News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[rushtest4echo]

Disney Parks are regularly making $40,000,000,000+ a year in pure profit, and refuse to not only not absorb property tax increases but also threaten to increase fees yet the Florida state government is the villain in your story?

Uhm... The entire company does $40+ billion in revenues. The parks & resorts portion of the revenues is about 30%of that over the past 5 years, and the net income for parks and resorts is less than 10% of that original $40 billion that you're using. The sad thing is, you're partially right. WDW generates a massive amount of net income, but "creative accounting" combined with the massive drag that the Intl parks place on the segment means that WDW can only account for $4 billion a year in net income and that's assuming Disneyland in Anaheim and the Cruise Line are only breaking even (when in fact it's outperforming WDW on an ROI/daily spending basis).

Aside from that false number though, Disney pays a massive amount of money to local and state governments and when their assessed values go up through no fault of their own- they're required to pay more despite receiving no tangible benefits from the increased tax spending. However, I'd argue that it's offset by all of the sweetheart labor deals, the (should be illegal) municipal bonds they receive for infrastructure, and all of the influence that they have with the campaign contributions they've made to grease the wheels on both Democrat and Republican sides of the legislature.

The simple fact is, Disney isn't going to allow increases in tax assessments to put a dent in their earnings. They'll make it up somehow. I just wish they'd make it up with the returns on increased attendance and spending that big new attractions would bring as opposed to parking fees, tacky tents in Tomorrowland, resort fees, and other consumer unfriendly pricing models. People despise airlines for these same practices...

 

[drew81]

Every crazy rumor and stupid decision has people who post on here defending and supporting it. But that in no way is evidence that they are Disney plants sent to control the message. Some people just like things others don't. And some people just aren't that smart. Doesn't make them plants.

It's possible they may not be involved in this scenario from this thread, but there are other official "friends" on here trying to control other messages.

 

[erikjp]

Uhm... The entire company does $40+ billion in revenues. The parks & resorts portion of the revenues is about 30%of that over the past 5 years, and the net income for parks and resorts is less than 10% of that original $40 billion that you're using. The sad thing is, you're partially right. WDW generates a massive amount of net income, but "creative accounting" combined with the massive drag that the Intl parks place on the segment means that WDW can only account for $4 billion a year in net income and that's assuming Disneyland in Anaheim and the Cruise Line are only breaking even (when in fact it's outperforming WDW on an ROI/daily spending basis).

Aside from that false number though, Disney pays a massive amount of money to local and state governments and when their assessed values go up through no fault of their own- they're required to pay more despite receiving no tangible benefits from the increased tax spending. However, I'd argue that it's offset by all of the sweetheart labor deals, the (should be illegal) municipal bonds they receive for infrastructure, and all of the influence that they have with the campaign contributions they've made to grease the wheels on both Democrat and Republican sides of the legislature.

The simple fact is, Disney isn't going to allow increases in tax assessments to put a dent in their earnings. They'll make it up somehow. I just wish they'd make it up with the returns on increased attendance and spending that big new attractions would bring as opposed to parking fees, tacky tents in Tomorrowland, resort fees, and other consumer unfriendly pricing models. People despise airlines for these same practices...

Already responded to the revenue numbers in an earlier comment^

Regardless of whether we look at the parks only revenue, or Disney's overall revenue, acting like Disney's bottom line is somehow threatened by local property taxes is one of the most ridiculous arguments I've ever read.

 

[drizgirl]

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

But when it DOES happen, and it's "only" $15 (instead of $30) won't everyone be relieved?

 

[21stamps]

Already responded to the revenue numbers in an earlier comment^

Regardless of whether we look at the parks only revenue, or Disney's overall revenue, acting like Disney's bottom line is somehow threatened by local property taxes is one of the most ridiculous arguments I've ever read.

It's not at all ridiculous. Why would anyone business or personal want to pay more than they should be paying?

 

[Horizons '83]

Eh, I stay at the Swan and Dolphin and I am used to paying for that. I factor it into my total nightly charge along with fees and taxes. I think once or if this is implemented, it won't drive away anyone who is already paying an arm and a leg for a $600 a night room, where this hurts would be the Value customers pocket. I am sure they will have a sliding scale, say $20 for Value, $30 Moderate, etc. This stinks for sure but I don't think its earth shattering, its just another lever to pull for additional revenue.

 

[MrHappy]

Eh, I stay at the Swan and Dolphin and I am used to paying for that. I factor it into my total nightly charge along with fees and taxes. I think once or if this is implemented, it won't drive away anyone who is already paying an arm and a leg for a $600 a night room, where this hurts would be the Value customers pocket. I am sure they will have a sliding scale, say $20 for Value, $30 Moderate, etc. This stinks for sure but I don't think its earth shattering, its just another lever to pull for additional revenue.

