Pros & Cons of an Owner's Locker...

[anonymousegirl]

I love the list on the OL dashboard. When I am packing up, I note what needs to be replaced--such as expired OTC meds, or empty hair conditioner. Then I add to the list NEED-Advil, or NEED bandaids. When I am packing for my next trip, I refer to the list and buy what I need and then update the list to remove the entry. Since the list is alphabetical, I can find what I need to replace very easily.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Owners Lockers don't necessarily save money, but they save my sanity and lower my stress level. Knowing the toiletries and "What If's" and "Just in Case" helps me. Our kids are still young enough, and my DH overpacks more than any teenage girl, so I'm the master packer at this season of life, and having our creature comforts, booze, toiletries, and whatever else that is seasonal I don't want to forget already there is why I use it. YMMV. I figure the cost of OL is cheaper than the useless Mickey crap I've bought on a whim over the years. Now I don't buy the merch, just have totes delivered as my financial "mistakes."

 

[crazywig]

Owners Lockers don't necessarily save money, but they save my sanity and lower my stress level. Knowing the toiletries and "What If's" and "Just in Case" helps me. Our kids are still young enough, and my DH overpacks more than any teenage girl, so I'm the master packer at this season of life, and having our creature comforts, booze, toiletries, and whatever else that is seasonal I don't want to forget already there is why I use it. YMMV. I figure the cost of OL is cheaper than the useless Mickey crap I've bought on a whim over the years. Now I don't buy the merch, just have totes delivered as my financial "mistakes."

Same. I also have hard liquor in mine and also a folding soft side cooler that we use to bring our own beers to the pool. The one day pool bar tab would exceed the yearly cost of my locker easily.

But for us it's not about the money, it's about being able to pack carry ons only and sail through airports with my one bag and my tsa pre-check.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Owners Lockers don't necessarily save money, but they save my sanity and lower my stress level. Knowing the toiletries and "What If's" and "Just in Case" helps me. Our kids are still young enough, and my DH overpacks more than any teenage girl, so I'm the master packer at this season of life, and having our creature comforts, booze, toiletries, and whatever else that is seasonal I don't want to forget already there is why I use it. YMMV. I figure the cost of OL is cheaper than the useless Mickey crap I've bought on a whim over the years. Now I don't buy the merch, just have totes delivered as my financial "mistakes."

Yeah I'm the same way. It never even crossed my mind that it would save me money. Its a cost I pay for convenience, like a hundred other things I buy to make life a little easier. To me once you've got the basic needs of life covered, that's what money is for. To make life more fun or easier or more fulfilling for my family. That's why most of us on this board spend what many would consider obscene amounts of money on expensive travel and vacations.

There have been other owners locker threads with people doing detailed cost benefit analysis on something that is maybe 0.1% of the cost of a WDW vacation. Nothing wrong with that if it floats your boat, I'm definitely not wired like that though.

 

[MyDogTink]

@MyDogTink when I got my OL in January, I brought as many extra things in my luggage as possible, plus I shipped a boxful of stuff to the resort two weeks before my arrival. This worked really well, and our OL was fully stocked by the end of the January trip, and ready for use for our March trip.

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful advice. Even the suggestion of flying first class!

 

[Straulin]

Owner’s Locker first time use report:

So we took our first trip with owners locker last week. We arrived at our hotel early and went directly to the parks. When we finally got our room (very late … I had to go to the front desk at 8:00 p.m. to see what was up and there was some sort of glitch not alerting us the room was ready. It was apparently ready hours prior.) bell services brought it up with our luggage. I did alert them when I requested our bags that we had an owners locker.

We realized one was not going to be enough for all the stuff we would be leaving and ordered another late Wednesday evening (around 11:00 p.m.). The new locker arrived mid-day Thursday.

Both lockers came with a mix of the twist off and standard zip ties, the dividers, and the organizer box for small items.

When we packed, we had to be selective on a few things as they simply would not fit.

Once packed the bell services guy came to get everything ans we were going to the parks for a while before flying out. We discussed the owners lockers. He was very concerned on marking them as checking out or being transferred to another resort.

We came back around 3:45 and picked up our bags. I received emails saying my lockers were back in the warehouse later that day.

Thoughts and suggestions: prior to the trip I purchased 4 cheap toiletry bags online. I was very pleased with these. I used them to organize various things and may buy a couple more.

