News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[Goofyernmost]

So much for the argument that staying on site was a good deal because you didn't have to pay to park at the parks. Hee, hee... now you have to pay just to give them hundreds of dollars a day to sleep in a three star or less room. I am upset now though because it is going to be harder to find a place to stay offsite until the smart people build hotels and not charge parking fees.

Meh. Considering the hotel Im planning on staying at in DC is $44 a night to park, I think its a damned good deal.

There is a huge difference between paying to park your car in an urban area that has limited space for parking. But, to charge that when they have 40,000 acres available is boarding on criminal.

 

[Calmdownnow]

So,

In order to get to the $15 an hour pay increase, prices have to be raised!

Can I take it from your post that you have evidence that CMs will be getting the pay raise they have been asking for? Or, is this a money grab from Disney that is not linked in any way to better pay for it's low-paid staff? I do not give the Co benefit of the doubt on this -- I can imagine them grabbing the millions that parking fees will bring in without redistributing any of it to the people it employs.

 

[Mainahman]

It wouldn't be such a blow to the pocket book if Disney would start doing the right thing when it comes to adding new attractions, refurbs, and maintenance so attractions don't breakdown all the time! So is Disney charging RESORT FEES or just charging for resort parking? I would think Disney will come up with a value parking for those who are going to be at the resorts for 7+ days...a flat parking fee!

ID be fine with a flat fee. or less each day you stay kind of like tickets....

 

[SteveBrickNJ]

Indeed you are correct.

Thank you. There were others on the thread who seemed to express that they will have to pay. They mentioned specific dates....making me think they already booked .Hey everyone If you already booked....you are fine.

 

[Scuttle]

Hah! Sounds like a plan! $10/night for peace of mind, we guarantee pickup within 20 minutes.

Even better: you can use our app and one of our valets will meet you there...

Offsite valet! $15/night for that service though...

D

And hopefully reduce the number of people parking at the resorts just to go visit the parks.

I don't think this is as big of an issue as we think. The CC guaranteed dining reservation has def scared away the frequent abusers of years past. When anyone could book a Reservation for no penalty for not showing then it was def a bigger issue. Not saying people don't still do it, but I bet it's a less than it was say 2010...


Big difference IMO between parking at the resort going to the bar for an hour or dinner and then visiting the park for a few hours compared to parking and directly walking over the parks.

 

[rnese]

With all the complaints here, I would suspect Disney to do something else! If you oppose this new fee, YOU NEED TO CALL OR SEND AN EMAIL expressing your displeasure! THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS>>>WE CAN CHANGE THIS! Petition writers anyone!? Someone needs to write and online petition that we can click on and then have the results sent to WDW!

I've just submitted a strongly worded email voicing my displeasure!

 

[disneymarsh]

The printed parking pass is for the parks to get free parking and to know you are a resort guest, and this new possible fee is for parking at the resorts not the parks. Parking at parks will probably stay free if staying onsite but now if you have a car though you will possibly pay the nightly fee at your resort. Most non Disney hotels across the US charge parking fees at the hotels nightly if you have a car so this would not surprise me and it is probably to crack down on people parking at resorts they are not staying at to avoid paying parking at the parks etc that stay offsite. The good have to suffer for the bad. We always drive but are DVC members and would be nice if they allow us to park for free still at the resorts if this happens and avoid resort fees too. We shall see.

Article I read said DVC will still be free. http://www.chipandco.com/walt-disney-world-resorts-will-start-charging-for-overnight-parking-301676/

 

[King Panda 77]

I concur, but have a query. The normal economic laws don't seem to apply to Disney. In 12-24 months how many resort stays will be nixed/changed? My guess based on past experience is not many. Though, I do think the possibility of a tipping point does exist.

Sir ... please step away from this thread. There is another thread all about tipping ...

 

[rnese]

Sir ... please step away from this thread. There is another thread all about tipping ...

HA!

 

[UncleMike101]

We're going to skip eating at any of the overpriced, understaffed, mediocre food, sit down restaurants.
That'll save us more than the $200.00 that we will be charged to board our horse in the WDW corral.
Burgers and such from quick food places will keep us going just as well without the aggravation of dealing with the Resort Dining reservations system.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It wouldn't be such a blow to the pocket book if Disney would start doing the right thing when it comes to adding new attractions, refurbs, and maintenance so attractions don't breakdown all the time! So is Disney charging RESORT FEES or just charging for resort parking? I would think Disney will come up with a value parking for those who are going to be at the resorts for 7+ days...a flat parking fee!

