Nubs70
Well-Known Member
DVD members paid for 2 dimensions. Contract says nothing about the 3rd.
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Understanding Why Disney's Magical Express Is Ending
- Thread starter ParentsOf4
- Start date
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I doubt it is to the Magic Kingdom since you have to park at the TTC. I could see it being faster to the other parks, but it's never appealed to me -- it's nice to not have to trek back to wherever the car is parked, especially if you're park hopping or heading to/from Disney Springs.
I do use my car to drive to other resorts, though. I may try it for Animal Kingdom next time as well, since that's the one park that really can take a long time with the bus service.
I also just assumed that when they started charging for resort parking, they also started charging for resort guests to park at the parks. I'm sure that change is coming eventually.
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HarperRose
Well-Known Member
"Free" parking at the parks is one of the few remaining perks for onsite guests.
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
And they are STILL making you pay for parking at the resorts so they are getting that money one way or the other. Greedy! What (if any) excuse have they given for charging for parking a the resorts?
JMcMahonEsq
Well-Known Member
Why would they need an excuse? As an initial matter, they are charging for parking to make money. They are a for profit business, that's the only reason they need for charging for anything, including parking. It's also not that unusual of a service to charge for. Go to any professional sporting event, you are going to pay for parking, separate and apart from your ticket. Go to almost any major resort hotel in a tourist destination/city, you are going to pay for parking separate and apart from your hotel stay (See Orlando Marriot World Resort just down the street from WDW property as an example. Parking structures/lots take up alot of real estate and any business is going to be looking to generate revenue from each square foot of available property. Why in the world would they not charge a fee for parking to generate revenue from that square footage of property.
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
When you nickel and dime your customers to death then you owe them an explanation. Do they have to give one? No. But they may lose business because of it. I for one will never stay on property again if they keep this up. Free parking was a serious perk for us (and MANY others that go to WDW by car.) and now that that is gone we are going to stay off property cheaper. If we are going to pay for parking either at the park or the resort then I'll stay somewhere else that doesn't cost as much and is just as nice (or nicer). And I am not the only one that feels that way.
JMcMahonEsq
Well-Known Member
The explanation is pretty self explanatory. Prior to Covid, the Disney resorts were operating at pretty close to maximum efficiency/capacity. Adding a parking fee allowed for increased revenue, with what was not expected to be a large decrease in attendance due to that change. Is parking really going to be the decision point that makes people not stay on property.....I just don't see it. Lets compare Deluxe type hotel levels and see what the actual effect of the hotel parking fee is. At Contemporary Resort, Parking per night is $25 per night, which puts you within walking distance of MK, right on the monorail, and gives you access to bus service to other parks. Lets say your staying for 4 nights (a nice round number) that adds $100 to your trip gross, not that high a percentage of a 4 night deluxe stay on property. Now lets look at the net. Preferred parking at the parks is between $45-50 per day, which if you park on property you don't have to pay. Its almost double the cost to stay offsite and drive onto the parks, as it is to park at the deluxe resort. If you use standard parking, it is $25 per day...the same you are paying at a deluxe resort for parking. Either way there is no loss, and likely a net gain in parking at the resort vs. driving and parking at the parks.
This is without considering parking costs at an off site hotel. Sure a lot of the economy hotels off site do not charge for parking, but the resort level hotels do. Orlando Marriot World resort is $37.50 per night for parking. Swan and Dolphin hotel parking is $35 per day. Still over and above the deluxe resort fee. So might people want to move off site for cheaper options...sure. I have done so recently, especially with covid impacts which include the lack of fire works (love watching them from the balcony at contemporary), lack of early access to fast passes and dining reservations and magic hours. But I don't believe anyone is making that decision on paying for parking.
Here's a long-term view of Per Room Guest Spending (PRGS) since Disney started reporting numbers from 2002.
Note that prior to Disney's Magical Express (DME), the number was flat. PRGS took off after DME was introduced, dipped during the Great Recession, and has climbed steadily ever since.
I only have hotel rack rakes for the last 7 years. Once I get the changes calculated, I'll post a chart of those.
Note that prior to Disney's Magical Express (DME), the number was flat. PRGS took off after DME was introduced, dipped during the Great Recession, and has climbed steadily ever since.
I only have hotel rack rakes for the last 7 years. Once I get the changes calculated, I'll post a chart of those.
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uncle jimmy
Premium Member
Do you think its (PRGS) gonna dip again after DME ends?
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
I do. Its going to push more people off site then they think.
uncle jimmy
Premium Member
What I was thinking too.
It's like Disney Dining Plan... spending money upfront and then not thinking about what you're cost is because you've already paid... But when you haven't paid for it yet you watch what you're spending.
Bpmorley
Well-Known Member
I think it will. Guests will have figured out alternate transportation and that will lead to some leaving the bubble.
I also see resort numbers go down. If you rent a car, you'll have to pay to park. Might as well rent a house/condo outside and pay to park at the parks.
I have been saying for a while disney's business model is no longer built on great guest experience and service. It is built on data mining to determine how to suck the most money out of guests. It doesn't mean people aren't going to be able to have a great time at disney, but they aren't concerned with making it a good value anymore.
Some people act like MM+ was a huge failure. It was after that prices really started to get looney, hours cut, service worse, real discounts gone, etc. I'm sure they made billions in returns on that investment.
They simply have enough data to tell them cutting the bus service is worth it. The wealthiest people probably never use it so the blowback won't be big from them. Modern Disney is a lot like a game that gets ruined because %10 of the players spend 10x as much money on pay to win add ons.
Some people act like MM+ was a huge failure. It was after that prices really started to get looney, hours cut, service worse, real discounts gone, etc. I'm sure they made billions in returns on that investment.
They simply have enough data to tell them cutting the bus service is worth it. The wealthiest people probably never use it so the blowback won't be big from them. Modern Disney is a lot like a game that gets ruined because %10 of the players spend 10x as much money on pay to win add ons.
uncle jimmy
Premium Member
That's exactly it!!! Families budget costs. If they don't know the cost ahead of time and when that surge happens, Timmy's t-shirt is gone!
If one really wanted to save on parking fees, just park in the free parking garage at Disney Springs and then hop on the Disney bus transportation to your destination.
Bpmorley
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't doubt people are doing that.
Disney springs doesn't open until 10. I don't think many cost conscious people would make out better losing park time to save $25.
Not if you are a resort guest staying for a few weeks and parking in the DS garage and taking a bus to your destination.
It’s a two-hop bus trip, then, because they don’t run buses from DS to the parks. Not terribly time efficient.