Mother using daughter to steal expensive strollers at Disney World highlights a major PR nightmare for Disney

Viral images of a stroller thief at Walt Disney World has Disney park officials worried
It's the one story that Disney did not want families with little children coming to a Disney theme park to hear: stroller thefts from career criminals and other assorted grifters at all Disney Parks are a major recurring problem at all Disney theme parks, and now the news has pretty much confirmed it.

Michelle Craig of Spring Hill Tampa is accused of being a stroller thief
A Tampa Bay area mother had created a little cottage industry by using her young daughter, dressed in a Frozen princess outfits as a decoy, to steal high-end strollers at Walt Disney World.

Michelle Craig, of Spring Hill, Florida, is accused of lying in wait for families to leave their strollers at a designated stroller parking area.

She then placed her daughter, dressed in various Disney princess outfits, inside a stroller and then walked away with the stroller and all the belongings in it, which she later flipped online for a profit.

Have you ever wondered why pick-pockets are virtually non-existent at Disney theme parks?

It's because career grifters for years have known they have a much easier time pilfering through a much easier and more abundant target in an endless number of strollers left unattended inside Disney theme parks.


Apparently, one Tampa area mother, Michelle Craig of Spring Hill, proved that anyone can walk away with another family's stroller without anyone noticing.

This is what is considered easy pickings for thiefs
Craig was caught on surveillance cameras at Disney's Hollywood Studios walking away with another mother's $1800 Bugaboo stroller while that unsuspecting family from Miami was preoccupied on a ride.

Stroller theft is the simplest and most abundant crime occurring at Disney theme parks worldwide.

It's so simple and easy that even pickpockets have turned to this easier and less risky target at Disney theme parks.

A would-be thief simply waits for an unsuspecting family to leave their stroller with all their valuables and belongings in a designated Disney stroller parking area packed full of other strollers while they go off to a see a show or wait in a long line for a ride.


And while they are gone for 10 to 50 minutes, a thief casually takes their stroller and walks away with with it to a discrete area, such as a bathroom or smoking area, and pilfers through all their cash and valuables.

Problems of stroller thefts also plague the Disneyland Resort in California
The thieves generally leave the stroller behind because it's large and conspicuous, but occasionally they do what Craig did and walk away with the stroller as well with everything in it because some strollers can sometimes be worth a lot of money too.

That's what happened to Lauren Collazo of Miama on April 15 at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it ruined the family's entire day.

Collazo not only lost her stroller, but she also had in the stroller her car keys, wallet and her niece's EpiPen.

"I was there with no money, stranded," Collazo told ABC Action News via Skype. "My husband had to fly over from Miami that same day, catch the first flight available to rescue me and my family."


WFTS Action News somehow obtained a leaked Disney surveillance image from Disney's surveillance video, which later went viral on social media, showing the alleged thief using her young daughter as a front to slip away in Collazo's stroller.

Stroller thieves generally take other people's strollers to a discreet area of the
park, such as the family bathroom above, and pilfer through the valuables
An astute Texas woman, Thalia Rodgers, who bought the stolen stroller online from Craig and later recognized Craig's photo online contacted Collazo after realizing she bought stolen goods from Craig.

Since the image went viral online, Orange County detectives had no choice but to issue an arrest warrant for Michelle Craig, whom they identified from Rodgers' testimony and the leaked photo in question.

Craig turn herself in into Hernando County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. She faces charges of grand theft.

We say Orange County deputies had "no choice" because Disney security generally does not release any surveillance photos inside their theme parks to police of stroller thefts, whether or not that would lead to an arrest. 


They would rather not acknowledge that such a prevalent criminal problem exists in their theme parks and would rather sweep it under the rug.

The victim Lauren Collazo was left stranded with no money at
Walt Disney World
However since the photo was somehow leaked to the press, it has done nothing but put the issue of stroller thefts and Disney security cameras, front and center in the news.

And Disney would rather not have either be known to the public.

When asked if they plan to ban Craig from their parks after this investigation and what can be done to safeguard strollers when parents are preoccupied on rides or shows, a Disney spokesperson would not return any comment on the story, so they are keeping mum about the subject.

Besides the obvious issue with grifters inside their parks, Disney now also has to acknowledge the degree of surveillance camera use inside their theme parks.

Unofficially, Disney says that there are no surveillance cameras inside the park except along the parade routes to monitor the performance of parade performers; however, Hollywood Studio's last afternoon parade, Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun, ended its run on April 5th, 10 days before the theft occurred.


In addition, it is well known that every inch of all the rides and shops inside the Disney theme parks are fully monitored by security cameras.

Smile, because you too may be on candid camera at Disney
Clearly the surveillance photo taken of Craig also highlights that security cameras are used extensively used throughout the theme parks, including in outdoor public areas and areas you would normally expect some privacy.

The use of security cameras in the parks is far beyond what Disney is willing to admit to, suggesting that Big Brother Mickey is always watching you, despite whatever excuses Disney gives for their cameras' purposes inside the parks.

Clearly this PR nightmare has opened up more than one can of worms for Disney.

Not only do guests have to be paranoid about getting ripped off at the "Happiest Place on Earth," but now they have to also be paranoid about the fact that Disney is secretly recording everybody, but not because it's necessarily being used to catch criminals or increase security inside the theme parks.


After all, if Disney is not willing to voluntarily give up surveillance video to the police to help criminal investigations inside the parks, such as in the case of guest stroller thefts, then why exactly is Disney keeping close tabs on all kinds of people inside the parks?


It appears the real purpose for the cameras hidden inside the parks may be for enhanced marketing research, but in any case if you are one to value your family's privacy when going to a Disney theme park, then welcome to Disney's Surveillanceland: The Least Private Place on Earth!
  
  

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