What To Do When You LOSE Something in Disney World

Picture this: you’ve spent the morning having an amazing day in Disney World. You got all the Genie+ selections you’ve wanted, you’ve been rushing from ride to ride, and you even stopped along the way to grab an epic snack. As you head to your next destination, you look down and suddenly realize…you lost your wallet (ears, purse, insert word here). 😦

Your heart drops into your stomach and the panic starts to set in. Where did you last see your item? What time of day was it? What does it even LOOK like?! Things get lost in Disney World every single day (including high-value items!). So what should you do if you lose something in the Most Magical Place on Earth? We’ve got your step-by-step guide right HERE!

Step 1: Do NOT panic

We know. Losing something (especially something important to you) was NOT part of your Disney World plan. It can be really easy to totally freak out as soon as you realize it’s gone.

It might seem nearly impossible to do at the time but try (as best as you can) to stay calm. Panicking likely will NOT really help you find your item and instead will only make you way more stressed.

So move past the initial fear and get to work on hopefully getting that item back. Let’s take it one step at a time.

Step 2: Gather information

After calming your nerves, think about the last place you saw your item or the last time you saw your item. That can help you identify where you may have misplaced it. Identify as MANY details as possible — colors, what the item looks like, how big the item is, what park you were in, what land you were in, the place where you last remember seeing it, etc.

You could do a few things to jog your memory, like ask your travel party or retrace your steps. Look through your My Disney Experience app — did you place a mobile order at a certain time that can help you pinpoint the time you lost it?

Another big thing that can help are photos. If you were taking photos throughout the day, take a close look at them. Look to see if you spot the item in one picture and then don’t spot it in another picture. That could give you an idea of when (or even where) it might have been lost.

Step 3: Search for the item

After you’ve gathered all the info you can, head to the last place you remember seeing your item to check if it is there.

Step 4: Ask a Cast Member in the area

If you can’t find it, ask some of the Cast Members nearby if they’ve had any lost items turned in to them. Oftentimes, if a guest finds a lost item, it gets turned in to a Cast Member nearby.

Be sure to check with Cast Members at nearby rides, restaurants, and shops. There’s no telling where the item might have been turned in. It might seem natural just to check the shops, but you’ll want to check other kiosks, rides, and restaurants in the area too.

This can be more complicated if you think you left your item on Disney transportation, like a bus or Skyliner. For a bus, check to see if the bus is still at the stop (if you realize you lost your item quickly enough). For the Skyliner, check with Cast Members at the Skyliner stations. 

Step 5: Check the lost and found for the park/area as a whole

If a Cast Member in the land/area where you last saw your item doesn’t have it, then you’ll want to check the lost and found for the park/hotel as a whole. There are lost-and-found locations within all of the parks as well as within Disney Springs, Disney’s water parks, and Disney World’s resorts.

For example, at Magic Kingdom, Lost and Found is in City Hall. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find it right near the front of the park. At EPCOT, there is a Lost and Found location within Guest Relations at the front of the park. In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it is also located at Guest Relations near the entrance.

You can visit the Disney World website for a full listing of where each Lost and Found location is.

Or you can search “Lost and Found” in the My Disney Experience app. Hit “find on map” and you’ll be directed to a map of Disney World showing the lost and found locations. You can then zoom in to see where other Lost and Found locations are.

Generally, this is the process an item goes through when it is lost.

First, an item might be turned in to the Cast Members in the land (usually of a certain department – like merchandise or attractions).

Then, it goes from those Cast Members to the Lost and Found/Guest Services for the larger area (like the whole park). Note that if there are 2 Guest Services locations in the park, it could go to either one. You’ll want to check ALL of the Guest Services spots quickly.

As it gets later in the day, they take Lost and Found items to the big facility at Disney Springs. The longer you wait to check, the greater likelihood that the item will have been moved.

Step 6: Fill out the online form QUICKLY!

If you still can’t find your item, fill out the online form (powered through Chargerback).

You might be skeptical about the form actually giving you results, but it can work (take it from our team’s own experience of having lost several items in the park!).

Fill out the form with as much detail as you can about where you left your item and what it looks like.

If they find a lost item in the park, Guest Services Cast Members immediately look through the active forms for their location and try to match it to one of them. And when we say “immediately,” we mean it, they REALLY work hard on these things

There’s really no long wait for someone to check the forms as long as you file the report the same day you lose the item BEFORE it goes to the Disney Springs Lost and Found center.

