Annual Passholder: Bus vs. Driving to Parks

[Trackmaster]

One thing I didn't realize: WDW Resort guests get free parking, whether an AP holder or not.

"Standard theme park parking is included for registered Guests of Disney Resort hotels and select Annual Passholders."
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/?int_cmp=INS-intWDWtoWDW-Parking

So could you park in a park lot, and leave it for the trip? Or do those lots not allow overnight parking?

 

[eliza61nyc]

So could you park in a park lot, and leave it for the trip? Or do those lots not allow overnight parking?

Not sure about the others but I can't imagine they differ, but AK does not allow overnight parking. we actually asked this on a trip where a family member got very sick at AK and we ended up taking him to the ER. we asked if we could just leave the car there overnight and pick it up the next day. they said no. but I have heard of people getting blitzed at Epcot and leaving there cars there for a night

 

[Trackmaster]

Not sure about the others but I can't imagine they differ, but AK does not allow overnight parking. we actually asked this on a trip where a family member got very sick at AK and we ended up taking him to the ER. we asked if we could just leave the car there overnight and pick it up the next day. they said no. but I have heard of people getting blitzed at Epcot and leaving there cars there for a night

Yeah, I was thinking that if they turned a blind eye on overnight parking, I could park in a Disney lot, and use the Magic Buses to get to the airport if I'm flying out of MCO.

 

[thomas998]

I preface this for Annual Passholders because AP holders get free parking, so a choice could be made while staying on property. Non AP holders have to pay $25 to park so bus may be the preferred option for them.

I stayed off property this past weekend because I decided on a last minute trip. I stayed at the Springhill Suites at Flamingo Crossings. Because of that, I had to drive to every park. I drove to HS on Saturday after arriving, AK Sunday morning, Epcot Sunday afternoon, and MK Monday morning. For AK and MK, I arrived before rope drop.

I think I've become a convert to driving to the parks rather than taking the bus (if I were staying on property). I was able to get through the entrance plaza relatively quickly, I always got directed to wherever the CMs wanted me to park effectively and efficiently, I made a note of where I parked, hopped on the next tram, and I was at the gate within 15 minutes after parking.

I'm not sure I ever want to take the bus again. What is your preference?

We use a car whether we stay on site or offsite. Buses are too much of gamble and it doesn't matter if its a year we have an AP or a one where we have to pay to park. Savings from staying in an offsite hotel more than pays for the cost of parking and with Disney now charging a parking fee when you stay onsite it just makes it much more likely that we'll be staying off-site instead of on, before Disney charged guests a parking fee I could use the free parking as another justification for staying onsite.

And if you know the right roads to take you can actually park at Disney without paying, though it does add a few minutes to your drive time.

 

[Darth_Wes]

Another way of looking at it:

You're still coming to their theme parks and giving them money, and they don't have to worry about providing lodging for you -- they've successfully found a way to outsource that function.

Its pretty funny how emotional people get about parking. They could have raised the prices of the hotels by that amount and still given "free" parking and nobody would have cared.

Actually, that would have been easier for me to take over the charge for parking, and oh, I am still going to the parks, but the difference is that they are losing about $1800 worth of additional revenue from me four times per year as a result of there idiocy. You do realize that they weren't providing me with lodging, I was paying for it. Outsourcing would imply that they were receiving revenue from my staying off property, eating off property, and spending other dollars off property. I assure you, they were not.

 

[Trackmaster]

Actually, that would have been easier for me to take over the charge for parking, and oh, I am still going to the parks, but the difference is that they are losing about $1800 worth of additional revenue from me four times per year as a result of there idiocy. You do realize that they weren't providing me with lodging, I was paying for it. Outsourcing would imply that they were receiving revenue from my staying off property, eating off property, and spending other dollars off property. I assure you, they were not.

I understand the economics. But providing you with lodging and food also causes the company to incur expenses. And the capacity is finite. Parks are more of a fixed cost for parks. People can keep coming in and paying for admission, and its no sweat to the park. The guests are the ones who have to deal with the lines.

But your point is extremely well taken. You, like most consumers behave irrationally. If you were perfectly rational agents, you would just mentally add the cost of parking onto the cost of the hotel and then make your purchasing decision. But, you -- like most guests -- are triggered emotionally and assess a much higher value to the free parking. So while Disney was assuming that your vacation dollars were fungible, they underestimated the importance that guests seem to put on free parking.

