First time using owners locker with a question..

[BLTLDZ]

Do you bring stuff down with you? Or do you buy toiletries and such once you get there? Just curious

We plan on bringing an extra hair dryer and shoes etc. to leave there.....As far as shampoo, soap etc, I was planning on buying down there...

 

[dgaston]

I did some of both -- brought down a George Foreman grill and Brita pitcher, and picked up toiletries and laundry supplies at Walmart. We usually rent a car, so it wasn't a problem.

You're going to love your OL!

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

I packed a box and sent it FedEx/UPS down there so I wouldn't have to take time out of the vacation to go shopping. It really didn't cost too much.

 

[vicki_c]

We brought some things from home (like hairdryer, travel umbrella) and then did a big "stocking" trip to Publix on our way from the airport.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We packed a box about the same size as the OL with the things we wanted to put in it and had it sent down. Over time we have edited items in there as well as replenished others.

 

[ToddyLu]

I decided to pack some things in a heavy duffle type bag to check on the plane. I was concerned about shipping a box so close to Thanksgiving..we arrive 12/01 at AKV. We will have a 30 minute visit to the grocery store with our car service and I will pick up detergent and a few other things. DH thinks I am crazy but I plan on using my Jedi mind trick and he will love it. I have been packing and thinking about my box for months now.

 

[thepops]

We flew Southwest, so we just packed an extra bag with what we wanted to put in the locker (since there wasn't a bag fee).

 

[Native NYer]

We packed some stuff and bought other things once we got there. I love OL. It's so nice to have all of your stuff waiting for you at your resort and not having to pack things like ponchos and shampoo.

 

[Best Aunt]

I shipped stuff down.

And I asked Tiffany Towncar to stop at a CVS instead of a grocery store on the drive from the airport to the hotel.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have gradually added stuff over the years. When I first used my OL, I put in some extra clothing that I normally wouldn't wear at home, full sized toiletries that I had brought with me. I had a lot of room in my bags going home on that trip!!!

 

[deerislemaine]

My family is trying to decide if an OL is for us. Other than an old wireless router for internet, we can't think of a lot of things that we couldn't bring with us. We don't need hair dryer(s), and we'd bring sun screen and other toiletries anyway. What things do people leave that make the annual fee and drop off fees (if you visit more than once per year) worth it?

 

[Alexander]

We pretty much brought everything with us the first time we had our OL. However, many of the airlines weren't yet charging for baggage.

Since that time, we have just replenished our supplies when we make our grocery stop.

We LOVE our OL! We have so much stuff in there! It is almost bordering on the need to have 2, but, DH will never go for that!

We have: a laptop, beach towels, sand toys, lots of board games (taken out of the original boxes and stored in ziplock bags), all of our toiletries except my makeup, Purex laundry sheets (less weight and no worry about spills), pool toys (diving rings, life vest for DS), books, coloring books, crayons, a first aid kit (bandaids, tylenol) and tons of other things (this is why I need to make a list!). The biggest value for us is having all of our toiletries there. We literally only pack clothes and prescription medicines (oh and my makeup). Then having laundry in our room, we need less clothes. My family of 4 can get away with one checked suitcase or a couple of carry-ons.

 

[Tara]

My family is trying to decide if an OL is for us. Other than an old wireless router for internet, we can't think of a lot of things that we couldn't bring with us. We don't need hair dryer(s), and we'd bring sun screen and other toiletries anyway. What things do people leave that make the annual fee and drop off fees (if you visit more than once per year) worth it?

We leave a LOT of stuff - things that make packing easier, things that make our time at Disney more comfortable. I realized on our last trip that if we didn't mind wearing the same 3 outfits all the time, and assuming I have my purse as I normally have it (I always have at least my wallet, iPhone, laptop or iPad, PNS camera, small makeup bag) and DH has his wallet, we could leave for Disney with just that and our SunPass transponder and not pack a suitcase at all. One day I might just try that! I have a long inventory of items for our 3 Lockers, but some of the items I'll point out are:

