Simple Stroller Rental staff is frequently asked about tips for visiting the theme parks. Here are our favorite tips for protecting your stroller from theft at Central Florida’s theme parks. At Disney, Universal, and Sea World attractions, strollers aren’t allowed inside the attraction and you’ll have to park your stroller in a designated area and leave it unattended outside.
Whether you are renting a stroller or bringing your own, follow these tips to prevent theft:
1) Don’t leave your valuables in the stroller. Be sure to always take your purse, wallet, car keys, souvenirs, phones, and tablets.
2) Mark your stroller with a colorful scarf or ribbon. Wrapping ribbon around the length of the handlebar is a great theft deterrent because it makes your stroller stand out and it is difficult to remove quickly.
3) Remove a stroller wheel. If your stroller has easy to remove wheels, simply remove one and place it in the basket underneath the stroller. A thief looking to take a stroller will likely choose one where they can grab it quickly and go – they won’t want to fumble around trying to find the wheel.
4) Use a stroller lock. A stroller lock, is small to carry and easy to use; simply pull out the cable and lock it through the back wheels. This prevents the stroller from being rolled, but a park employee can still move it a short distance by lifting the back wheels. (A reminder: The theme parks are private property, so you don’t want to lock it to an object like a bench or tree. The theme park may cut the cable and remove it.) If you want to make your bags more secure use a locking carabiner designed to secure bags to strollers.
5) Take a photo of your stroller before heading out the to theme parks. In the event that something happens to it, being able to show someone exactly what the stroller looks like may help locate it.
6) If you are using a rental stroller: Purchase a damage waiver through the renting company. Simple Stroller Rental offers a flat rate damage waiver which protects you from accidental damage and theft of your rental stroller and accessories. Otherwise, you may be responsible for the cost of the stroller if you do not have protection.
What to do if you think your stroller has been taken:
1) Realize that it is common for theme park employees to rearrange the stroller area to be able to fit the most strollers possible. Before you panic, walk around the entire area.
2) Alert a theme park employee. The employee will be able to call security who will come and take a report about the stroller theft.
3) If you are using a rental stroller: Alert the company. Simple Stroller Rental is able to provide a replacement within a few hours.
4) If you find yourself a victim of theft of your personal stroller and have trip insurance, inquire with the company if you can get any kind of compensation for your lost or stolen stroller.
Remember, stroller theft isn’t common at the theme parks – but every few months stories pop up on the news of groups of people stealing strollers or items from strollers in the theme parks. And please don’t follow this internet advice: hanging a “fake” dirty diaper on the handlebar of your stroller in a bag isn’t a deterrent for thieves, but people will look at you oddly since there are plenty of garbage cans at each theme park. Happy strolling!