I think that this is why so many parks across the country include free parking with season passes now. They used to not do this when I was a kid, but there must be have been so much backlash that the parks had to stop gouging people for parking with the passes.

 

[JohnD]

But, you -- like most guests -- are triggered emotionally and assess a much higher value to the free parking.

Um, how is this "irrational"? If parking costs $25/day for non AP-holder offsite guests, wouldn't someone factor that into the cost of budgeting for their vacation? But if someone has free parking with on-site stays (again, I did a little more research and found that onsite guests in addition to AP holders get free parking--I changed the preface in my original post), they don't have to factor that cost into budgeting. I fail to see how that is an "irrational" decision.

 

[Trackmaster]

Um, how is this "irrational"? If parking costs $25/day for non AP-holder offsite guests, wouldn't someone factor that into the cost of budgeting for their vacation? But if someone has free parking with on-site stays (again, I did a little more research and found that onsite guests in addition to AP holders get free parking--I changed the preface in my original post), they don't have to factor that cost into budgeting. I fail to see how that is an "irrational" decision.

Its irrational because you clearly put a lot more value on it than $25 a day. If they had just made a price hike of $25 for a hotel that's already $400 a night, nobody would have noticed. And even if you noticed, I doubt hat you would boycott the hotel just due to a $25 price hike. For example: they value room service at $10 a night. They could easily lower the price of the rooms $10, and charge you $10 for room service, but people would be rioting with tiki torches and pitchforks on the streets if they did that. So they jack the price of the rooms up $10, and offer you a giftcard if you forgo the room service.

 

[MMFanCipher]

Well, since we stay at Fort Wilderness when we visit WDW we have a vehicle. So, unless we are going to the Magic Kingdom we drive.
If we are heading to the Magic Kingdom we take the boats. I love the boat ride.

 

[JohnD]

Its irrational because you clearly put a lot more value on it than $25 a day. If they had just made a price hike of $25 for a hotel that's already $400 a night, nobody would have noticed. And even if you noticed, I doubt hat you would boycott the hotel just due to a $25 price hike. For example: they value room service at $10 a night. They could easily lower the price of the rooms $10, and charge you $10 for room service, but people would be rioting with tiki torches and pitchforks on the streets if they did that. So they jack the price of the rooms up $10, and offer you a giftcard if you forgo the room service.

Um. No. Every dollar adds up at WDW. If I were going for a week, I might actually make a decision to save $175 ($25 x 7). As for hotel prices, just yesterday I helped a co-worker price a November vacation for several days. We looked at package rates then priced it for Florida resident tix and resort stay separately. Guess which one came in cheaper. That's right, the separately priced tickets and resort. No one is talking about boycotting anything but making decisions based on the budget you have. I'd call that rational.

 

[Trackmaster]

Um. No. Every dollar adds up at WDW. If I were going for a week, I might actually make a decision to save $175 ($25 x 7). As for hotel prices, just yesterday I helped a co-worker price a November vacation for several days. We looked at package rates then priced it for Florida resident tix and resort stay separately. Guess which one came in cheaper. That's right, the separately priced tickets and resort. No one is talking about boycotting anything but making decisions based on the budget you have. I'd call that rational.

You might have to go back and read some of the context. Much of what I was saying was a response to Darth Wes and maybe a few other people. I wasn't necessarily responding to you and your situation.

Exact quote from Darth Wes:

"Since they started charging for parking at the resorts, we will only stay off property. Currently enjoying our 3rd trip as I write this since they started charging for parking. That's about 3000 to 4000 bucks per year that they no longer receive from me because of that choice."

That's what I call irrational economics. Basing a $4K decision based on $200 in parking fees. Not that I'm criticizing him as a person or insulting him, but I was saying that in business, you have to be cognoscente about pricing strategies that may be revenue neutral but rub customers the wrong way. If Darth Wes was completely rational and devoid of emotion, he would see the $25 per day as no different than a modest price increase.

 

[JohnD]

You might have to go back and read some of the context. Much of what I was saying was a response to Darth Wes and maybe a few other people. I wasn't necessarily responding to you and your situation.

Exact quote from Darth Wes:

"Since they started charging for parking at the resorts, we will only stay off property. Currently enjoying our 3rd trip as I write this since they started charging for parking. That's about 3000 to 4000 bucks per year that they no longer receive from me because of that choice."