Brita pitcher, filters and water bottles - no buying bottled water anymore and no tap water taste (none of us like the taste of the local water)
Toiletries - I can't say enough about how great it is to not have to pack this stuff. We can fly carry-on if we wish. No making sure I have trial sizes, no refilling little bottles, much less waste (no multiple tiny plastic bottles of stuff). Plus I have more stuff than I might normally pack. If I were packing toiletries I might make do with whatever lotion they have in the room, but with my Locker I have the exact stuff I like.
Ponchos and mist fans - no more having to ferry these back and forth - no having to keep a Disney box at home.
Lighted/spinning Disney toys - because these are in Lockers, they don't feel "old" to DS so he's happy to use them again and again.
Coffee grinder, scoop and filters - another thing we don't have to remember to pack each time and this way DH could have coffee the way he likes it. I might bring the grinder home though because DH has given up coffee since our last visit! (no caffeine and he doesn't like decaf).
Scissors - By far the MOST USED item in our Lockers! I never realized how often we need them until I actually had them.
Battery charger, extra batteries, cell phone chargers, extra camera battery charger - No more running to Wal-Mart because someone forgot their charger, and if you've ever forgotten a camera battery charger, you know how much of a problem that can be.
A good kitchen knife - the knives in most DVC units are horrible!
Cards, crayons, markers, activity books, Disney Scene It - for rainy afternoons and evenings spent in the room.
Fleece throw - I'm always the one freezing when everyone else is comfortable, so one visit I got the purchase-with-purchase fleece throw of the castle with the holiday lights. I also keep a sweatshirt in a Locker for the same reason, plus it really comes in handy for unexpected cool nights or rainy days on warmer weather trips where I might not have packed something heavy enough.
Over-the-door shoe organizer - Keeps the bathroom nice and neat
Bleach - I like to clean the whirlpool tub thoroughly
Laundry supplies - Purex sheets, some packets of liquid Tide, Bounce sheets
All sorts of OTC meds, bandaids, blister block, nail clippers, eyeglass repair kit, eyeglass cleaner, disposable contacts
Swimsuits, goggles and ear plugs - we still pack suits for the trip but this allows us to have a spare, so no one is putting on a still-damp suit. And DH has ear issues, so we're never without silicone ear plugs.
Small electric griddle - my son loves pancakes, what can I say?
Other kitchen tools - stuff that makes a difference for us - like an ice cream scoop, aluminum foil, Ziplocs, cooking spray, etc
pop-up hamper - keeps us neat and tidy
running shoes and gear - running shoes take up so much luggage space so having them there (and the clothes) means there's no reason for us to not keep up with our running on vacation.
liquor - if I want to make a fuzzy navel or DH wants a bit of scotch, we have it and no going out to a liquor store. Plus we'd never drink even close to a whole bottle on vacation, so no waste or trying to transport it.
Disney books/guides - Hidden Mickeys, Imagineers Guide books
hand warmers and fleece gloves - if you've ever gone in cold weather, these are great to have on hand (no pun intended)
extra clothes, Crocs, flip flops - if we check luggage and it's lost, we're covered. If we want to just pack lighter, we're covered. Plus I leave items I personally wouldn't wear anywhere but Disney.
scrapbook - we have a scrapbook where we write about each trip (including having DS write in it - he was 7 when we started) and I have photo corners so I can include a pictures I have printed through Photopass while we're there. I also made a shutterfly photo book last year with pictures from all our Disney trips and got a free extra copy, so that lives in a Locker - DS loves to look at it!

I could go on and on about what we have in our Lockers and how wonderful the service is!!! Could we pack and bring a lot of this stuff with us? Sure. But we probably wouldn't. But I can't tell you how much more homey and comfortable it makes our trips. And frankly, DH and I are both very busy and I'm the vacation organizer and primary packer. My time and energy are worth a lot to me and my family, so making the vacation packing and prep easier is well worth the cost of our Lockers.

 

[deerislemaine]

We leave a LOT of stuff - things that make packing easier, things that make our time at Disney more comfortable. I realized on our last trip that if we didn't mind wearing the same 3 outfits all the time, and assuming I have my purse as I normally have it (I always have at least my wallet, iPhone, laptop or iPad, PNS camera, small makeup bag) and DH has his wallet, we could leave for Disney with just that and our SunPass transponder and not pack a suitcase at all. One day I might just try that! I have a long inventory of items for our 3 Lockers, but some of the items I'll point out are:

