News Walt Disney World to resume complimentary parking at its resort hotels

[flynnibus]

Maybe they have finally realized that they need to stop the bleeding. It’s a surprise. It’s what I’ve wanted to see for years. Let’s hope the long term legacy of the last 3 years was finding the bottom and they can start the work to climb back out. Not holding my breath, obviously, but might be it.

Agree with your message.. especially about milking the prior equity. but I don't think they've seen the bottom. They haven't seen demand crater, only sentiment start to drop. A risk many here have preached on for a long time... they are playing a dangerous game when they try to squeeze. The difference was Bob C just did it so bluntly and brashly that the old rules of 'play nice' seemed to be ignored and it finally started to tarnish the public image.

I expect them to work on the image part... but I have low hopes for anything that is a pivot on the service/cost/limiting model. This is where Disney really needs to innovate... to find a way to continue to offer their ideal product in a scalable way that gives the returns they want without guests feeling they are being fleeced. The recent years have been about converting demand to max dollars without concern about the ideal product. That just salts the earth long term.

The old Disney knew they could charge a premium as long as they wow'd the guest and kept them in the Disney spun bubble of reality. But the model built out in the 90s may not continue to scale the same way now... almost 30 years later. This is where I think leadership needs to invest... how do you keep scaling going forward? Do you pivot? Do you open MK#3 in North America, etc...

 

[zombiebbq]

Seven hells, just let good news be good news. Honestly Disney fans are the most miserable bunch of people on the Internet.

Not by a long shot

 

[Ayla]

Well- include the so called "Dynamic" pricing model introduced on December 8th.

Hey everyone- no more parking fee's WOOHOO- yea right, they just moved the money grab to another model.

They bunted, barley made it safe to first base and everyone (including themselves) think they hit a home run. Don't need park reservations under the new scheme, so thats how they justify giving up them.

Are you referring to dynamic pricing for Genie+? That isn't new.

 

[Rickcat96]

Are you referring to dynamic pricing for Genie+? That isn't new.

No, Theme park tickets

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I do struggle to see how he thought Chapek was qualified. He obviously was not. Poor judgment call. Let’s see how take 2 goes…I presume the lady who called us all fat and stabbed Chapek in the back is the front runner. What could go wrong, there?

Nothing, as long as you’re not hungry while on property…

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well- include the so called "Dynamic" pricing model introduced on December 8th.

Hey everyone- no more parking fee's WOOHOO- yea right, they just moved the money grab to another model.

They bunted, barley made it safe to first base and everyone (including themselves) think they hit a home run. Don't need park reservations under the new scheme, so thats how they justify giving up them.

Dynamic pricing has been around for decades. Book a room at Port Orleans on the Friday after Thanksgiving and then book the same room on a Wednesday in mid-September and tell me which one is more expensive.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

the lady who called us all fat

You know better.

 

[Rickcat96]

Dynamic pricing has been around for decades. Book a room at Port Orleans on the Friday after Thanksgiving and then book the same room on a Wednesday in mid-September and tell me which one is more expensive.

Completely understand, maybe i should have just said the price increase introduced on December 8th.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Completely understand, maybe i should have just said the price increase introduced on December 8th.

My biggest complaint about a lot of the changes that have gotten attention has been when they make planning more difficult and complicated.

Parking charges are annoying and make the decision whether to rent a car more complicated, particularly with the elimination of Magical Express (which adds complication for other reasons, as well). I don't mind Genie+ too much, but the split of Genie+ and Individual Lightning lanes is complicated. Park reservations make things more complicated. Park hopping only after 2pm makes things more complicated. Switching from 1 extra magic hour park per day to every park opening 30 minutes earlier for resort guests every day makes things less complicated, so I actually like that change.

Price increases are just price increases. They're annoying and I wish they weren't there, but they're not my primary complaint. They sort of just are what they are.

 

[seabreezept813]

Anyone else really hoping for daily housekeeping? I don’t know why but it really really bothers me that this isn’t back

My friend went for one of their once in a lifetime trips (they might go back one more time before kids are adults) and it was a huge reason they have no desire to go back.