Step 7: Check your email

Once you fill out the form, you should get an email with your lost item claim number. Disney’s website notes that they continue to look for your item and provide an update via email within 48 hours.

You’ll get periodic emails with updates, including potentially some just indicating that the item hasn’t been found yet but that the search is still ongoing.

Check your email constantly while you’re in the parks because if they find it, you might be able to go get your item quickly!

If your item is found

If your item is found, it’s time to REJOICE! 🎉  You should get an email indicating that it has been found and the celebration can commence.

You can generally opt for a few methods of return:

• Go and get it at the park before the park closes
• Get it from the Lost and Found center at Disney Springs
• Ship it home to you
• Abandon your item

One of our team members lost an item in the park and was able to go back to EPCOT on the same day to pick it up (after it was quickly found). They signed and filled out a form since it was a high-value item (more on that) and what was a stressful day ended up being easy peasy!

If your item is not found

Unfortunately, not all stories end in celebrations. Sometimes items can get lost and may not ever be found again. Someone may have taken it or it simply might have been lost in such a way that it cannot be recovered — definitely not an ideal scenario. 😔

But there might still be a little bit of hope to get some form of recovery, which leads us to our next point…

Other options – Keep that receipt!

Maybe your original item can’t be recovered, but if the item you lost was one you purchased while in Disney, there might be some hope!

In one instance (years ago), our very own Quincy got a souvenir cup at Be Our Guest Restaurant for breakfast. She later lost it and was in Hollywood Studios by the time she realized it. A Guest Services Cast Member was able to see that she had purchased the cup based on her MagicBand purchase history and told Quincy that she could just go get another cup!

Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for her since it was her last day in the parks (at the time) and she couldn’t get back to Magic Kingdom. But it serves as a good reminder of what could happen with Disney purchases.

Keep those receipts of any items you buy in the parks or see if the purchase can be tracked through your MagicBand! That may enable you to get the same item again if you happen to lose your original one. It’s not guaranteed that Cast Members will allow this in every case, but it could be an option depending on the situation.

Cast Members go above and beyond

This can obviously vary, but generally, we will say that our experience with lost items in Disney World has truly showcased how incredible Cast Members are.

In the case of Quincy’s lost cup from Be Our Guest Restaurant, the Cast Members even arranged for a Cast Member from the restaurant to get a cup over to another Cast Member who then drove it to Quincy’s hotel and gave it to someone at the front desk. She shared,  “It was absolutely amazing, some of the best customer service I’ve ever gotten.”

Quincy also shared that the Cast Members have been so kind when she’s shared items in the past. She noted, “I typically feel like they’re really bummed for me and understand the stress, and then celebrate with me when it’s found.” They’re there for the whole emotional rollercoaster in the best way!

Special note for high-value items

Just a quick note about high-value items. If you lose something like a purse, wallet, or another item that is particularly pricey, Disney generally has a form you’ll need to sign to get it back. So just be prepared to provide some information and sign that form!

A few tips

Before you head to Disney World, here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to your items and potentially losing them:

First, try to leave valuables in the room (and in the hotel room safe if they’re very expensive) so you don’t run the risk of losing them in the parks. If you do bring a really valuable item into the parks, take a picture of it at the start of the day so you know exactly what it looks like if it gets lost.

Second, consider using Apple AirTags for anything really valuable or just to track items like your purse, backpack, etc. If you’re not familiar with these, AirTags can help you keep track of and find your items using the Find My Friends Apple app. You can set up the AirTag, connect it to your account, and then place it with the item you want to track.

If you lose your item, you can then use the Find My Friends app to track it or even play a sound on the speaker to help you find it! You can drop the AirTag in your purse pocket, or even get cases for them that will enable you to place them in more spots.

A single AirTag costs $28.99, but that investment could be worth it if it means finding your purse or bag faster!

Click here to buy an AirTag!

Finally, you may want to stick to bags that you don’t have to take on and off often. For example, something like a fanny pack which could stay around your waist almost all day could limit how many times you remove it, and thus how many times it might be placed somewhere and left behind.

The fanny pack pictured above is $14.77 on Amazon, has over 38,000 ratings, and has 4.6 stars.

Click here to check it out!

And that’s our step-by-step guide to losing something in Disney World! What lost and found experiences have you had in Disney World? Share your experiences and tips in the comments.

For more tips on dealing with stressful travel situations, check out our post about tools that’ll save you trip planning stress, or click here to see our post about whether a Disney World trip has gotten TOO stressful.

Tell us about your lost and found experiences in Disney World!

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