tell me about...lockers

acarsme123

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
Can someone explain to me the lockers at Universal? This is our first trip coming up in March, and I'm used to being able to take a backpack on pretty much every ride at Disney. Does every ride make you use these lockers? Are they free? Do you have to get out of line?
Is it even worth bringing a backpack into Universal, or would a fanny pack type thing be better? Would you have to even stash a smaller fanny pack? Thanks
 
Fanny pack with ziplock bags inside or even lanyards is the way to go at Universal to avoid using lockers other than for Hulk and maybe one other ride. I use a Pacsafe but mostly just put a credit card and a few dollars in my lanyard. If you ask they will give you a free spare bottom bit. There are lockers in some of the queues, like Hagrids, but you step out of the queue to use them and people get angsty when the person on locker duty tries to walk up the queue to join family and friends. The lockers are free for a few hours.
 
All the rides that require a locker all have lockers located rite there at the ride so u dont have to worry about finding lockers or having to walk back and forth from a central location. There are 2 options of lockers at each ride, one option is the free locker which is pretty small, made for purses, small bags, fanny packs, cell phones and keys. The other option is a pay locker ($2) which is a lot bigger option made for large bags, backpacks. Note, although the free lockers are small with an opening of probably 12" wide by 5" high, they are very deep, if u can smash ur bag flat, u will be able to slide in with plenty room. But the large lockers are literally only $2 but do require a card to swipe to rent. Both option are available for 4-5hr but u basically put ur bags in locker, ride the ride, grab ur bag soon as u get off ride so u wont ever need the full allotted time. Now, all the lockers have automated kiosks scanners u will use to rent ur locker. The way this works is very easy, u just go up to the kiosk, use one of UO park tickets, dosent matter which ticket, scan the bar code on back of ticket, once it scans ur ticket a locker door near by will just pop open, grab this locker but verify the number on the kiosk and the number on ur locker door match, ur all set, put all ur belongings in and go ride, but note a VERY important part, DO NOT put the ticket u used to rent the locker in the locker, u will need that same ticket to open ur locker again, ur aloud to keep ur tickets, money, credit cards, things like this on u. Once u get off the ride u just go back to the exact same kiosk and scan ur ticket again and the locker will pop open and grab all ur stuff. Also, ur only aloud to open and close the same locker once during ur rental. For example...say u rent a locker and put all ur bags in it and close the door but realize u forgot to put ur cell phone in it, u cannot re-open the locker and add ur phone, once u open the locker after u closed it, ur rental is over and the next time u scan ur ticket it will give u another locker. Now this does happen alot so dont worry if this happens, just have someone wait at ur locker and grab a nearby cm and they can open ur locker. The last thing I can think of is if u cant fit everything into 1 locker u can rent 1 locker per park ticket. So if u need more room by all means, rent more lockers just remember which ticket opens which locker and be sure to keep all tickets on u. Hope this helps ya a little, good luck and have a great trip.
 


Does every ride make you use these lockers?
Would you have to even stash a smaller fanny pack? Thanks

No, not all rides but alot of em do. The Hulk and RIP Ride Rocket u will have to locker everything including ur cell phones and u will have to go through metal detectors to ensure u dont have anything on u including loose change and car keys, u can still keep ur tickets, paper money, cards on u. The other rides require lockers but ur able to keep ur cell phones. Yes, u will have to stash a smaller fanny pack on a few rides but most u should be ok. U will always go to the lockers first before getting in line, if u do forget and get in line with a bag on a ride that dont allow any bags, u will have to leave the line and go locker ur bag and u will lose ur place in line, so double check the ride sign rules before just running into the entrance. It sounds worse than it is, its really not that bad dealing with the lockers, only takes a min to quickly scan ticket, stuff bags in and off u go, nothing to it. Using a fanny pack instead of a backpack will save u from having to use a locker on a lot of rides but there are rides that will not let u have any type of bag at all, so regardless which bag u bring u are still going to need some lockers.
 
