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Tinker Bell
04-07-2004, 11:14 AM
I lost my hat.I went on the matterhorn ride (the right side) W/ my niece leaving my 1yr old with my grandma for the first time.I love to go on the matterhorn with my niece. she haves so much fun with it.(even though she has gone on it since she was big enough to) So she has done it lots of times.But anyways back to the story she begged me to go on with her so I abandon my daughter who does like to be away from me for one sec with my grandma. I was in a hurry to rescue my grandma from a child that does not want to be with her at all and left my hat on the ride. :crying: Now if this was a hat I could get again I would do it with no problem. But seeing how this was my Fav hat and with the help from disneyland I made it to my liking.( I purchased one of those tigger hat with the spring tigger on top and with cutters, needle, thread,and brain power I made my own hat that I could wear everyday with no problems) now back to the reason of all this. I called lost and found sat morn the day after seeing how I lost it right before park closeing. I got a machine tring to be patient I left a message waiting till sunday afternoon. With the fear of losing my hat. I called again talking to someone that said I needed to come over and fill out a report cause they get rid of hats within 3 days. So I drove right down (now I know its just a hat but it was my hat) so I filed a report they told me it would take a couple days to get my hat that i just had to wait. Trying to patient cause I told them exactly were my hat was. How can they not find it. Days go by I call again to see where my hat was. They tell me they have not found it to call back in a couple more days. I wait a couple more days still no hat. I call they still have not found it. Call in a couple days by now I'm getting alittle irritated with them and my self for leaving it. So I call again now my steam is going up alittle. I wait a couple more days I called this morn and ask once again about my hat. How can they not find it I told them right away. filed a report gave great details about the hat. She told me someone might have liked it a took it home so now they employed thiefs. So because someone mistakenly leaves something gives them the right to take it and if they did find it by now they got rid of it if they did not care to look into the files. Now Im mad, very upset, :mad:, :mad:. I'm venting trying to figure out what I will do now. Any sugestion. If this was my child's beloved hat I would be madder. Dont they have some sort of system?

LegolandMC
04-07-2004, 11:25 AM
First of all, I've never worked at Disneyland, but I have worked at Legoland, in Guest Services, which is the department that deals with Lost and Found.

They do check through all of their files, on a daily basis. I know that we always did, and I know Disneyland does, because I've seen CM's doing it. They do have a system, but the system is not foolproof, because they can only guarantee that once something is turned in, they will match it to your written report. If the item is never returned, they can't return it to you.

Just because they said that someone might have found the hat and liked it does not mean they were referring to an employee. I'd bet money that she meant the next person to ride the ride found it and liked it. Jumping to the conclusion of Disneyland employing thiefs is a mighty jump. I can't tell you how many times I've sat at my window and had people upset that we couldn't find their item, and then have them comment that, "Oh, that person over there has something just like it." Sometimes, that someone was bringing the item to lost and found, so the owner was reunited with their lost item. Sometimes, the person kept it for themselves.

I know that it's frustrating and upsetting to lose something, especially something that you put time and effort into making. But if they don't find it, they don't find it, and getting upset with them isn't going to make it found. They didn't lose it. They're doing their best to keep track of items lost by hundreds of people a day.

Okay, I'm done ranting in defense of the employees. ;) :)

stitchfan_cm
04-07-2004, 12:16 PM
Sorry to hear about the hat there Tink. I've been in the same situation.

Here is how the DLR handles lost and found items. I will use Redwood Creek Challenge Trail as an example, since I work that attraction.

1.) The item must have been found before the Lost and Found office can get it. If you lost it that evening, and the hat meaning that much to you, you should have contacted the nearest security guard, and they would have made you fill out a report. Anything of great value(cameras, wallets, etc.) and important items should always be reported ASAP. If reported ASAP, that can give Lost and Found time to contact the attraction CM's so they can look for the hat.

2.) There are four posts on the RCCT(Log Slides, Smokejumpers, T-Wall, Greeter). We find lost and found articles throughout the day, and if possible, take them to the greeter position. If we can't at the time, we keep them there at the position.

3.) If someone approaches us and asks about a lost item, we call all of the posts and check. If found, we return it to the guest.

4.) If not clamed by the close of the park, the items are taken to the Lost and Found office.

