I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World for the better part of 25 years, and I really thought I had seen it all — ridden every ride, seen every show, stayed at every resort. But during a recent trip, I discovered an area of the World that I had never been to before. The Lost and Found.
Flash back to a few weeks ago. It was a lovely spring morning in Orlando, and I was so happy to be starting Day 3 of a non-working, get-away weekend at Walt Disney World with my husband.
“Uh oh.” I heard him say, as he was looking through his wallet. “I think I lost my credit card.”
Ugh. I think we all know that sinking feeling, right? After taking a few minutes to mentally retrace his steps, he determined he must have left it the previous evening at the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge, where we’d had a drink before going inside the restaurant for dinner.
I looked at the time — not even 9 a.m. I didn’t think anyone would be at the restaurant yet, but thought it might be worth trying to call over there. I knew that lost items would eventually be sent to the central Lost and Found location, but because each of the parks has its own Lost and Found at Guest Relations, I hoped that maybe they still had the card there. There was no answer when we called the restaurant’s direct line, so we headed over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Once there, we split up — my husband went to the restaurant while I waited in line at Guest Relations. After a few minutes, he rejoined me, empty-handed. When I got to the front of the line a cast member told me we were too late — all lost items had already been sent on to Central Lost and Found. In fact, they were probably sent after park closing the night before. She gave me their card and told me to call them some time after 1 p.m.
Which of course we did. At the stroke of 1 o’clock my husband called and gave his info to the cast member. After a few tense moments while the cast member looked around, I saw a smile spread over my husband’s face. The wayward card had been found! The cast member told my husband to come over no later than 7 p.m. that night to retrieve the card at the Central Lost and Found location at the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Secure in the knowledge that our credit card was secure, we were able to enjoy the rest of the day, soaking up the sunshine and the glorious Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. By the time 5 o’clock rolled around, my husband was anxious to pick up his card.
“I’ll go, you don’t have to come,” he told me. That’s when I realized I had no idea where he was going beyond “over to the TTC.” “Are you kidding?” I replied. “In the name of Research, I MUST see the Lost and Found center!”
We took the monorail over to the TTC, but weren’t sure exactly where to go from there. If there was a sign, we didn’t see it, and the card we had said only “on the east side” of the TTC. Which way was east?
We walked toward the trams to the parking lots and looked right, then left.
Aha! Over to the left, my husband spied a sign.
We followed the arrow, and a short distance ahead of us we saw it — Central Lost and Found.
It’s a quiet location, as you might guess — not a lot of activity over there, and there also didn’t seem to be an overabundance of staff. There was a family ahead of us, hoping against hope to find their teenage son’s prescription sunglasses that he’d left… well, somewhere. No luck, but they filled out a form hopefully so that they could be contacted if the glasses turned up.
As they left, my husband told the cast member that he was there to claim his credit card and that he’d been told it was in Vault 24. The cast member disappeared to locate the mysterious “vault,” which gave me the chance to look around the room.
Very utilitarian, but with cute Disney touches and a spacious, if not plush, waiting area.
Finally, the cast member returned, had my husband show his ID and then sign for the reclaimed article.
So our story had a very happy ending, and I got to explore a previously unknown corner of Walt Disney World, making my knowledge of the Most Magical Place on Earth more nearly complete.
If you discover that you’ve lost something while vacationing in Walt Disney World, here are a few tips.
— Try to pinpoint where you lost the item, as best you can. Also try to recall when you last saw the item, or when you think you may have lost it.
— If you need to file a lost article form, provide as much detail about the item that you can. There are hundreds caps, cameras and pairs of sunglasses lost each week in the World — the more detail you can provide the better able Lost and Found cast will be able to pair you with your recovered item.
— Call before you decide to make the trip over to Central Lost and Found, to save yourself a wasted journey. Items lost in the parks the previous day are generally delivered to Lost and Found by 1 p.m.
In general, these are Disney’s policies on retaining lost items:
Every Walt Disney World theme park and water park has a lost and found in its Guest Relations office. Most items are kept there for a day.
If you realize later that you’ve lost something, you’ll need to contact Central Lost and Found at 407-824-4245. As I said above, Central Lost and Found is physically located at the Transportation and Ticket Center and is open seven days a week, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. They can also be reached by mail if you need to contact them once you get home at PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000. Lost and Found keeps valuable items (wallets, purses, credit cards, prescription glasses and cameras) for 90 days. Items of lesser value (sunglasses, hats, toys and clothes) are only held for 30 days.
If you lost an item at a Disney Resort Hotel, it will be turned in to the hotel’s Lobby Concierge.
If you’ve lost something on a Walt Disney World Bus, it will be turned in to the nearest Guest Relations location at a theme park and then delivered to the Lost and Found at the Transportation and Ticket Center within 24 hours.
If you lost something on the Monorails or Magic Kingdom Watercraft, it will be kept on board until the end of the day and then turned in to Lost and Found at the Transportation & Ticket Center.
