Resort Parking Charges

[CaptainAmerica]

I have read numerous posts by people stating --people who drive spend less at WDW. I am curious as to what studies have been done by Disney to support this premise. From my own experience staying on site we drive and park it

Disney doesn't have to do "studies," they have the actual data. It's all on your MagicBand and, before that, your room key.

 

[John park hopper]

Disney doesn't have to do "studies," they have the actual data. It's all on your MagicBand and, before that, your room key.

So has this data been published somewhere?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So has this data been published somewhere?

Only internally. Lots of people who talk about these things on the interwebs have knowledge of the internal data.

 

[John park hopper]

Only internally. Lots of people who talk about these things on the interwebs have knowledge of the internal data.

As a retired marine science researcher i will take the premise that people who drive spend less with a grain of salt

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As a retired marine science researcher i will take the premise that people who drive spend less with a grain of salt

Thank you for your service. You're mistaken.

 

[flynnibus]

What? No. People who drive spend less for two reasons.

1. They have access to off-property merchandise, dining, and grocery options. This is true of people who drive their own cars as well as those who fly and rent a car.

2. They're more likely to be frequent visitors. Frequent visitors don't spend as much as once-in-a-lifetime visitors on a per-trip basis.

Nice way to slide a conditional in there at the end... “on a per trip basis”.

First, just because someone drives, that doesn’t mean they aren’t loyal. Some of the company’s most loyal customers are within driving range.... and those two points are often related. Proximity can feed that loop helping establish these loyalists.

Yes, some drivers are fluid.... but it’s naive to lump everyone into that pool simply because they can drive... when Most drive simply because it’s the most economical or effective way to get there.

Driving is just a convenience for many... and DME addresses that audience. The rest are doing it because it makes more sense to travel that way.

We know Disney has found plenty of value in this demographic to continue to offer them discounts available only to them... to keep luring them back.

 

[John park hopper]

Thank you for your service. You're mistaken.

You missed my point I retired doing research which is based on reproducible data, therefore I tend to not believe what someone has posted on the web and repeated by many without any substantiating data or facts. therefore my grain of salt statement. As a vietnam vet you are welcome

 

[meathuller]

This is factually incorrect. 100% wrong. Disney doesn't care about your $78, their goal was to get you to leave the car at home. Their goal is not "cash grab via small parking fee," their goal is "much larger cash grab from a captive guest who doesn't have a car in the first place so they spend more on merchandise, food, beverage, and recreation."

it is just a way to get more money out of you and I'm getting tired of it the prices have went up 120%in 10 years for my family and I drive 17 hours to get there now your going to charge me for my car to sit in your lot is just ridiculous

 

[Mousse']

Sometimes qualitative research is the best, and they would genuinely be fools if they weren’t scraping this board for all the valuable focus group info they’re given here. But, on parking I think this is a temporary thing. Once their transitional plan to keep building more and more rooms, and then reclaiming DVC resorts back after the deeds expire, they will start to do an all inclusive with the requirement that you have to stay on the resort to get into the parks on almost all days...

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Thank you for your service. You're mistaken.

Yeah......No......Consider that most people in driving distance have an AP. Let's assume a Silver. That's $2400 right there for a family of 4. Regular trips, regular $ spent in the parks, at resorts, at restaurants, merchandise etc......I get your mindset...but....yeah....No.

 

[nickys]

Unfortunately Disney does this because they can. It is too bad they can’t be happy with the high prices for everything else. It is now $25 to valet park at a resort. It used to be $15 or less many years ago.

As a DVC member staying at a resort my parking is no charge. That too may change.

It cannot change! The parking lots are part of the declared inventory of the resorts. Therefore the dues pay for their upkeep. Therefore they cannot charge a parking fee.

 

[note2001]

It cannot change! The parking lots are part of the declared inventory of the resorts. Therefore the dues pay for their upkeep. Therefore they cannot charge a parking fee.