5.) Any items that are of great value(cameras, wallets, etc.) are called in ASAP to the Lost and Found office, and a report is filled out by the CM.

If your hat was damaged, it could have been disposed of, without the CM knowing it was of great importance. If something like that happens, and your hat is damaged, you can ask the CM for a NSA(No Strings Attached) replacement.

On a personal note, all hats and valuables should be stowed where they will not get damaged. When I visit the park as a guest, I make sure to clip my hat to something on board before we take off. I learned the hard way.

I hope this helps.

adriennek
04-07-2004, 01:31 PM
I understand and appreciate that your hat was unique and important to you and I'm sorry that your story doesn't have a happy ending. I have heard many very happy ending stories from the Lost & Found department, so I know that they happen, unfortunately, there are limitations as others have mentioned, when it comes to any lost items.

We lost a brand new PDA one night a few years ago and reported it immediately to a cast member. It was found and back in our hands within an hour! I know of a person whose expensive digital camera was returned to him via Federal Express! Those happen to be high-end item stories but I've heard "low-end" item stories, too. They really do make an effort to return items to their rightful owners and I do believe that if your hat ever made it to L&F you would have it back.

Adrienne

Disney Vault
04-07-2004, 02:11 PM
Dont get mad at Disney. It was you who forgot to take it off or hold on to it during the ride.

Side story-
One time on Splash mt i was in the very back and the guy in the front had a hat on. we went down one drop and it frew off his head and into my arms that were up in the air. I passed it back up to him and he just put it right back on his head. we then went down the next drop and the hat flew off his head again into the water. He was upset but i dont feel sorry people who are stupid.
I'm not saying you were stupid because you probably just forgot but this guy didnt learn so i had no sympathy for him.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
04-07-2004, 02:40 PM
I am sorry that you lost your hat. That stinks! Do you know for sure that a cast member took it home? Isn't it possible that another guest got it?
I hope that you can make a new hat. It stinks when things like that get lost!

Tinker Bell
04-07-2004, 03:45 PM
For one thing I have been very kind to the people I have talk to at lost and found (w/please and thank you) never showing my anger I hope. I never said I was rude in anyway to them I show my anger here thinking that I could without being torn apart but I guess I was wrong sham on me. I was not wearing the hat on the ride because a nice cast member sugested I take it off I had no where to put it so I sat on it being a baseball hat I fig this would not hurt it.I KNOW I LOST IT.Never blamed it on the cast members for the loss (ALL ME) I was just asking for help. This is my first loss. The baby was falling alseep I did not know where to go to report anything and fig if I called first thing in the morn that all would be fine. Now it is nice you all stick up for the cast members at disney. But there is no need for that here. Im sorry that you all feel that I hate Cast members or what ever it is that you feel Sorryfrom the bottom of my heart.I had just got off the phone with them holding the anger and did not take the time to cool down before I started typing on the board. So I did not choose my words well I am sorry for this in hurting other people.Sorry once more.
Good day,
Tinker Bell

Disney Vault
04-07-2004, 04:08 PM
Was it a new hat? I cant imagine anyone taking someones hat. if you think about it, someone elses hat is pretty gross. i wear a lot and it it worn and torn and someone else would have to be crazy to want to wear it.

3894
04-07-2004, 04:16 PM
Old hat, new hat - bottom line is Tinker Bell told us her hat was special to her.

It is frustrating to lose a special possession. It is frustrating to be given the runaround. Likewise, from a couple of CM posts, it sounds as if it's genuinely frustrating not to be able to reunite a guest with a lost item.

Interesting thread! I learned some stuff. Thanks, all.

SykoSoul
04-07-2004, 07:24 PM
your hat was most likely picked up and kept by another guest at the park =(

adriennek
04-07-2004, 07:28 PM
Now it is nice you all stick up for the cast members at disney. But there is no need for that here. Im sorry that you all feel that I hate Cast members or what ever it is that you feel Sorryfrom the bottom of my heart.

I didn't see where I thought you hated all cast members, nor do I expect an apology from you. I was just trying to help you not lose all of your faith in the Disneyland Lost & Found system.

Obviously your hat was very special to you or you wouldn't feel so strongly about losing it. And, believe me, there is no rule on these boards that posters should feel like they need to defend CMs. Please don't take the comments on the board personally.

