Luggage storage at parks

[Alesia]

While that is probably true and it probably saves a lot of time/hassle, I just don't think it is wise to tell people NOT to use the official representatives. It would be a shame for someone to listen to a forum when there was actually a solution that no one knew about. Why not use both when both are available to you?

In theory, you're correct. The problem is that Disney's phone CMs are very poorly trained. You simply cannot trust anything they say. Should you be able to? Yes, you absolutely should. But you can't. You would not believe the nonsense that people have been told by CMs. I'm talking about the kind of things that could definitely ruin your trip.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if a phone CM told someone that they could store their luggage at the park. Can you imagine showing up at the park planning on storing your luggage only to find out that you can't?

The advice you gave should be good advice, but it really isn't. Unfortunately, if you haven't been around for a while, you have no way of knowing that.

The vast majority of posters here know much more about WDW than phone CMs do.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Is your school OK with chaperones traveling separately? Ours is not, unless the bus is full and an exception is made. If the school is cool with the travel arrangements, could you drop your luggage at the bus?

I am planning to go to Disney and Universal at the same time DD's band is there, but I'm not traveling with the band. This lets me see DD perform and check her out at the end of the trip, but I'm not bound to their schedule. I'm really looking forward to doing my own thing in the parks!

 

[GusGusTheMouse]

In theory, you're correct. The problem is that Disney's phone CMs are very poorly trained. You simply cannot trust anything they say. Should you be able to? Yes, you absolutely should. But you can't. You would not believe the nonsense that people have been told by CMs. I'm talking about the kind of things that could definitely ruin your trip.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if a phone CM told someone that they could store their luggage at the park. Can you imagine showing up at the park planning on storing your luggage only to find out that you can't?

The advice you gave should be good advice, but it really isn't. Unfortunately, if you haven't been around for a while, you have no way of knowing that.

The vast majority of posters here know much more about WDW than phone CMs do.

I don't want to start any arguments. But I have been going to Disney for 30 years now, so I have been around for quite sometime, and in that time I have been lucky enough to encounter some CMs who have been little angels, especially during difficult situations. So to say that they are usually wrong and not helpful, can deter people from reaching out to a CM when it could truly help. Are they 100% reliable? No, of course not! Can they be wrong, well anyone in customer service can be wrong!

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just think keeping someone's options open who was asking for advice is always the best route.

In this situation, yes your probably right, but in other situations, the CMs might just be the person that can change a situation. You never know, so why not just see what happens?

 

[mesaboy2]

I have always known phone CMs to be extremely helpful. How much they know about the specifics of park operations is another question entirely.

 

[tjmw2727]

I don't want to start any arguments. But I have been going to Disney for 30 years now, so I have been around for quite sometime, and in that time I have been lucky enough to encounter some CMs who have been little angels, especially during difficult situations. So to say that they are usually wrong and not helpful, can deter people from reaching out to a CM when it could truly help. Are they 100% reliable? No, of course not! Can they be wrong, well anyone in customer service can be wrong!

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just think keeping someone's options open who was asking for advice is always the best route.

In this situation, yes your probably right, but in other situations, the CMs might just be the person that can change a situation. You never know, so why not just see what happens?

Most of us have also had amazing CM experiences (especially in park) but "in general" there is a good possibility that a phone CM has never stepped foot in a park - or in Florida for that matter. They are trained in their field so a resort CM would have no idea if there are lockers at the parks and the info in a binder at their disposal could be outdated or just wrong. Personally I trust this site more than a phone CM for most information but I don't "blame" the CM I blame Disney for this.

Just take a look at the family board discussion about the new digital rider swap for example, guests have used email/phone/and chat options to try and clarify the new program and the CM's are not consistent! One screenshot shows the CM contradicting themselves several times in one conversation.

 

[aggiedog]

The band director is ok with it. I actually like chaperoning, and this would be the first trip in 6 years that I didn't chaperone if I don't fly. The kids are fun, and dd wants me to go. I pressed her on it, since if she really didn't care then problem solved.

 

[Shanti]

I don't want to start any arguments. But I have been going to Disney for 30 years now, so I have been around for quite sometime, and in that time I have been lucky enough to encounter some CMs who have been little angels, especially during difficult situations. So to say that they are usually wrong and not helpful, can deter people from reaching out to a CM when it could truly help. Are they 100% reliable? No, of course not! Can they be wrong, well anyone in customer service can be wrong!

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just think keeping someone's options open who was asking for advice is always the best route.

In this situation, yes your probably right, but in other situations, the CMs might just be the person that can change a situation. You never know, so why not just see what happens?

We're not talking about park CMs. We're talking about phone CMs, who are not actually at Disney World. Many of them have never been to WDW and therefore know nothing about it except how to book a trip.

 

[PanamaMike]

I see the OP has solved her luggage problem but I did find something in Birnbaum's 2018 Walt Disney World Official Guide.