If you lost something at Disney Springs, it will be turned in to Guest Relations at the Welcome Center in Town Center. After three days, it will be delivered to Lost and Found at the Transportation & Ticket Center.
If you lost something at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex it will be turned in to, and will be kept at, Guest Services there.
And if you lost something on Disney’s Magical Express, and it’s been lost for less than 30 minutes, contact 866-599-0951. If the item has been lost for more than 30 minutes, you’ll have to contact Mears Transportation Group at 407-423-5566.
Let’s hope you never have to pay a visit to Central Lost and Found, but, life being what it is, you just may have to some day. No one really WANTS to go there (except someone like me!), but it’s nice to know that it IS there if you need it, it’s easy to get to, and is very efficiently run.
Information no longer current. Located at Springs now. Disney encourages use of on line form.
My husband left his prescription eyeglasses at Wilderness Lodge counter at checkin. Ten minutes after doing so, he called the Disney main phone number and asked to be connected to the lodge’s front desk. He was told if he lost an item, it would go to Lost & Found. He repeated he wanted to speak to the Wilderness Lodge. After being connected, the cast member at the Wilderness Lodge couldn’t seem to understand the item was lost 10 minutes ago and kept saying to fill out an online report. ” When my husband asked if they could check with the cast member who checked us in, we were told he had left the property. Remember – this was 10 minutes. My husband knew exactly where they were left, but kept hearing the process needed to be followed and he should complete the online form. Subsequent follow-ups were met with “there is a process.” We were also told ALL items lost at a resort go to Housekeeping, not concierge.
Hi Deb: I just returned from a week’s stay and had to make a first-time visit to the Lost and Found for my son’s special ball cap -a gift from his grandfather. I had read your blog on the L&F before and it tickled me that I was heading to see this obscure little outpost personally. I am enchanted by little out-of-the-way places on property and this one certainly had its appeal despite there being virtually no theming inside apart from the unique Detective Mickey wall decoration. Even the hilariously empty display case pictured in your blog has been removed (and maybe even the benches!). Anyway, they had found the hat and we were overjoyed.
We thanked and chatted with the attending cast member who seemed very pleased to have made a match. We practically danced through what was a desolate Ticket and Trans. Center that time of day and boarded the ferry back to MK. What an odd and happy little highlight for our trip!
DEBK writes: Sorry you had to pay a visit to the Lost and Found, but so glad it had a happy outcome! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Isn’t it fun when you have the opportunity to see an area of the park that feels “behind the scenes?” I’m so glad your story had a happy ending!
DEBK replies: Me too! Thanks so much!
My sister and I were there last August and decided the building used to be the pet kennel. There were some doggy things painted on the walls, and it smelled just a bit doggy. We never asked or investigated to confirm the suspicion. About 12 years ago we retrieved something at the lost & found building located near Fort Wilderness (cast member directed us there though we were staying far from there at the Boardwalk Inn). We decided they must’ve moved it from there to the old kennel at the TCC to have it be more “central.” Anyway, my four sisters and two brothers and I always lose something at WDW. It’s a thing, and I must say we have always found our lost items one way or another, but a few times at that central lost & found. It’s magical. Something not so magical, though, is the early hours. It closes hours before some of the parks!
Years ago now, we had just completed our first character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare and headed over to the Magic Kingdom with our daughter. As I reached back to help my husband get the stroller off the monorail, my camera popped out of my pocket and wouldn’t you know, fell right between the monorail and the platform. I tried to save it but, eventually heard the thud of it hitting the protective trough under the monorail system. I went right to the crew on the platform and informed them. They wouldn’t be able to retrieve it until the system was shut down for the night. Even after filing my info with Central Lost and Found, my camera was never recovered. I knew the camera was destroyed but, I had hoped to get my memory card back. Sadly, I have no pictures from the character breakfast but, at least we have the memories!
Our Lost & Found story was not that simple. We left our camera by the pool at our resort. When we called the resort lost and found, they wanted “proof” that it was ours, because someone else had called and already claimed our camera.
After a whole day of going back and forth, I was able to produce the serial number and even then the resort manager had to get involved to get us our camera back.
Call right away when you lose something, because once they decide it belongs to someone else, getting your item can be a real hassle.
Interesting article! Do you know what happens to lost items after 30 days?
DebK replies: Good question! I don’t know, I have to find out. Thanks for writing.
Many years ago, we inadvertently left my son’s autograph book in the pocket of a rental stroller at the Magic Kingdom, late one night when the park was closing. Not familiar with the Central Lost and Found, the next morning I went to Guest Relations at the Magic Kingdom first. They explained that they routinely clear the strollers out after return, and send all items of value to the Central Lost and Found. I took the Monorail ride to the TTC, and located the Lost and Found area. Once inside, I was given access to a bin of autograph books, and wouldn’t you know it– there it was! Just another example of all the work that goes on after hours, as we’re all resting up from a long day at WDW!