Is an Owner Locker for me?

[ehh]

I've really been enjoying reading everyone else's lists of what they keep in their OL!

Same! As anti-consumable as I am for OL, I've added a few things to consider based on what others have posted: luggage scale (brilliant), bag clips (likely useful), scissors (need basically everywhere we travel and already have dedicated travel scissors...may not do), bathspray (consumable but acceptable if we run out), and maybe electric toothbrushes (just the bases/motors, we'd just bring fresh heads each time--toothbrushes are always the very last thing we pack as we don't have dedicated travel toothbrushes and have been nearly forgotten too many times...answer may just be to get dedicated travel toothbrush bases/motors).

 

[DonMacGregor]

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!

This was my most recent add last month. Decent sized coffee mug.

For us, toiletries are about 50th in the hierarchy of need in the OL. I can fit a shaving kit in my carry on with enough shampoo and everything else to last a week, but I can't fit an electric kettle and a Brita pitcher. Yes, we do keep toiletries in the locker, but only as backups in case we forget something. For us, it's the hard goods, OTC meds, sunscreen/sunblock, coffee filters, ponchos, etc. that I'm absolutely NOT carrying back and forth, even if Delta paid ME for the extra bag. The items in our OL that are non-consumable take up probably 90% of what space we are using.

When I arrive "home", I like having the comforts of "home" there waiting for me, rather than lugging "home" back and forth with me.

 

[igrsod]

The things that we love having the most are real dishes, cutlery, cutting board, sharp knife, travel coffee mugs and real wine glasses. We always stay in the studios, so I hate using the paper plates and plastic cutlery.

 

[Nursemanit]

Just signed up. I will be honest and admit there will be some bottles in mine ( why pay $25 for a drink, especially when traveling solo) One bottle will last me multiple trips so it is not worth having it delivered. That and a Brita plus a good teapot/mugs are my primary reason.

 

[Turn the Page]

We just got an Owner's Locker last year and I cannot express how much I love it. We use our villa kitchen very heavily and I just felt myself wanting things like tupperware containers, plastic wrap, a decent knife, a wisk, coffee filters, etc.

Could I buy those things each time we are there or bring them with us? Sure. But I discovered that packing for our Disney trips is always super stressful for me due to the fact that we normally go the week between me finishing work for the summer and the kids starting school so it is super hectic anyway and then adding getting ready for any vacation let alone a condo stay at Disney World and it was just too much for me.

The locker made it SO much easier. Now, all we have to do is pack our clothes and toiletries and that's it. And really, we don't even need all of the toiletries. We have some of those there. Mama was much happier in the lead up to our last trip. And you know what they say, if Mama ain't happy.....well, it doesn't make much difference in my house but it made me happier.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I love my owner’s locker, but I also realize that it’s not for everyone. I signed up with the DVC promo (=free setup, free service for 6 mo, free unlimited deliveries for the first year… in a blue box, not purple) and have switched levels of service for different years with no issues.

The main reason for my box was so that I could always have a good shot of espresso to start my day (just like at home). Like others have said, it’s more of a convenience factor. ️

But, of course, I’ve filled that poor box to nearly overflowing! Not only do I have an espresso machine with capsules, I’ve also got- travel coffee mugs, wheelchair accessories (fan & cupholder), corkcicle (for leaving Epcot with cold beverages that I don’t want to pound down at the exit ), packable rain jacket & hat, toiletries, first aid kit, medicines, extra contacts, 2 pairs of flip flops (I never have to pack extra shoes again!!), popcorn buckets, ziplocks, sharpie, scissors, blowup noodle (for the pool), sunglasses, sunscreen, cutting mats, a good pairing knife, 1 glass bowl with 1 SS spoon (for studio stays), chip clips, my favorite magicbands, a cooling towel, Christmas light up necklace, laundry detergent pods…. & more!!

What I LOVE- packing at home for my next Disney trip is always super easy!! I really don’t need to bring much & it feels so good

What I could do without- putting everything back into the box when we leave (with toiletries, etc, zipped up inside of “smelly proof” bags so that my box doesn’t acquire a stink & my espresso never tastes off bc of it )… it does take a considerable amount of time when we pack up (and it kind of adds to the *bleh* feeling of leaving)… but that’s just me & how I roll. I’m sure other people are happy to just throw everything in the box without much to-do (it’s actually what I do when we’ve got a split-stay & I love how quickly we can pack it all up!!!).

That's why you buy more OLs - to make packing on the last day less of a chore. I'm at 4 now.

 

[zavandor]

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

Now that most airlines charge for bags even for transatlantic flights, the cost of an OL is comparable to the cost of checking in a bag. I was planning to leave enough stuff to be able to travel just with the carryon. However, as I said the fact they don't deliver to Universal killed the deal for me.

 

[hglenn]

For us, we've also found that having duplicates of pretty much anything we need there to "get ready" is super beneficial for our 5am flights. Since we don't have to take anything that we will need before we leave, we can be 100% packed in the car the night before without having to wait until the morning to pack those last minute things you have to use before leaving. That alone keeps us from having any extra stressors at 3am when we have to leave the house by 330 for our flight.

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

The things that we love having the most are real dishes, cutlery, cutting board, sharp knife, travel coffee mugs and real wine glasses. We always stay in the studios, so I hate using the paper plates and plastic cutlery.

Ha, we're the opposite, we stay in 1-2 bedrooms and prefer paper plates! With 3 kids I have no inclination to do a bunch of dishes every day lol.

