WDW Parking Fees Poll

[Takeitforgranite]

We booked our summer trip right after the New Year. We had planned on getting APs when we got there. Since then, APs have increased and now the parking thing. So, the price our our trip has gone up $300 since we made our deposit. That's what is really agitating me. We've never really batted an eye at price increases before because, hey, people keep coming. It just feels personal that they keep tacking on costs after I have booked the trip and spent all the time and effort planning the trip and making reservations.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I honestly don't see what the big uproar is about.

Hotels charging for parking FOR GUESTS is super common among popular destinations. Disney World isn't your local Holiday Inn, even if the rooms are glorified motels.

Bottom line, they are charging because they can and frankly, it's pretty standard.

Wait until the next thing they start charging that every high end hotel charges today. Resort fees. It typically includes Internet, hotel "activities," some free water, and various other things you take for granted. I paid $75 PER DAY in resort fees in the Caymans.

Disney isn't done yet, so just buckle up. We have to realize Disney World is literally a top 5 destination in the world and they can and will do whatever the market allows.

Just because one can does not always mean that they should. They are forcing people to become captive onsite just to avoid parking fees and contrary to what has been said... not all hotels are doing that. Many of them realize that it can be a very promotable perk to not charge thus generating more business their way.

You are correct they can and will do whatever the market will allow. There is a point where the market will no longer be able to afford to support it. I don't use their hotel service so I don't really have a horse in this race, but, I take it as a personal insult that they feel that have to draw every dime out of the fan base. There is nothing on this planet that is less of a necessity then a theme park, yet, people have been getting in debt for decades to be part of it. I guess those customers are not worthy of any consideration from a company that is already turning over billions in profit. This country is not showing any class or ethics at this time, but, somewhere under the surface, that is the very thing this country was built on and it will, hopefully, return soon.

 

[DfromATX]

Just got off the phone. It was way easier than expected. We canceled our AP's and the trip for July. Kinda sad, but it's just not the same as it was, so rather than continuing to go and then being mad at myself for spending the money, I'll now get a pretty hefty refund and start on some new adventures. I expect all the rest of you that still go to HAVE FUN.

You actually cancelled your vacation because of this? Not judging, just surprised is all. We're going in June and we're all so happy about it.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I'm probably going to catch H**L for this, and I understand there will be complaints for anything WDW is going to do, but how about if they charge a reduced parking fee at the parks instead of at the resorts? This way, if you drive down, you can still park free at the resorts, but if you take your car to the parks, you pay to park? You can take the busses to the park for free OR, if you're so inclined, take an Uber or Minnie van...just a thought....that will give you the option of paying for the convenience of taking your own vehicle.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm probably going to catch H**L for this, and I understand there will be complaints for anything WDW is going to do, but how about if they charge a reduced parking fee at the parks instead of at the resorts? This way, if you drive down, you can still park free at the resorts, but if you take your car to the parks, you pay to park? You can take the busses to the park for free OR, if you're so inclined, take an Uber or Minnie van...just a thought....that will give you the option of paying for the convenience of taking your own vehicle.

Hey, you don't have to convince us. Do you by any chance have Bob Iger's home phone number? If you do you should give him a call and let him know of your plan. Sorry, just messing with ya. That might be better, but, it is still obscene when one factors in how much they are charging per night in those hotels with those big parking lots, you know the ones that they should be using to convince people to stay there not to drive (pun intended) them away. Greed only works for short periods of time. If Universal really is serious about taking over from Disney, this is when they should stop doing everything that Disney does and give the public a real reason to go there instead. Disney isn't as infallible as they think they are. And they are not going to be able to live by Star Wars alone.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Hey, you don't have to convince us. Do you by any chance have Bob Iger's home phone number? If you do you should give him a call and let him know of your plan. Sorry, just messing with ya. That might be better, but, it is still obscene when one factors in how much they are charging per night in those hotels with those big parking lots, you know the ones that they should be using to convince people to stay there not to drive (pun intended) them away. Greed only works for short periods of time. If Universal really is serious about taking over from Disney, this is when they should stop doing everything that Disney does and give the public a real reason to go there instead. Disney isn't as infallible as they think they are. And they are not going to be able to live by Star Wars alone.

I do agree with you that the extra charges are getting out of hand and we shouldn't even be having this conversation but the idea is just a way of spreading the pain.

 

[WondersOfLife]

You actually cancelled your vacation because of this? Not judging, just surprised is all. We're going in June and we're all so happy about it.

If enough people cancel it'll probably become a wake up call.


INTERESTING FACT!! I was looking at the prices for the hotels. They seemed to have dropped about 15/25 bucks. So it seems to be substituted now. I noticed because I've been consistently looking at the prices for a trip in August.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Just because one can does not always mean that they should. They are forcing people to become captive onsite just to avoid parking fees and contrary to what has been said... not all hotels are doing that. Many of them realize that it can be a very promotable perk to not charge thus generating more business their way.

