Owner's locker - love it or regret it?

[dianeschlicht]

JMHO...I really think this is an expense that is a luxery, not a needed item. One can very efficiently pack most of the items stored in the OL. Heck, why not just pay $15/bag for the extra stuff to take ont he airlines as a checked bag. Its still cheaper than the $95/yr. Also, there is the "obligation" to use it since your paying for it. Nope, nice concept, not really a good value, monetarily speaking.

That was DH's arguement for a long time! Once we realized that the $15 or $25 per bag charge two ways for 2-3 trips a year added up quickly, he decided we should just "do it"! Well, one trip under our belt with OL, and we are SO happy with it!!! Our three trips this year would have been a minimum of $90 in baggage fees anyway. This way we don't have to pack that stuff each trip, and we can get by with a carry on of clothes only each time.

 

[dgaston]

On opening the OL ties. I have trouble ripping the little tab open. Now that TSA says nail clippers are ok, I find the clipper works well to open the tie.

And then I have access to the knives inside the OL

 

[delmar411]

I'm thrilled with ours. I finally unearthed the post where I listed what I got in ours. I think there are a few more things in there too. With 4 kids it is worth it to only have to think of everything we need for WDW 1x. Now all I have to think about is which t's and shorts to bring for the kids.

full size tub of wipes
toddler flushable wipes soft pack
hard case that is holding about 50-60 trading pins
pin lanyards for the kids
5 drink lanyards
18 pairs of underwear (preschooler to adult)
15 pairs of socks
cooler
15loads of laundry soap
box of dryer sheets
4 water bottles, 1 with a carrying bag
1 large water container with carrying bag
packets to make up lemonade
full sized shampoo/conditioner/body wash/kid soap
6 toothbrushes
2 tubes of toothpaste
2 boxes of tampons
shower poof
q-tips
face wash
assorted other bathroom needs including contacts
2 full sized sun screens
multiple throw away razors
shaving cream
2 combs
1 hairbrush
15 toy cars
15 littlest pet shops
4 bags of crayons
6 ponchos
stack of blank paper for coloring
kid medicines
adult medicines
band aids
multiple chapsticks
assorted collection of pain relievers
10-12 filters for the brita water bottle
string backpack
cloth laundry bag

ETA~ things I forgot were also in there:
fabric markers
blank t's/hats for autographs
deodorant
hoops for stretching the t's on for signing

 

[DaveH]

JMHO...I really think this is an expense that is a luxery, not a needed item. One can very efficiently pack most of the items stored in the OL. Heck, why not just pay $15/bag for the extra stuff to take ont he airlines as a checked bag. Its still cheaper than the $95/yr. Also, there is the "obligation" to use it since your paying for it. Nope, nice concept, not really a good value, monetarily speaking.

You are right,if you travel once a year and can use one extra bag, the $30 for your bag per trip it makes no sense for you. Here is why we use our locker. Before we got our locker and before charges for a second bag. We are empty nesters with no grandkids ans kids who do not go with us. For a while we had had 3 check bags. We got tired of dragging 3 check bags around. Dw started sending a box before and then we would send it back. DW would print out the labels for the return shipment. That cost us $40 a trip We average 2 to 3 trips a year. We bought with no specials and a couple of days later they offered 2 visits a year instead of for 3 years from the DIS. OL let us have that. We keep a humidifier in ours. DW takes ZertykD everyday. We keep one sheet in our locker. She uses when we arrive at WDW and she replaces it with a new sheet. Most of the meds we have in our locker have 2 or more years expiration dates. OL has a place where you can keep track of what is in your locker. So you can add what is needed to be replaced in there also. As for money wise. We can justify about $60 to $80 of the cost out right. The amount of stuff that can fit in a locker will take 2 or 3 check bags. We know the stuff is there and it we forget something it is more than likely there. We have stuff in our locker that makes our trip in a DVC villa nicer but never bring back and forth. I have read where families it seems to make more sense than just the 2 of us. On a side note we spend more on lodging at WDW because we always stayed in value resorts and DVC cost us more still now. Not cost effective $ for $, but the difference is so much better. The way they work you own the locker. When you finish using the system it is ours. The annual fee is for the storing the locker and delivering it and taking it back. We now have much lighter check bags and sometimes use only one check bag for the 2 of us for a one week stay. We don't have to worry or and take precautions to have laundry soap and other stuff leaking in our luggage. To use the ability to have our stuff there and ready on short notice is great. The night before or in the morning of the day you need it you can request it. You just go online and request it to where and when to leave it and pick it back up. OL is like DVC not for everyone, but is a great service. On these boards OL is like DVC 99% love them and the others get scared because of the fashion people defend them. I hope this helps some.

