Kenneth Glad
According to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, nearly 12,000 children benefit each year from programs supported in part by items left behind at Disney theme parks.
At two of the busiest resorts in the United States, misplaced hats, shopping bags and sunglasses are routine. From there, the process is fairly straightforward.
People report that unclaimed property from Walt Disney World is delivered every three months to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida Thrift Store. The money raised from reselling those goods supports after-school programs and financial assistance in surrounding communities.
Betsy Owens, Vice President of Marketing for the organization, said many items arrive unused. “A lot of items are brand new things people purchased in Disney parks, they leave them somewhere in a bag and they don’t claim them,” she told Florida Today. “We’ve gotten brand new Oakley sunglasses with the tags on them.”
In a back room of the thrift store, staff and volunteers open large cartons and sort merchandise by size and type. Some items receive handwritten price stickers before being moved onto sales racks.
Three-month window
Guests have up to three months to reclaim their items before they are donated. Disney operates a cloud-based lost and found system at both its Orlando and Anaheim parks and says it provides updates within 48 hours of a report being filed.
If no one comes forward, the goods are cleared for donation. People also reported that surplus fabric, office supplies and technology have gone to local nonprofits and schools.
The steady quarterly deliveries make planning easier for store managers. They know that more inventory is coming.
Lines before opening
In California, Disneyland partners with Orange County Goodwill for an annual lost and found sale, according to The Orange County Register. Prices are typically set well below what shoppers would pay inside the park.
On sale days, cars begin pulling in early. Cast members are allowed to shop first. Then the doors open and the rush starts.
Mickey-branded sweatshirts and souvenir ears disappear quickly.
For Disney, the arrangement prevents warehouses from filling up with unclaimed goods. For its nonprofit partners, it provides a dependable stream of merchandise that can be turned into program funding month after month.
Source: People
