No more incentives left for staying at Disney Hotels.

[SSH]

This is the case with everything they've paywalled. Nothing was ever "free" - it was all included in the price of admission before. Thus there's less value in the standard ticket or resort stay and more cost to restore those perks/features.

Yup - my "final straw" was the moment they started charging 12/day at value resorts for open asphalt parking under the broiling sun. If there was a parking garage like Universal has for hotels and its parks, I could justify paying - at least my car would have some protection from the elements. But nope...just tack on the charge for no reason. Haven't stayed there since.

It wasn't just the addtl parking charge, of course - that wouldn't be a vacation deal breaker. It was that + everything else, like the loss of evening EMH which I LOVED.

UO has gotten all my $$$ for the past few years.

 

[Br0ckford]

There really is no incentives left in staying at the Disney hotels anymore. Free magical express, extra magic hours, free magic bands, fastpass plus (booked 60 days in advance if staying at a Disney hotel which gave you first dibs on everything in the parks), free parking at Disney hotels for guests, etc. have now all faded into the oblivion. Might as well just stay at a nearby Motel 6 and get an Uber. Disney hotels now charge for parking in addition to the room rate. I sure miss the good old days. I sure wish I can borrow Emmitt Brown’s (Doc’s) Delorean time machine and travel to the year 2015 and book a vacation to Walt Disney World hotels to savor and enjoy the magic of yesteryear. I would be like “Great Scott!!!”.

And Motel 6 will leave a light on for ya.

 

[WDW_Emily]

We are wrapping up a stay at Saratoga Springs and just being on property is enough for us. We rented dvc points and stayed a week for cheaper than pop century. Used Uber for under $10 for dining reservations so we didn't fight with the bus schedule. Used Disney busses to and from all parks and for park hopping. Utilized the half hour early park opening (went on millinium falcon 5 minute wait, flight of passage 30 minute wait, Peter Pan 15 minute wait and ratatouille 20 minute wait during this time at each park) we used the extended hours at magic kingdom which was amazing! Park was empty! As far as the airport we took an Uber to and from for under $50 each way (party of 4 so breaks down to under $15 a person).

Yes stuff used to be free but for us it's worth it to stay on site still instead of at a neighboring hotel. But everyone has to do what's best for their family. For some, that might mean staying offsite and for others that might mean skipping Disney for a few years.

I will say though after saying at a Universal hotel, they have the upper hand. If you are going to universal multiple days I absolutely love staying there! The rooms are cheaper, nicer and have more perks than Disney resorts

 

[dmw]

And Motel 6 will leave a light on for ya.

not any more, with utility costs going up...

 

[Grumpy4196]

I get that paying to park at the hotels now is a bummer but to be honest MOST (not all) off-site hotels, including Universal also charge for overnight parking as well. At the very least you can still park for free at the parks (who knows how long that will last) if you are a resort guest.

 

[StarshipDisney]

you can still park for free at the parks (who knows how long that will last) if you are a resort guest.

Please folks we don't need to be giving good old Bean Counter any new ideas.

 

[Tom P.]

Are we the only ones who have never stayed on-site for the perks? We stay on-site because we want to be on-site. It's as simple as that. And being on-site is worth the premium price for us.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

We always drive and stay on property.
And I’ve figured out a way not to pay for parking.
And it’s not screaming at a CM at checkout.
I‘d tell you how but then I’d ruin it for myself.

 

[bhg469]

Are we the only ones who have never stayed on-site for the perks? We stay on-site because we want to be on-site. It's as simple as that. And being on-site is worth the premium price for us.

There was a time when I did.. that time passed about 5-6 years ago. We rented a house with a pool every time since and had a similar or better experience. Universal hotels were an even better idea.

 

[eliza61nyc]

There was a time when I did.. that time passed about 5-6 years ago. We rented a house with a pool every time since and had a similar or better experience. Universal hotels were an even better idea.

I think that's the great thing about variety. We rented houses twice and hated it, for a number of reaons I'm hard pressed to do Airbnb's
I haven't given Universal a try but have heard nice things about them.

 

[Lilofan]

We always drive and stay on property.
And I’ve figured out a way not to pay for parking.
And it’s not screaming at a CM at checkout.
I‘d tell you how but then I’d ruin it for myself.

Park in the check in lot and leave your car there for the week?

 

[John park hopper]

if you can call it an advantage (rather not be) my handicap sticker allows me to park @ resorts free

 

[Grumpy4196]

Park in the check in lot and leave your car there for the week?