That's what I call irrational economics. Basing a $4K decision based on $200 in parking fees. Not that I'm criticizing him as a person or insulting him, but I was saying that in business, you have to be cognoscente about pricing strategies that may be revenue neutral but rub customers the wrong way. If Darth Wes was completely rational and devoid of emotion, he would see the $25 per day as no different than a modest price increase.

I see. So punish WDW by not giving them $3k-$4k and denying yourself FPs 60 days out, limiting your choices to only 30 days out by staying off site. Whatever floats your boat. (Not knocking offsite. I scheduled a last minute trip MLK weekend but that is all that was pretty much left. As an AP holder I get 30 days rolling FPs. I grabbed whatever I could get.)

 

[Trackmaster]

I see. So punish WDW by not giving them $3k-$4k and denying yourself FPs 60 days out, limiting your choices to only 30 days out by staying off site. Whatever floats your boat. (Not knocking offsite. I scheduled a last minute trip MLK weekend but that is all that was pretty much left. As an AP holder I get 30 days rolling FPs. I grabbed whatever I could get.)

Was that to me? I was the person who was arguing with the guy who was saying that. If you don't want to stay on-site that's fine, but don't act like $25 a day is really going to be the deciding factor.

And I'm an AP holder too. I live within 90 minutes so I'd never stay at a hotel. I probably get more perks than the hotel guests, because I can cherrypick my days and make sure to only go when I know it won't be that crowded. No need for the 60 day booking period when I'm only going on uncrowded days.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I use the busses since I fly in...Sooo....There is that reason for me..

 

[Goofyernmost]

Was that to me? I was the person who was arguing with the guy who was saying that. If you don't want to stay on-site that's fine, but don't act like $25 a day is really going to be the deciding factor.

Not about the general discussion, but, sometimes things are not about money (imagine that), but, about principle. If they didn't charge highway robbery amounts for the room and all those allegedly spectacular perks that go with it, paying an additional $25 per night for parking would not be an issue. If they were out of room and were having to find highly exorbitant ways to park all the cars, OK, no problem. But, illegally park in front of the bank you are about to rob and then ask for the money to pay the fine... sorry... that does not and should not fly.

In other words. if Disney wants to be greed central... do it without me. They have lost thousands squeezing us for around another $100.00. By the way that goes for any hotel in the area of the parks. I know that will not put Disney out of business, but, there is a limit to the degree of sucker I will be. They can go after the one that was born a minute after I was.

 

[Trackmaster]

Not about the general discussion, but, sometimes things are not about money (imagine that), but, about principle. If they didn't charge highway robbery amounts for the room and all those allegedly spectacular perks that go with it, paying an additional $25 per night for parking would not be an issue. If they were out of room and were having to find highly exorbitant ways to park all the cars, OK, no problem. But, illegally park in front of the bank you are about to rob and then ask for the money to pay the fine... sorry... that does not and should not fly.

In other words. if Disney wants to be greed central... do it without me. They have lost thousands squeezing us for around another $100.00. By the way that goes for any hotel in the area of the parks. I know that will not put Disney out of business, but, there is a limit to the degree of sucker I will be. They can go after the one that was born a minute after I was.

And that's all I was saying before. From an economics standpoint, you're an agent that's behaving irrationally. As a manager or executive at a park, they should be accounting for the fact that some of their customers, if not the majority of them behave irrationally when it comes to economics and their personal finances. The business school guys that run the parks assume that everybody understands the fungibility of currency and treats charging for parking no different than charging an extra $25. But as you have conceded, you are an example of somebody who does behave irrationally. Nothing wrong about it, but its just something that managers and execs need to be cognoscente of, and subtly trick you into surrendering as much money as possible.

 

[Goofyernmost]

And that's all I was saying before. From an economics standpoint, you're an agent that's behaving irrationally. As a manager or executive at a park, they should be accounting for the fact that some of their customers, if not the majority of them behave irrationally when it comes to economics and their personal finances. The business school guys that run the parks assume that everybody understands the fungibility of currency and treats charging for parking no different than charging an extra $25. But as you have conceded, you are an example of somebody who does behave irrationally. Nothing wrong about it, but its just something that managers and execs need to be cognoscente of, and subtly trick you into surrendering as much money as possible.

