Walt Disney World Bell Services No Longer Holding Third-Party Deliveries of Strollers, Mobility Aids, or Groceries For Resort Guests

Jessica Figueroa

Updated on:

Walt Disney World Bell Services No Longer Holding Third-Party Deliveries of Strollers, Mobility Aids, or Groceries For Resort Guests

UPDATE: Garden Grocer has confirmed that grocery delivery services will not be affected by this policy change. Click here for the latest update to this story.


For those of you who enjoy the convenience of using Instacart or Amazon Prime to deliver groceries and other last-minute necessities (lookin’ at you, phone chargers) to your Disney resort hotel room, as well as essentials like strollers and ECVs or other mobility devices, you will now have to budget in additional vacation time to retrieve your goods, as Resort Bell Services is no longer holding goods for guest pick-up or in-room delivery. Drop-off or pick-up of items prior or after guest arrival will also no longer be permitted.

This marks a change from the previous handling fees implemented earlier this year. In fact, the Mail Services tab on the Walt Disney World Resort website still states the following:

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Until now, the only way to avoid incurring a fee was by meeting your delivery person or courier at the lobby or out front. Now it’s the only way to retrieve your goods, as no holds or drop-off courtesies will be permitted.

Before the recent and earlier changes this year, only mailed packages received at the front desk would incur a $5 handling fee.

Will this affect your tendency to “order in” at your resort hotel, given that you now have to allot time to meet with your third-party delivery person?

Given the greater popularity of grocery and package delivery in recent years, it’s strange to see so much pushback from resorts, but it could be becoming too much for Bell Services staff to take on in addition to luggage. Sound off in the comments below.

71 thoughts on “Walt Disney World Bell Services No Longer Holding Third-Party Deliveries of Strollers, Mobility Aids, or Groceries For Resort Guests”

  1. Wow, that’s really unfortunate. I use grocery delivery every time I go, as a DVC guest it makes the most sense for me. I’m curious what prompted this change as there are entire companies dedicated to delivery at Disney.

    • I believe that if every guest decides to have groceries delivered they wouldn’t have enough space to accommodate or even maybe not want to pay someone to take care and control in and out goods…

    • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Disney start to offer their own service to replace this. Similar to, or connected with the Mini Van services.

  2. This is disgraceful. It just seems like they’re taking away more of the quality and service that distinguishes Disney from other hotel properties.

  3. Honestly I’m not surprised. The amount of things that the hotel is expected to accept and store for people now is crazy. I don’t hate it.

  4. WDW resorts should start their own delivery service, then, with regards to essentials like ECVs and strollers (essential to some, rather) – because people rented them from third parties since they were CHEAPER that way (per day/week, and they could use them outside of the parks that way)…..so if they had their OWN ECV and stroller rental service (wheelchairs, too) that could deliver the items to the guests’ rooms (if Bell Services can’t handle this) they should make them affordable, too. Price the other companies out of the market if they want to be exclusive. I don’t even want to get started with groceries….

  5. So, those of us who drive out of state and can’t fit the mobility device in the rental car lose out on the convenience of having it delivered to the resort AFTER we make reservations a year in advance….. Seems fair! Disney is really hurting their guests with this one.

  6. Wow, I just got back from WDW on Sunday and used Amazon Prime Now delivery just fine with bell services holding it for us. What a Shane as it was so handy.

  7. Absolutely ridiculous!. Disney is becoming less helpful and more into seeing what their bottom line is. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to DW twice last year from South Africa with my sister and her family.

    From leaving home to arriving at DW its a very long 30 hour+ trip. To make things easier I ordered things from Amazon, like some clothing to wear there, shoes, even things like toothpaste, sun block and some snack items. I also bought autograph books for my 2 special needs nieces as well as a packet of Disney pins.

    What are we supposed to do now?? Spend $23 000 on a DW trip and have to waste one of the days to wait for deliveries??