 

[Deb8821]

I love my OL. It makes traveling to Disney so much easier with 3 kids. One problem I had was remembering everything it holds & writing it down. So this time before I packed it all in the box I took a bunch of digital pics. That way I just look at the pictures. Plus I took a picture of a note I wrote to myself reminding me to bring a couple things next trip. It worked out really slick.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

One problem I had was remembering everything it holds & writing it down. So this time before I packed it all in the box I took a bunch of digital pics.

I did this too. I added some things on our last trip and it was just easier to snap pics of the open locker than write it all down.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Count me in as one who LOVES her OL. Just finished a week at the world and I took a carryon. Which came in handy when I volunteered to be bumped from my flight home (pays for September's airfare). Other ppl had checked their bags and felt uncomfortable without them.

My OL is so stuffed I am surprised John hasn't emailed me to say "bad girl". I will probably be getting another so I can bring my own bedding (love my snuggly ggosedown duvet).

I keep rain gear, crocs, sneakers, slippers, kitchen supplies, first aid, laundry supplies, reading books, games, and full size toiletries in my OL.

Ol is convenient, efficient, friendly, and affordable. And PURPLE. What more can you ask for?

 

[Candace]

Don't forget.....You can keep up with what you have stored in your locker on the OL website. Just click "edit locker" under Locker 1, Locker 2, etc. It brings up your list and lets you add or delete items. I loved the service even before airlines started charging for baggage, but now, it's even better!

 

[disneybride96]

Having an Owners Locker means never having to pay for checked luggage again!

 

[MinnieGirl33]

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Just came home from a hockey tournament in VA Beach & was soooo missing my OL! While packing I was joking with DH about calling John & Brian to see if they would deliver to me there!

We are actually considering a 2nd locker.

 

[Micca]

We haven't even made our first trip home yet, but on our last WDW trip we got an OL and filled it with stuff such that we could pack and travel lighter.
I'll have a better answer in September, but anything that could make for less stuff to lug on/off airplanes is a positive

 

[Dillon]

Last time in "The World" our OL box was so full, I was afraid the plastic ties would fly off under the strain and put out someone's eye!

I am resisting the urge to get a second one.

No it is not a better deal or cheaper than the airline charges, as already debated here. It is just a matter of convenience and ease of getting back "Home". There are no conveniences in life that are cheap; they are just convenient.

Happy Purple to ya!

 

[Tara]

Ol is convenient, efficient, friendly, and affordable. And PURPLE. What more can you ask for?

AND it sends text messages to let you know it arrived safely...some of my family members could take a lesson from that!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

No it is not a better deal or cheaper than the airline charges, as already debated here. It is just a matter of convenience and ease of getting back "Home". There are no conveniences in life that are cheap; they are just convenient.

That depends what airline you fly and how many times per year you go to Disney. For us, OL winds up being cheaper than what the airline would bang us out for on multiple trips per year. That aside, I'd pay for the convenice (and do) not to have to tote more crap through the airport.

AND it sends text messages to let you know it arrived safely...some of my family members could take a lesson from that!

That text message proved invaluable on our last trip when the resort "lost" our OL. I had to show them that YES, it was delivered. The resort manager saw my text and then set out on a quest to locate my locker. About an hour later they found it. Now if I didn't have that text on my phone, they probably would have argued with me that it wasn't delivered (like they were trying to tell me before I showed them the message).

 

[disneyistheone]

We love our Owner's Locker. We got it for our first trip home last October and did a one day car rental so we could go to Walmart and Publix to fill up the OL. For our last trip, we only had a carryon for the flights.
We keep the standard things plus some wine, a wireless router, microwave popcorn and so on. It's not so much the money that you save on the airline baggage charges but also it's a matter of convenience. The Owner's Locker customer service is outstanding. The Owner's Locker is always delivered on the morning of our arrival and left with Bell Services. It's picked up from Bell Services on the day that we leave. It just doesn't get ny better.