My Label Maker, My Friend

I love my label maker. I love it so much I photographed it...with flowers.

(Okay, so I promised my daughter I would take a picture of the flowers from her dance recital and my label maker was sitting nearby - I am not completely crazy!)

So why does my label maker deserve a spot on a Disney blog? Because it is a great way to make sure you take home everything you bring with you!

Disney has an amazing lost and found department. Can you imagine how many pairs of sunglasses a day are turned in? From what I understand Disney will make every effort to return lost items to their rightful owner, so why not make it easy for them to do so? Or for that matter, maybe the Good Samaritan who finds whatever you have lost will take the time to return it to you...if only they knew how. Enter The Label Maker...insert dramatic music here.

I use a Brother P-touch that I have had for several years. I bought it after my daughter was born to label the multitude of sippies, snack containers, jackets, diaper bags and all of the various items that I had to haul everywhere. (If you want to get a Mommy-to-be a gift she will really use, think label maker!) You can find similar models at your local office supply, Target, or Walmart. I prefer to use the laminated labels because they stay on quite nicely - even in rain or the dishwasher.

When I head to the World, I label anything that I would like returned if lost. I label many things before we leave and I even tuck some extra labels in an envelope so I can tag things on arrival. My husband joked that if he stood still long enough I would slap a label on him! My label maker will allow me to print 2 lines in a small font. I put my name on the top line and my cell phone number on the bottom line. Then I just peel and stick!

Items that are Label Worthy

• My kids. But that is another post all together...stay tuned!
• Park Tickets - In addition to my name and cell, I also label who the ticket actually belongs to. It is a good idea to take a photo of all of the numbers on your ticket in case you need to get a new one issued quickly.
• Photopass - I hate to think of how many family photos may be lost because a photog switched photo passes. It is also a good idea to take a picture of the back of your Photopass card.
• Cameras - Video and Still. I decided to leave my labels on even after I returned home. It has come in handy more than once!
  Camera SD cards
• Cell Phones - I put my name and cell on my hubby's phone and his name and cell on mine.
• iPods, mp3 players, video games and other in line time wasters
• Luggage -I use an easily identifiable luggage tag and then just slap my label on it. No worrying about ink running in a rain shower. It is also a good idea to find a luggage tag that hides your address. No need to advertise that you are not home!
• Strollers - I use the another easily identifiable luggage tag. Also, a splashy ribbon tied to the handle makes it easy to spot among the multitude of identical strollers.
• Park Bag and some contents - I label the first aid kit, skip the ponchos.

I have never lost anything in the parks, but with my handy-dandy label maker, I feel like I at least have a fighting chance of getting my lost items back!
Should you loose something at Magic Kingdom, head over to City Hall. If you are at Epcot go to the Entrance Plaza. At DHS or Animal Kingdom Guest Services is the place to go. If you realize you have lost something after you have already left the park, call (407) 824-4245 for assistance.