Another family on Disney vacation gets car stolen at I-Drive resort lot

Orlando - A Mom from Syracuse, NY was really excited to bring her kids to Disney World, but on the second day of their vacation, their car rental was stolen from the resort lot.

"We had a day at Magic Kingdom and then our next supposed park day, we went out to the vehicle to get in to go to Epcot and the vehicle was no longer there," said Jennifer Janus.

It was an end to Janus’s magical family vacation at Disney.  

According to investigators, her GMC Yukon Denali which she rented from Avis, was stolen from the Floridays Resort lot, off I-Drive last week, inside was a stroller and other items. 

"It was like instant panic. What am I going to do? I have 2 three-year-olds. There’s no way they're walking for 5 more days while we’re here."

Jennifer used her Airtag attached to the stroller to ping the vehicle.  It was located at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa.

When she arrived, she said it was being towed away. "I ran after the car." She was able to get her belongings back, but not the rental car, as police seized it for the investigation. "I showed him the police report." 

She wondered how the thief stole her vehicle."I had the key with me the whole time, so they were able to open and steal it without any issues." 

She never thought this would happen, "We’ve gone to Florida, Disney many times since I was little."

She’s not the only victim. Another family from Georgia told us last week, that the truck that they own, was stolen from the Comfort Suites off Major Blvd.

Cassidy McClendon from Georgia says,"Woke up the next morning to head out to go to Disney and the truck was missing."

Jennifer hopes something is done to prevent more vehicle thefts. She said, "If this is happening that frequently, there’s obviously a bigger issue." 

Jennifer said nothing was missing from the vehicle. She said it was in good condition and thinks it was just used as a ride to get to Tampa. She plans to stay at a resort with a parking gate next time. A spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff's Office said they haven't seen an increase in car thefts in the tourist district.