We had issues storing all we wanted due to the size of blankets and clothing. Our goal being to fly with just personal items (back pack each) and no additional luggage. Once I got home I bought a pack of vacuum seal bags to store these in next time to hopefully save room. They work with either a vacuum or just folding and pushing out the air. We will have to see how well they work when we go back in October.

FYI on what we stored:

Locker 1:
Toiletries for two adults, teen girl, tween boy.
OTC meds
First aid kit
Nail grooming kit
Hair brush
Two loungefly backpacks (filled with 4 ponchos)
Sun screen
Chargers
4 metal water bottles (24 oz I believe)
Laundry detergent pods

Locker 2
Twin air mattress (this took up over half of the locker)
Flip flops (2 pair)
Swim suits x 2
3 summer outfits each for my wife and myself (the kids didn’t want to leave anything so they will be packing their backpacks tight next time)
4 sets of mouse ears
Cooling towels
Roku
2 packs of playing cards
Dooney and Bourke purse
Sleepwear x 2
1 baseball cap

What we wanted to store but couldn’t fit:
2 blankets
1 memory foam pillow
Kids clothes (but they opted out anyways and didn’t want to leave anything.)

 

[Nursemanit]

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful advice. Even the suggestion of flying first class!

I was actually serious about that - I personally have found that rather than splurge points on a 1 br for myself or 2 people- I can get a studio and fly first class ( get treated like a human instead of cattle) and hire a car service. Makes the vacation more relaxing then adding a Kitchen and W/D - 2 things I am taking a vacation from.

 

[fitnessmouse]

How much do you tip bell services for bringing the locker?

 

[CarolynFH]

How much do you tip bell services for bringing the locker?

We usually tip $5 for the locker, plus $1-2 for each of our other bags, depending on how large they are (if just light weight carryon size, $1, if large checked bag, $2). And we usually round up to the next $5. We tip the same when they come to pick it up at checkout time or when transferring from one resort to another.

 

[Nursemanit]

How much do you tip bell services for bringing the locker?

$5 left on top on the locker for removing

$5 plus extra for delivery of it is raining/ outside building + whatever suitcases a few bucks each.

 

[Best Aunt]

Owner’s Locker first time use report:

Once packed the bell services guy came to get everything ans we were going to the parks for a while before flying out. We discussed the owners lockers. He was very concerned on marking them as checking out or being transferred to another resort.

The last time I used my locker, there was a name card in a plastic holder on one end. It said one thing when the locker arrived at the hotel. (Maybe my name and the name I gave the locker? I can't remember.) Upon leaving, I took the name card out, turned it over, and slid it back in the plastic holder, to indicate that the locker was supposed to go back to the warehouse. (I can't remember what it said on the other side, either, but it was clear that I was going home and the locker was going back to the warehouse.)

 

[CarolynFH]

The last time I used my locker, there was a name card in a plastic holder on one end. It said one thing when the locker arrived at the hotel. (Maybe my name and the name I gave the locker? I can't remember.) Upon leaving, I took the name card out, turned it over, and slid it back in the plastic holder, to indicate that the locker was supposed to go back to the warehouse. (I can't remember what it said on the other side, either, but it was clear that I was going home and the locker was going back to the warehouse.)

That has been our experience too - we knew to flip the name card over before sending it back to Bell Services at the end of our stay.

 

[jppeek]

Got my first locker May of 2022 and now I have 3.

We have one full of toys and stuff for my son (3Yo) a Disney blanket, a stuffed Minnie and Mickey, bubble gun with extra bubbles, batteries esc. Playdoh, coloring books, crayons, matchbox cars and track esc.

Second is full of clothing which has made it so we only need carry on bags every trip. My wife and I each have 5 days worth of clothes, bathing suits, extra shoes (in zip locks so they don’t make our clothes smell lol) sandals, light jackets, ponchos, and one nicer outfit for dinners.

The last one is toiletries, kitchen stuff we like to have (like good knife, sandwich maker, foil, olive oil, ziplocks esc) and I have three bottles of liquor.

For us the convenience of not having to check a bag was huge, and then as far as cost we save a fortune on toiletries and alcohol having it down there.

 

[Straulin]

How much do you tip bell services for bringing the locker?

It really depends on what all I have them transport and the cash I have as to what I tip. It will normally be a twenty for everything. So sometimes higher or lower according to what bags we brought. $5 or so generally per item.