    Seriously Disney, get your *** together. People are getting fed up with the ever increasing prices and getting less value for it such as this, (which we did pay $5 an item for) and rubbish like automated photographers.

  8. Seems actually reasonable. It’s a hotel not a storage facility and they should be under no obligation to hold your stuff being delivered

  9. So let me see if I understand this correctly, I can’t get a mobility cart for my aged mother dropped off at my WDW resort unless I am physically there to receive it myself. That is going to be exceptionally challenging if my flight is delayed or I’m coming in past the time the mobility company is open. I would rent these devices from Disney directly but, oh yes, I can’t because they only rent them on a daily basis in the parks. The resorts have such a large footprint that I will have to figure out how to get mom to our longhouse at the Polynesian with her atrial fibrillation issues in case I can’t time things exactly.

    Seriously Disney, just give me one more reason, although perhaps you already have, to ditch the 1971 hole in the wall Polynesian at $800/night for a real full-service resort like the Four Seasons. What has gotten into you people? .

    • We are using walker mobility. They require you to be there because they drop it right off to your room and the same with pick up. We are having them come a few hours after our flight lands just to be sure and having them pick up the night before we leave. So convenient.

  10. You mention strollers; does this mean that Kingdom Strollers will no longer be available for pickup on arrival at the hotel?

    • Unless they develop a way to have you pick up from them in the lobby, that’s correct. As the article states, Disney will no longer accept deliveries and hold things for you. Strollers, ECVs, groceries etc.

  11. So for Disney Vacation Members staying in the villas, what is the best way to get groceries? I heard that Disney was offering their own grocery shopping option? Is that just a rumor or is it a real thing?

    Curious because we are staying in a one bedroom villa for 8 days and planned on cooking breakfast and lunch in the kitchen at the hotel for a change!

    • Where are you staying? We stayed at both Animal Kingdom Lodge & Saratoga Springs last year & bought groceries for both. We called an Uber & went to walmart- only $7/drive.

    • Its a real thing. We have done it advantage is the food comes right to you in your room. but we found we rather uber to the walmart tograb our groceries and some sovenners. It was too limited of a selection for us for food. It was $15 each way. So thats what we did on arrival day.

    • Yes there is a formulary that you can order from for DVC members and it will be delivered and unpacked and put away in your room for your arrival

    • They always have, but’s it’s literally just what’s available at the resort store and an additional cost is added and they bring it to your room.

    • Disney already had/ has a grocery site, but when you overcharge for a jar of jelly, or a loaf of white bread etc. No one wants to use it. We have used a Local family owned service before, it was WAY more reasonable and they even brought our beloved Raspberry Delight from Publix for my birthday. I guess from now on, being that I am local, ( 2 hours away) I will plan on taking the time to shop for fresh items on our way there…and when my daughter flies in, I guess I will have to drive out and meet her delivery with coolers and ice and store it for her.

    • You just have to be there to receive the delivery. I’m guessing they don’t have unlimited storage and can’t handle holding all the deliveries. It’s not rocket science.

  12. Hi there. We are heading there this weekend and will be landing early Sunday morning so we won’t be able to check in. Are we still able to use bell services to keep our luggage/car seat until we can check in?

    • That sounds like the actual function of Bell services, so my guess is yes. This is in regards to outside deliveries being held.

    • Yes thats not changing whats changing is people ordering things to the hotel and expecting them to be held at bell service. Bell service is there to hold guests luggage/srollers/carseats when there room isnt ready yet. Or to be held the day of departure if they have a later flight.

    • If you are flying in and use the Magical Express you can use the luggage tags Disney provides and all will be delivered to your room. If you don’t have them, I believe you can get them at the airport after you pick up your luggage.

    • Side note always try to check in when you arrive, you can pre-register and if they have a room that’s clean and ready they will give you keys, no matter what time it is, if it’s not ready they can text you once it is.

