Pros & Cons of an Owner's Locker...

[DonMacGregor]

Has anyone found a lock that works well to secure the owners locker? I often find some of the OL zip ties broken when the locker is delivered to the room and have resorted to using at least 1 regular zip tie on each locker.

I think the question is whether you could get a cable lock to cinch tight enough to keep the lid closed. You'd probably still need a zip tie to keep the lid secure. They do make zip tie like cable locks, but they are pretty long, and can't be cut to length. A small cable type luggage lock might work, but won't keep the lid tight. At the end of the day, it's a plastic tub with a plastic lid, so it's never going to really need the added security of a lock.

 

[RoseGold]

Has anyone found a lock that works well to secure the owners locker? I often find some of the OL zip ties broken when the locker is delivered to the room and have resorted to using at least 1 regular zip tie on each locker.

I've never had any tampered at all, and I use this constantly. You could get one of those travel cable locks for securing bags. They would fit. Or just beefier zip ties. Those are made so you can twist or snap them off.

But that seems like it would only draw attention. There's nothing worth stealing in my owner's locker. You have to dig through the old flip flops and used swimsuits to get to a water bottle worth of vodka.

 

[BrianLa]

I think the question is whether you could get a cable lock to cinch tight enough to keep the lid closed. You'd probably still need a zip tie to keep the lid secure. They do make zip tie like cable locks, but they are pretty long, and can't be cut to length. A small cable type luggage lock might work, but won't keep the lid tight. At the end of the day, it's a plastic tub with a plastic lid, so it's never going to really need the added security of a lock.

That’s currently what I use. A small cable lock but it’s not very secure since there’s no way to tighten it hence the good old fashion zip ties.

 

[BrianLa]

I've never had any tampered at all, and I use this constantly. You could get one of those travel cable locks for securing bags. They would fit. Or just beefier zip ties. Those are made so you can twist or snap them off.

But that seems like it would only draw attention. There's nothing worth stealing in my owner's locker. You have to dig through the old flip flops and used swimsuits to get to a water bottle worth of vodka.

I don’t keep anything of value in there but when the locker arrives and both OL zip ties are missing it’s a bit unsettling. TBH they probably break because we overstuff the lockers.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

For how many people? And how long are your typical stays?

I go anywhere from 5 days to a month; usually 12-15 days. It was for 2 people but I also bring guests (sometimes families with children) many times. I go around the year so I like having a pair of gloves along with my bathing suits. I keep sneakers there because you need two pair if you are going to do parks most days.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

If you’re anything like us, pretty soon your OL will be packed so tightly that your mugs won’t even wiggle!

And then you'll buy another one and then...

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

We LOVED our owners locker until we moved close enough that we drive every time. Now it just lives in our garage and serves the same purpose honestly. We just throw it in the car and go.

I just moved to Tampa from RI. I'm wondering if I will pare down from the 4.

 

[justadreamaway77]

We keep booze, a mickey waffle iron, chef's knife, blanket, hats, visors, tide pods, cups, sunscreen, and a soft sided cooler for pool drinks.

 

[Little E]

We've been DVC owners for a little over a year, and we took the plunge in January with OL. Best decision ever. I would agree with everything everyone says here, but the feature I really like is that I can keep an accurate list of items stored in my OL so I don't have to remember what's in there. OL has a dashboard feature, and you can make a list of all the stuff in your bin.

Bin packing hack: I took pictures of all the "stuff" I was packing in my bin before DH hauled it to the bell stand on our last morning. When I got home from the trip, I opened my pictures and typed in all the items in my OL dashboard. Worked like a charm! I'm headed down two more times this year, and having that list is a lifesaver!

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t keep anything of value in there but when the locker arrives and both OL zip ties are missing it’s a bit unsettling. TBH they probably break because we overstuff the lockers.

I keep my own set of zip ties in there to use in case i am missing them to send it back. I find the ones from home work better.

 

[Nickylv]

I've been a DVC member for over 15 years and I've heard of Owner's Lockers but never really thought about getting one since I didn't really see the value.

However, I'm starting to open up to the idea since I want to start packing less when I fly. What are some pros & cons to the lockers? What are the main items you store in your locket that pushed you to get one?

I appreciate any input

We have an owners locker. We keep a bottle of wine, some water bottles, toiletries, two umbrellas, ponchos, hair spray, sunscreen, coffee filters, small kureg machine, coffee pods, tea bags, coffee cups, dishwasher and laundry detergent, plastic wrap, baggies, sugar, shower caps, paper towels, bandades, tooth brushes. Tooth paste. Sewing kit, scissors, extra combs and brushes,nail clippers, chap stick, candle, flash light, wine glasses, my wife leaves some makeup. Well you get my drift…. I take pictures of the contents everytime so when I know I will not have to pack this stuff. You would be suprised how much it holds

 

[Nursemanit]

Looks like the price is going up - still worth it.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Looks like the price is going up - still worth it.

Honestly I'm amazed they can do it profitably for the price they charge. It's a great service I wish there was something similar for our gulf coast Beach trips. They do some volume that's for sure. When we were at Riviera we were on the back of the building and I could see the loading dock. The purple van showed up and I saw the guy unloading the whole van full, at least 20. Then loaded a bunch back in from people checking out. That's just one resort on one day, crazy.

