Is an Owner Locker for me?

[MICKIMINI]

I just finished zipping up (with a little coaxing) our two carry on bags. We bring a tote and a back pack with laptops, cords, meds and anything we may need if we get stuck somewhere. Thankfully we were able to switch to non stops this year. Last year just about did us in changing planes at BWI, but expect the unexpected...

We would be lugging a huge bag with us (free as we fly SWA) but that is not the point. Going on vacation shouldn't be so much of a chore and DVC is really *going home*.

OL is so worth every penny!

 

[meekey7197]

We had one when we lived in Michigan and would fly several times a year (on Spirit). I could pack a carry on and know that everything else I needed would be delivered in my OL. Now that we live close enough to drive, we brought the Owners Locker home and it lives in our garage and serves the same purpose. We leave it packed with all the things and just throw it in the car when it's time to go. For someone who is notorious for forgetting important things, it has saved us more than once.

 

[ehh]

I could never get the cost/ benefit analysis of one of these.

We were/are the same, even visiting 3-4 times a year we couldn't justify it.

This was magnified by consumables needing replenishment periodically--would rather deal with all that pre-trip and bring what we need rather than having to replenish during our visit. Generally, we want to make one store stop per trip, on the way from the airport to the resort, so we'd need to know everything we'd need each time and it would need to be available.

But we found a good use: pillows. Our favorite pillows are ~9lbs each and don't compress well (2 fill an OL and leave little room for anything else) so they're too cumbersome to fly with. They're also $100 each so buying new ones each trip would cost much more than an OL and be very wasteful. We could also just not have them at all, but we sleep much worse with hotel pillows so the cost of an OL per year is worth it. We bring the pillow cases/liners back and forth from home and launder them at home so they're always fresh.

We also store collapsible hanging shelves and a ~12 trip supply of our favorite hand soap, but don't have room for anything more. Without the pillows we couldn't justify it.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Generally, we want to make one store stop per trip, on the way from the airport to the resort, so we'd need to know everything we'd need each time and it would need to be available.

We just make a note of what we need before we pack it up at the end of each trip, and throw the replacements in our regular luggage. There’s nothing in there that’s so big that I can’t just throw it in a suitcase or backpack. This time it’s just coffee filters.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Again, as I noted earlier consumables need to be replaced. Many here say they put xxx in their locker, but it’s stuff that needs to be replaced often.
That really is not locker stuff imo.

Other stuff, the more hardware stuff, is completely legit.
I would make you’re decision on that legit stuff.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Again, as I noted earlier consumables need to be replaced. Many here say they put xxx in their locker, but it’s stuff that needs to be replaced often.
That really is not locker stuff imo.

Other stuff, the more hardware stuff, is completely legit.
I would make you’re decision on that legit stuff.

I agree. The only "consumables" that we have in there that even remotely require regular replenishment is the coffee (and I really could just buy that on site) and the Brita filters. OTC medications last forever, as do the toiletries (which are in there as backups in case we forget something). Even the coffee filters I need to refill lasted several years (100 filters go a long way when using 4 or 5 per trip, and it was an open packet to begin with). The contact solution probably has an expiration date too, but it's a travel size and can get swapped out when required. Everything else is hardware or has a long shelf life.

As I said above too, the brand new mini Target at Flamingo Crossing is about a ten minute drive from BRV, which I think is the furthest resort from it. AKL would be about two minutes.

 

[ehh]

We just make a note of what we need before we pack it up at the end of each trip, and throw the replacements in our regular luggage. There’s nothing in there that’s so big that I can’t just throw it in a suitcase or backpack. This time it’s just coffee filters.

In fairness, I guess we do something similar directionally similar to this/OLs in general, where we have travel versions of everything, but the distinction is we just don't leave it in Florida. The only things we bring from our daily life are clothes.

When we get home we do a light unpack but leave as much as we can packed for next trip. Consumables get unpacked and used at home while we pack new, fresh versions into our luggage. Always bringing new consumables basically eliminates the risk of running out mid-trip.

Unlike an OL, works no matter where we go since we use the same luggage to go to WDW as other places.

 

[CarolynFH]

Re consumables, we keep full size shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, etc. as well as coffee filters and dishwasher and laundry pods but no perishables. When we’re packing up at the end of a trip, we make notes on the list on our OL dashboard of items that need to be replenished. When making our grocery list for the next trip, we just add those things to it and buy them along with our groceries.

 

[limace]

Ehh, I’m so curious about a nine pound pillow!

