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Lost Something at Disney World? Here’s Where Your Belongings End Up
It’s not uncommon to misplace or ultimately lose items while you’re on vacation. After all, you’re in a different place, and depending on the location to which you’ve traveled, you might be completely unfamiliar with many things about the destination. It happens for guests at Walt Disney World too.
While many who regularly visit the four Central Florida Disney theme parks will tell you that they often return home with far more than they originally left with (thank you, Disney marketing, merch, and souvenirs), it’s just as common for guests to lose items–especially in the parks–while on their dream Disney vacation.
But if you’ll pardon us for saying so, one guest’s misfortune can end up being another guest’s dream come true. That isn’t to say that we’re celebrating the fact that you, like 758,934 other guests last year, have misplaced your brand-new Ray-Ban sunglasses during your day at Magic Kingdom, but let’s just say that thanks to a shop tucked away just north of Orlando, Florida, beloved items lost by other guests in the parks could end up going back home with you–and at a great price.
Losing Your Stuff (and Your Mind) at Disney World
Not every incidence of misplacing an item is the result of irresponsibility, especially when we’re talking about losing items–both valuable and incidental–at Disney World.
If you’ve ever been to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom on your family vacation, you know that things can become extremely fast-paced and busy, making it easy to misplace something and not notice it’s missing until several minutes–or several hours–have passed.
It’s As Easy As “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” to Lose Things at Disney
Guests are often in a race to see the next show, arrive at an attraction at the designated Lightning Lane time, or fit in as many rides as possible during that one day at a favorite Disney World theme park. (It’s understandable, especially since Disney World ticket prices keep soaring!)
All of these scenarios make it nearly effortless to lose your stuff and your mind while you’re supposed to be enjoying the carefree childhood nostalgia generated by all things Disney at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
I know, I know . . . for those who’ve had that experience, just the remembrance of the pandemonium that ensued when you realized you’d lost your brand-new iPhone (insert model number here) Pro somewhere along World Showcase at EPCOT, dropped it somewhere in the savanna at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or left it in the seat of the ride vehicle at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is enough to restart the panic all over again.
And wish on as many stars as you want, but there’s a high probability that the iPhone 15 Pro Max that you dropped in the Doom Buggy tracks at the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom won’t materialize after you disembark–or even after you report them missing to a cast member in the park.
“Retracing Your Steps” at Disney World: Ha!
It’s one thing to know the exact location where you dropped something of value to you at the parks, but what happens when you simply cannot find something that you know had with you when you entered the park that morning?
It’s perhaps one of the all-time most-used “Mom-isms” on Earth, and though Mom means well when she says it, just the utterance of the phrase can garner a glare from the person to whom it’s said: “Just retrace your steps.”
It’s a phrase you’ve likely heard several times in your life, and–worse yet–you’ve likely said it to your own kids. Though I didn’t like hearing the directive when I was growing up, I must admit two things–that it makes sense and that I’m guilty of having uttered the very same directive to my four kids–and to my husband as well!
But “retracing your steps” at Magic Kingdom in an effort to find an item you swore you had in your hands only moments earlier is often a fool’s errand. Why?
Because the parks are ginormous. In fact, Disney World is roughly the size of the city of San Francisco in terms of acreage. Add to that the fact that “retracing your steps” would likely entail fighting your way through crowds of happy guests who are also trying their best not to lose their stuff, their kids, and their minds, and you’ve got the makings for a far less-than-magical experience, indeed.
Lost & Found at Disney World
The magic of Disney is everywhere at the Central Florida Disney parks–at the four theme parks, at both of Disney World’s water parks, at Disney Springs, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and at Disney World resort hotels. As such, when a guest loses an item at any of these locations within the resort, Disney World has a system in place to help guests and their items enjoy a magical reunion–but it’s not a guarantee.
Disney World uses a third party called Chargerback to help track down lost items and return them to their owners. If you lose something while in the parks, you can follow a few simple steps to attempt to get the item back into your possession, should it be found by someone else.
How To Begin the Search for Your Lost Item at Disney World
First, visit the Chargerback website to answer a few questions pertaining to your lost item. You’ll be able to describe the item that was lost, note the last place you remember having the item in your possession, and select the Disney World location at which you lost the item. You’ll also be able to give details about the item to distinguish it from similar items.
After submitting your answers, check your email for a notification that your information was received. You’ll also receive a Lost Item claim number for tracking and verification. Disney World will begin to look for the item among things that are turned in to Lost & Found, and an update will be provided to you within 48 hours.
Again, there’s no guarantee that your item will be found, but if it is located, Disney World notes a few things about the return of your item or items to you:
- Lost and Found items may be subject to shipping restrictions.
- Items larger than a 15 x 15 x 15 box or greater than 70 pounds are not eligible for shipping and must be picked up at a Walt Disney World Lost & Found location within 30 days of being found.
- There may be delays in shipping items, and shipping may be unavailable to some locations.
There are multiple Lost & Found locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort.
Here’s Where Some of Disney World’s Lost & Found Items Go
What Items Can Be Found at the Thrift Store?
At the thrift store, you’ll find items from Disney World’s Lost & Found that were never claimed or reported missing, but you can also find lots of Disney Parks merchandise without the prices you’d usually pay at Disney World.
Per Southern Living, “If you can imagine losing it, it might be at this thrift store,” so before your next visit to Disney World, you might even consider stopping in to buy things like Mickey ears, Mickey headbands, Disney Parks caps, hats, tumblers, and other items.
If you’re feeling lucky, you can stop in to see if something you lost in the parks is on display at the store, just waiting for someone to find it, buy it, and take it home. It’s worth noting, however, that the store usually only receives items from Disney World once every three to four months, and, as is the case with Disney’s Lost & Found system powered by Chargerback, there are no guarantees that you’ll find your lost iPhone 15 Pro Max at the Boys & Girls Clubs store in Winter Park.
Finding the Boys & Girls Club Thrift Store
Whether you’re looking to see if something you lost at Disney World made it to the store or looking for Disney merch that doesn’t come with the price tag of merch in the parks, you’ll find the Boys & Girls Club Thrift Store north of Orlando, on State Road 436. The address is 2054 FL-436, Suite 140, in Winter Park, Florida.
For more information about the thrift store, you can visit their Facebook page and learn more about how your purchases support operational expenses for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, which provides support to more than 12,000 children in the area.
This post Lost Something at Disney World? Here’s Where Your Belongings End Up appeared first on Disney Dining.
