News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[bigrigross]

You prefer valet? That $20 turns into $30-$35 very quickly without self parking.

What I was saying is the Hotels I have stayed at night that charge for overnight parking, it was strictly valet so their was at least value to the parking fee. It wasn't 20 dollars for me to go get my own car. 30 dollars to park myself is very excessive.

 

[CJR]

nope....people who rent a car are not going to just take the magical express and use disney transport now....they will now stay off site
Now they will have less people in the bubble

We'll see, but I wouldn't count on that. Some people might, but most Disney guests who rent a car will just fork over $30.

 

[cadaverous_pallor]

Honestly it's so annoying sometimes that I'm ok with the $30, if it helps.

You make too much money.

 

[21stamps]

I kind of hate myself for responding to you, but here it goes.

Disney's On-Site Hotel Resort Fee Includes:
-Airport Transportation via Disney's Magical Express
-Wifi
-Unlimited local calls
-Transportation to and from all Disney Theme Parks, Water Parks, and Disney Springs
-Daily Mousekeeping
-60 Day Fastpass+ Reservations


What a deal!

Well, first of all, you should always love yourself.

I think you missed the point, and words in back and white on your screen, of the 23,000 posts that I've written here.

Let's take a step back and look at this logically, from a customer relations standpoint-
We all know resort fees exist at most vacation destination hotels/resorts. We pay them, begrudgingly, but pay bc it's the norm. They all include some total bs "services/amenities" etc. They've all been there for several years, OR they've created a new "included service" before they rolled out the fee.

The OP said there will be nothing additional included in the fee. Why would any business do that? It's a horrible decision that would create more backlash than the revenue it would generate, it's the opposite of everything that they advertise. It wouldn't be worth it. A ton of people would be complaining every single day. I have to believe that the executives of WDW are a little more aware than to make such a bad decision. They'd have to include something additional to justify the fee.

 

[21stamps]

I would challenge your assertion that most non-Disney hotels in the US charge for parking for registered guests. I have found the opposite. The only hotels that I see consistently charging a parking fee are hotels in prime downtown locations where all parking requires payment. Very few hotels and resorts I have stayed in outside of downtown areas charge for parking - even in touristy destinations.

Even beach ones? I don't know many places in tourist areas in Florida, especially the East Coast, that don't charge for self parking or valet parking. This includes condos, apartment buildings, restaurants, night clubs, and hotels..not if you want to be somewhere nice on or very close to the beach.

 

[Lets Respect]

You make too much money.

I wish!

Come on, we all know this is done, especially at MK. Have a lunch ADR, eat a $15 dollar meal and a glass of water and go to the parks for the rest of the day. As an example, I could pull up a dozen local vloggers and bloggers who are CONSTANTLY doing this. And when it happens, they will be the biggest whiners on twitter

 

[CTXRover]

I've heard about the probability of charging for hotel parking sometime within the past couple months. At that time I was under the impression once rolled out it would only apply to non-resort guests in an effort to dissuade parking at the resorts if not staying there. I guess we will see. Many hotels do charge for overnight parking even if staying at that hotel, but I strongly disagree with such a decision for WDW hotels.

 

[21stamps]

I've not run into parking fees in the Redneck Riviera (aka Panama City Beach, FL), nor at hotels I have stayed at in the Carolinas or Georgia - even on the beach.

Yeah, I'd agree with you there. But it's common in Orlando, and it is definitely the norm on Florida's East Coast in the popular areas..especially from Jupiter all the way to, and including, Key West. When I've stayed in St. Augustine it was the same.. I can't speak for Daytona up to Jacksonville though, don't know if it's common there or not.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm old enough to remember ticket books in the parks. My siblings and I would be having so much fun that, when we inevitably used up all the initial tickets, we'd beg our parents to get us more. Our parents usually did so, but felt a little peeved about it (from conversations about it I've had with them since then). It was a bit carny-esque to them, but at least Disney was not making them pay for something that had been included before then.

