Walt Disney World theme park parking fees set to rise tomorrow

[WDWDad13]

On the contrary, done properly there is nothing at all wrong with paying a premium price to receive a premium service. Indeed, Disney already offers preferred parking for an extra price at its resorts - it's called valet parking. I'm not sure how practical such a service would prove on a theme park scale, but it would be fine in principle.

I didn't say it won't be fine in principle, I'm just saying there would be outrage

 

[WDWDad13]

Like I've said earlier, perhaps it's the feeling that Universal are reinvesting the money directly where it should go.

Perhaps.

so you're saying if Disney were building more attractions then they are today then everyone would be ok with Disney raising costs? yeah right - someone would file a lawsuit and all hell would break loose on these boards regardless and you know it

 

[WDWDad13]

Over on the Universal subboard, mostly, which is arguably where it belongs. Rather than turn yet another News & Rumors thread into The Great WDW v. Universal Debate.

careful... I think you may get docked likes received (or at least chased by people with broomsticks) if you say the word "Great" and "WDW" in the same sentence

 

[BigThunderMatt]

That said, even the closest Uni spots (which we had because my dad has a disability parking permit) are still a long long way from the gate.

Unless you do valet. Which I get not everyone can afford, but I've got a Premier AP so I get it for free.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Not that I've ever done this because we've stayed on property since 1997, but couldn't you say, Park at DTD and then take one of the buses to the parks?

No. I think they used to do this in the past but they eliminated bus routes between the parks and DTD for this very reason. Good thing too because parking at DTD right now is a nightmare as it is while they build the garages without the added insanity of people parking there to dodge the parking fee.

And really, when we get down to it, DTD is so far from everything, the journey back would be so nightmarishly long that I'd rather just pay the $17.

 

[MichWolv]

Not that I've ever done this because we've stayed on property since 1997, but couldn't you say, Park at DTD and then take one of the buses to the parks?

You could indeed, although you'd need to make an extra stop since there is no direct bus service. However, the time you'd lose would certainly be worth more than the $17 you'd save, I think.

 

[MichWolv]

On the contrary, done properly there is nothing at all wrong with paying a premium price to receive a premium service. Indeed, Disney already offers preferred parking for an extra price at its resorts - it's called valet parking. I'm not sure how practical such a service would prove on a theme park scale, but it would be fine in principle.

Charging more to get more is certainly fine in principle. That's the way business works. But there are certain things I like about Disney in comparison to other theme parks, and some of them are rooted in treating just about everybody equal. Disney doesn't hawk front of the line passes for extra money, better parking at the theme parks for those willing to pay, etc. While there isn't anything "wrong" with offering such things, I find them off-putting when done on a large scale. Even on the scale Disney does it, the extra theme park benefits are available to all staying on site, not just those in the luxury hotels (as Uni does). I prefer Disney's model greatly, even though I have the money to take (and have taken) advantage of Uni's "pay more for a better experience" options.

 

[MichWolv]

Like I've said earlier, perhaps it's the feeling that Universal are reinvesting the money directly where it should go.

Perhaps.

"should" is perhaps the wrong word, but I believe the thought is dead on. If Disney was investing in the parks the way we think they should be, we'd all be more tolerant of the things we don't like.

 

[MichWolv]

Unless you do valet. Which I get not everyone can afford, but I've got a Premier AP so I get it for free.

You are making my point. But thank you for doing so.

 

[71jason]

Unless you do valet. Which I get not everyone can afford, but I've got a Premier AP so I get it for free.

Even with valet, you still have the final moving walkway and the hike through either half of CityWalk, the latter of which is what I believe our Wolverine friend is (mostly) complaining about. Unshaded, unaided by moving walkways, it's a solid 3 - 5 minutes from AMC to park gate.

 

[MichWolv]

Even with valet, you still have the final moving walkway and the hike through either half of CityWalk, the latter of which is what I believe our Wolverine friend is (mostly) complaining about. Unshaded, unaided by moving walkways, it's a solid 3 - 5 minutes from AMC to park gate.

Spot on.

