News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[drp4video]

I have a reservation for May 12-17. I am staying at POFQ for all 5 nights. Two of those days will be spent at Universal, so I am paying for overnights where I won't even be at WDW. To pay to park in the parks is $22, to pay to park at POFQ is $19. Free parking was one incentive to stay on disney property. It no long is, especially when you can get a much nicer hotel room outside of disney property for a lot less money. After over 30 trips to WDW, all of which I have stayed at a Disney resort, I am done. This will be my last trip. The rise in prices, the lack of attractions, the money grab for every dollar with a lessening of services, has left a bitter taste in my mouth. This adds $100 to my trip. For those families who budget for their trip, they did not budget for this, especially as those with reservations are held hostage and have no choice but to pay. I am so sick of this and totally fed up. I was planning several table service meals, now they will be cancelled to make up the cost of paying to park. Deciding to do this to those with reservations already is outrageous. It should not apply to those who already have reservations. I am disgusted with WDW's management. As a stockholder, I am sickened by how they are treating guests who stay on their property, especially as there is no charge to those who want to visit to dine. I am being penalized because I am paying them to stay at their hotel. Well, no more.

Edit: I am editing because my brilliant daughter pointed out to me that this is for those making reservations after March 21. As I already have a reservation, this should not apply to us, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and if I do ever return for another trip, I will not be staying on property. I can stay elsewhere with a better room, a suite actually, for what I am paying at POFQ, and it's only $3 more dollars a day to pay to park at a park then to pay to park at a resort. With all the recent changes and price increases for less value, I never thought I would say this, but for me, Disney is losing the magic.

 

[s8film40]

OK. So now you'll be required to stop by the front desk and register your car. That defeats the entire purpose of MDE room alerts for everyone who drove. What if you have a car for only part of your stay? Do you have to make two trips to the front desk?

I find it unlikely that Disney is going to tow or clamp the car of a guest who forgets to register. Those kinds of situations will escalate very very quickly. No CM is getting paid to deal with that.

Most hotels do a pay at exit or use a room card to enter/exit to track and charge parking. It's really not that hard and Disney is really one of the last hotels to implement this so there are plenty of examples to follow.

 

[CTC]

I already called Disability Services. While folks with a handicap sticker will not pay the new overnight fees, how will Disney police those that choose to "borrow" a handicap pass from dear old mom or dad to skirt the fee? Better add more spots or more valet attedants.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I was curious as to why Disney hasnt just started charging fees for guests not coming to WDW. I mean since they obviously wield some strange power that forces people to come there and spend money, why not just redirect that power to simply charging a “non-stay” resort fee.

@George I would be interested to get your take on this idea.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Random week in June.

Yacht Club is $3,244. Add on your $25/night fee, you get $3,394.
Wilderness:

B Resort: $1410
Waldorf: $2,500
Swan: $2,250
Hilton Bonnet: $1900

Did you include those resorts' parking fee and their mandatory resort fee?

 

[nicb88]

For us this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. After 26 years at Poly CL nothing has angered us more. The $24 per night is only part of it. It’s that parking is free for people who just want to visit and just look around. So I have to pay to park at a resort that costs $900 plus a night in CL and still no guarantee that I will get a parking spot. So I can still go through the hell of trying to find a spot while somebody parks there saying they are visiting simply to get free parking to go to MK. What genius thought this was a great idea. Take care of your paying resort guest first Disney!

So, was just about to book this year’s trip but we’re not going to now. This really is too much. Angry email to Guest Communications on its way.

For me I think this is the argument. They’re targeting the people who would make them the most money, if those people still go stay on site. It’s absurd and offensive, and I hope that people who drive do reconsider and they rescind the charge.

They should most definitely be targeting people who want to go visit the resort for whatever reason. They’ll surely give the reason of ‘trying to lessen the burden on the parking lots’, but no one is so stupid to think the way they’re doing this is for that purpose. If you do target temporary visitors, they could introduce a system where if you have a reservation and leave with a receipt or check, then they can validate that for free parking.

Also, the further away you’re from, the more likely you are to rent a car. It’s pretty much the standard for visitors from Europe to hire a rental car (they’re often included in packages, which most people rely on here) so you can spend time at all the attractions over a generally longer period in Orlando than many domestic visitors. This unfairly punishes them too.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I love how the price varies on the level of the resort, from value to deluxe... Do they value-add as you move up in tiers? Say, gold stripes over white, or a red carpet to the curb?

It's an asphalt spot marked with white lines regardless of where it is.

Or are we to assume that this vaunted space is more valuable at the high-end digs?

 

[IanDLBZF]

Are they going to charge their guests to park at the parks too ?

They already charge for theme park parking.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I was looking at long term airport parking and there are offsite lots for as low as 3.00 a day. Park there, use their shuttle to the airport and the magic express to WDW.

I haven't used ME, but don't you need to give them a flight number that you're on, and don't they pick up your luggage?

You'd be better off parking at the $3/day lot and then Uber/Lyft to your resort.

 

[Donal Duck]

They already charge for theme park parking.

For guests staying at their hotels ?

 

[alphac2005]

Most hotels do a pay at exit or use a room card to enter/exit to track and charge parking. It's really not that hard and Disney is really one of the last hotels to implement this so there are plenty of examples to follow.

Many resorts do, but most hotels do not. I've traveled extensively throughout the country and the vast majority of hotels provide a parking lot that you drive right up into and park, just like at a shopping plaza and many of those are very nice hotels. Resorts tend to have the room card just as you've noted and Disney has the room key gate system that's been in place for years, so similar infrastructure has been there for them.