It's not a resort fee, it's a parking fee. No car, no fee.

 

[Capsin4]

Welcome news and smart business. Get people onto the busses and out from behind the wheel. Should cut down on traffic and congestion across property.

Why? This won’t motivate people that drive to stash their cars offsite or take more expensive flights.

I could see this maybe affecting some who fly in and rent cars, but it’s no motivation for anybody else driving to the world.

 

[Capsin4]

With all the complaints here, I would suspect Disney to do something else! If you oppose this new fee, YOU NEED TO CALL OR SEND AN EMAIL expressing your displeasure! THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS>>>WE CAN CHANGE THIS! Petition writers anyone!? Someone needs to write and online petition that we can click on and then have the results sent to WDW!

Most people won’t care or notice. They know what they’re doing and have done their research.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't think this is as big of an issue as we think. The CC guaranteed dining reservation has def scared away the frequent abusers of years past. When anyone could book a Reservation for no penalty for not showing then it was def a bigger issue. Not saying people don't still do it, but I bet it's a less than it was say 2010...

Big difference IMO between parking at the resort going to the bar for an hour or dinner and then visiting the park for a few hours compared to parking and directly walking over the parks.

It doesnt matter if you have a reservation or not. People were just saying they were "going to eat at the Contempo Cafe" or "going to get ice cream on the boardwalk." I'm down for a quick four night stay (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) and an entire bus of people got off at the Contemporary from Disney Springs to avoid paying for parking.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why? This won’t motivate people that drive to stash their cars offsite or take more expensive

I could see this maybe affecting some who fly in and rent cars, but it’s no motivation for anybody else driving to the world.

Drivers are 1) a small fraction of guests and 2) not very valuable from a PCGS perspective. They bring groceries, eat offsite, shop on 192, etc. at much higher rates than fliers. If Disney can trade a driver moving off property for a flier that now doesn't rent a car, they'll make that trade every single day.

 

[Capsin4]

Drivers are 1) a small fraction of guests and 2) not very valuable from a PCGS perspective. They bring groceries, eat offsite, shop on 192, etc. at much higher rates than fliers. If Disney can trade a driver moving off property for a flier that now doesn't rent a car, they'll make that trade every single day.

Are they? A small fraction of resort guests?

 

[KRW101]

We always drive. I won’t say this will keep us away, as Disney is quite addictive for our family, however that will be a few less Mickey premium bars per day. (I really don’t eat that many a day) We will have to budget it in as I am sure it will not go away and will probably follow the ticket increases each year.

 

[Scuttle]

It doesnt matter if you have a reservation or not. People were just saying they were "going to eat at the Contempo Cafe" or "going to get ice cream on the boardwalk." I'm down for a quick four night stay (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) and an entire bus of people got off at the Contemporary from Disney Springs to avoid paying for parking.

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't which makes no sense. I've been turned away for wanting to go to the bar before (which was the truth).

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The real danger here is that once the fee is enacted - It will then become subject to the annual price increase. The $13 will creep up to $15, then $17 and before you know it - it will be $20 to park at a value. Moderates and Deluxe's will follow suit.

As an AP - it doesn't seem to have affected me - for now. But some time in the near future I expect Disney to do away with the free parking benefit for AP's and it will slowly morph into a discounted rate. Then they'll come up with the "Parking in Wonderland" annual pass option costing $250 for us locals.

 

[mmssbrg2]

It’s kind of funny to step back and realize everyone’s complaining about a $25 on a $400+ PER NIGHT ROOM. I mean I get it I don’t stay at the resorts anymore it’s just too expensive. By contrast though the parking fee is negligible. The problem isn’t the parking fee but the room rate. The fact is though Disney will still fill the rooms and it won’t matter if people are upset.

People are upset at the perception vs. the reality. That's why I would tend to agree that there is a behavioral response that Disney is looking for. If this was merely a cash grab, they could have simply increased the price of value resorts by $13/night, moderates by $19/night, and deluxe resorts by $24/night and hardly anyone would have batted an eye - at least compared to the response we're seeing now. The perception of paying for something that used to be 'free' is more painful to the guest than an extra $24 on an already $400/night resort rate, even though the end result is the same.