 

[RoseGold]

Again, as I noted earlier consumables need to be replaced. Many here say they put xxx in their locker, but it’s stuff that needs to be replaced often.
That really is not locker stuff imo.

For consumables, I throw in the extra trail mix packs or whatever from the grocery delivery on the previous trip, and boy does that come in handy sometimes. There's just a couple things in there, but it is useful when you have little kids.

 

[RoseGold]

I could never get the cost/ benefit analysis of one of these.

I could never get the cost/benefit of waiting 45 minutes at MCO for a bunch of stuff someone will just bring to my room. If you can afford multiple Disney trips and airfare and DVC, you can afford an OL.

OL makes less sense to me if you drive or if you come once a year or less.

 

[Skywalker3]

We only drive to WDW, and have a van, so no need currently for OL, since we can bring it all. But goodness, we always end up bring a LOT. However, hoping to get rid of van sooner than later, and may consider OL in the future. I bring my Keurig every trip, so we'd definitely keep that in the OL, plus coffee pods, larger coffee mugs. Would also plan to keep sunscreen, beach towels, pool shoes, my crocs,maybe extra bathing suits ,and maybe Disney specific clothes, ponchos/rain jackets. Laundry items like detergent/pods, dryer sheets, lots of ziploc bags, scissors, hand soap dispenser,, small fan, maybe an extra white noise machine, and space permitting, extra blanket. Would be so nice not to have to worry about stuff like that every trip, and know they're there. Depending on frequency of trips, would consider OTC meds,
Good luck w decision. Would be nice if they delivered to Universal too. We're in the process of re-evaluating our Disney trips, etc. especially if APs don't return, and with kids being older. So, OL may not make sense for the future, but glad they still have that option.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

We only drive to WDW, and have a van, so no need currently for OL, since we can bring it all. But goodness, we always end up bring a LOT. However, hoping to get rid of van sooner than later, and may consider OL in the future. I bring my Keurig every trip, so we'd definitely keep that in the OL, plus coffee pods, larger coffee mugs. Would also plan to keep sunscreen, beach towels, pool shoes, my crocs,maybe extra bathing suits ,and maybe Disney specific clothes, ponchos/rain jackets. Laundry items like detergent/pods, dryer sheets, lots of ziploc bags, scissors, hand soap dispenser,, small fan, maybe an extra white noise machine, and space permitting, extra blanket. Would be so nice not to have to worry about stuff like that every trip, and know they're there. Depending on frequency of trips, would consider OTC meds,
Good luck w decision. Would be nice if they delivered to Universal too. We're in the process of re-evaluating our Disney trips, etc. especially if APs don't return, and with kids being older. So, OL may not make sense for the future, but glad they still have that option.

LOL, this is us too. I always bring too much which is a pain packing and unpacking. It's like I don't want to take a chance on not having something, so I bring too much. Last year I brought 18 bottles of wine (we were away for 3 weeks), way too much. I think we brought half of it home. I think I have learned my lesson with that item and will only bring 12 bottles this year. LOL, to bad I can't do that with everything else. I guess that's one good thing about flying, you are limited as to what you can bring.

 

[Brian Noble]

I just remembered that one good friend of mine keeps a high-flow shower head and pipe wrench in his. When he checks in, he replaces the anemic shower head with the “good one”, and puts it back when he checks out.

So, that’s a reason.

 

[ehh]

Ehh, I’m so curious about a nine pound pillow!

~9lbs pillow that justifies an OL: https://hullopillow.com/

I could never get the cost/benefit of waiting 45 minutes at MCO for a bunch of stuff someone will just bring to my room. If you can afford multiple Disney trips and airfare and DVC, you can afford an OL.

OL makes less sense to me if you drive or if you come once a year or less.

There's two halves to cost/benefit analysis. Cost and benefit. For how some people travel it's additional expense for marginal/zero/negative benefit, it's not strictly a matter of affording the cost. To me, storing and managing consumables in an OL is a worse system than bringing what I need.

I would absolutely pay for a service where a sufficient quantity of all my consumables are already in Florida and delivered to my resort. That sounds great. But I want no part of managing a Florida inventory of stuff when one of my goals of being in Florida is not having to worry about daily life stuff. Managing it is a certain type of overhead that is not vacation-like for us.