  13. This is a huge blow to the stroller/scooter rental agencies and an even bigger pain for guests who depend on those services.

  14. I wonder…. if I do a “split stay” between two Disney resorts, will Bell Services still take care of our luggage and deliver it from Resort A to Resort B?

  15. Where has the legendary Customer Service of Disney gone? Answer: they cant monetize it. Even the toilet paper at the resorts is cheap. pay 2–+ Dollars a night for a room, and have to bring your own TP to go to the bathroom in comfort. WDW’s money grabs is why my family and I have stopped going.

  16. I gave a evc to use while I am at Disney. Even going from the parking a lot to the front gates of the parks would be difficult. This is upsetting. My chair was never delivered just held at the desk and I would pick it up. Not happy Disney.

  17. This will make it quite inconvenient for the folks needing ECV’s or wheelchairs. That’s a darn shame they’ve discontinued that service.

  18. I have a feeling, with how fussy people can be today, that mistakenly un-refrigerated groceries, or the delivery service delivering the incorrect item was being taken out on Bell Services. I am happy if my luggage off of the Magical Express makes it to the correct room on time. Likely so many deliveries were happening that staff was overwhelmed with the extra work.

    • I agree! Or maybe someone’s food “went bad” didn’t stay cold enough and said person got sick. Then sued Disney. I think the mobility scooters is very bad. Unless things were supposed to be dropped off and weren’t, wrong item showed up…. etc. I’m sure guests expected Disney staff to call & fix since they received the mobility devices. Or maybe staff was accused of giving wrong rentals to people. It honestly sucks but if you think of almost any other hotel they probably don’t do these things. The amount of people having the services delivered probably overwhelmed the staff. Or Disney just cut staff to save money and now they can’t offer these services because they don’t have the staff, NY offer them if they are not making money

  19. So I have heard if your scooter reservation was booked prior to 10/1 that it would still be allowed drop off. Is this correct?

  20. Really disappointed in Disney. We have used grocery delivery several times for my son’s dietary needs. Why disney would make it increasingly difficult and inconvenient is very sad.

    • I know this probably doesn’t make things any better but most restaurants at Disney are very accommodating for special dietary needs.

  21. Considering every other hotel chain on earth will accommodate thosntype of service, it seems like one more reason to stay off site, particularly if you rely on such services.

  22. I’m so DONE with All Their Changes And Restrictions. It’s like they are trying to push people away staying there. I’m Outraged Over This & So Much More!

  23. This is terrible news, we use these services all the time. Especially when traveling with small children and my disabled mom. What happened to putting family first? I realize this service was probably overwhelming for the staff but then hire more staff! Seriously, how much more cutting of services and raising of prices do you think your loyalty for families like ours will last?!?

  24. It’s a pretty easy fix, you gotta monetize it. If they would charge a reasonable delivery fee to room (and $5 is way too low) then they could offer the service. BUT if they did offer this service for a realistic fee like $50 people would complain it’s too much money. it’s a lose/lose situation. If Disney wants to offer a service comparable to instacart but charge Disney sized dollars, they should do it. Maybe build a partnership with Amazon and reap in some of the revenue. People will and should always pay for convenience no matter the time or place. Budget for it or do something different, like go shopping, pickup your scooter, etc. There is always a way to do what you need.

    I don’t like it, but not surprised. People abused it, had unrealistic expectations and witnessed many not properly compensating the bellman.

  25. This is a real inconvenience. So instead of checking in and going into the park we will have to wait for our groceries or owners locker box to be delivered. I think this decision is going to bite Disney in the butt. Hopefully it gets reversed soon. Really annoying decision Disney.

  26. From what I have read everywhere else, WDWNT is incorrect on bell services not accepting food deliveries. And from what I understand on the mobility devices, bell services has gotten overwhelmed with outside companies dropping off these units, making these folks responsible for non Disney property, until they are picked up at the guests convenience. Outside companies will work it out to get them delivered if they wish to continue business with Disney guests.
    Also, watch what you read on WDWNT. Sometimes they get the info off a bit, just like this article.
    With that said, I still enjoy much of what is written here.

