If you’ve ever been to Disney World (or any theme park), you may agree that one really annoying aspect is having to carry your purchases around with you.
Maybe it’s not that big of a deal if it’s a shirt or something small you can fit in a bag. But if you’ve purchased something breakable like a mug, something large like a painting or other art, or something awkwardly shaped like a stuffed animal, carrying your purchase around the park suddenly becomes a real hassle.
Luckily, Disney has a solution for this! If you find yourself in a Disney World park with a purchase you don’t want to carry around with you, you can use Merchandise Pick-up!
Today we’re going to talk about what Merchandise Pick-up is, what the benefits are, and how to use it!
What is Merchandise Pick-up?
Merchandise pick-up allows you to send any purchases you make in the park directly to your Disney World Resort or to a location at the front of the park.
This means if you make a purchase that you don’t want to carry around with you for any reason.
All you have to do is let the Cast Member ringing you up know that you’d like to use merchandise pick-up. They will then arrange for you to pick up your purchase at your preferred location.
The Benefits of Merchandise Pick-up
The obvious benefits to you as a consumer are that you no longer have to carry around bulky or breakable purchases.
But it’s also good to keep in mind that this benefits Disney as much as it benefits you. In providing a service like this, they’re taking away a barrier that may otherwise prevent someone from making a purchase.
Over time, they’ve learned that one big reason people walk away from a purchase is that they don’t want to carry it with them for the rest of the day. In providing guests with the option to pick up their packages, it increases the chance that they will actually make a purchase.
However, this is also part of what makes Disney unique. They take the time to understand what people find irritating or inconvenient and they do what they can to alleviate that inconvenience.
How to use it
When you go to check out at your merchandise location, let the Cast Member helping you know that you want to use merchandise pick up before they start to ring you up.
The Cast Member will use a special Merchandise Pick-up slip to ring up your purchase. You will get a copy of this slip and a receipt. Another copy will go with your purchase.
From there, the process will depend on if you’re staying at a Disney World Resort, or if you’re off property or leaving Disney within 24 hours.
If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort
If you’re staying at a Disney Resort, the Cast Member will note on the Merchandise Pick-up slip what hotel you’re staying at and other basic identifying information.
It can take 24 hours for your purchase to make it over to your resort, so if you buy something in Magic Kingdom on Monday, you won’t be able to pick it up at your resort until later in the day on Tuesday.
This means you have to be staying in Disney World for at least another 24 hours to make use of this perk.
When you’re ready to pick up your purchase, go to your resort’s gift shop. There should be a register designated and labeled as a pick-up location. If you can’t seem to find this location, ask a Cast Member.
Hand the Cast Member helping you your copy of the Merchandise pick up form. They will go to the back and retrieve your purchase.
If you’re leaving your resort or staying off property
If you’re checking out of your resort the next day, staying off property, or want access to your purchase in less than 24 hours, Disney has an option for you!
Instead of sending your purchase to a resort, you can have it sent to a location at the front of the park where you can pick it up on you’re way out.
You’ll follow the same basic process when you make a purchase. In this case, the Cast Member will indicate on the Merchandise pick up slip that you’re picking your purchase up in the Park.
It can take your purchase 3 hours to make it to the front of the park, so as long as you’ve still got at least that much time left in your day, you can take advantage of this feature.
Here’s where you can find the Merchandise Pick-up locations in the parks:
- Magic Kingdom – Main Street Chamber of Commerce
- Epcot – Entrance Plaza Gift Shop and International Gateway World Traveler Shop
- Hollywood Studios – Oscar’s Super Service
- Animal Kingdom – Garden Gate Gifts
When in doubt, ask the cast member checking you out.
Once you reach your pick up location, give your Merchandise Pick-up slip to a Cast Member and they’ll pull your purchase for you.
Also worth noting
Using merchandise pick up is completely free! Disney recognizes that this is a mutually beneficial service. From their end, they have it in place to help you spend money. As a result, the service itself is offered at no additional charge.
If you decide you don’t want something you’ve purchased, you should be able to return it at any merchandise location on Disney property. So even if your purchase has already made it to your hotel, you can return it there.
If you have a problem with any part of this process, always talk with a Cast Member. They really will do everything they can to help you resolve any issues.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: Have you used Disney’s merchandise pick-up? Tell us about it in the comments!