In the Fingertip Reference section under "Lockers" it indicates the location of the lockers at each park as well as at the TTC.

It then goes on to state that "Items too big to fit can be checked with the locker attendant at the MK, at Package Pickup at Epcot, and at Guest Relations at DHS & AK".

Obviously a suitcase would fall under "items too big to fit".

 

[Shanti]

I see the OP has solved her luggage problem but I did find something in Birnbaum's 2018 Walt Disney World Official Guide...It then goes on to state that "Items too big to fit can be checked with the locker attendant at the MK, at Package Pickup at Epcot, and at Guest Relations at DHS & AK"...Obviously a suitcase would fall under "items too big to fit".

That doesn't mean they'd actually be willing to store people's luggage for them.

 

[crazy Cat Lady]

Now to decide if I want to spend the money for what would just be 2 more days. Since two days costs just a little more than one day, might as well stay 2. Which means dh and ds might want to come, which means more money. Anyone have a solution to that? LOL

Sure do! Go for 3 days and don't tell the boys! ;-)

 

[Alesia]

I see the OP has solved her luggage problem but I did find something in Birnbaum's 2018 Walt Disney World Official Guide.

In the Fingertip Reference section under "Lockers" it indicates the location of the lockers at each park as well as at the TTC.

It then goes on to state that "Items too big to fit can be checked with the locker attendant at the MK, at Package Pickup at Epcot, and at Guest Relations at DHS & AK".

Obviously a suitcase would fall under "items too big to fit".

Do they even have locker attendants anymore? I thought that they were all self-service now.

 

[MarkinMA]

It is also possible to ship you luggage directly to the hotel via UPS or FedEx or another commercial carrier. I did this once when I was planning on renting a two seat sports car and knew there would be no room for the bags in the car from the airport. Just have to be ready a couple days ahead and drop it off with UPS. Give it a quick google and loads of info.

 

[JennyDrake]

Now that you have it resolved, I can tell you from personal experience last year that there is NO luggage storage outside of the park (as in near the park entrance.) You used to be able to store anything smaller than a goat at the HUGE lockers at Epcot near the bus stops, DHS had similar ones as well. After 9/11 the use of those lockers was discontinued. After having a similar quandary, I happened upon WDW security management outside DHS and asked.

 

[AngiTN]

Now that you have it resolved, I can tell you from personal experience last year that there is NO luggage storage outside of the park (as in near the park entrance.) You used to be able to store anything smaller than a goat at the HUGE lockers at Epcot near the bus stops, DHS had similar ones as well. After 9/11 the use of those lockers was discontinued. After having a similar quandary, I happened upon WDW security management outside DHS and asked.

This in incorrect. The ones at Epcot are most certainly still there. As are the ones at HS though many are broken. I looked at them yesterday. And we used them at Epcot as recent at 4 weeks ago and we've used them every trip for years. It's our tradition to go to Epcot on our last day and we never take ME, we leave from the park. So if security at the park told you this, this is a prime example of bad information coming from employees. This time at the park.

 

[AngiTN]

Do they even have locker attendants anymore? I thought that they were all self-service now.

Nope. Not to mention who wants to go through bag check with a suit case?

 

[JennyDrake]

This in incorrect. The ones at Epcot are most certainly still there. As are the ones at HS though many are broken. I looked at them yesterday. And we used them at Epcot as recent at 4 weeks ago and we've used them every trip for years. It's our tradition to go to Epcot on our last day and we never take ME, we leave from the park. So if security at the park told you this, this is a prime example of bad information coming from employees. This time at the park.

The security guy was at DHS who told me this--maybe only applies there and I falsely assumed it was everywhere?

I never meant the Epcot ones were GONE-- only that they couldn't be used. Last summer the second week of June I was not able to use them (epcot). At all. Maybe a fluke? A CM bus driver told me they had been taken out of use. Again, misinfo I guess???

 

[aggiedog]

At the very least, all of this "yes there is...no there isn't" is a good reason to stick with sending the luggage with dd. I certainly do not want to end up at a park with suitcase in tow.

 

[AngiTN]

The security guy was at DHS who told me this--maybe only applies there and I falsely assumed it was everywhere?

I never meant the Epcot ones were GONE-- only that they couldn't be used. Last summer the second week of June I was not able to use them (epcot). At all. Maybe a fluke? A CM bus driver told me they had been taken out of use. Again, misinfo I guess???

No in both cases he was just wrong and or misinformed. He gave you bad info then. You could have used them in June. We did last year
They have never been taken out and they have never not been able to be used.
They were there and useable last June, at both HS and Epcot and they are there and useable today.
They have always been there and useable. They were never removed or unusable following 9-11
I venture to guess it may have been discussed to remove them but they never did. These are the coin operated lockers by the way, to make sure everyone is clear