It seems like Disney is reverting to that style of guest interaction outside of the parks. If this happens, this would just be another example. I hope it doesn't happen, but it seems par for the course with their recent actions.

The biggest difference here is that they would take something that has been included with resort prices, and that would really burn.

At least with tickets the concept of all rides for one admission price 1) did not really exist until Six Flags Over Texas opened and 2) has had an incredibly profound impact on both Disney and the industry, the repercussions of which are still being dealt with today (ie. MyMagic+). Resort fees have no potentially huge, operational positive.

 

[wdwmagic]

This time last year they were surveying about the resort fees

http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wal...a-nightly-resort-fee-to-its-resort-hotels.htm

 

[cadaverous_pallor]

$15 per night as a flat resort + parking fee would be slightly more palatable I guess....

 

[Luxe]

The OP said there will be nothing additional included in the fee. Why would any business do that? It's a horrible decision that would create more backlash than the revenue it would generate, it's the opposite of everything that they advertise. It wouldn't be worth it. A ton of people would be complaining every single day. I have to believe that the executives of WDW are a little more aware than to make such a bad decision. They'd have to include something additional to justify the fee.

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Mom! Get the camera!!

 

[GhostHost1000]

resorts fees are basically a way to raise resort prices without raising resort prices

ex. value resort = $125
resort fee = $25
total: $150 a night

Disney Ad - stay at our value resorts for $125 a night!!!

plus discounts only apply to the resort cost per night, not the fee

 

[MissM]

*sigh*

It's like Disney continues to go out of their way to find ways to alienate their loyal fans. Every time something like this comes up, it pushes my lifelong Disney fan husband a little more to the "#&$% them" category.

Two weekends ago, we drove out to Wilderness Lodge specifically for a Disney Dooney handbag they were holding for me at the Mercantile shop. It was sold out everywhere else on property so the CM was nice enough to put it aside for me to pick up Saturday. We drove out from Tampa, purchased the $228 bag, walked around a little and took some photos, ate a quick dinner at Roaring Forks and then headed home. All told, we were there for probably 2.5 hours. Had a lovely evening, never having stepped foot in adjacent Magic Kingdom.

If we were now expected to pay for parking just to make a large ticket purchase that would be such a huge deal breaker for me. Paying for the privilege to spend more money? I don't think so! We're Platinum Pass Passholders and while most of the time we visit WDW to hit a theme park, times like two Saturdays ago also are part of our overall "Disney" experience. We live 90 minute drive away so we don't stay over often; every now and then as a special occasion we make a weekend of it. But resort fees AND parking fees on top of the already exorbitant nightly rates? Certainly means we won't EVER be doing it in the future.

This losing dollars to pick up pennies mentality baffles me. You'll LOSE way more in cancellations and bookings to off site properties (of which there are TONS of options!!) than you'll make in these fees. Ugh, I just don't get it. Stop squeezing every last damned cent out of people and trying to find ways to alienate them even further from you!!

 

[Bocabear]

I kind of hate myself for responding to you, but here it goes.

Disney's On-Site Hotel Resort Fee Includes:
-Airport Transportation via Disney's Magical Express
-Wifi
-Unlimited local calls
-Transportation to and from all Disney Theme Parks, Water Parks, and Disney Springs
-Daily Mousekeeping
-60 Day Fastpass+ Reservations


What a deal!

when did daily housekeeping become a daily upcharge? What hotel in the world charges extra for housekeeping?!?
I have also been to Walt Disney World hotels many many many many times and have never used Magical Express... Why would I be charged for that? I rarely if ever use their bus system at all...Usually drive myself to the parks as the bus system is too inconvenient and a time waster for me.

 

[Katie G]

my two cents.... this isn't happening. Nice scare tactic though.

 

[NearTheEars]

Well, first of all, you should always love yourself.