The last time I used my locker, there was a name card in a plastic holder on one end. It said one thing when the locker arrived at the hotel. (Maybe my name and the name I gave the locker? I can't remember.) Upon leaving, I took the name card out, turned it over, and slid it back in the plastic holder, to indicate that the locker was supposed to go back to the warehouse. (I can't remember what it said on the other side, either, but it was clear that I was going home and the locker was going back to the warehouse.)

Yeah ours had that. We had it flipped but he was still concerned. I think it said something like “CHECKING OUT but not happy about it.”

 

[CarolynFH]

Yeah ours had that. We had it flipped but he was still concerned. I think it said something like “CHECKING OUT but not happy about it.”

LOL, I wonder whether he was new? I’ve never had any of the Bell Services CMs act as if dealing with our OL was anything but routine!

 

[fitnessmouse]

$5 left on top on the locker for removing

$5 plus extra for delivery of it is raining/ outside building + whatever suitcases a few bucks each.

ok thank you. I really had no idea, i tipped $5 last time, but the guy looked funny at me and I felt so weird about it.

 

[Phatscott25]

That has been our experience too - we knew to flip the name card over before sending it back to Bell Services at the end of our stay.

My goodness, I've been using an OL since 2017 and never knew to do this. Thankfully, it's always made it's way back to the warehouse but at least I know now!

 

[Nursemanit]

ok thank you. I really had no idea, i tipped $5 last time, but the guy looked funny at me and I felt so weird about it.

I was at the Swan ( so he had to put it on his cart and wheel it down ) If I was at SSR and he had to wheel it outside in 90 degree heat I will tip more but I think $5 for the OL and a few extra for each suitcase is enough for what at the Swan is 5 min of work.

 

[crazywig]

Owner’s Locker first time use report:

So we took our first trip with owners locker last week. We arrived at our hotel early and went directly to the parks. When we finally got our room (very late … I had to go to the front desk at 8:00 p.m. to see what was up and there was some sort of glitch not alerting us the room was ready. It was apparently ready hours prior.) bell services brought it up with our luggage. I did alert them when I requested our bags that we had an owners locker.

We realized one was not going to be enough for all the stuff we would be leaving and ordered another late Wednesday evening (around 11:00 p.m.). The new locker arrived mid-day Thursday.

Both lockers came with a mix of the twist off and standard zip ties, the dividers, and the organizer box for small items.

When we packed, we had to be selective on a few things as they simply would not fit.

Once packed the bell services guy came to get everything ans we were going to the parks for a while before flying out. We discussed the owners lockers. He was very concerned on marking them as checking out or being transferred to another resort.

We came back around 3:45 and picked up our bags. I received emails saying my lockers were back in the warehouse later that day.

Thoughts and suggestions: prior to the trip I purchased 4 cheap toiletry bags online. I was very pleased with these. I used them to organize various things and may buy a couple more.

We had issues storing all we wanted due to the size of blankets and clothing. Our goal being to fly with just personal items (back pack each) and no additional luggage. Once I got home I bought a pack of vacuum seal bags to store these in next time to hopefully save room. They work with either a vacuum or just folding and pushing out the air. We will have to see how well they work when we go back in October.

FYI on what we stored:

Locker 1:
Toiletries for two adults, teen girl, tween boy.
OTC meds
First aid kit
Nail grooming kit
Hair brush
Two loungefly backpacks (filled with 4 ponchos)
Sun screen
Chargers
4 metal water bottles (24 oz I believe)
Laundry detergent pods

Locker 2
Twin air mattress (this took up over half of the locker)
Flip flops (2 pair)
Swim suits x 2
3 summer outfits each for my wife and myself (the kids didn’t want to leave anything so they will be packing their backpacks tight next time)
4 sets of mouse ears
Cooling towels
Roku
2 packs of playing cards
Dooney and Bourke purse
Sleepwear x 2
1 baseball cap

What we wanted to store but couldn’t fit:
2 blankets
1 memory foam pillow
Kids clothes (but they opted out anyways and didn’t want to leave anything.)

I use gallon ziplocs for all my toiletries etc and I layer them flat in the locker. I threw away the divider. I can get a ton of stuff in my first locker. I remember seeing this tip in a video many years ago but I can't find it.

 

[Straulin]

LOL, I wonder whether he was new? I’ve never had any of the Bell Services CMs act as if dealing with our OL was anything but routine!

I don’t know if he was new but he talked about not understanding what they were until recently.