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

[mikejs78]

Wonder if you will still get free parking at the parks with your hotel stay...

According to the DPB blog post from today, yes.

All I want at this point is hopping back to normal. And not just for annual pass holders.

And no park reservations for resort guests at minimum. Preferably all multi-day ticket holders.

You mean the costs he put in place?

So it's hard to know how much was Iger. Certainly things were done with his blessing, but Iger has a reputation as a delegator. He delegated to his Parks head (chapek) who probably made most or all of these decisions, and Iger didn't really pay attention other than to look at the numbers.

I suspect that being absent from TWDC for a couple of years, he saw how much these continued increase in costs and reduction in services was hurting the Disney brand, and maybe realized that not everything is about the immediate bottom line. His interview comments seem to reflect that.

At least I hope that's the case.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I don’t think you’re a clown. I’m trying to process all this. One school of thought is “they’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do” and they’re becoming more customer-oriented (cue the ‘Daddy Josh’ types).

The other part of me, the more cynical side, tells me they wouldn’t be doing any of this unless reservations and future bookings have fallen off a cliff.

I read your remarks (and where my current mind is at) that these moves are motivated out of a place of panic than sudden generosity

I don’t think it’s any of those things; I think it’s just a good business calculation.

When a good business calculation also increases guest satisfaction, that’s where a business wants to be.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No, always wanted one as a kid

…fair enough

I always wanted a B-wing

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They can’t release the blocks on hopping and reservations unless their attendance is way down

It’s still a numbers problem.

 

[Patcheslee]

…fair enough

I always wanted a B-wing

Best I can do is a Lego set

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I mean…this is great PR stuff for Bobby…

He gets to be the arsonist and the fire captain

(But If it’s the reedy creek Captain…he’ll probably get laid off)

 

[sullyinMT]

You got an ego maniac in “image repair desperation mode”

In a way…you could never trust him more than now.


But all this seems to be recession bracing moves…why “generous” in January?

I bet their advance bookings are $&@! For this year and beyond

All of their recent changes had us move our Thanksgiving trip from WDW to DCL (Magic out of SD). I know it’s not really “sticking it to the man,” but we feel our Disney dollars are better spent elsewhere.

More moves like this, small medium and large gestures to the consumer, will get us back to Central FL sooner.

 

[marni1971]

This is still the company charging for fastpass remember.

They hope you’ll forget things like that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Best I can do is a Lego set

Oh I have plenty of those…I’m talking a real one that I could strafe the little league practices one town over with

Edit: in like a Star Trek “phasers on stun” sort of way

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I mean…this is great PR stuff for Bobby…

He gets to be the arsonist and the fire captain

(But If it’s the reedy creek Captain…he’ll probably get laid off)

Isn’t that what pyromaniacs do? Start the fire and be the hero putting it out?

 

[marni1971]

You got an ego maniac in “image repair desperation mode”

In a way…you could never trust him more than now.


But all this seems to be recession bracing moves…why “generous” in January?

I bet their advance bookings are $&@! For this year and beyond

Just had a discussion similar to this elsewhere.

Bells certainly seem to be ringing.

 

[jinx8402]

Magical Express or we riot.

At least RAC and luggage handling to/from MCO

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

All of their recent changes had us move our Thanksgiving trip from WDW to DCL (Magic out of SD). I know it’s not really “sticking it to the man,” but we feel our Disney dollars are better spent elsewhere.

More moves like this, small medium and large gestures to the consumer, will get us back to Central FL sooner.

And that’s the goal…no doubt

As mono pointed out on another thread yesterday: their dvc sales are crap too

Canary in a very expensive coal mine

 

[dreday3]

At least RAC and luggage handling to/from MCO

I dared not even speak it!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This is still the company charging for fastpass remember.

They hope you’ll forget things like that.

…Rome wasn’t built in a day, Caligula

But I bet you’ll agree with me that these kind of painless moves are designed to partially mask NOT getting rid of ride fees and ZERO construction after March

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Just had a discussion similar to this elsewhere.

Bells certainly seem to be ringing.

I concur with your sources

 

[ToTBellHop]

You mean the costs he put in place?

He didn’t put them all in. It dramatically accelerated under Chapek.

 

[Chi84]

Whatever it takes to feel bad about Disney, guys. Enjoy.

 

[doctornick]

I truly am happy for them to "reverse" a guest unfriendly thing. I hope other changes would also occur.

That said, personally, this is not something I particular care about or wanted since we never drive and always stay DVC anyway so the parking charges never impacted me. I'm actually afraid that they will replace the revenue they made from parking with something else that does impact my family.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He didn’t put them all in. It dramatically accelerated under Chapek.

He’s 95% responsible. Chapek was simply not there long enough to enact that much. You know by now how slowly things move.
At worst…chapek accelerated/fast track bad idea heard originally under Iger