We also pack bottles of hard liquor for cocktails, extra fleece blankets for lounging and to use on the beds (2 kids usually share bed and complain about hogging blankets), a foam toddler bed bumper which we use to separate the two that have to share a bed (makes it more palatable for the older one who complains about the 5 year old roaming in his sleep), ears, ponchos, meds, full size sunscreen and toiletries since we have switched to carry ons, electric kettle, mister fans, my Teva park sandals, husband's pool sandals, and more that I'm probably forgetting. We have 2 OLs and the convenience is worth every penny, and it has helped us to be able to switch to carry ons only.

 

[2Lunds]

It's this plus "Stuff I don't want to have to think about while packing." So, we keep full-sized toiletries (we may be the last people on the planet with some H2O+ products), some fancy beach towels that fold down super small for the water parks, a slimline Brita pitcher (Central FL water: ick), and a nonstick pan that isn't scratched to high heaven.

It's not a way to save money. It's a way to provide convenience, and it's a small splurge to be able to do that.

Hey - does the Brita filter actually get the sulfur taste out of the water??

 

[Brian Noble]

I think so, but I am not a super-taster so YMMV.

If you don't want to go the pitcher route (or don't have/have room in an OL), this LifeStraw product is pretty cool. I've used it to drink from mountain streams while hiking so I don't have to worry about catching the ick. It should be more than capable for Central Florida Rotten Egg Water.

https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-universal

 

[Micca]

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.

This is what I've always thought--it's like Christmas! You forget about all the fun/handy things in the OL--"OMG a nearly full bottle of tequila!"

We've had OL for years, really appreciate the convenience. We fly SWA, so luggage isn't a big issue, but it still has the word "Lug" in it--We'd don't want to schlep all that stuff around if we don't have to.

I won't comment on the cost, it's just part of a WDW trip.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Hey - does the Brita filter actually get the sulfur taste out of the water??

Yes it does and I'm pretty sensitive to the tase.

 

[Mercdesman]

Here's all the stuff we have in our locker that we don't have to think about bringing with us or finding out we need after we get to our resort:

Aloe Gel
Brita Pitcher and Filters
Bandaids
Charging Station/cables
Coffee - Ground (we replenish every trip)
Coffee Filters
Contact Solution (I think DW actually threw in a spare set of disposables last time too)
Deodorant
Electric kettle (DW prefers tea over coffee)
Gas-X
Kitchen Knives (2, with actual sharp edges)
Medicine - Sinus
Medicine - Prilosec
Medicine - Ibuprofen
Medicine - Acetaminophen
Medicine - Benadryl
Nail clipper set
Ponchos
Scissors
Sewing Kit
Shaving cream
Sugar in the Raw
Sunscreen, face
Sunscreen, Spray
Tide Detergent pods
Toothbrushes x2 (spares)
Toothpaste
Tweezers
Wine/Bottle Opener
Ziploc Bags - Gallon
Ziploc Bags - Sandwich

I have Delta Medallion Status and get one free checked bag for up to 8 people travelling with me so for us, it's purely convenience. Compared to what a typical stay costs us, the $50 or so per trip that the OL comes out to doesn't even move the needle.

Does the brita filter get moldy in between visits? Is there some way to dry It out? I am worried that if I use it for a week and then put it in the OL the filter and pitcher will get moldy in the months before my next trip. Do you replace the filter every trip? That would get rather expensive. Any help would be great!

 

[LadybugsMum]

Does the brita filter get moldy in between visits? Is there some way to dry It out? I am worried that if I use it for a week and then put it in the OL the filter and pitcher will get moldy in the months before my next trip. Do you replace the filter every trip? That would get rather expensive. Any help would be great!

I replace the filter every trip. I can take apart my pitcher and dry it completely before putting it back in the OL.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Does the brita filter get moldy in between visits? Is there some way to dry It out? I am worried that if I use it for a week and then put it in the OL the filter and pitcher will get moldy in the months before my next trip. Do you replace the filter every trip? That would get rather expensive. Any help would be great!

The Brita pitcher filters are like $3 each. When we pack up, we just throw it away, dry out the pitcher and pack it up, and call it a day.

 

[RNstitches]

Does anyone store extra hangers? I always feel like there are not enough supplied in the closets

 

[2Lunds]

Yes it does and I'm pretty sensitive to the tase.

Awesome! What a gamechanger - thanks so much for replying!!

 

[fitnessmouse]

Does anyone store extra hangers? I always feel like there are not enough supplied in the closets

I store foldable hangers

 

[cfox612]

We're going to get one before our trip next fall. We've DVC and can finally get back into a yearly trip. I'm 100% doing it for convenience for things I pack every single trip, or would like to bring if I didn't have to take it to/from (the plan at least without knowing what they don't allow): meds (OTC & Zofran), shower/bath stuff, sunscreens (body/face), lotions, sandals, goggles, extra magic bands, Brita water bottles with filters, grooming supplies, extra contacts, sunglasses, hats, seasonings (s/p, garlic powder), one kitchen knife with sheath, Husbands coffee, single coffee pot with filters, travel coffee mugs, chai tea, battery milk frother, ziplocks, laundry supplies and epsom salts.

Yes, I could absolutely pack that every trip in one of our free checked bags, but I would absolutely rather not have to prep that as I'm prepping everyone else, working, etc. As we can afford to do it, we will. My sanity is worth a lot these days hahaha.