And here's how hot this topic is: People who do not need to pay this parking fee (DVC owners) are following it. I for one cannot believe Disney actually had the ballz to implement it. Fees are never friendly, just ask Comcast who recently went to the effort to remove the term "fee" from everything.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

This is an absolute cash grab. I just left WDW yesterday after 6 days. My car sat idle for 6 solid days, and there were ample spaces, so it was not in any way a space issue

Have you ever parked at an airport? Just curious...

 

[Goofyernmost]

Have you ever parked at an airport? Just curious...

Everyone keeps forgetting that there has been a charge for parking in areas of limited space for many years. This isn't a new concept, however, Disney cannot begin to justify the fee when they have ample parking and nothing has been added or built to accommodate the parking at the resorts. It is just more money, more money, more money for no reason other then they can get people to pay it.

Honestly, I don't know why I post because they will never get a parking fee from me in the Orlando area and I don't care who is charging it. If that exists I just will not stay there. I like to simplify things. If that means I can't go, well, so be it. I lived 35 years of my life without ever stepping foot on Disney property,. It didn't affect my life before and it will not now, especially when I feel as though I'm being fleeced. Others mileage may vary.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Everyone keeps forgetting that there has been a charge for parking in areas of limited space for many years.

I can't disagree with that.

Honestly, I don't know why I post because they will never get a parking fee from me in the Orlando area and I don't care who is charging it. If that exists I just will not stay there.

I'm old school....when I was younger and asked for a glass of water....my mom got a glass-put it under the faucet, and viola - a glass of water......now I pay about $4 every grocery trip for them to bottle that water....in cheap plastic. Things change.

 

[TraderSam]

I hope so. The Cousin Eddies who show up to gawk at a resort they're not staying in is extremely off-putting to the people who actually paid to be there.

This statement is pretty off-putting in itself. My wife and I visit the Poly frequently when we stay at Shades and use the path that Disney installed with signage to walk there and back. I don't consider us to be "Cousin Eddies," nor do we gawk. We make reservations at restaurants and run up generous tabs at Trader Sam's and other resort lounges. We've been Annual Passholders and have stayed at multiple resorts.

 

[John park hopper]

Have you ever parked at an airport? Just curious...

I live close enough to the airport; I get a friend to drop me off just so I don't have to pay the ridiculous parking fee

 

[TraderSam]

Had a blast on my trip, but I felt totally hoodwinked being required to pay 13 dollars a night for use of a 6 ft by 10 foot space in a place where there is ample parking and the property is completely owned by the resort.

From the expense side of things, the resort operating for 47 years and never charging for parking is pretty amazing. Think of all of the different forms of inflation that the resort has experienced in its operating costs over that time period: salary inflation, cost of benefits (some required, some not), electricity and infrastructure (paving and upkeep). It might be a cash grab from the standpoint that they never charged it before, but Shades has been charging for years and charges more than $13 per day for its parking. In a world where quarterly returns drive most large companies, I'm not surprised that they're doing what they can to cover cost increases - especially charging the folks who they might consider cost drivers.

 

[Damon7777]

Think of all of the different forms of inflation that the resort has experienced in its operating costs over that time period: salary inflation, cost of benefits (some required, some not), electricity and infrastructure (paving and upkeep).

Sure, I can do that

And now you think of all the different forms of price increases that have more than offset those costs over those 47 years

 

[Chef Mickey]

Our next trip is November. 10 people. 8 will fly and my wife and I will Drive. We will not only have food etc. for the week but also ALL luggage that would need to be checked at $25 a bag. Plus 2 less plane fares. The savings on bag check fees alone pay for the parking and still give us the freedom to go off property. But, agree this is Disney maximizing revenue by squeezing every penny from visitors in every way possible.

There are a lot more fees to go, so they aren’t squeezing every penny possible. There aren’t resort fees...yet, which is pretty standard. Consider it a reprieve.

Furthermore, consider the baggage fees you’re paying. Seems like it’s not really a Disney phenomenon to try to make money, huh? It’s business and Disney is more discouraging a behavior than trying to make crazy money. This is a nominal fee.