Lost Backpack & Beloved Stuffed Animal @ Disneyland

[TinkerbellSecret]

My 7 year old DD left her small (purse size) Tinkerbell backpack on the back of a bathroom door near Star Tours on Wed. March 24th. We noticed about an hour later. We ran back the bathroom - worker in there hadn't seen it. We went to City Hall - they were super helpful & called every attraction/store around there to see if it was turned in. After nothing turned up, we went to lost & found. By this point, DD was a wreck. This little stuffed animal means the world to her. I know, I know - why bring it to Disneyland, right? She wanted her "Lovie" to have fun too and she'd be safe in the backpack (or so we thought! She went to WDW with us last trip and did fine!). The CM @ Lost & Found was super sweet and gave my DD a 2010 Mickey Mouse to hold until Lovie was found. A total stranger at Lost & Found gave me his phone number and said to call him when we got home - that he had an unused Tinkerbell backpack just sitting in a closet not being used that he would send her! At that point, I was almost crying! We then returned to the park and my poor daughter, at that point, was determined to just sit on Main Street with her aunt & I to watch for her Lovie

While we were @ Lost & Found grandma had decided to go back to the bathroom & dig through garbages, but first stopped in the restaurant (is it the Plaza? I can't think of the name). Low and behold --- the backpack was safely there with a CM! I have to say - the reunion was fabulous!

We were pleasantly surprised to find other items still safely inside. However, although we were prepared for this, the wallet and hard-earned allowance of a 7 year old were gone. My daughter was so disappointed that someone went through her things and took her money. She is still having a hard time understanding why someone would turn in part of her stuff, but not all.

I just felt like sharing this story because I wanted to share my great experience with the CMs @ Disneyland. All in all I am so very thankful that most people are so very kind and helpful (CMs, stranger @ Lost & Found, others taking the time to say a kind word when she was so sad). At the same time I am sad that people still do mean things. I know, it's the way of the world today. I just hope whoever took it, someday, feels some sort of guilt. Thankfully, we were able to recover our day, have fun, and follow it up with another great day!

 

[MrsPinup]

It is so great that there are wonderful CM's at DLR. Too bad there are horrible people out there though. Obviously you could tell that this was a children's wallet. Of all the low things to do- to take a kids money, and at DL of all places. Shame on them!

 

[spacemermaid]

I'm so glad she got her Lovie back, even though the $ was gone! I lost my "Lovie" (a stuffed bunny) when I was little, on a trip to Disneyland...thankfully, a maid at the hotel my family was staying in found & turned it in.

 

[CrazyDuck]

I hope whoever took her money used it to buy a churro and subsequently choked on it! Anyways, maybe you can use this as a learning experience so that when your DD starts carrying credit cards in a couple of years she will be more careful.

 

[Amy and kids]

So glad to hear that you had such wonderful CMs helping you to find your dd's purse. I am so glad that your dd was able to get it back along with her lovie! That's so sad that someone would stoop so low as to steal money from a child!

 

[kelmac284]

I would bet it was prob a teenager or other kid. COULD be an adult but that is prob why the money was taken and the rest was prob left somewhere or thrown down. I would guess an adult would have turned the entire thing in. Or at least I would HOPE so!!

My stepdaughter left her purse with only a hairbursh in it on big thunder and we hadn't even left the ride when we realized it and it was GONE! We even checked lost and found and NOPE. There wasn't even money in it. I also lost my visor which is only worth 5 bucks but I can only wear certain kinds because I get migraines and I was so dissapointed that someone would take that. I would NEVER steal a hat. YUCK! Wow knows who wore it last! People amaze me. When we went to the lost and found the people in front of us had their entire stroller stolen with their kids medicine a bunch of their diaper bag stuff and worse their VIDEO camera!!

SAD!!

Glad your daughter got her stuff back and sorry about the wallet!!

 

[kingLouiethe1]

It's so sad that people think its ok to just take things, especially at the happiest place on earth. Someone took my sorcerer Mickey antenna ball from Disney World at the Mickey parking structure just a few weeks ago.

I was super upset, because I really like the little thing, but also because a fellow Disney fan would think that it's ok.

 

[pixiewings71]

At least you got the bag back.....same thing happened with my DD except we left her bag in a store on the counter where she had just made a purchase.....we NEVER got it back, not the bag, not the wallet (which clearly belonged to a child as DD had her school ID in her wallet) not the Disney Dollars, not the pins she had NO intention of EVER trading so she had put them on her bag...nor did we have a nice man offering to send her a replacement at Lost & Found. that was not the happiest trip for her. She couldn't understand why someone would take her stuff like that....
OP I am really glad your DD got her bag and her Lovie back, that's the BEST ending.

 

[cinderella_mom]

When my DD was 5 she lost her Bear in the Big Blue House stuffed animal in the bathroom near City Hall. We realized it within minutes and went back, but it was already gone. We checked lost and found five or six times to no luck, but filled out the card in case he was returned later in the day. A few days later he arrived in a padded envelope in the mail, with a note saying what a great adventure he had with Mickey. It was very cute and DD still tells people the story about Bear getting to spend the night at DL.