There is no difference between the check-in lot and the resort building lots. At least not at the All-Stars or Pop Century. Can't speak for the others.

 

[ceecee101]

I used to consider myself a fan of theme parks, but I've realized I'm really just a fan of Disney parks and WDW in particular. I enjoy thrill rides but they aren't a draw for me at all. Give me a dark ride or show with lots of animatronics and I'm a happy camper! I'm more excited for the PeopleMover or Carousel of Progress than Guardians of the Galaxy.

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 12 and then again when I was 13, this would have been 1985 and 1986 and EPCOT Center just drilled itself into my brain and made a tidy little home there. I adore, adore, adore EPCOT Center circa that time and consider it the pinnacle of theme parks. And despite all the changes, I still love Epcot. I really like Magic Kingdom and enjoy Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, but if I rank what keeps bringing me back to WDW and staying onsite despite climbing costs and decreasing perks, it's Epcot, then the Disney bubble, then the Magic Kingdom, then Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs and the water parks. It still feels like magic to me.

After graduating high school and going to college it just wasn't possible for me to go as often as I wished I could. I went for a few days here and there with exes and they would want to see other stuff and I always felt cheated. About 10 years ago I finally got to a point where I can afford to go on a semi-regular basis. I'm getting older, I live alone and never had kids, so I almost exclusively go by myself so I don't have to worry about other people wanting to see other things and so there's no point for me to leave. I'm actually taking my mom later this year who hasn't been there since 1986 and I'm really looking forward to sharing the experience with her. She mentioned Hogwarts and, since I'm paying for the entire trip, I told her we wouldn't be going there. Thankfully she's fine with that. It feels strange to be the child taking her parent on vacation! But I'm glad I'm at a point where I can afford to do it.

I worked for Comcast for a long time and could get discounted admissions to Universal and just never bothered to go because that would take time away from the bubble. So I get that there are fans of theme parks that love WDW but then also want to hit the other parks for the variety of rides and experiences. But I'm a Disney fan that came to love WDW as a real-world manifestation of my love for the movies and characters. Just being there is more important than experiencing a particular ride.

So WDW lovers can come from Disney fans or theme park fans (or somewhere on the spectrum) but on the Kinsey WDW scale, where 0 is completely theme park fan and 6 is a complete Disney fan, despite recent changes and Chapek and post-Covid realities, I'm a hard 6.

Will be very interested to see what your Mom thinks. We haven’t been in 13 years and I feel like a complete newbie!

 

[Vacationeer]

There is no difference between the check-in lot and the resort building lots. At least not at the All-Stars or Pop Century. Can't speak for the others.

It’s been a while since we stayed at a mod and I can’t remember there, but deluxes have a dozen or more spaces right near the lobby marked for guests checking in. I think those signs say 15 minute parking or something like that.

 

[Grumpy4196]

It’s been a while since we stayed at a mod and I can’t remember there, but deluxes have a dozen or more spaces right near the lobby marked for guests checking in. I think those signs say 15 minute parking or something like that.

I guess I could have been more clear. There is a designated lot for checkin but I am not sure how that would help avoid parking fees. I assumed they made some type of entry on your room when you checked in at the resort guard gate for the first time. I could be completely wrong though.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

Park in the check in lot and leave your car there for the week?

Nope. But we park there when we catch the bus.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

if you can call it an advantage (rather not be) my handicap sticker allows me to park @ resorts free

I’d GLADLY trade my ECV and handicap placard AND MS to pay for parking, but, like you said, it’s worth bringing it when we fly down.

 

[The Colonel]

If I'm going, I'm staying on site. The question is, am I still going.

 

[dreday3]

I really think location is still a very big checkmark in the pros column.

We are fortunate enough that we've stayed at Beach/Yacht or Poly the past trips with walking/boating/monorail(poly) as options to at least 2 parks at either hotel. Now Skyliner also at Beach Club.

Last year we stayed at Gran Destino (which we considered off-site ) and while I can agree that hotel (just the Tower) is the nicest hotel we've stayed in at Disney and loads cheaper- boy did we miss the location factor. It was a very different trip for us not being near the parks. So much so we booked back at Beach Club for next year.

So for us, it is still very much worth it to stay on-site, near the parks. Walking to Epcot or DHS is really such an amazing benefit.
But it is expensive, so in order to do that, we only go every few years.

If for some reason we wanted to go back and couldn't swing a deluxe - we would most likely find a hotel (with indoor corridors) off-site that would be just as nice for less money and rent a car.