  27. I can’t see how this will possibly be true. So many people use Disney as a spot for conferences- they have to accept mail. And scooters, wheelchairs, etc listed below. I just called the resort we are staying at next week and they know nothing of the news and are still planning on everything as is.

  28. Thanks for making it harder for families of young children to visit your parks, Disney! Stop wondering why attendance is down — for all of your new products, merchandising and offerings, you’re managing yet to become less family-friendly.

  29. I’d guess this is actually a security precaution very similar to the airlines requiring that your baggage remain in your custody from packing to the airport. An exception to this is trusted delivery services (such as Disney’s Magic Express) that have protocols in place to safeguard items from tampering. It probably doesn’t hurt that it will increase Disney’s bottom line.

  30. They were charging $6 to hold delivered packages. If this is such a big problem, they could dedicate a larger room to hold the deliveries and charge $8 or $10. I liked the suggestion that they compete with the companies that are being used for strollers and ECVs, but they would not be able to compete with the wide range of Amazon products. Disney is supposed to make your stay magical.

  31. I ordered water bottles and snacks from WaterButlers.com I never had to be present at the time of delivery. It’s a free 2-hour delivery so I guess I can wait for the driver to get my water and snacks.

  32. If we didn’t have a 5 mile hike from the bus stops to the park entrances, my 82 year old mother wouldn’t need to rent an ECV from an off-site company. Here’s an idea Disney, have ECVs available for use all over the property not just in the parks.

  33. This may also have to do with the quantity of such items that staff have to deal with. We just returned from a WDW vacation, and used a third-party double-stroller for our two little ones. After the Halloween Party on Sunday, it took us over an hour and a half to catch the boat back to Wilderness Lodge because of all the EVs/strollers taking up room on the boats. I understand many people need them, myself included, but they do take up quite a bit of space and effort to load/unload. Perhaps, its a a singular approach at reducing workload to both the bell staff and transportation staff. I am bummed that we won’t be able to have the strollers delivered ahead of time; that was a very nice accommodation previously.

  34. That’s why i always have a car when i go to Disney. I’m not going to be held captive. I get why they are stopping it. Bell services is meant for luggage. They don’t have a giant warehouse to store all the extra stuff. I think less people did it before and they can handle it but now more people do and its getting to hard to accommodate everyone.

  35. My wife and I both need the use of scooters while at Boardwalk. We rent through Disney and get Buena Vista scooters. We stay at Boardwalk Villas and need grocery delivery. Again,. we order through the resort. Will this new change in policy effect this? We are members DVC.

  36. I’m curious what happened to cause the change. Did someone order groceries that weren’t delivered and perishables went bad because they needed to be refrigerated and Disney didn’t feel responsible. Or they tried to deliver and no one was there? Or went to the wrong room? Was something broken? Lost? No space? I’m fine with going to meet the delivery person. The ECV thing is a bummer.

  37. I feel that they need to have some kind of exception in place for special needs. My daughter has multiple food allergies and can’t eat much on property, so we always have things sent to use via Amazon, etc so she doesn’t go hungry during our stays. If they don’t find something to accommodate, I’ll either be driving or not staying on property.

  38. I don’t think any resort should be responsible for a guests third party items. Just set it up so you’ll be there when the items arrive, if you expect to get there late have the items come first thing in the morning. I’m sure it was out of control and Disney shouldn’t have to hire extra people to take care of guests third party orders! Just my opinion..

  39. I don’t find it unreasonable. Disney is a resort meaning everything you need is there. The whole point is exclusivities and privilege.
    Those who claim the “affordability” argument have forgotten that a Disney vacation has never been marketed as a budget vacation.