 

[wannabeBelle]

My friend went for one of their once in a lifetime trips (they might go back one more time before kids are adults) and it was a huge reason they have no desire to go back.

Any of the other resorts that I have been to that are just up I4 a bit ( about 20 minutes) have had daily housekeeping on all of my stays there, at a few different resorts. If they can do it, why not Disney?? Marie

 

[ChrisFL]

No going back there

That involves labor and infrastructure…and the minute they cut Mears loose they moved on.

Sometimes it’s a one way street

I think they should offer Minnie Van service to/from the Airport

 

[note2001]

Call me cynical, but I'm surprised at what appears to be a high level of happiness and praise for Disney backtracking on some of their recent decisions.

It reminds me of whenever gas prices go up, they'll raise them by 10% and then shortly after lower them by 5% to create a psychological sense that prices are on a downward track.

Same thing here. I imagine looking at everything holistically most would say that Disney has diminished the guest experience by more than they are now restoring it. Feels good, but also feels like smoke and mirrors.

It's not just you, we all feel this way inside, but what harm is there in trying to be positive? I don't see anyone here as being foolishly ecstatic. For WDW to basically admit that charging for parking was a mistake is a start. We can only hope they start to reassess the damage they've inflicted upon the brand and roll back some of the many poorly guided decisions made.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Anyone else really hoping for daily housekeeping? I don’t know why but it really really bothers me that this isn’t back

It's still a labor issue, not an intentional policy change.

(That's not an excuse, it's still unacceptable. But it's unacceptable based on their failure to fix the problem, not their intentional decision to cause the problem.)

 

[MrPromey]

It's still a labor issue, not an intentional policy change.

(That's not an excuse, it's still unacceptable. But it's unacceptable based on their failure to fix the problem, not their intentional decision to cause the problem.)

They should attempt to bring this back, at least incrementally, starting with club level at the deluxes and working their way down from there.

That would show a real effort to improve things here even if not all at once.

... as long as it doesn't end up going like the tram announcements, that is.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

They should attempt to bring this back, at least incrementally, starting with club level at the deluxes and working their way down from there.

They have. I've seen some trip reports that Grand Floridian was getting daily housekeeping for all guests.

 

[flynnibus]

(That's not an excuse, it's still unacceptable. But it's unacceptable based on their failure to fix the problem, not their intentional decision to cause the problem.)

And the excuse for trying to cut daily housekeeping pre-pandemic? With trying to lure people with giftcards? Let's not fool ourselves here... this trend isn't purely post-pandemic labor.

Having the 3 times a day service in your stateroom on a ship is so glorious.. love it.

 

[Lilofan]

Call me cynical, but I'm surprised at what appears to be a high level of happiness and praise for Disney backtracking on some of their recent decisions.

It reminds me of whenever gas prices go up, they'll raise them by 10% and then shortly after lower them by 5% to create a psychological sense that prices are on a downward track.

Same thing here. I imagine looking at everything holistically most would say that Disney has diminished the guest experience by more than they are now restoring it. Feels good, but also feels like smoke and mirrors.

Who knows, calm before the storm , get us happy about something for now.. but it’s a good thing parking fees in resorts went away.

 

[wannabeBelle]

And the excuse for trying to cut daily housekeeping pre-pandemic? With trying to lure people with giftcards? Let's not fool ourselves here... this trend isn't purely post-pandemic labor.

This!!! All day long, this!!! This was being tested to see if people would go for it and they did. I had thought this was going to be a cost saving move way before the pandemic. Marie

 

[CaptainAmerica]

And the excuse for trying to cut daily housekeeping pre-pandemic? With trying to lure people with giftcards?

Some people don't like strangers in their rooms. Offering a gift card for someone choosing to opt out while continuing to provide daily service to people who like daily service is a win for everyone. Disney saves some money, the people who don't want housekeeping get a free incentive, and the people who like housekeeping get housekeeping.

Having the 3 times a day service in your stateroom on a ship is so glorious.. love it.

So you wouldn't opt out given the choice. Neither would I. Offering gift cards to opt out wouldn't negatively impact either of us because we'd say "no thank you."