaper technique is also supposedly foolproof.

Cast Members often move strollers after guests have entered an attraction building. Many "lost" strollers were simply relocated a few feet.

Bring your personal stroller and do not worry! My mom brought a stroller for my brother, sister and me and never had any issues.