I think you missed the point, and words in back and white on your screen, of the 23,000 posts that I've written here.

Let's take a step back and look at this logically, from a customer relations standpoint-
We all know resort fees exist at most vacation destination hotels/resorts. We pay them, begrudgingly, but pay bc it's the norm. They all include some total bs "services/amenities" etc. They've all been there for several years, OR they've created a new "included service" before they rolled out the fee.

The OP said there will be nothing additional included in the fee. Why would any business do that? It's a horrible decision that would create more backlash than the revenue it would generate, it's the opposite of everything that they advertise. It wouldn't be worth it. A ton of people would be complaining every single day. I have to believe that the executives of WDW are a little more aware than to make such a bad decision. They'd have to include something additional to justify the fee.

Unfortunately, if the rumor is true, I think they will exactly do just that. They see other local resorts charging a fee for a list of things they offer for free. So they will make up a similar list and start charging. If asked, they will say it is a common industry fee.

Most guests, especially new ones, won't blink twice at it, maybe even several returning guests will do the same. Others will pitch a fit and will likely have it removed, but for this trip only (obvious speculation).

The backlash will quickly subside as it always does. And they will enjoy the spoils.

 

[Marlins1]

my two cents.... this isn't happening. Nice scare tactic though.

I hope you are right. I have always appreciated the fact that the quoted room rate on the website is the real rate (even if it is high).

 

[ElreTigo]

Not all hotels on Disney property are resorts. They can't possibility charge a resort fee for Pop and All-Star. It's not a resort!

I've stayed at standard Best Westerns before that charge a resort fee...just because they can. Never once mentioned at check-in when the room rate was agreed upon, but yet there it is looking at you on your receipt at check-out.

Speaking as someone inside the industry, hospitality these days is anything but hospitable. It's all about greed and who can get screwed to pump up the bottom line. I realize, just like any business, they're in it to make a profit. But hoteliers have a way of playing the game more shady than many other, more respectable industries. Not saying Disney properties partake on any of these practices, but here are just a few examples of the dirty games hoteliers commonly play:

-Competing interstate hotels at a particular exit or town all illegally communicating with one another, and making a pact to not go below a certain room rate, rather than letting the free market set the price.

-Guests arriving late at a hotel to check-in, only to discover their reservation has been "lost", despite being guaranteed with a valid credit card, and having a confirmation in hand that their room will be held. Yeah, that reservation was never "lost", no matter what excuse the desk clerk tries to give. The motel intentionally gave away that reservation to get more $$$$ from a desperate walk-in, or someone who appeared more of a sucker. (I've had owners plenty of times order us to axe numerous valid reservations which were booked under a certain price, when we have an unexpected influx of travelers that we feel we can get more from their wallets due to sudden demand.)

-Those travel coupon books you see at rest stops offering very good deals on motel stays for walk-ins? Yeah, good luck finding many properties which will actually honor that printed price. You can pull into a motel at 3 in the morning needing to catch a few hours of sleep, see by the parking lot & open drapes of rooms that there is no shortage of availability. You walk in to see about getting one of those coupon prices, only to have the clerk tell you none of "those rooms" are available due to (insert made-up event here), but offers you a different room at $40 - $50 more per night. How do I know this happens? Because I've worked at properties which run those travel book ad's...yet would never honor them, even on the slowest of days. And this is common practice in the industry.

And then we go back to the topic at hand...resort fees & other hidden fees, which are pretty common these days industry-wide. It's a shame Disney is dipping into the pool of shady business practices which plagues the reputation of other players in the industry. Charging for parking, I can understand. Increasing room rates at resorts when needed, I get it. But hidden fees not mentioned with the room price? Disney, you are above this. Set the example.

 

[xdan0920]

my two cents.... this isn't happening. Nice scare tactic though.

Scare tactic? What is the end game? What's the point of this "scare tactic"? I'm confused by your words.