In 2023, California’s Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure brought in an attendance of around 27.25 million visitors. Across the U.S. in Florida, the combined attendance of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, amounted to 48.77 million visitors that same year. That’s over 76 million visitors to Disney parks in one year.
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This staggering number of customers means a lot of profits for Disney, but also a lot of items left behind. Between going on rides, meeting Disney characters and snapping pictures, it’s easy to misplace something. Every day, people leave behind sunglasses, jackets, smartphones and Mickey Mouse ears, which then go to the lost and found. But what happens to them after they end up there?
What To Do If You Lose an Item at a Disney Park
If you leave something behind, whether it is something you brought with you to one of the Disney parks or something you bought there, there are opportunities to get that item back.
First, you can answer a set of questions online to help the staff locate what you’ve lost, such as:
- Where you lost the item
- Type of item
- Date of loss
- Where it was last seen
- Helpful details
- Your contact information and address
You’ll then get a Lost Item claim number sent to your email. The Disney team will look for your item and email you an update within 48 hours.
When Disney employees find or receive lost items, they hold onto them for three months. However, a lot of merchandise and items go unclaimed, and you may be able to capitalize on the lost items of others.
Instead of discarding the lost and found items, Disney donates everything to local charities that may sell the items to raise money for their causes.
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How Disney Deals With Unclaimed Lost Items
Unclaimed items from Disney’s lost and found will go to a number of nonprofit organizations that operate thrift shops. These organizations then sell the items at a discounted rate to raise money. The items can range from a left-behind stroller to a newly purchased hat. You can follow specific thrift stores through their Facebook pages for regular updates on when you’ll be able to purchase the unclaimed items.
One of the places that sells the lost and found items is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. For example, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida Thrift Store listed Shuri’s gauntlets from the Black Panther franchise in a recent post. Unfortunately, these gauntlets were likely purchased from a Disney store and left behind by a Black Panther fan. Since no one claimed them, these fun, light-up gloves sell at the thrift store for $39.99. This is a much better deal than buying them at a Disney Park for $99.99.
In addition, the money raised by the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida Thrift Store goes to help thousands of children in the surrounding area, making purchasing your Disney goods from a thrift store a socially responsible move as well as a financially responsible one.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: You Can Score Steep Discounts on Lost & Found Items From Disney Parks — Here’s How
