Is my stroller safe at Disneyland?

I’ve been asked this questions more times than I can possibly count. So many times, in fact, that I’m surprised I’ve never written a blog post specifically about this. So here it goes.

The answer: Pretty much. 

Allow me to explain.

Way “back in the day,” I spent a number of shifts, here and there, working in Disneyland’s Lost and Found. I was told then that outright stroller theft happens but is uncommon. What is more likely is someone mistaking a stroller as their own OR someone taking a stroller for a “joy ride” and then leaving it at the front gate as they leave at the end of the night, which means in either case, strollers are often left at Disneyland at the end of the business day and end up at Lost and Found, just waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners.

This is not to say that theft doesn’t happen because it does. There are things you can do to make your stroller less attractive to potential thieves and ensure you get it back if it ends up at Lost and Found.

Set Your Stroller Apart.

The best line of defense is to make sure your stroller stands out and doesn’t look like anyone else’s. This not only cuts down on the chances of someone mistaking your stroller for their stroller, but it also deters a likely thief from taking your ride. No thief wants someone to spot them with their easy-to-identify stroller. A stroller thief is going to go after a stroller with no identifiable marks that they can walk away with unnoticed.

Here are things you can do to set your stroller apart from others:

Tie a long scarf or long ribbons to the handles and/or frame of your stroller. I opted for a crazy loud printed scarf from the 1970s that no one would have ever mistaken as their own. It was easy to spy in a sea of strollers, too.

My scarf can be seen under the coffee cup in the drink holder on my stroller. I had it double- or triple-knotted so it could not be easily removed.

Tie a balloon to the stroller. You can purchase a helium balloon (or balloons) a day before your visit at a party store or the grocery store. This is better than waiting to buy a balloon at Disneyland, as your balloon will likely be different from (not to mention, cheaper than) all of the balloons sold in the parks and will set your stroller apart from all others. Again, easier for you to spot in a sea of buggies and/or if someone walks away with yours.

Add a sign! I’ve created more than a dozen really cute Disney signs that you can pin or tie to your stroller! These signs are free and all you have to do is print your favorite on cardstock, write your child or family’s name on it and affix to your stroller!

There are three different versions of the stroller signs that you can download:

• Princess signs with room to write a child’s name.
• Disney character signs with room to write the family’s last name.
• Disney and Star Wars character signs with room to write a child’s name.

Setting your stroller apart not only deters thieves and someone accidentally mistaking your stroller for their own, it also makes it easier for Lost and Found to identify your stroller if it does end up missing and ends up in their facility.

Example of one of our stroller signs in action!

Add Return Address Labels

This is probably the most valuable tip I can provide. Add return address labels to EVERYTHING you take to Disneyland. Put them in/on your diaper bag, cooler, food containers… EVERYTHING. If it is something you can write on, add your phone number too. I used to put them inside all of the compartments of my strollers and on the frame. Again, no one wants to steal and get caught with a stroller with someone’s name and address all over it. Moreover, if your stroller (or any of your other items) end up in Lost and Found, having a return address label on them makes it so much easier for you to be reunited with your lost belongings.

Stroller Locks

If you are still totally freaked out that someone is going to steal your stroller, you can purchase a stroller lock. I am a fan of the company BuggyGuard, as all of their products are great. Keep in mind that if you go with a stroller lock you CANNOT lock it to fences, etc. inside the parks. You also, should not lock the back wheels. You should always lock your stroller the way I have it locked in the photo to the right. This ensures that Cast Members can do a wheelie with your stroller and move it, as needed within the stroller parking lots in the parks, but cannot just be wheeled away for general use. This is very important, as Cast Members need to be able to keep the flow of guests moving and reconfigure parking as the guest flow and queues shift throughout the day.

Check out the full line of BuggyGuard locks on Amazon. 

Get a Tile!

A Tile is a great way to track your stroller with your phone in the case that it is moved or stolen. Normally purchased to help forgetful folks (like me) keep track of things like keys, it is the perfect stroller “lojack.”

Learn more about and purchase a tile from Amazon.

Other Theft at Disneyland

I have visited Disneyland with my children on hundreds of occasions. Normally, we were always really good about not leaving valuables in our strollers. While our actual strollers were never stolen, on not one but TWO occasions, on very cold days, my children’s coats were stolen out of our stroller basket. You have to be a real jerk to steal a child’s coat and apparently, I was the sucker whose children jerks preyed upon TWICE. We learned our lesson after the second time and decided to make it harder for anyone trying to steal from us. We ended up locking our coats to the stroller frame using our stroller lock. Instead of locking the stroller so it couldn’t move, we used the thin wire cord to thread through all of the loops in the collars of the jackets (the spot where you would normally hang the coat on a hook) and then looped the lock around the frame of the stroller. (Pictured to the right is a discontinued B-shaped lock from BuggyGuard that we also used. I’ve added the picture so you can see how we locked the coats to the fame.) That way, if someone tried to walk by and yank them out of the stroller quickly, they wouldn’t get far and they would be grabbing the entire stroller. The same could be done with a bungie cord if you are wanting to use the stroller lock for the purpose of locking your stroller.

What To Do If Your Stroller Goes Missing

If you come back to where you have parked your stroller and you think it has gone missing, don’t freak out. It is entirely possible it was moved by a Cast Member, as mentioned above. Begin by asking Cast Members close by for help. Explain where you parked it and ask if it is possible someone would have moved it. Sometimes they are moved to spots that may not be totally obvious or right next to where you had parked your stroller–yet still within the general vicinity. If you are still not able to locate your stroller, go to Disneyland City Hall or Disney California Adventure Chamber of Commerce, and ask if they can assist you in contacting Lost and Found. While it is not likely your stroller would be taken there while the parks are open, it is good to contact them as soon as possible and get their contact information so that you can call the next day to see if it was turned in. You may also ask about filing a claim or ask to speak with the security department if there is a chance they may be able to further assist you.

Get Out There and Have Fun!

When it comes down to it, there really is no way of knowing whether your stroller is going to be stolen–just as there’s no way of knowing someone is going to steal that garden gnome in your front yard… or your car while it’s parked in the Disneyland parking structure. I do believe, however, that if you do at least some of the tips provided here, your stroller will be a lot less attractive to a potential thief and will be much less likely taken by accident by the owner of a similar buggy. All of the tips above are super simple and can really make a difference!

The links in this post to Amazon are affiliate links.