You are correct they can and will do whatever the market will allow. There is a point where the market will no longer be able to afford to support it. I don't use their hotel service so I don't really have a horse in this race, but, I take it as a personal insult that they feel that have to draw every dime out of the fan base. There is nothing on this planet that is less of a necessity then a theme park, yet, people have been getting in debt for decades to be part of it. I guess those customers are not worthy of any consideration from a company that is already turning over billions in profit. This country is not showing any class or ethics at this time, but, somewhere under the surface, that is the very thing this country was built on and it will, hopefully, return soon.

Frankly, Parks and Resorts is the only business doing well at the moment and it’s being squeezed to make up for other shortcomings. If the market pushes back, Disney can lower prices instantly. That’s the beauty of full control of your own pricing.

You might think billions in profits means something, but this is a publicly traded company in a fiercely competitive space that needs to show growth, period. Billions in profit isn’t good enough in the big leagues.

Again, other top destinations charge for parking AND have resort fees, so Disney isn’t even close to fee crazy. There are plenty more fees they can collect and people have overreacted to something I’m surprised wasn’t done sooner. Disney doesn’t need more business. They need to make margin on the people who come.

Since I always fly, if you asked me if the hotels charged for parking before March, I would have said yes.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Frankly, Parks and Resorts is the only business doing well at the moment and it’s being squeezed to make up for other shortcomings. If the market pushes back, Disney can lower prices instantly. That’s the beauty of full control of your own pricing.

You might think billions in profits means something, but this is a publicly traded company in a fiercely competitive space that needs to show growth, period. Billions in profit isn’t good enough in the big leagues.

Again, other top destinations charge for parking AND have resort fees, so Disney isn’t even close to fee crazy. There are plenty more fees they can collect and people have overreacted to something I’m surprised wasn’t done sooner. Disney doesn’t need more business. They need to make margin on the people who come.

Since I always fly, if you asked me if the hotels charged for parking before March, I would have said yes.

I agree that the margin thing is what is the key motivator, however, that is extreme short sighted thought. It may fix a problem right now, but, can very easily become a much bigger problem later down the road. The public is nothing if not fickle.

 

[wendysue]

You actually cancelled your vacation because of this? Not judging, just surprised is all. We're going in June and we're all so happy about it.

No, not just because of the parking issue. It just seems like it isn't going to get any better as far as upcharges and fees in the future, so we thought it would be a good time to just back out and get a refund on the AP's before we use them this year. We have gone many times and had great times, but being on a fixed income, it was getting harder to eat those costs. We had already gone from moderate to value (Pop) to the All-Star resorts, brought most of our own food, etc. in order to still go. I see them starting to charge for ME sometime this year and who knows what else. All the things that they have started charging extra for in the last few years used to be included. They are gouging and it was just time for us to move on.
I'm sure you will have a great time on your trip. Enjoy!

 

[wendysue]

We booked our summer trip right after the New Year. We had planned on getting APs when we got there. Since then, APs have increased and now the parking thing. So, the price our our trip has gone up $300 since we made our deposit. That's what is really agitating me. We've never really batted an eye at price increases before because, hey, people keep coming. It just feels personal that they keep tacking on costs after I have booked the trip and spent all the time and effort planning the trip and making reservations.

Exactly why we just got refunds on the AP's we renewed in Feb. Some people say that the only way Disney is going to know how upset we are is if we actually cancel and don't go.....so at least 3 families from Illinois are moving on. That's just our situation. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I agree that the margin thing is what is the key motivator, however, that is extreme short sighted thought. It may fix a problem right now, but, can very easily become a much bigger problem later down the road. The public is nothing if not fickle.

Disney has an enormous moat and few going to get turned off by parking fees to the point they won't go. The problems Disney has with expansion, service and show quality, crowds, lines, etc are much more impactful "issues" that need to be dealt with (some are being dealt with).

Part of the problem with going to Disney is that it's a beating to fight the crowds. I wish they'd raise fees, prices on food, tickets, parking, and gifts to get some of these people to stop showing up in droves. Like double the prices. That would improve the experience more than anything. Disney is flat out too crowded almost all the time now.

 

[John park hopper]

Disney has an enormous moat and few going to get turned off by parking fees to the point they won't go. The problems Disney has with expansion, service and show quality, crowds, lines, etc are much more impactful "issues" that need to be dealt with (some are being dealt with).

Part of the problem with going to Disney is that it's a beating to fight the crowds. I wish they'd raise fees, prices on food, tickets, parking, and gifts to get some of these people to stop showing up in droves. Like double the prices. That would improve the experience more than anything. Disney is flat out too crowded almost all the time now.

I don't think raising prices will stop the unwashed masses at all. In todays society instant gratification is the expectation and the mind set is I deserve because I exist. With everything bought on credit these days people will charge their cards to the hilt to go to Disney and worry about paying way down the road.

