Disney World’s Lost and Found Services – The Definitive Guide to Getting Your Stuff Back
You rummage in your purse. You pat your pockets. Then recheck your purse. A feeling of panic begins to wash over you as you realize your super adorable Stitch keychain is gone. (And with it, the keys to your car.)
What do you do when this moment occurs in Walt Disney World? Even at the Happiest Place on Earth, sometimes accidents (and misplaced items) happen. Losing something important can ruin your vacation if you don’t know about Disney World’s Lost and Found Services. Luckily, we have all the answers you need!
Does Disney Have a Lost and Found?
You’ll be glad to know Disney World has an extensive lost and found service on site. In fact, they have locations for lost and found items in pretty much every area of the property, including all resorts, theme parks, and even Disney Springs!
Disney World properties process hundreds of lost and found items from the parks and resorts every single day. According to Disney, they find at least 200 pairs of sunglasses daily! Thankfully, the company has a dedicated department to handle the influx of lost property – and that means you’ll have a good chance of getting your missing item returned to you!
How Long Does Disney Keep Lost and Found Items?
The length of time Disney’s lost and found will hang onto wayward items depends on what they are. Low-cost items like sunglasses, hats, toys, and clothing will be kept for 30 days. High-value items – including wallets, credit cards, cell phones, and prescription glasses – will stick around for 90 days.
While those timeframes might sound like you’ve got some leeway, it’s essential to reach out the moment you realize you’ve lost an item! Once enough time has passed, Disney will cycle out items to make room for more recently lost things. And at that point… you’ll probably have better luck just trying to find a replacement thingamabob.
What Does Disney Do with Lost and Found Items?
At Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, lost items are sent to the front of each park. In contrast, items found at resorts are sent to concierge services, and items at Disney Springs are sent to the Welcome Center in Town Center. If those items are not recovered by guests by the end of the day, they are cataloged and sent to the central Lost and Found Distribution Center at the Transportation and Ticket Center.
In an article from 2014 from WFTV9, guest relations director Keith Gossett outlined their system once items are collected from the parks. At that time, the department had about a dozen employees. Those employees categorized the items for easy identification.
“They are color-coded with dots which identify which park it was found in and that day. Also, we incorporate the date on the glasses, and then we sort them here and wait for the calls from our guests to locate them,” said Gossett.
Items not claimed within the appropriate time are often donated to charitable organizations in the Orlando area. It puts a new spin on the phrase “gone for good!”
Is anyone else suddenly getting Toy Story 3 feels?? Just me, huh?
How Do You Contact Disney World’s Lost and Found Services?
If you lose something on Disney property, there are a few avenues you can take to find the prodigal item!
If you lost an item on a ride, you should start by contacting one of the cast members from that ride. You may be able to recover the item right then and there, provided it’s not too hard to find! If you left something beneath your seat in Star Tours or in the seatback bag on one of the roller coasters, it should be easy to retrieve! You can also check with the Lost and Found Services at each Disney park – located near the entrances – to see if it’s being held there before you leave for the day.
However, if you realize an item is missing later or you aren’t able to recover it that day, Disney World has a dedicated system to help reunite you with your missing item. Disney uses Chargerback to help organize and locate lost items. Here’s how you use it!
- Via the online Disney lost and found form, you will answer a short series of questions about your missing item(s). Try to fill this out as thoroughly as possible! The more information you give, the more likely they’ll be able to find your property.
- Check your email! Disney will send a notification that they’ve received the report with a claim number.
- From there, you’ll have to wait a bit. (Honestly, that’s the hardest part.) Disney will provide an update via email within 48 hours. They’ll continue to send you updates throughout the process.
It’s that simple!
Here’s wishing you the best of luck in recovering any wayward items!!
Have you ever lost an item at Disney? Let us know if you were able to recover it!
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Photo: Unsplash
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