Pickpockets in Disney Village: My iPhone was stolen

Forewarned is forearmed… Right in the middle of the Disney magic, my iPhone was stolen in Disney Village. It completely ruined the moment. I’d like to share what happened, what we did afterwards, and hopefully help you avoid the same experience.

Inside the Disney Store in Disney Village

I had just paid with my phone in the Disney Store. It was busy, the kids were exhausted after a full day at the parks, and, as you can imagine, they were getting a little grumpy. I quickly slipped my phone into my coat pocket so I could leave the store and avoid blocking other guests at the checkout.

Once outside, I walked about 5 to 10 metres away from the entrance so I could properly put my phone back into my bag. I reached into my pocket…

It was gone.

How Pickpockets Work

What happens next? The pickpockets know exactly what they’re doing. The first thing most people experience is doubt. Did I really put it in my pocket? Did I leave it in the shop? Maybe it’s somewhere else?

Those few moments of hesitation give the thieves enough time to switch off the phone and disappear. They often work in groups. One person identifies an easy target, another steals the phone, and it’s immediately passed on to someone else. That makes it almost impossible to identify who actually took it.

I immediately went back into the Disney Store, although deep down I already knew my phone had been stolen. The staff were incredibly kind. The store manager helped me report the phone through Disney’s online Lost & Found system, even though we both knew it was unlikely to turn up there.

He also directed us to the nearest police station. The store manager explained that, unfortunately, French police often do very little with stolen phones because they are considered the owner’s responsibility. Even so, I wanted to report the theft, especially for my travel insurance.

So off we went to the police station.

Reporting the Theft at the Police Station

Fortunately, the police station was only a short walk away. The Disney Store manager assured me they would speak good English.

Well… they didn’t.

The station was cold, dark and rather intimidating. I found myself sitting in a waiting room surrounded by people speaking French. As a Dutch visitor who doesn’t speak French, I felt completely out of place.

My husband stayed in the car with our children, who had all fallen asleep after such a long day. I had borrowed his phone to use Google Translate, but despite our efforts, the officers still didn’t really understand what had happened.

It wasn’t until I simply said:

“Pickpocket. Pickpocket. iPhone. Disney Village.”

that everything suddenly changed.

Another officer overheard me, ran downstairs and pulled eight or ten iPhones out of his jacket pocket. He asked,

“Which one? This one? iPhone 14? 16?”

As it turned out, he had been working undercover in Disney Village and had just arrested several pickpockets. Unfortunately, my phone wasn’t among the recovered devices. After a long report at the police station, I eventually left with a paper police report and… a fax number. Apparently, email wasn’t an option.

They also asked for my iPhone’s IMEI number, but of course I didn’t know it by heart. After everything that had happened that day, I was simply too exhausted to think clearly.

My iPhone Was Stolen… What Now?

Yes, I know. I had been incredibly careful all day. My phone and wallet had been stored safely inside a crossbody bag underneath my coat. Nobody could have reached them.

Except for that one brief moment.

That’s all it took.

Using Find My iPhone

The last location shown in Find My iPhone was a train station one stop away from Disneyland Paris.

After that…

Barcelona.

Needless to say, I’m never getting that phone back. Thankfully, I had everything backed up in iCloud, so I didn’t lose my contacts or other important information. The biggest loss was an entire day’s worth of Disney photos that can never be replaced. It definitely left a sour taste and took away some of the magic from our trip.

Beware of Suspicious Text Messages

Remotely Erase Your iPhone

If your iPhone has been stolen, there are a few important things you should do immediately:

• Remotely erase your iPhone. As soon as it connects to the internet, all your personal data will be erased, protecting your photos, apps and sensitive information. According to my bank (ABN AMRO), this also disables Apple Pay.
• Do not remove the device from your Apple ID. If you remove it, you can no longer track it. Thanks to Apple’s Activation Lock, the thief still won’t be able to use the phone properly.

Tips to Prevent Pickpocketing

After this experience, I strongly recommend the following:

• Use a crossbody bag or an inside pocket that is difficult to access.
• Stay extra alert in crowded shops, queues and busy walkways.
• Carry as few valuables as possible.
• Enable Find My iPhone and make regular iCloud backups.
• Check whether your travel insurance covers theft. Thankfully, my continuous travel insurance reimbursed the current value of my phone.

Final Thoughts

I’m sharing this story mainly as a warning.

Of course, there are far worse things that can happen while travelling, but having your phone stolen creates an enormous amount of stress. You suddenly have to contact your bank, disable Apple Pay, secure all your accounts and make sure nobody gains access to your personal information.

If you’re travelling, I highly recommend saving your iPhone’s IMEI number somewhere safe before you leave. Send it to your partner or save it somewhere you can still access if your phone disappears. Also make sure you have another way to receive two-factor authentication codes if your phone is ever stolen.

That preparation can save you a lot of panic.

Yes, it was stressful, and yes, it was upsetting. But it also reminded us how quickly something like this can happen. I consider myself very careful, and it still happened to me. I hope my experience helps you protect your belongings so you can simply enjoy the Disney magic without extra worries.

Anywhere with large numbers of tourists attracts pickpockets, so always stay alert. And remember: there are far more good people than bad.

Normally, I only write about the Efteling in English. However, I’ve noticed that many people are searching for information about this topic, and I’d rather make sure everyone has access to it. I hope this article helps you avoid the same experience.

Images used in this article are AI-generated. The story, unfortunately, is completely true.

You can find the original blog here, translated by AI.