My Lost and Found Experience

I’ve been a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder for almost ten years. That doesn’t mean that I’ve experienced it all! When something new happens that I think you might find useful, I will share it with you. On my recent trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I had a first, I lost something that I wanted back. I had never lost anything before, at least not anything important.

When I arrived at the park, it was getting ready to storm. I was pretty sure that I could make it to the front entrance. As I hurried away from my car, I realized that I was wrong, so I pulled my poncho out of my backpack. I struggled to get it on because of the wind. As I approached the entrance, I realized that I was no longer wearing my MagicBand.

It wasn’t just any MagicBand that I lost. It was a Special Edition one that they gave to us at the media event for the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. That day holds a special place in my heart, because it was right before the world turned upside down. I saw friends that day who I haven’t seen since. It was also right before I flew to Massachusetts to spend a few days with my parents and celebrate their birthdays. I haven’t seen them since either. I was heartbroken to think that I would never see that special MagicBand again.

I backtracked as much as I could, but I didn’t find it. The sky opened up, and since I was still in the parking lot I decided to just wait out the rain in my car. I would look for the MagicBand after the rain stopped. Once I got out of the car again, I searched up and down the rows. It was gone.

When you lose an item, if you are in a park you can report it at Guest Relations. That was my first stop. I put the email address associated with my My Disney Experience Account into a tablet, and then I described what I had lost. The Cast Member gave me a new ticket so I could come and go if I needed to. That wasn’t really necessary, because I did have another MagicBand, but it was still good to have.

I resigned myself to the fact that I would never see my MagicBand again, so decided to try to salvage my mood. About an hour later I was in line for Smugglers Run, and I checked my email on my phone. There was a message from Lost and Found Reporting, someone had turned in my MagicBand! (God bless you, whoever it was.) There were three options; “Return To Me”, “Hold for pick up”, and “Do not return”. Since I was still in the park I chose “Hold for pick up”. That took me to the site Chargerback, and I was given instructions on picking it up. I then received another email from Lost and Found Reporting, telling me that it would be at Studios for that day only, and then it would be at Disney Springs for seven days.

As soon as I was off the ride I went back to Guest Relations. A Cast Member got my MagicBand for me from the back. It was sealed in a zipper bag, and the Cast Member never touched it. She emptied the bag onto a counter, and then asked me to pick up the band and the paper that was inside. I needed to print my name and sign that I had my item back. After that, I was able to go about my day, which I did.

If you lose an item at Walt Disney World, Guest Relations should be your first stop. If that isn’t possible, all is not lost (pun intended). Head to disneyworld.com/lostandfound and follow the links, or skip that and go directly to Chargerback. Don’t give up hope, because I’ve heard of wallets, pins, bags, and other things that you would never think would be turned in being returned. Don’t underestimate the kindness of others. There are plenty of honest people out there.