 

[OG Runner]

This whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. I realize that other increases in costs that have already happened have made people frustrated and this maybe put them over the edge, but come on. Anyone that regularly blows hundreds of dollars on Disney merch or hard ticketed events every time they spend a week at WDW has no right to complain-no one is forcing you to buy all those pins and t shirts and go to the events that cost extra. Cut back on the souvenirs and cupcake parties and your parking is covered.

I don't want to cut back to pay for something, that has been free since the parks opened. You are already paying to stay at the resorts, you shouldn't have an additional charge to park there. This penalizes people that live close enough not to have to fly, take the Magic Express, then use onsite transportation.

 

[Rmacmouz]

We were in Nashville a few months ago. The Gaylord charged $29 a day to park and an $18 resort fee. I wasn't happy about that and I'm not happy that Disney has decided to do the same. We always stay at The Port. I've parked in that lot for free each and every time. Now I have to pay (I believe it's) $19 a day to park in the same exact lot! This certainly won't end my trips there but don't you feel like some of the Disney magic is waning? Between the exhausting security checks to get in the park (yes, I know it has to be done) and now this it's just a little sad.

 

[OG Runner]

It makes me sad to read things like that. I spent the last four nights at Wyndham Bonnet Creek and it was fine. The staff was courteous and the room was pretty clean and the facilities were pretty nice. Then, on our last night, we had dinner at Boma. I walked into the Animal Kingdom Lodge lobby and instantly regretted that I wasn't staying there. I'm bummed when I hear about people losing the "magic."

You need to realize that people are not just losing the magic. The magic is being taken away from them. People are staying in the economy resorts for a reason. Now, if you drive there, you are paying around the cost of another night, over a week, for parking.
It is a money grab, it is wrong and it will affect a lot of people.

 

[GoofGoof]

As a DVC owner I’m not impacted.

It’s mostly a money grab, but if you break it down and look at costs vs revenue there are actual costs associated with operating the parking lots. You have the booth attendants plus the maintenance and upkeep cost of the lot itself. Since parking was free in the past those costs were offset by revenue from room rates. Only guests who show up with a car are actually using this amenity but in the past all guests were paying for it through their room rate. Flash forward to today and the parking fee should be more than enough to offset the costs so in theory guests without cars are no longer covering an unused expense. I know room rates didn’t necessarily go down so it’s hard to see the advantage but if half the rooms are now paying $30 for parking that’s the revenue equivalent of a $15 a night room rate increase for Disney. If Disney wanted to kept revenue constant then all guests are avoiding a $15 room rate increase but those who bring cars are paying $30 for parking. Some gain and some lose.

There are several ancillary benefits for Disney as well. First, this will further discourage people from renting cars. Less rental cars means less time spent off property which equals more money spent at WDW. This also creates another DVC perk. The sales guys can market the fact that you don’t pay parking fees you normally would with the hotels. Not a huge deal when shelling out tens of thousands of dollars but it’s funny how little things can sway people’s decisions.

 

[Raineman]

I don't want to cut back to pay for something, that has been free since the parks opened. You are already paying to stay at the resorts, you shouldn't have an additional charge to park there. This penalizes people that live close enough not to have to fly, take the Magic Express, then use onsite transportation.

Let me phrase this a bit differently. If a family of four is dropping $6000-$8000 on average for a 7 night stay, is an additional $100-$175 on top of that going to make or break the family finances? If you can't afford to add an extra fee of less than $200 to a vacation, you can't afford the vacation in the first place. I realize that, if more fees keep getting added over the years, it will eventually be enough to move the vacation price out of the range that some families can afford, but this one extra fee shouldn't make or break a vacation decision;the reason behind the cost, however, might do it.

 

[gmk3855]

It comes down to the same old response from the masses, whether it is the yearly ticket price increases, additional fees for parties or events. Half are sick of the constant up charges and say they won't go anymore and the other half says if you can't afford it don't go. In the end most people are still going to come no matter what Disney does and charges. And if you don't come, Disney doesn't care. For the last few years, attendance has been down but they still are making a profit. With Toy Story Land, Star Wars Land and Tron coming among other things, Disney is going to have no problem getting people to come and pay whatever they what to charge for what ever they feel like charging for.

 

[crawale]

With the Resort Parking Fees current state, how many of you have contacted Disney to voice your concerns?

I complained by email and received no response. What with guests of non-Disney hotels being able to get fast passes 60 days out, parking fees added and animals being allowed in some hotel rooms - who wants to sleep in a bed that an animal may have occupied - Disney has completely lowered the quality of a vacation. I have been going to Disney for more than 30 years and am now seriously thinking of selling my DVC points - certainly will never stay in a non-DVC hotel again - something we often do. Walt would turn over in his grave with the total degrading of the experience. No doubt the 'suits' at Disney see this as every increasing bonuses for themselves.