Brita pitcher, filters and water bottles - no buying bottled water anymore and no tap water taste (none of us like the taste of the local water)
Toiletries - I can't say enough about how great it is to not have to pack this stuff. We can fly carry-on if we wish. No making sure I have trial sizes, no refilling little bottles, much less waste (no multiple tiny plastic bottles of stuff). Plus I have more stuff than I might normally pack. If I were packing toiletries I might make do with whatever lotion they have in the room, but with my Locker I have the exact stuff I like.
Ponchos and mist fans - no more having to ferry these back and forth - no having to keep a Disney box at home.
Lighted/spinning Disney toys - because these are in Lockers, they don't feel "old" to DS so he's happy to use them again and again.
Coffee grinder, scoop and filters - another thing we don't have to remember to pack each time and this way DH could have coffee the way he likes it. I might bring the grinder home though because DH has given up coffee since our last visit! (no caffeine and he doesn't like decaf).
Scissors - By far the MOST USED item in our Lockers! I never realized how often we need them until I actually had them.
Battery charger, extra batteries, cell phone chargers, extra camera battery charger - No more running to Wal-Mart because someone forgot their charger, and if you've ever forgotten a camera battery charger, you know how much of a problem that can be.
A good kitchen knife - the knives in most DVC units are horrible!
Cards, crayons, markers, activity books, Disney Scene It - for rainy afternoons and evenings spent in the room.
Fleece throw - I'm always the one freezing when everyone else is comfortable, so one visit I got the purchase-with-purchase fleece throw of the castle with the holiday lights. I also keep a sweatshirt in a Locker for the same reason, plus it really comes in handy for unexpected cool nights or rainy days on warmer weather trips where I might not have packed something heavy enough.
Over-the-door shoe organizer - Keeps the bathroom nice and neat
Bleach - I like to clean the whirlpool tub thoroughly
Laundry supplies - Purex sheets, some packets of liquid Tide, Bounce sheets
All sorts of OTC meds, bandaids, blister block, nail clippers, eyeglass repair kit, eyeglass cleaner, disposable contacts
Swimsuits, goggles and ear plugs - we still pack suits for the trip but this allows us to have a spare, so no one is putting on a still-damp suit. And DH has ear issues, so we're never without silicone ear plugs.
Small electric griddle - my son loves pancakes, what can I say?
Other kitchen tools - stuff that makes a difference for us - like an ice cream scoop, aluminum foil, Ziplocs, cooking spray, etc
pop-up hamper - keeps us neat and tidy
running shoes and gear - running shoes take up so much luggage space so having them there (and the clothes) means there's no reason for us to not keep up with our running on vacation.
liquor - if I want to make a fuzzy navel or DH wants a bit of scotch, we have it and no going out to a liquor store. Plus we'd never drink even close to a whole bottle on vacation, so no waste or trying to transport it.
Disney books/guides - Hidden Mickeys, Imagineers Guide books
hand warmers and fleece gloves - if you've ever gone in cold weather, these are great to have on hand (no pun intended)
extra clothes, Crocs, flip flops - if we check luggage and it's lost, we're covered. If we want to just pack lighter, we're covered. Plus I leave items I personally wouldn't wear anywhere but Disney.
scrapbook - we have a scrapbook where we write about each trip (including having DS write in it - he was 7 when we started) and I have photo corners so I can include a pictures I have printed through Photopass while we're there. I also made a shutterfly photo book last year with pictures from all our Disney trips and got a free extra copy, so that lives in a Locker - DS loves to look at it!

I could go on and on about what we have in our Lockers and how wonderful the service is!!! Could we pack and bring a lot of this stuff with us? Sure. But we probably wouldn't. But I can't tell you how much more homey and comfortable it makes our trips. And frankly, DH and I are both very busy and I'm the vacation organizer and primary packer. My time and energy are worth a lot to me and my family, so making the vacation packing and prep easier is well worth the cost of our Lockers.

Tara-- thanks for the extremely helpful list. I'll show it to my wife, and we're consider it. I appreciate you taking the time to list the items in detail.
Andy

 

[Tara]

Tara-- thanks for the extremely helpful list. I'll show it to my wife, and we're consider it. I appreciate you taking the time to list the items in detail.
Andy

And that was just off the top of my head! A few other items I forgot that come in handy:

• Power strip
• Inflatable bath pillow for whirlpool tub
• Pins and lanyards
• 20 Questions game
• Super Glue - this has saved the day on more than one trip!
• Refillable mugs - great for coffee in room since the mugs are always so small - might be able to jettison some of those, too in our post-coffee world
• Magnetic clips - great for keeping park hours/maps in one place on the fridge
• Real plates for studio stays
• Glitter - one of our traditions is that Tinkerbell flies in to leave little gifts - the glitter is for us to leave her "trail." (she helped the tooth fairy find him on 2 different trips, too )

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I packed a box and sent it FedEx/UPS down there so I wouldn't have to take time out of the vacation to go shopping. It really didn't cost too much.

This sounds like a great idea. We are taking my dd and three of her friends to celebrate her sweet sixteen in August. I am trying to go with only carry ons (we are only going for weds am thru sun pm), which my dd and I did this year and it worked out great. Every other day we put our dirty clothes in the washer before we left for the parks, and when we got back put it in the dryer -so we always had clean clothes. Since we are doing the same amount of days and we are staying in a 2BR, I wanted to do only carry ons again. If I get all the girls to pack up their shampoo, soap, snacks, and the like, that would save us time going to Walmart when we get down. How do you go about sending the Fedex, when do you send it and how do they get it to you..this would be such a time saver!

 

[mybabesuz]

We sent down a box UPS the first time with some stuff.
Also bought some things down there.
Plus we are always adding more stuff and reorganizing each trip.

 

[Tara]

How do you go about sending the Fedex, when do you send it and how do they get it to you..this would be such a time saver!

Go to FedEx.com to find the nearest shipping location. FedEx Office (used to be FedEx Kinko's) also ships packages. You can take in your box and they'll weigh and label it for you. (I have a FedEx account so I just go online and put my info in and print my own label - but you have to be able to weigh the box accurately to do that. You can ship online even if you don't have an account number set up, though.)

Address the box to yourself and in the company name field, put the hotel name. On the box itself, write the name your reservation is in, your reservation number and "arriving on" and the date. They'll hold the box for your arrival. You'll likely be told at check-in that you have a box being held. If not, just ask for it to be delivered to your room by bell services.