Adrienne

SykoSoul
04-07-2004, 07:32 PM
it's sad that people have to take other peoples items that they find at the park =(

I have found a couple cell phones, cameras, jackets, etc. etc. and I always turn them in to the nearest cast member so that they can hopefully be returned to the original owner(s).

SCUBAbe
04-07-2004, 08:29 PM
a good lost and found story.

We gave my daughter and her friend both a motorola talk about so we could communicate with them. Well, while looking in the shops one of the girls put one on the counter and walked away. (This is the busy time in the stores right when the park is closing.) Theyfiled a report, but we figured it was gone. About 3 weeks later we get a package in the mail. Disney had mailed it to our house. I was sooo amazed we got it back.

I hope you get your hat back....

Jason Reynolds
04-08-2004, 02:44 PM
Buy a new hat!

Tinker Bell
04-08-2004, 03:11 PM
well I would but Disneyland does not sell them any more.Thank you for your help.

Sophie832
04-08-2004, 03:19 PM
Here's my Lost and Found story:

On New Year's Eve, I lost 2 items in all the excitement. One was a 14k gold anklet that was a graduation gift from some friends of my dad's. I was wearing it, and I think the tulle from the lining of my gown's skirt rubbed against it, and it got caught and fell off. The other item was a pair of long (elbow-length) black gloves with buttons at the openings...very classy. I loaned them (my mistake) to a friend of mine to wear with her outfit during the day, and somehow she ended up setting them down somewhere...needless to say, they were never seen again. They were a 21st birthday present from my uncle.

This is the part that's totally my fault: I waited to go to Lost and Found. I figured I'd get around to it, and also my friend told me she'd left the gloves with someone else, so I first had to find out if that person had them. Time passed, and when I finally made it over to Lost and Found, I was dismayed to find they get rid of all items fairly quickly (they donate them to charity). I think it's 6 weeks, but it might be even sooner than that. I was a bit bummed, but it's my own fault for not having gone over there sooner.

Tinker Bell
05-02-2004, 10:23 PM
Seeing how I started this thread in angry. I wanted to bring praise here.Before going to Disneyland today I got my mail.And what would be in there a package from Disneyland Lost and Found with my HAT. :D I am so happy now and sorry for being so mad early. :| This was a shame on me.Sorry so sorry thank you for letting me vent here and now praising Disney.

MonorailMan
05-02-2004, 10:24 PM
Good to hear everything went full circle! :)

ToursbabeC3po
05-03-2004, 03:47 AM
Hi Tinkerbell,
I am happy that everything worked out and you got your hat back that is awesome! Just a little FYI. Lost and found can receive between 400-600 hats on a busy day so if you do not get your hat right away that is most likely the problem :-) I hope everyone has a good day!
Tours Babe

garkat
05-03-2004, 09:00 AM
relating to lost and found items...I found this interesting while on a trip to WDW last Dec. Since my niece was working at MGM in the college program she was able to take us to the "CM Store" to shop and enjoy some bigggg discounts on Disney items (you know...overstocked and out of date stuff) - anyways, they also had a damaged and lost and found shop. The items on the lost and found shelves included purses, empty wallets, cameras, many, many hats, toys, and can you believe even strollers?? (Who would "lose" a stroller in the park?) I asked about the lost and found items and was told that these were things that had been kept for at least 3 months before they were offered for sale. I was really surprised at the quality of items that apparently people just assume once it's gone, it's gone...
By the way, we realy did enjoy our shopping trip that day and it was right before Xmas...yesssss

Tinker Bell
05-03-2004, 10:07 AM
Do they do this here at Disneyland? I have been given a ticket to go to Company D this month.I here this is a great place to go Disney shopping.I love going to the outlet in fullerton.Sometimes they have great deals.

ToursbabeC3po
05-03-2004, 11:59 AM
Do they do this here at Disneyland? I have been given a ticket to go to Company D this month.I here this is a great place to go Disney shopping.I love going to the outlet in fullerton.Sometimes they have great deals.

They have a lost and found sale but it is not at company D like at WDW. I have never been but I have heard that people wait overnight to get the best things.

Tinker Bell
05-03-2004, 12:40 PM
Thank you. But thats not my kind of thing.Some people have time some don't.

Kevy Baby
05-03-2004, 12:56 PM
Why don't people use paragraphs?