 

[71jason]

But there are certain things I like about Disney in comparison to other theme parks, and some of them are rooted in treating just about everybody equal.

And there you lost me. Extra Magic Hours? The new FP+ that effectively punishes day guests?

Why is it so hard for fans of either camp to admit both corporations are money-grubbing bastards?

 

[BigTxEars]

And there you lost me. Extra Magic Hours? The new FP+ that effectively punishes day guests?

Why is it so hard for fans of either camp to admit both corporations are money-grubbing bastards?

What is money grubbing about try to honestly sell more of your product or services? Isn't that the entire point to opening a business, to drive top line sales? I do not think either company employees underhanded methods to try and increase their sales. They tell you clearly what they have to offer, tell you how much it cost and then you decicde rather to "upgrade" to that product or service or stick with the baseline "package". Seems perfectly legit to me.

Adding perks to gets folks into beds (pun intended) each night at WDW or Uni is smart business and it's very up front about the perks for doing so. Express Pass + is way more of a perk than anything at WDW, it's the unlimited FP all day every day.

Folks complaining about day guest not being treated the exact same as resort guest don't make a lot of sense to me honestly. Of course they are not, the resort guest is paying more for their WDW or Uni experience and thus should get more. And it's info everyone has access to when becoming a day guest, it should be part of the process they used when deciding to go to the parks.. If you go to a music concert, sporting event, Broadway show or even the circus you get better seats if you pay more. Same show or game, but some are "treated" better than others based on what they paid to be there. No different at Disney to Uni IMO.

 

[slappy magoo]

Not for nothing, but please, could a moderator modify the thread title to reflect the fact that parking rates already have gone up? Every time I see the thread, the dumber part of my primate brain keeps going "again? So soon? It hasn't even been a month!"

 

[CDavid]

Not for nothing, but please, could a moderator modify the thread title to reflect the fact that parking rates already have gone up? Every time I see the thread, the dumber part of my primate brain keeps going "again? So soon? It hasn't even been a month!"

Give it time, the thread title will eventually be accurate again.

 

[slappy magoo]

Give it time, the thread title will eventually be accurate again.

Yeah, my comment was very "if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes" of me.

 

[WDWDad13]

"should" is perhaps the wrong word, but I believe the thought is dead on. If Disney was investing in the parks the way we think they should be, we'd all be more tolerant of the things we don't like.

"the way we think they should" ? Different people will have different opinions there

Also it wouldn't matter if Disney was building great new areas in each park and a 5th park people would complain

 

[marni1971]

"the way we think they should" ? Different people will have different opinions there

Also it wouldn't matter if Disney was building great new areas in each park and a 5th park people would complain

I was refering to people with similar thoughts. There will be people who think DVC and Two billion on IT bands are the best thing to possibly happpen to a theme park.

 

[WDWDad13]

I was refering to people with similar thoughts. There will be people who think DVC and Two billion on IT bands are the best thing to possibly happpen to a theme park.

c'mon....even you should know whatever they spend on this NextGen project is not just for "IT bands"

and DVC isn't a bad thing... say what you want about it but if anything many members are repeat visitors and as we all know around here it takes more to impress and keep excited those repeat visitors than it does the first timers...so....

 

[The Empress Lilly]

"should" is perhaps the wrong word, but I believe the thought is dead on. If Disney was investing in the parks the way we think they should be, we'd all be more tolerant of the things we don't like.

No, not me. I am more with you in that I admire classic Disney's mid-century, middle class, egalitarian ideals.

A Disney park is where a middle class family can be entertained at broadly affordable, by and large egalitarian prices. Walt stood in the tradition of other visionary tycoons such as Henry Ford, building his business empire by and for middle class America, with larger ideas about society's progress. (Oh, how the ideas and ideals of society building of, erm, 'people of Walt's political persuasion', have changed since then!)


WDW's management in its early years declined to build more hotels so as not to disturb relationships with the larger Orlando (business) community. It tried to accomodate off-site guests as well as it could. Current WDW management raises parking prices to extortionate levels (multiple times minimum hourly wage just to park) to force its guest under mousearrest. The business philosophies are world's apart.