Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
While Walt Disney World Resort is celebrated as the “Most Magical Place on Earth,” it’s not immune to the occasional real-world problem. Over the years, incidents at the park have ranged from safety scares to theft, highlighting the challenges of managing a destination that attracts millions annually.
One controversy involves a guest’s allegation of theft at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, one of the resort’s most popular high-end Deluxe Resorts known for its breathtaking savanna views (not to mention some of the best food on Disney property).
Credit: Disney
Theft Allegations at Animal Kingdom Lodge
According to Reddit user Salt_Willingness_414, their $5,000 purse was stolen from their hotel room during their stay. They reported the issue to the hotel staff but were allegedly met with indifference.
“I had to go in person as I’m still here for work and the lobby [tried] to gaslight me to file a lost and found claim that if anyone finds it at the parks,” the guest wrote. “I said it’s not lost in the parks, it never left my room. They didn’t care [and] gave me a little slip for lost and found lol.”
Credit: Disney
The guest claimed the theft occurred on the day their room was cleaned, stating, “I stayed 2 nights… the first night in late no maid the second day.. was the day of the cleaning and the third day I was out.. it’s very obvious who was the one cleaning the one day I had cleaning.” They also alleged that online reports suggest other guests have experienced similar thefts, including stolen passports.
“If nothing else, I don’t need my purse back but they should catch the thief so it doesn’t continue to happen. I narrowed it down to the exact day and time for them,” they added.
Previous Incidents of Theft at Disney World
This incident is not the first claim of theft at Disney World hotels. In August 2023, another guest accused Animal Kingdom Lodge housekeeping staff of stealing a Loungefly backpack and cash left in their room after checkout. The guest’s claims were bolstered by an account from a former Disney “Mousekeeper” who reportedly boasted about taking valuables left behind by guests.
Credit: Disney
Other reports have included car break-ins at Disney hotels and an undercover sting operation involving Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. That operation, conducted with Orange County Police, led to the arrest of two housekeeping cast members accused of stealing from guests after multiple theft complaints.
Meanwhile, a man was arrested in December 2025 in connection with fraudulent checks made with a Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas guest’s stolen checkbook. The man in question worked on the property – albeit not as a cast member, but for Town Park, a third-party company responsible for certain guest services.
While Disney World remains one of the safest vacation destinations, these incidents underscore the importance of vigilance. Guests are encouraged to secure valuables in in-room safes and report any suspicious activity immediately. For those who have experienced theft, sharing these accounts may help bring attention to potential issues and prompt better security measures.
Have you ever experienced or witnessed theft at a Disney resort?
You can and should report it to the Orlando Sheriff’s Department, they will not dismiss your report like Disney, and they have jurisdiction in Disney.
In 2016 I stayed at Pop Century and on my last day I was waiting for the Magical Express. In my rush I left my cellphone by the sinks in the restroom in the main building. As I dashed back in I nearly bumped into a woman in a white Disney World sweatshirt and she had a mop of unruly red hair. She was the only other person in the restroom apart from me. My phone was gone and I went to the desk expecting to find the phone handed in as this woman knew it was mine. Nothing. I asked the cast member to call the number of my phone as I wasn’t going to just confront the woman only for her to deny it. The cast member refused despite my begging her to. I couldn’t use the payphone as I would not have been present when my phone rang. I had so many photos on it and that was what upset me most, the phone could be replaced but those photos couldn’t.
My bus had turned up by then and the driver gave me five minutes to try and sort it out. I realized that thieving woman was going to keep my phone so I walked past all I could do was give her a dirty look as she knew exactly what she had done.
Disney prefers to protect the criminals rather than embarrass them by showing they have stolen someone else’s property.