So, I'm going to Disneyland in a few weeks. I've seen a couple things recommending that we get a bike lock for our stroller while we are there. I don't plan on keeping anything other than snacks in the stoller while it is unattended, and the stroller is a fairly expensive one. What do you guys do? Most people I've talked to haven't felt like this is a problem -- esp. if we were to tie something to the handle to remind them it's NOT theirs. If anyone has used a bike lock, how did you work it? one of the U ones, or one of the long chain type?
TIA!
Hilary

There isn't anyplace you can lock the stroller too that won't have security there in short order with bolt cutters removing it, the CM's tend to rearrange strollers on a regular basis and will move private and rentals at will to meet the needs of the area. There are always stories of strollers being moved and even a few being stolen but none in recent memory here on the pad. IF you feel the need to lock it up you need to find one that just locks the wheels so it doesn't roll, it will still annoy the CM's but at least you won't be coming back to answer questions from Security.

We leave a wide variety of items in our expensive jog stroller. We have never thought of locking it up. And as noted above, the strollers get moved around all the time. You just have to have faith. After it is Disneyland

You absolutely do NOT need a bike lock with a stroller at any Disney park. As mentioned, the strollers are frequently moved by the Cast Members to tidy up the areas. People are dropping off and picking up the strollers all the time so things have to be straightened out.

We would leave our stroller parked outside an attraction for a while (the child was five and could walk, she wasn't totally stroller dependant). Sometimes for hours. It was always there and if we left something in it, that was there too.

A similar situation with a manual wheelchair. We left that since my husband could hobble short distances and I didn't have to push him all the time. We had our cell phones, walkie talkies, and assorted other things in the see through mesh bag on the back. Nothing was ever touched.

Honestly, if you take your own stroller, I think the chances of it being mistaken by someone else as their own are between slim and none.

Aside from tidying up strollers (an important job at Disney parks because there tend to be a lot!) and aside from security issues, there are also fire hazard issues. As visitors, we may not realize where the fire lanes are but the CMs do. We may leave our strollers in places they need to keep clear in case of an emergency.

Also, a bike lock can be a hassle. I considered them at one time but the thought of having to stop and set it and take it down everytime we parked the stroller annoyed me.

I've taken some very nice and expensive strollers to DLR (Peg Peregos in two styles.) And I'm not willing to say it never happens but as Annual Passholders we've gone many times in the past 6 years with no problems.

Adrienne

We use a cable bike lock to lock one back wheel to the frame. It takes all of five seconds to do and affords me peace of mind. I paid waaay too much for that stroller to lose it to theft -- even if it IS Disney. I'd worry too much about my other "baby" while on the ride to actually enjoy myself if it weren't for that lock.

my suggestion...do not lock it for all the reasons listed above.

if you are worried about losing it tie something unique to the handles
(I braided pretty cording and tied it to the handle, no one mistook it for theirs)

If you are still concerned I would suggest renting a stroller or purchasing an inexpensive stroller (umbrella under $15 or a nicer one at a thrift store)

and after many trips with strollers we have never lost one.

*I have also found that if I park the stroller with the front wheels bumped over a curb as far off the sidewalk as I can CM's don't move it it's already out of the way.

Along with what was said above, if you make your stroler a little "unique" with a brightly-colored tag or a balloon, or something that can make it stand out in a crowd, chances are, it wont be taken by accident.

Wow, I'd never even thought about locking up a stroller, that just seems so weird and unecessary... especially at Disneyland, and what a pain it would be to lock and unlock it at every ride. Do people generally lock their strollers where you're from? I've seriously never heard of this before.

When we were at WDW we left gifts, snacks and all that in our stroller and never had a problem with anything coming up missing. I would not bother with a bike lock at all.

Strollers should not be locked to a post/rail/bench. This can be viewed as suspicious and you'll not want to exit the attraction to find your stroller roped off until the bomb squad can arrive.

Similiarly - CMs need to move strollers. People often confuse wheelchair/ECV transfer areas for stroller parking and thus the strollers end up back where they belong, rather than cluttering the area. Also, as mentioned before, emergency walkways and paths are not always apparent, but the CMs will remove your stroller to the proper area if left unattended (and sometimes they'll move both you and the stroller if you're attending!)

You can always rent one from the parks if your worried about yours being stolen. Then if someone else "borrows" :mad: your stroller you can go back to the rental area and get a replacement.

We did have someone take our rental stroller on our last trip to Disneyland. We left at the exit to Autopia and when we got off it was no where to be found. Fortunately we did not leave anything in it because it's not worth the risk of losing stuff, Disneyland or not, people are going to steal regardless of where they are. No reason to tempt them by leaving your Expensive things for them to grab. All we had to do was show our receipt at the stroller rental place and they gave us a new stoller to use.

As mentioned above, if you feel you must lock your stroller up, thread a cable bike lock through one front wheel and the matching rear wheel, or through both front wheels or both back wheels. This will prevent anyone from rolling the stroller away, yet it will still allow the cast members to roll it on two wheels over to where it is out of the way.

Ok, I have to put in my two cents here. I have never seen a stoller chained to anything, not even itself. Never, in my 4.5 years of stroller pushing, have I ever had anyone take my stroller, and I've had several strollers and have had various annual passes to different parks. I also do several things- I try not to buy strollers in prints that everyone has, I always tie a ribbon to the handle so I can find it, and I have my name and cell phone number written on the underside of the footrests, under the parent tray, and on each of the removeable trays.

Then, I also have renters insurance, and they will replace the stroller if it did get stolen, no matter where I am at. Well worth the money. Gives me the peace of mind to know if I did loose something major, or it was stolen, it will be replaced.

Don't bring anything expensive, if you're worried about it being stolen. Get yourself a nice, $10 umbrella stroller.
If that's not acceptable, get your SS number stenciled in somewhere unviewable on the stroller. Or get a large tag with your name and put it on the stroller.

I've taken some very nice and expensive strollers to DLR (Peg Peregos in two styles.)
Ooooh, which ones?

Ooooh, which ones?

I have a 7-year-old Milano (a single stroller but ithasn't really been to DLR much in the past 4 years, though,) and a 4-year-old Tender (a tandem double.) As of today, thanks to Fed Ex ground, we also have a brand-new Maclaren Triumph (a single "umbrella" stroller that I'm absolutely in love with.)

Adrienne