Mishaps and misfortunes can strike at any time while on vacation, but at Walt Disney World, these events do not have to turn into DIS-asters with the help of outstanding Cast Members, intelligent infrastructure and a little bit of pixie dust. This week on the WDW Radio Blog, read about four such instances from members of our Blog Team.
Waiting while the Walt Disney “Lost and Found” retrieved our misplaced cell phone.
Have you ever lost something at Walt Disney World? It can be extremely stressful to lose something of value while you are on vacation. Panic and worry can set in over losing something precious like a treasured stuffed animal, or something more vital like a wallet, a car key, or a passport.
Fear not…as I have a story to tell you that will put your mind at ease.
Let me set the scene for what would become a magical (if not slightly harrowing) experience at the Walt Disney World Resort Lost and Found:
Several years ago, my sister and I, along with our gaggle of kids, were at the Walt Disney World Ticket and Transportation Center. We just parked our car on a bright, bluebird Florida day. We were loaded up with our strollers, backpacks, and all the accoutrements for a day in the parks with four kids under the age of four.
My sister is extremely efficient: no space goes wasted, and she is always on top of her belongings. We made our way quickly onto the tram and then on to the Monorail. We happily arrived at the Magic Kingdom, and made our way to the ticket booth. (These were the days before Magic Bands.)
She reached in her bag to get her park tickets and began the frantic back-and-forth that happens when something is not where it belongs. (My sister is the head of a Hospital Emergency Department – so order and rules are her bread-and-butter.)
She came up empty-handed. The wallet with the tickets (and her credit cards, cash, etc.) was simply not there.
Her purse was unzipped, and she noticed that the pocket where she normally stores her wallet was wide open. We gathered up our stuff and our hearts began to race.
We made our way immediately to Guest Services. In our stress we wondered:”Theft?” In her levelheadedness, she stated to the Cast Member: “I have misplaced my wallet and I need your help. I don’t want to rush to judgement, but it also could’ve been a theft.”
I watched in amazement as the Guest Services Cast Member systematically recounted with my sister: our time of arrival, point of entry into the parks, approximate time it took for us to move from the car to the tram to the Monorail, her name, address, and phone number. The Cast Member made NO rush to judgement. She worked with the team at the Ticket and Transportation Center to review that morning’s parking lot footage. The video was scanned and they found her wallet immediately.
WOWZA!
The wallet had slipped from her purse, out of the tram, and on to the parking lot.
How did we find this out?
The surveillance cameras in the parking lot caught it on tape. The eyes were watching, as we joked. We laughed that even as efficient as she normally is, the routine of kids and a tremendous amount of gear, can make even the most efficient person feel like a walking yard sale.
The Cast Members were able to look at from the time we arrived onsite to the time we got to the tram to see the exact moment when the wallet slipped out of her bag. It was still there, in the parking lot. A Transportation and Ticket Cast Member then brought wallet to the Magic Kingdom. Everything was in order and nothing had been removed.
We went on our merry way.
Thousands of items are misplaced everyday at Walt Disney World. Our experience has been that Cast Members are MORE than helpful in providing us with the resources needed to get our stuff back (or at least track it down to its last known whereabouts). While not everything is guaranteed to be found, [we have since misplaced sunglasses (found) cellphone and iPads (found) and Magic Bands (gone for good)] the staff will do their very best to help you relocate it.
Security cameras, staff and resources at the ready to help you.
Here’s the official word from Walt Disney World regarding lost items:
Locating a missing item depends on where the item might have been lost. Please explore the locations on our website here for details about Lost and Found policies.
If you lost an item at one of the parks and your item has been missing for at least 24 hours, then you may call Theme Parks Lost and Found at (407) 824-4245. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.
Visit the website here for more information.
Have you ever lost something at Walt Disney World? Did you get it back? We would love to hear from you.
(Photos from the author’s personal collection.)
To learn more about Kristin and read her recent posts for WDW Radio, visit her author page by clicking the link on her name at the top of this post.