Last edited:
wow......
All the rides that require a locker all have lockers located rite there at the ride so u dont have to worry about finding lockers or having to walk back and forth from a central location. There are 2 options of lockers at each ride, one option is the free locker which is pretty small, made for purses, small bags, fanny packs, cell phones and keys. The other option is a pay locker ($2) which is a lot bigger option made for large bags, backpacks. Note, although the free lockers are small with an opening of probably 12" wide by 5" high, they are very deep, if u can smash ur bag flat, u will be able to slide in with plenty room. But the large lockers are literally only $2 but do require a card to swipe to rent. Both option are available for 4-5hr but u basically put ur bags in locker, ride the ride, grab ur bag soon as u get off ride so u wont ever need the full allotted time. Now, all the lockers have automated kiosks scanners u will use to rent ur locker. The way this works is very easy, u just go up to the kiosk, use one of UO park tickets, dosent matter which ticket, scan the bar code on back of ticket, once it scans ur ticket a locker door near by will just pop open, grab this locker but verify the number on the kiosk and the number on ur locker door match, ur all set, put all ur belongings in and go ride, but note a VERY important part, DO NOT put the ticket u used to rent the locker in the locker, u will need that same ticket to open ur locker again, ur aloud to keep ur tickets, money, credit cards, things like this on u. Once u get off the ride u just go back to the exact same kiosk and scan ur ticket again and the locker will pop open and grab all ur stuff. Also, ur only aloud to open and close the same locker once during ur rental. For example...say u rent a locker and put all ur bags in it and close the door but realize u forgot to put ur cell phone in it, u cannot re-open the locker and add ur phone, once u open the locker after u closed it, ur rental is over and the next time u scan ur ticket it will give u another locker. Now this does happen alot so dont worry if this happens, just have someone wait at ur locker and grab a nearby cm and they can open ur locker. The last thing I can think of is if u cant fit everything into 1 locker u can rent 1 locker per park ticket. So if u need more room by all means, rent more lockers just remember which ticket opens which locker and be sure to keep all tickets on u. Hope this helps ya a little, good luck and have a great trip.
 
So each ride can charge you $2 For a locker? Or do you pay it once and use lockers all over the Park with your ticket?
 


But every ride with lockers has free small ones.
Except for the lockers at the water rides, which are optional. If you choose to use one, they are all pay lockers at the water rides at IoA.
Of course, you can use the free lockers at Hulk if you make sure not to go over the allotted time - this works best when Hulk has a long wait for maximum free locker time.
 
I have so much anxiety about this. We normally tour all-day places (Disney, local theme park, zoo) with a small backpack that has basically everything we need for 2 adults and 3 kids. It's smaller than a standard backpack, but larger than a fanny pack.

I'm hesitant to go without it, because I *hate* losing park time to find/buy a bandaid/ibuprofen/emergency poncho, and want somewhere to stash the sunglasses/robes/wands my kids will eventually want to ditch along the way.

But the locker situation sounds obnoxious.

UGH!
 
I have so much anxiety about this. We normally tour all-day places (Disney, local theme park, zoo) with a small backpack that has basically everything we need for 2 adults and 3 kids. It's smaller than a standard backpack, but larger than a fanny pack.

I'm hesitant to go without it, because I *hate* losing park time to find/buy a bandaid/ibuprofen/emergency poncho, and want somewhere to stash the sunglasses/robes/wands my kids will eventually want to ditch along the way.

But the locker situation sounds obnoxious.

UGH!
It’s really not obnoxious. At least there are free lockers. Parks like Cedar Point charged for lockers so at least there are free options at Universal if you pack well. 😊 I can either get everything I need in the zippered pockets in my bottoms or I can use my small crossbody purse. Kids can carry their own stuff too, right? 😀
 
I have so much anxiety about this. We normally tour all-day places (Disney, local theme park, zoo) with a small backpack that has basically everything we need for 2 adults and 3 kids. It's smaller than a standard backpack, but larger than a fanny pack.

I'm hesitant to go without it, because I *hate* losing park time to find/buy a bandaid/ibuprofen/emergency poncho, and want somewhere to stash the sunglasses/robes/wands my kids will eventually want to ditch along the way.

But the locker situation sounds obnoxious.
I suggest you take 2 smaller bags for 5 people. The lockers are maybe only 4 inches high but quite deep. Everyone with a ticket can get a free locker, if the kids have a lot of robes to stash maybe get a locker just for that.
 
So each ride can charge you $2 For a locker? Or do you pay it once and use lockers all over the Park with your ticket?
Actually, if you pay the $2 for a larger locker, you get 2 hours of time. So there's that.
 
Yes, plus a buffer chunk of time as well. I forget, think it's maybe 15min?

I was told by the locker attendant by MIB on our last trip that even the mini lockers are now good for 2 hours - no matter what the current wait time for that specific ride is. (I'm assuming that this switch happened when they put in the new lockers last year, but that is just a guess). I asked because I wanted to do multiple MIB rides (single rider rocks!) without having to worry about time left on the locker. On the old lockers, they used to tell you how much time you had. The new ones don't do that.

Of course, with most things, your mileage may vary.
 
Some of the locker areas, mainly the Harry Potter areas, I'd suggest having one person taking the party's bags, etc. into the locker area and the rest of the party waiting outside of the locker area. They do tend to get cramped with people and it can be hard to move around.
 
Some of the locker areas, mainly the Harry Potter areas, I'd suggest having one person taking the party's bags, etc. into the locker area and the rest of the party waiting outside of the locker area.

AMEN! I think it's crazy to see a whole family crowded around the little screen. I go with a friend and we alternate which one of us is "going in." Get in, get out as quickly as possible is my motto. If you wind up needing multiple lockers, one person can take multiple tickets to make that happen.
 

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