 

[Keith2426]

So what is the benefit of staying at a Disney resort? Can't be for the extra magic hours, cause they are cutting the park hours so they can charge people to pay over $100.00 dollars to stay in the park extra 3 hours; or can't be for the slow bus service to and from the parks, now the bus service is really going to be really slow. The excuse they used in the article was "it brings the company more in line with the industry". This has changed my mind about staying at a Disney resort, from now on better off renting a condo or home and pay less, or If you shop around there are hotels that have specials where they waive the parking and hotel fees.

 

[IanDLBZF]

For guests staying at their hotels ?

Theme park parking remains free for registered resort guests and passholders.

 

[scarr13311]

For guests staying at their hotels ?

One of the benefits of staying on the resort is you get free parking at the parks for now.

 

[lentesta]

Just got off the phone with Disney. Here’s what they know on how this is going to work:

• When you arrive at the resort security booth, they’ll ask you if you plan to park overnight. If you say yes, it’ll be noted on your resort folio account.
• What do you do if you’re only using a car for part of your stay? No details available yet.
• What counts as a “night”? It’s based on your hotel reservation.
• You check out of Animal Kingdom Lodge at 7 a.m. and go to the Magic Kingdom until 2 a.m. You get back to Animal Kingdom Lodge at 3 a.m. Is your car towed? No details available. Do you get charged for another night? No details available.

They did say they'll get me details as they become available. I'll post them here.

 

[Mainahman]

How bad is this going to make the bus situation if nobody that stays onsite brings a car?? The buses to the parks are crowded as it is I bet 20% of onsite guest bring their own cars and drive to the parks. How is this going to save Disney any money?

I was appauled at bus service last week at our Hotel. It was sardine village every trip. no set rules for wheel chairs and ECVs. some busses made them stay on board thier device, others made them take up another seat on the bus and abandon the scooter. A total nosedive from our last stay in the summer of 2012. it was almost impossible to catch a bus back at park close without waiting 2 rounds. Making people pay for cars and not fixing these other issues doesnt help at all...

 

[MisterPenguin]

SO much for us that live close enough to drive. Well to me 700 miles in a car costs me about 40 bucks 1 way in gas. Sadly paying the 25 a night ( hoping to upgrade to deluxe next time) and gas, is still cheaper than flying from Nashville to Orlando where theres no good route other than up north and back down...Going to have to find a few dollars savings elsewhere...

Try checking to see about a car rental from your place to Disney. Some of the Disney hotels (especially the Disney Springs ones) have rental lots to drop off or pick up from. You can sometimes fine rentals as cheap as $20/day. You'd need to be there a significant number of days to make this cheaper. However, it will save the wear and tear on your own car and you can rent one that's a good size to travel in.

If you go this route, you can

1. rent at home,
2. drive to Orlando and a market to pick up stuff.
3. Go to your resort and tell them at the gate that you won't be keeping the car there.
4. Drop off your stuff.
5. Return the car to a rental lot within or near the bubble.
6. Use WDW transportation the rest of your stay.
7. Reverse the process to leave.

 

[Mainahman]

Try checking to see about a car rental from your place to Disney. Some of the Disney hotels (especially the Disney Springs ones) have rental lots to drop off or pick up from. You can sometimes fine rentals as cheap as $20/day. You'd need to be there a significant number of days to make this cheaper. However, it will save the wear and tear on your own car and you can rent one that's a good size to travel in.

If you go this route, you can

1. rent at home,
2. drive to Orlando and a market to pick up stuff.
3. Go to your resort and tell them at the gate that you won't be keeping the car there.
4. Drop off your stuff.
5. Return the car to a rental lot within or near the bubble.
6. Use WDW transportation the rest of your stay.
7. Reverse the process to leave.

We do also get insane discounts on rentals here too, so thats a thought i didnt think of. Is there one near Disney springs? Usually when we go we come on a saturday, and leave on a saturday.

 

[s8film40]

Many resorts do, but most hotels do not. I've traveled extensively throughout the country and the vast majority of hotels provide a parking lot that you drive right up into and park, just like at a shopping plaza and many of those are very nice hotels. Resorts tend to have the room card just as you've noted and Disney has the room key gate system that's been in place for years, so similar infrastructure has been there for them.

Almost every single 4 or 5 star/diamond hotel charges for parking because they have to have valet. If your talking about value type hotels then yeah sure and there's a valid point to Disney charging for parking at those. I assume they just wanted some consistency and didn't want to give the value and moderates an extra incentive over the deluxe.

 

[threvester]

I have a reservation for May 12-17. I am staying at POFQ for all 5 nights. Two of those days will be spent at Universal, so I am paying for overnights where I won't even be at WDW. To pay to park in the parks is $22, to pay to park at POFQ is $19. Free parking was one incentive to stay on disney property. It no long is, especially when you can get a much nicer hotel room outside of disney property for a lot less money. After over 30 trips to WDW, all of which I have stayed at a Disney resort, I am done. This will be my last trip. The rise in prices, the lack of attractions, the money grab for every dollar with a lessening of services, has left a bitter taste in my mouth. This adds $100 to my trip. For those families who budget for their trip, they did not budget for this, especially as those with reservations are held hostage and have no choice but to pay. I am so sick of this and totally fed up. I was planning several table service meals, now they will be cancelled to make up the cost of paying to park. Deciding to do this to those with reservations already is outrageous. It should not apply to those who already have reservations. I am disgusted with WDW's management. As a stockholder, I am sickened by how they are treating guests who stay on their property, especially as there is no charge to those who want to visit to dine. I am being penalized because I am paying them to stay at their hotel. Well, no more.

I am with you. This year was to be trip 46.. all on Disney property. If we end up going (so mad Im undecided), I will most definitely be staying off property for the first time. Disney will get my vacation scraps from now on rather than the bulk of it all.