Eh, I stayed at GFV and BLT last May....far from Value. And this would drive me away. Or at least force me to reconfigure my budget and even reconsider WDW if I can't make the pieces fit.

 

[rushtest4echo]

Already responded to the revenue numbers in an earlier comment^

Regardless of whether we look at the parks only revenue, or Disney's overall revenue, acting like Disney's bottom line is somehow threatened by local property taxes is one of the most ridiculous arguments I've ever read.

Then you don't know much ab out property taxes, especially in Orange and Osceola Counties which both have a recent sordid past regarding spikes in assessments and the taxes that go with them. One could argue that property value assessments were depressed during the real estate boom, but after that it seems like both counties have been aggressively pursuing tax dollars by upwardly adjusting assessments (which is probably necessary, but really hits the wallet of citizens and business- including Disney).

Disney's property tax bills are well over $100 million a year in Orlando, and if the counties decided to double the value of the land- the taxes will be doubled as well. In the past, Disney (like all good "patriotic"/"responsible" companies) has lobbied to slash the value of land assessments to save on property taxes.

Keep in mind that Universal has been far more successful at dodging property taxes. Their land is assessed at a value far below Disney's despite being prime real estate in an extremely land-valuable area in Dr Phillips. Disney, on the other hand, is on worthless swamp land that they're forbidden from developing much more- yet Orange County feels that land is more valuable than Universals.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Eh, I stay at the Swan and Dolphin and I am used to paying for that. I factor it into my total nightly charge along with fees and taxes. I think once or if this is implemented, it won't drive away anyone who is already paying an arm and a leg for a $600 a night room, where this hurts would be the Value customers pocket. I am sure they will have a sliding scale, say $20 for Value, $30 Moderate, etc. This stinks for sure but I don't think its earth shattering, its just another lever to pull for additional revenue.

On our last trip, we chose to stay at the Yacht Club instead of Shades of Green. We've also stayed at the Grand Floridian (honeymoon). If they implement $30/day to park at the resorts, we will no longer stay at any of the Disney resorts, much less a deluxe one as we did on our last trip. There's breaking points for everyone...an additional $210 (for a week) on top of an already wickedly expensive hotel room? No thanks. We'll suck up the loss of convenience and save the money at Shades instead.

 

[aprincessatlasst]

I
C) vomit - then evaluate how my young kids will handle the 5 hour plane ride to DL/DCA

EDIT: evaluate how I can make Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg "magical", great.

They will ask you why you took so long to take them there. They will ask to go back to DL, back to Cali! While you will have nostalgia for the good old days and try to plan a trip to WDW because you think maybe it will be like it was. (speaking from experience) You tell them we are going back to "Disney"! When they find out you mean WDW, they will say "oh ( with a frown) I thought we were going back to DisneyLand", they will look at you like you are crazy and tell you they want to see CarsLand and don't want to walk all over creation to get to rides. "The plane ride is fun, mommy!" Yes they will do this at a young age. First trip mine were 2 and 4, they still ask to go back all the time. Next thing you are planning a trip to DL Paris. lol

FWIW in regards to the changes....The camel has so many straws on it by now that it has done broke its back, is about to die with no hope of ever getting up.

 

[Grimley1968]

But when it DOES happen, and it's "only" $15 (instead of $30) won't everyone be relieved?

I was also thinking, if/when it does happen, there may eventually be some kind of "discount" for parking fees if you stay for more than 1 or 2 days. Then everyone will be relieved that we can spend a week at WDW, and the parking rate becomes that much less a % of the overall exorbitant expense for a WDW vacation. It could be some kind of extra magical "deal" promoted in a future commercial campaign.

<--- not at all advocating the above; just seeing it as a distinct possibility.

 

[flynnibus]

I would be very unhappy to be paying to park yet still competing for a spot with people parking for free to dine or shop.

I'd be very unhappy to pay for the same exact parking that has been complementary for decades.

 

[Goofyernmost]

My apologies, they make $2,200,000,000, the 40 billion is the Disney corporations overall profits including the parks. From this Forbes article ( http://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2...-2-2-billion-theme-park-profits/#5c0fd956a11c).

And if the property taxes were raised during a period of local property tax decline in the local Orlando area, I would agree with you, but property taxes are not arbitrary. The land that Walt Disney owns has value, not just because Magic Kingdom sits on it. Theres an almost limitless number of things that land could be used for, including homes which, by they way, pay property taxes even though they are not Magic Kingdon.

Well, that's kinda true except that there is a catch 22 with that one. If MK wasn't there the land would be worth only what Walt paid for swamp land in Florida. Something like $180.00 an acre. With out MK (and of course the rest) all that land including the land that Universal is sitting on, SeaWorld etc. would be worthless and empty. It is a very direct connection.