A simple example: our shampoo and conditioner are available in 1L and 250mL containers. We use 1L bottles at home and it takes us months to go through and wouldn't be good for an OL. So we'd pack the 250mL versions in our OL. Problem is, at the end of a trip I'd have little idea if the bottles have enough for next trip since we have minimal experience with those bottles (and they're not clear). And if we did start running out, adding more would mean an Ulta.com order, which have unpredictable shipping times, which could be a problem when you're only there for a few days and in the midst of running out. And that's just shampoo and conditioner.

For us, it's less cumbersome and less risky to bring a 3.4oz travel bottle or two of it, refilled from our 1L bottles at home, and bring back the unused portion.

I just remembered that one good friend of mine keeps a high-flow shower head and pipe wrench in his. When he checks in, he replaces the anemic shower head with the “good one”, and puts it back when he checks out.

So, that’s a reason.

This is a fantastic reason.

 

[CarolynFH]

I could never get the cost/benefit of waiting 45 minutes at MCO for a bunch of stuff someone will just bring to my room. If you can afford multiple Disney trips and airfare and DVC, you can afford an OL.

OL makes less sense to me if you drive or if you come once a year or less.

We sometimes drive, but it’s a 2-3 day trek, which means overnight stays somewhere. If we didn’t have an OL, that would mean an extra suitcase, and as we get older, not having to lug an extra suitcase into and out of our overnight lodging is a tremendous benefit to us!

 

[CarolynFH]

~9lbs pillow that justifies an OL: https://hullopillow.com/


There's two halves to cost/benefit analysis. Cost and benefit. For how some people travel it's additional expense for marginal/zero/negative benefit, it's not strictly a matter of affording the cost. To me, storing and managing consumables in an OL is a worse system than bringing what I need.

I would absolutely pay for a service where a sufficient quantity of all my consumables are already in Florida and delivered to my resort. That sounds great. But I want no part of managing a Florida inventory of stuff when one of my goals of being in Florida is not having to worry about daily life stuff. Managing it is a certain type of overhead that is not vacation-like for us.

A simple example: our shampoo and conditioner are available in 1L and 250mL containers. We use 1L bottles at home and it takes us months to go through and wouldn't be good for an OL. So we'd pack the 250mL versions in our OL. Problem is, at the end of a trip I'd have little idea if the bottles have enough for next trip since we have minimal experience with those bottles (and they're not clear). And if we did start running out, adding more would mean an Ulta.com order, which have unpredictable shipping times, which could be a problem when you're only there for a few days and in the midst of running out. And that's just shampoo and conditioner.

For us, it's less cumbersome and less risky to bring a 3.4oz travel bottle or two of it, refilled from our 1L bottles at home, and bring back the unused portion.


This is a fantastic reason.

An example of different strokes for different folks! We used to bring travel sizes too but sometimes ran out unexpectedly (especially toothpaste - hard to estimate how much is left in those little tubes!). So I appreciate how easy it is to maintain our list on the OL website, and we can replenish when buying groceries in Orlando.

 

[LSchrow]

We also fly SWA, but have no desire to go back to the old days of lugging all that "stuff" through airports in a third & fourth suitcase. There is no way we are drinking FL tap water, so our Pur pitcher is indispensable. Same with the sound machine, GOOD shampoo/conditioner, health & beauty, GOOD hair dryer & flat iron, sharp knives (theirs are garbage), bathroom spray, aloe, coffee/filters/scoop/sweetener, laundry products, wrinkle release, batteries (their remotes always seem to have dead batteries), bag clips, suitcase scale, zip-locks, collapsible food storage, cooling towels, neck fans, shamwow (for water rides), hot/cold compress, thermometer, Brita water bottles, rain jackets, eyeglass repair kit, sewing kit, moleskin, scissor/tape, notepad & pen, USB cords, pocket charger, robe/slippers, card games, condiments, vodka , etc. When we used to stay in Studios, we had "real" dishes/bowls & mugs. OL is one of those things you don't realize how much you needed until you get one.

 

[CarolynFH]

I've really been enjoying reading everyone else's lists of what they keep in their OL! We too keep full size (well, actually large size) coffee mugs in ours, because some timeshares in Orlando provide only tiny coffee cups, and we hate having to get up every five minutes for a refill!

 

[igrsod]

For us it made sense as it costs us $50 per bag to check when we fly. Now we just fly with free carry ons, no waiting for luggage. It does however limit my spending, without room in my suitcase coming home... maybe that's a benefit??? I love the feeling when we unpack our bin... pins, magic bands, ears, disney clothes... it's like when you bring out the Christmas decorations.