As we told you about a few weeks ago, a major update was coming to the Lost & Found process at Walt Disney World. That update has launched today at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/lost-and-found/ and directs you to a third-party website run by Chargerback.

Chargerback touts itself as “… the leading provider of lost and found solutions. We are dedicated to providing a robust state of the art technology solution to assist airlines, casinos, resorts, rental car companies, cruise lines, amusement parks and public spaces with providing exceptional customer service in the area of lost and found. Our cloud based solution, which includes a database, guest facing notifications, a PCI compliant payment module and integrated shipping options, are designed to eliminate inefficiencies associated with this cumbersome and frustrating process.”

In my opinion, it’s great that Disney has partnered with a third-party company with expertise in this field and a proven technical solution that obviously works well for a large list of organizations. Based on the frequent issues with the My Disney Experience mobile app as well as occasional problems with the Walt Disney World website itself, I am sure that Chargerback’s system would be more reliable than one developed in-house. And when it comes to retrieving your lost wallet, don’t you want the most reliable system you can get?

The system lets you choose from 26 categories of lost items:

  • Blankets, Pillows and Towels
  • Bottles, Cups and Mugs
  • Cases and Containers
  • Cellphone
  • Clothing
  • Drugs and Medical Equipment
  • Duty Free
  • Electronics
  • Entertainment
  • Eyewear
  • Footwear
  • Headwear
  • Housewares
  • IDs, Drivers Licenses, Credit Cards and Passports
  • Jewelry
  • Keys, Wallets and Other Personal Accessories
  • Luggage, Travel Equipment
  • Membership Cards and Tickets
  • Money and Gift Cards
  • Musical Instruments
  • Photographs, Documents, Books, etc.
  • Religious Articles
  • Souvenirs
  • Sports Equipment
  • Toiletries and Hair Products
  • Toys and Pets

There is also an option for “Other” but it comes with a pop-up warning: “Unless your item is highly unusual, please choose a specific category. Choosing “Other” will reduce the likelihood of a successful match and recovery.”

While I could imagine someone carrying something around the Magic Kingdom that doesn’t fit one of the above categories (pin bag for example), I’d bet that these are standardized options in the Chargerback system, as there are some that I highly doubt someone would tote around during their vacation (an accordion under the Musical Instruments category, or a blender in the Housewares category).

The system also asks for the location where you lost the item, and your choices are the four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs, ESPN Wide World of Sports, the miniature golf courses, and on a transportation vehicle (bus, monorail, watercraft). The main page advises that if you lost an item at a resort, to contact that resort’s Lobby Concierge for assistance. And if you lost your item on Magical Express, there’s a Mears phone number to call.

Overall, I think this system is a great improvement. It will not only make it easier and more likely that you’ll be reunited with your lost item, but it will also reduce the number of guests in line at City Hall, as those people will no longer need to wait in line to report a lost item.

Have you ever lost an item at Walt Disney World? Did you get it back? What was your experience with the previous process? Let us know in the comments!