Their warehouse(s) must be massive. And climate controlled so definitely not cheap. Orlando is probably one of the only places it could work, with the insane density of hotel rooms in a relatively compact area.

 

[Disney Spaz]

We finally took the plunge today and ordered our first OL after 10 yrs as DVC owners. We have found that we prefer to pare down when flying and only do carry-on's if possible. This will make it possible so we do not need to check a suitcase full of toiletries each trip. I am actually excited about it for this upcoming trip.

 

[RoseGold]

I got my OLs and they have new normal zip ties. The old kind you could just twist off. The new ones require scissors or a knife, maybe that's good depending on how you look at it? It looks like they sent me plenty of both kinds.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I think the question is whether you could get a cable lock to cinch tight enough to keep the lid closed. You'd probably still need a zip tie to keep the lid secure. They do make zip tie like cable locks, but they are pretty long, and can't be cut to length. A small cable type luggage lock might work, but won't keep the lid tight. At the end of the day, it's a plastic tub with a plastic lid, so it's never going to really need the added security of a lock.

That’s currently what I use. A small cable lock but it’s not very secure since there’s no way to tighten it hence the good old fashion zip ties.

I use a small travel cable lock (bc I cannot undo even the twist zip ties w/o scissors bc of my rheumatoid arthritis… and my scissors are in the locker )… I’m not worried about valuables- just wanna keep it closed & be able to open it unassisted. What I’ve learned is that if you double-loop the cable through the holes it does tighten the lid down quite a bit better. You can still pop the lid off at the edge, but only an inch or so… works well for my needs & I’ve got zero concerns

This is the one I have-
Lewis N. Clark TSA Approved Padlock & Bike Lock for Luggage + Travel, Set Your Combo w/30in Retractable Steel Cable, Blue, One Size https://a.co/d/fn8Sqip

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I've been a DVC member for over 15 years and I've heard of Owner's Lockers but never really thought about getting one since I didn't really see the value.

However, I'm starting to open up to the idea since I want to start packing less when I fly. What are some pros & cons to the lockers? What are the main items you store in your locket that pushed you to get one?

I appreciate any input

The final item that pushed us over the edge to get an owner’s locker was an espresso machine. I loved it!! Ironically, the particular machine we bought for FL had a lot of difficulty with being stored & restarted just a handful of times each year… and had to be brought home.

We still have the OL filled with everything that I don’t want to pack: toiletries (in “smelly proof” bags), extra contacts, magicbands + keepers, kitchen items, medical supplies, gear for my wheelchair, ultra light rain jacket, Mickey sunglasses, 2 pairs of sparkly Havaianas flip flops, swim stuff, park stuff, and 2 DVC popcorn buckets (I threw away the lids & have never had popcorn directly in them- I’ve got gallon baggies that we put inside them instead- no cleaning & no smell in the buckets ).

I will probably buy a different espresso machine to put back into it bc I miss it ️ (but I do prefer the resorts blend k-cup to the 50th blend, so now that it’s back & newer rooms are being equipped with dual k-cup/coffee machines, I may hold off on that decision). Either way, it’s been fantastic vacationing with the OL & I highly recommend it!!

 

[Nickylv]

The final item that pushed us over the edge to get an owner’s locker was an espresso machine. I loved it!! Ironically, the particular machine we bought for FL had a lot of difficulty with being stored & restarted just a handful of times each year… and had to be brought home.

We still have the OL filled with everything that I don’t want to pack: toiletries (in “smelly proof” bags), extra contacts, magicbands + keepers, kitchen items, medical supplies, gear for my wheelchair, ultra light rain jacket, Mickey sunglasses, 2 pairs of sparkly Havaianas flip flops, swim stuff, park stuff, and 2 DVC popcorn buckets (I threw away the lids & have never had popcorn directly in them- I’ve got gallon baggies that we put inside them instead- no cleaning & no smell in the buckets ).

I will probably buy a different espresso machine to put back into it bc I miss it ️ (but I do prefer the resorts blend k-cup to the 50th blend, so now that it’s back & newer rooms are being equipped with dual k-cup/coffee machines, I may hold off on that decision). Either way, it’s been fantastic vacationing with the OL & I highly recommend it!!

My wife bought me a Jonathan Adler small Keurig machine along with two nice size J.A. Coffee cups which I keep in their boxes so they don’t get damaged. The small Keurig machine only works with K. Cups and not ones you can make yourself found that out the hard way when I brought my own coffee mix and used a reusable K cup and it didn’t work. But I really like to make one cup at a time so its so worth it.

 

[Moneypenny]

I got my OLs and they have new normal zip ties. The old kind you could just twist off. The new ones require scissors or a knife, maybe that's good depending on how you look at it? It looks like they sent me plenty of both kinds.

Yes, we noticed that on our trip last week and weren't happy about it because our scissors are INSIDE our locker.

 

[BcIcemen]

Yes, we noticed that on our trip last week and weren't happy about it because our scissors are INSIDE our locker.

I was there the end of May and I got the snap off ties