“Heartless” Theft of Parents’ Gift to Their Children Ruins the Disney Magic

Visiting a Disney Theme Park is a dream come true for many Guests. It’s an expensive vacation, and whether you’re someone who saves up to go or you’re an Annual Passholder (or Magic Key holder), it takes a lot of planning, research, and money to make the best of the trip. Any Disney Fanatic knows the feeling of taking that first step into the Parks and knowing you’ve returned to a place of comfort and magic.

Rides and attractions like Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park (Walt Disney World Resort) and Disneyland Park (Disneyland Resort), lands like Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park truly make the experience for us all.

However, there’s one crucial aspect to maintaining the Disney magic, and that’s us—the Guests. Being a considerate Guest and respecting fellow Park-goers so that every visitor can have the ultimate Disney experience is an essential part of visiting a Disney Park; Disney even released an addendum to their already extensive Guest behavior code about it last year.

However, despite all this, we always hear about Guests who take things too far. From fights and brawls to shouting at fellow Park visitors and Cast Members, some just don’t seem to get the memo. That is what another Guest reported recently, and the transgression this time, unfortunately, was reportedly theft.

Reddit user and Disney Guest u/Big-Dragonfruit6075 took to the social media platform to detail their experience. The Guest explained that in the past, Disneyland had been a place of safety for them and their family. The Park had always provided a “reassuring sense of community” to them, but due to this event, it’s no longer the same for both the OP and their children.

The OP recounted that on a recent trip wherein the family was celebrating their kids’ last day of school, they left some lightsabers that had been a treat for each of the three children. The family kept the lightsabers in the stroller while they went to ride Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, and when the OP returned with one of the young ones to get some water from the strollers, they noted the lightsabers were gone.

The OP mentioned they saw a family right next to them with lightsabers that looked exactly like the ones they had purchased. Through a short interaction, the OP asked about the lightsabers, and the mother “spouted out a couple of stories of how it was a mistake” and returned them.

Per the OP’s post, for years, they have left valuables in their stroller while going around the Parks and have never had any issues. However, after this incident, they no longer feel like they can do this, and it would “change my behavior at the Parks.”

In the comments, fellow fans were largely supportive of the OP. One asked, “How heartless does an adult have to be to steal toys from children? Why would anyone think that’s okay??”

Another Disney fan added their own experience, which was equally shocking,

“On Christmas Day someone stole two bubble wands out of our stroller in fantasy land. We talked to a CM, showed them our reciepts, and they replaced them for us. Still sucked to have happen and made us a little least leary of leaving our stroller, but we didn’t really have a choice with that.” 

It’s a tragic turn of events for a place renowned for being a fantasy escape for so many, and it should go without saying it is unacceptable behavior at the Parks.