If this society considers not wanting to be a sucker while the scammer blatantly smirks at you, then I don't ever want to be rational. It's my money and if I feel I am being shaken down, I will not participate. Raising the room rates might also have been the straw that broke the camels back to many, but then we would blame ourselves for not having the financial ability to pay it. Instead Disney prefers to look you square in the eye and say... "We don't care if you are upset. Other hotels are charging for parking, we should be able to as well". The problem is that other hotels do not charge out of line nightly rates to begin with. This is for a small section of land built and paid for decades ago. It is a perk. A perk that is one of the least expensive at this point of any other one, yet, it is OK to take us to the cleaners one more time. You can do it... I won't! To me that is the rational response to a flim flam! Which, BTW, I feel is exactly the same flim flam that the room rates themselves are. I still love the parks and even though the ticket cost is high, it would realistically not be possible to get that degree and length of experience for that little money elsewhere. I just went to an hour and a half stand-up comedy show and the non-nosebleed seats were over $100 dollars, for just 90 minutes of entertainment. The ticket price is reasonable, what Disney charges for a bed is almost criminal and on top of that they want to charge you extra to park the vehicle you used to get to the place where they can take the rest of your money. Sorry, not buying what they are selling.

 

[Trackmaster]

If this society considers not wanting to be a sucker while the scammer blatantly smirks at you, then I don't ever want to be rational. It's my money and if I feel I am being shaken down, I will not participate. Raising the room rates might also have been the straw that broke the camels back to many, but then we would blame ourselves for not having the financial ability to pay it. Instead Disney prefers to look you square in the eye and say... "We don't care if you are upset. Other hotels are charging for parking, we should be able to as well". The problem is that other hotels do not charge out of line nightly rates to begin with. This is for a small section of land built and paid for decades ago. It is a perk. A perk that is one of the least expensive at this point of any other one, yet, it is OK to take us to the cleaners one more time. You can do it... I won't! To me that is the rational response to a flim flam! Which, BTW, I feel is exactly the same flim flam that the room rates themselves are. I still love the parks and even though the ticket cost is high, it would realistically not be possible to get that degree and length of experience for that little money elsewhere. I just went to an hour and a half stand-up comedy show and the non-nosebleed seats were over $100 dollars, for just 90 minutes of entertainment. The ticket price is reasonable, what Disney charges for a bed is almost criminal and on top of that they want to charge you extra to park the vehicle you used to get to the place where they can take the rest of your money. Sorry, not buying what they are selling.

That's fine if you think that the hotels are too expensive. But just don't kid yourself into thinking that the hotel costs and the parking costs are separate. Just instantly add the parking cost to the cost of the hotel, and make your decision from there. Let's say that the room costs $300 per night -- would you freak out over a one time 8.33% price increase? Perhaps, but you'd probably get over it. Might just be inflation or increased demand. In fact - the parking charge is probably superior to you as a consumer over the price increase, as the price increases will scale and build upon each other time (like the way inflation works), but with the parking charge bullet already shot, Disney can't build off that price increase without it being a big shock to the consumer.

Either way, a rational consumer just look at the final net cost of the hotel/parking package. Not get emotional about the parking charge. Or just react to the market, and plan on arriving on-site without a car. If you live in Florida, just get an AP and cherry pick your days -- that works better than the extra time you get from the hotel perks. If you live out of state, you might be better off flying anyway. Central Florida is tough to drive to, unless you live in Georgia, you're going to be driving a very long time just to get to Orlando for the right to pay to park. And if you're flying in just to rent a car... I can't comprehend why you would do that at Disney.

 

[JohnD]

Was that to me? I was the person who was arguing with the guy who was saying that. If you don't want to stay on-site that's fine, but don't act like $25 a day is really going to be the deciding factor.

And I'm an AP holder too. I live within 90 minutes so I'd never stay at a hotel. I probably get more perks than the hotel guests, because I can cherrypick my days and make sure to only go when I know it won't be that crowded. No need for the 60 day booking period when I'm only going on uncrowded days.

Not to you at all. Agreeing with you on your point. Just re-stating what the people you point out are doing.

 

[JohnD]

Looks like my thread asking generally whether you like to bus or drive to the parks is going off in a different direction. Oh, well. This is general discussion after all.