  40. I just came home today the28th this is shocking I mailed myself a package and the 6.00 fee wasn’t charged they said they are waving it also never mentioned this is coming to an end. I also had my stroller waiting on my arrival which was awesome .

  41. I can see how it could be a lot for the bell staff to handle they are not a warehouse but, I can also see that Disney feels they are losing money from people not purchasing things on property. Everyone knows you want to pay $ 12.00 for 4 Advil. Next they will charge us to have our in park purchases sent to our resort.

  42. I’m a bit disappointed with this change. Although I’ve heard first hand from bell services about the crazy amounts of stuff people or large groups order and their limited storage space and extremely limited refrigerated space. I was totally in agreement with Disney instituting a charge for their staff to handle these items and for once I actually thought it was a reasonable price.

    I can understand their dilemma with limited space and staff in conjunction with the ever increasing amount of items being delivered. Those strollers, wheelchairs and ecv’s take up a lot of space. However I can see the companies that deliver these items easily developing a just in time delivery system that allows them to have delivery staff standing by for expected guest arrivals. All you the guest would have to do is book ahead of time and then call or text when you arrive. For instance, while waiting in line for the magical express you call up to report your arrival or when you get to the hotel you call and someone meets you there. I suspect they do enough deliveries and pickups each day that it would be a simple shift in logistics management.

    The packages on the other hand, that’s the really unfortunate part. If you do something UPS or US Mail, then you have no idea what time (or even what day) it will actually be delivered. Plus, other delivery services either give you or let you choose delivery windows. They usually call you when they arrive, but in my experience with all the ambient noise it’s really easy to miss a call or text.

    Finally, I don’t see this change as being a way to keep guests spending all their money at the resorts, but solely as a method to control the ever growing number of deliveries that they just aren’t equipped to handle.

    However, as Disney had always gone out of their way to accommodate their guests, I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to accept all deliveries (except maybe rentals, as that does present some liability on their part) despite this latest change. I know when we visited last, back in June of this year, the packages we ordered were held at Bell Services and we were never charged any fee for the service. (In fact, the guy on duty chatted with us for half an hour then gave our 2 year old daughter a voucher for 1 free piece of merchandise and had more coffee and creamer sent up to our room, at 1am! If for some reason he’s here reading this, thank you!). He did mention that they have limited refrigerated storage and that when they get conventions the place gets so packed with packages that you can barely move.

    Anyway, with all the changes at Disney parks and resorts recently, including the price hikes for annual passes, we might stop making our twice a year trip from New England and instead visit other destinations. Not that we would completely stop visiting, but the frequency will probably be drastically smaller.

  43. As a former Bell Services cast member, this is welcome news. The storage rooms were filled with so many packages and grocery bags, more than luggage it seemed like. Bellmen don’t get tipped well on these and they have a lower hourly wage because they depend on tips. I can’t tell you how many times I was at the receiving end of an angry guest because something wasn’t handled in the precise way they wanted it. Plus, with so many bags and people in the space, it was difficult to keep organized, even with the best intent. We never knew if you were supposed to have 6 bags of groceries or 7, how many were in the freezer, etc. The security and safety ramifications of receiving and storing goodness knows what via Amazon is too much to ignore. This is to the benefit of the resort hotels. If you need something delivered, be there when they are, or take a car or Uber to Publix, it’s only a few miles away. I think they might want to change their policy on the ECVs and maybe even strollers, but we’ll see what they decide to do. They were taking in ECVs and strollers for a long time but I expect volume has gotten out of hand, and resorts don’t have unlimited storage or staff.

  44. I contacted bell services at board walk resort directly this morning was was told that this definitely does not affect the grocery delivery services. I asked specifically about Amazon Prime now and Garden Grocer

  45. I spoke to the front desk at Kidani this morning about this. I have a upcoming trip in November so I wanted some clarification. They said that the policy did not apply to groceries, only strollers and mobility aids. The grocery policy has not changed.

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