Walt Disney World Resort maintains a comprehensive lost and found system for forgotten items, but certain objects left behind at the Central Florida theme parks and hotels never make it to the recovery facility. Instead, these abandoned objects trigger law enforcement responses that result in permanent confiscation, leaving guests with no chance of retrieval regardless of the item’s legal status or personal value.
Standard Recovery Process for Most Items
Walt Disney World Resort typically handles lost items through a multi-step process. Guests who realize they’ve forgotten something should first contact Guest Services at the theme parks or the front desk at Disney Resort hotels. Lost items usually remain at the specific attraction, restaurant, or location where they were discovered until the end of the operating day, when Disney cast members transport them to Guest Services.
Items left at Guest Relations eventually transfer to Walt Disney World Resort’s central lost and found facility. The operation recently relocated from the Transportation & Ticket Center to the Town Center area at Disney Springs.
Guests can complete an online form through a third-party service, Chargerback, which notifies them when lost items are located, even months after their vacation ends. The company sends email updates about the status of lost items and helps coordinate pick-ups or shipping arrangements.
Unclaimed Items Find New Homes
Walt Disney World Resort cannot indefinitely store forgotten objects. After a designated holding period, most sunglasses, toys, wallets, Mickey ears, and numerous other lost items are donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida Thrift Store. The organization has gained social media attention in recent years as a destination for finding Disney souvenirs at deeply discounted prices.
However, certain forgotten items never reach the Disney Springs Town Center Storage House or the Boys & Girls Club thrift store…
Law Enforcement Confiscates Prohibited Items
When Disney cast members discover specific items—typically left behind in Disney Resort hotel rooms—they make a “found property” call to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies respond to confiscate the prohibited objects, which usually include firearms, ammunition, illegal drugs and paraphernalia, or controlled substances.
These items cannot enter Walt Disney World Resort’s standard lost and found system because they violate property rules or break local laws. Disney security prefers to catch guests with these items in person and issue trespass bans, but the company still handles discovered contraband appropriately, even after guests have departed.
Walt Disney World Resort prohibits some items that aren’t illegal. Knives and firearms that are legally carried elsewhere cannot be brought to Disney parks, Disney Springs, or Disney Resort hotel rooms. Even when no criminal charges apply—such as with legally prescribed controlled substances—deputies must confiscate these items. Guests will never recover them, even if they submit Chargeback forms.
Frequent Law Enforcement Responses
Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to over 40 calls regarding found property across Walt Disney World Resort in November and December 2025 alone. The majority of calls came from Disney Resort hotels, primarily during afternoon hours when housekeeping cast members turn over rooms after guest checkouts.
The frequency suggests dozens of guests each month leave behind prohibited items in their hotel rooms, either forgetting about them or deliberately abandoning objects they cannot legally transport home.
Preventing Permanent Loss
Guests can avoid losing valuable items forever by reviewing Walt Disney World Resort’s prohibited item list before packing. Remove any prohibited items from your suitcases before traveling to the Central Florida vacation destination.
For legally prescribed controlled medications, set reminders to pack them when checking out. While these prescriptions are legal to possess, they are still subject to confiscation by law enforcement if discovered abandoned by Disney cast members.
Have you ever lost something at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments.
