Disney Testing Paid Parking at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

ToInfinityAndBeyond

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
http://w dwnt.com/blog/2015/12/disney-testing-paid-parking-at-walt-disney-world-resort-hotels/

From the article:
Disney is now testing the concept of paid parking for non-resort guests at Walt Disney World. The concept was recently tested at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and will be tested again soon at Disney’s Boardwalk. The test is the latest attempt by Disney to control parking at the resorts, possibly preventing guests from lying that they are visiting the resorts when they are actually using it as a place to park before visiting one of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Under the possible new policy, guests without reservations or who are not resort guests would have to pay the parking fee in order to park at the resort.​
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
Premium Member
This is just the first step. I think eventually all resort guests will be charged for parking. This will lead to the dreaded "Resort Fee". Think about it. Most Resort Hotels in Orlando, and even those in Buena Vista (On property), all charge both a per night parking and resort fee. Heck even the dumpy Sheraton 4 Points on I-Drive dings you for $20 a night.

30,000 rooms. For the sake of argument let's assume 100% occupancy. A $25 a night resort fee and a $20 per night parking rate (Like both the Swan and Dolphin have) and there's potentially a half a billion dollars in revenue just waiting. I have a feeling though that the resort and parking fee will fluctuate based on seasonality.

As to the current test. It doesn't mention anything about guests staying at other WDW Resorts and nothing about AP's. Seems they could simply have a validation process either based on time or receipt. The article really doesn't go into much detail so we will wait and find out more.

As just an observation. I wonder if the logic behind those that do park at a Disney Resort and then go to a theme park, is because of time and convenience-- Or-- is it to save the parking fee? Because if it is to save the parking fee, I hope Disney is in the planning stages of a third parking garage for Disney Springs. Or does Disney Springs at some-point begin it's own testing? I always thought those red and green lights notifying you of the status of a parking spot were kind of cool. Maybe that wasn't their original intention.
 

ToInfinityAndBeyond

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I will openly admit that my wife and I (both premium AP holders) will park at the Grand Floridian or Poly and monorail it over to the Kingdom. We get free parking at all of the parks anyways, so it's not like we're doing it to avoid paying for it. Are we part of the problem? Probably. But we almost ALWAYS grab dinner at one of the resorts we park at, whether it by Captain Cook's, Trader Sam's, or Gasparilla Grill. I'm not a fan of the quick service in MK and it's much better at the monorail resorts.
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Interesting, and agree with others that I am surprised it took Disney this long to do this. I think a receipt validation would be a reasonable measure for guests with dinner reservations (though it would require a CM at the parking exit). Maybe they could credit the parking fee as a discount off your meal?
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
Interesting, and agree with others that I am surprised it took Disney this long to do this. I think a receipt validation would be a reasonable measure for guests with dinner reservations (though it would require a CM at the parking exit). Maybe they could credit the parking fee as a discount off your meal?
Also a reasonable idea.
 

ABQ

Well-Known Member
Interesting, and agree with others that I am surprised it took Disney this long to do this. I think a receipt validation would be a reasonable measure for guests with dinner reservations (though it would require a CM at the parking exit). Maybe they could credit the parking fee as a discount off your meal?
Wouldn't necessarily require a cast member at the exit, just take a ticket when you enter, it gets run through some mechanism at the restaurant and then inserted at the exit to open the gate.
 

Lucky

Well-Known Member
This is just the first step. I think eventually all resort guests will be charged for parking. This will lead to the dreaded "Resort Fee". Think about it. Most Resort Hotels in Orlando, and even those in Buena Vista (On property), all charge both a per night parking and resort fee. Heck even the dumpy Sheraton 4 Points on I-Drive dings you for $20 a night.

30,000 rooms. For the sake of argument let's assume 100% occupancy. A $25 a night resort fee and a $20 per night parking rate (Like both the Swan and Dolphin have) and there's potentially a half a billion dollars in revenue just waiting. I have a feeling though that the resort and parking fee will fluctuate based on seasonality.
But the market will bear whatever the market will bear - whether you include it in the room charge or call it something else. If they could get a half billion more in revenue with resort fees and parking fees they could get it just as easily by increasing room rates.

The only reason some hotels call part of the room charge a "resort fee" is to try to mislead customers about the true cost. Hopefully Disney is still above that sort of thing.
 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Interesting, and agree with others that I am surprised it took Disney this long to do this. I think a receipt validation would be a reasonable measure for guests with dinner reservations (though it would require a CM at the parking exit). Maybe they could credit the parking fee as a discount off your meal?

It wouldn't. Swolfin uses paid parking, and restaurants like Blue Zoo validate. They give you a magnetic stripe ticket you feed into the automated exit attendant along with your entry ticket. Pay or validation your choice.
 

DisneyFans4Life

Well-Known Member
Tampa International Airport gives you a ticket when you enter the parking garage and then when you leave, you insert the ticket into the scanner at the exit and it reads the time you checked in; anything under an hour is free. The only shacks that house an employee are the ones that require change for cash transactions...all of the others do credit card or SunPass.

I'd think that Disney could do the same thing. If you're not staying at the resort, or going there to eat (either QS or ADR), then you shouldn't be parking there. I will be curious to see how this affects APs since we get free parking anyways. I truly hope that Disney does not plan to start charging guests who are staying at a resort a nightly parking fee.
 

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