It would be like saying that I once had a 14 caret, perfect diamond in my ring that was worth a Million Dollars, but I lost the stone someplace. What is left of the ring is of little value. The land WDW sits on has a very high value because WDW is sitting on the land. All the surrounding area has a high value because WDW is sitting there next to them. Without that magic bullet, it all would just be damp field. The amount of tax revenue from the land, sans WDW, would be equivalent of what one acre probably is generating now.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'd like to see the fine print before gauging just how awful this awful idea is.
I really hope this awful idea/rumor is just a "day" charge, and not a "every parking lot you pull into at WDW" charge - so lets say, day 1 of my trip I pull into POR to check in to my room, do I need to pay $30 there and if I have Ohana ADRs I need to pay another $30 over at Poly for dinner? That doesn't make sense. Then do I pay another $30 on day 1 to POR when I come back to my room. And is parking at the Parks still included as a "perk"?
A) lets wait till this is true
B) read the fine print
C) vomit - then evaluate how my young kids will handle the 5 hour plane ride to DL/DCA

EDIT: evaluate how I can make Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg "magical", great.

In my opinion, making Colonial Williamsburg "magical" would be colossal task.

 

[flynnibus]

Resort fees are horrible, however it's the taxes on top of the room costs that cause them. The occupancy tax is on the room costs and not the additional resort fee. Therefore if a hotel charged 100 a night for the room and there were a resort fe of 20 a night the 12% occupancy tax would be 12 but if the room cost 120 wit no resort fee the tax would be 14.40. Now 2.40 may not sound like much but think if the costs were double or triple that and you were staying a week or more. 2.40 a day for 7 days is 16.80, double is 33.60 and triple is 50.40. It really adds up so the real reason for these fees is the over taxing of rooms.

BS. They are not restructuring their prices so customers have to pay less taxes. The hotel isn't paying the occupancy taxes.. and they are not competitive differentiators because all their competitors have to charge the same.

The resort fees came from the price comparison shopping fueled by the internet travel sites. It is known...

When customers are driven by the advertised price, price comparison forces hotels to look at cheap as possible, while still maintaining what looks like perks. The solution, a resort fee that covers 'perks' while still being able to advertise a top line price.

The same thing happened in Mobile phones too.. companies start charging 'administrative fees'... on top of their actual service charges. Its simply a scam to be able to advertise cheaper prices. The government stepped in and regulated it for the airlines because it was getting so out of control when the airlines would take every fee and break it out of their 'fare price' to look cheaper. Unfortunately hotels don't have the same kind of federal oversight aviation has...

 

[RobidaFlats]

In my opinion, making Colonial Williamsburg "magical" would be colossal task.

Someone tried to bring magic there once. It caused quite a stir:

 

[JenniferS]

Skimmed through the comments but let me try to make sense of this.

Essentially this would urge guests NOT to bring a car onto property so they can utilize the ever-failing, over crowded Disney transportation system?

I know, right?!

We always book for 11 days/10 nights, with a 10 day PH pass. We rent a car, thus saving WDW the cost of DME and daily bus service.

A quick look at my bookings would confirm that we have 10 credit card-backed ADR's, and 3 FP+ booked per day. We are clearly not spending time up the road! Why EVER would they benefit from charging me an extra $30 a day for parking?

 

[Lets Respect]

In my opinion, making Colonial Williamsburg "magical" would be colossal task.

Yes, and when someone figures that out, Colonial Williamsburg would also like to be copied on that memo

 

[flynnibus]

You're only supposed to park for 3 hours with an ADR but that is hard to enforce. This will make it easier

No it was plenty easy to enforce (cities do it everyday... even podunk towns can figure it out). Disney doesn't want to confront customers tho, so they let the abuse slide until it becomes unavoidable, and they get strict at the gate for periods of time.

You could easily use the paper that automatically marks itself as expired for instance.. you could use RFID tags... you could just print it on the piece of paper. This is not a problem that needed pricing to solve.. it's just pricing makes it more attractive to the business to solve with getting revenue.

 

[Lets Respect]

No it was plenty easy to enforce (cities do it everyday... even podunk towns can figure it out). Disney doesn't want to confront customers tho, so they let the abuse slide until it becomes unavoidable, and they get strict at the gate for periods of time.

You could easily use the paper that automatically marks itself as expired for instance.. you could use RFID tags... you could just print it on the piece of paper. This is not a problem that needed pricing to solve.. it's just pricing makes it more attractive to the business to solve with getting revenue.

That's true. You could simply do it at the gates when people leave after an ADR. If they overstayed the three hours, they pay $30 or the gate doesn't go up