News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[xdan0920]

I only see it as dishonest if they're canceling or reducing the stay after they initially book it. (e.g., booking for a week, making a week's worth of FP+ and ADRs, and then knocking it down to a 1-day stay or even cancelling altogether after they're within the 30-day window). On the other hand, if they're going to book and pay for the room/site for their whole vacation length but just not stay there (which is what my acquaintances do), that's their choice, and to the extent they're taking advantage of amenities, they've paid for them.

Your moral gymnastics never cease to amaze me.

 

[seascape]

There are just too many cars on WDW property and with all the new resorts being built something needs to be done to reduce them. The new Star Wars resort, the new one in front of Epcot, the River Country resort, the new Tower at Swan and Dolphin and others not yet announced. When all is said and done you will have thousands of new rooms and cars on property if something isn't done. Maybe charging at the resort isn't the answer but no longer giving free parking at the Parks to people staying onsite.

 

[Willow_Sapphire]

I only see it as dishonest if they're canceling or reducing the stay after they initially book it. (e.g., booking for a week, making a week's worth of FP+ and ADRs, and then knocking it down to a 1-day stay or even cancelling altogether after they're within the 30-day window). On the other hand, if they're going to book and pay for the room/site for their whole vacation length but just not stay there (which is what my acquaintances do), that's their choice, and to the extent they're taking advantage of amenities, they've paid for them.

That seems like a fair assessment. I don't have too much of an issue with those who pay for the whole duration of the trip and stay off property, as they technically paid for access to all of their 60-day Fastpasses...kind of a waste to me personally, but like you said it's their prerogative. Like many here I've been a longtime WDW fan, and I kind of had a very visceral initial reaction to the idea that people could cancel like that and still keep all the benefits.

 

[wdisney9000]

They surely know about it -- it's been going on for years. Google "Disney throwaway room" and you'll see discussion and debate extending back over the entire life of the internet. I know people who've done it -- book a [relatively] cheap tent site at Fort Wilderness Campground to get MagicBands, free parking, 180+10 ADR booking ability, earlier access to FP+, and free parking (until next week, anyway), only go there to check in and check out, stay at a luxury hotel offsite that offers more amenities than a Disney deluxe for half the price, and still pay, in total, less than you would for a Disney moderate.

I thought if you do not cancel within 4 days, you can not get a refund for your room? Or is that incorrect, @wannabeBelle ?

 

[melflip8]

Maybe only on short notice to fill in low occupancy days? Below is the availability for cash+points for April and May. Just 4/6 days for Swan/Dolphin are available. Starting in June forward... no availability. And the number of points for a 'free' night has risen and will rise again shortly for the Dolphin.

View attachment 270538

OMG sneaky sneaky! When did they update Dolphin from 10k points to 12k! I'm totally sure you are right that they will keep increasing prices and stuff, I wonder if the points increasing has more to do with the Marriott merger or Disney? Makes me even happier we got that RV!

 

[Lets Respect]

I called Univesal last year and asked why they charge for parking I was told they are up front wth the parking charge where as Disney charges more for the room as the parking fee is all ready included in the room rate. Now, if what I was told is true (some posted I said it was fact) If what I was told is true again IF ----it appears Disney will be double charging for parking. Make your own call on this
PS We are taking an Alaskan cruise this year rather than go back to Disny this year.

That makes sense. Disney always positioned themselves as all-inclusive when it came to transportation if you were staying onsite (Magical Express, Disney transportation, free parking at the resorts and the parks).

 

[Weather_Lady]

Those people need to plan my vacations. I don’t know how they’re saving thousands by doing Europe instead!

I don't know about "saving thousands," but as far as the trip to Scotland that I mentioned went, the numbers were at least in the same ballpark:

- DH and I paid a total of $6,400 for a 10-day "Best of Scotland" Rick Steves Tour, which included hotel/B&B, most of our food including a couple of upscale dining meals with alcohol, a guide and motor coach transportation, and all of our touring admissions (museums, castles, ferry boats, tram service, art galleries, whiskey distillery tasting and tour, Loch Ness river cruise, etc.). We paid an additional $1,100 for economy airfare and $500 for additional meals and souvenirs. Total cost for 10 days was $8,000, or $800/day.

- For us to spend 10 days at WDW in a deluxe hotel (which offers fewer amenities than the places we stayed in Scotland, where we enjoyed daily hot breakfasts and even oceanside views, but it's the closest comparator) -- let's say Beach Club pool view during the same end of September-beginning of October time period we went to Scotland, with parkhopper tickets -- the total cost is $8,067. Add $600 for roundtrip airfare on JetBlue and our total is nearly $8,700. But WAIT, we still need to eat! Add in 10 days' worth of the DDP for over $1,300 and the total cost for 10 days at WDW is $10,000, or $1,000/day).

I realize there are ways to make either trip more or less expensive, but if I'm trying to craft a Disney trip that has an apples-to-apples comparison with the accommodations, amenities and activities that were involved in our 10-day Scotland tour, that's how the numbers shake out.

(Sorry for the tangent, back to the topic...)

 

[Lets Respect]

You can cancel a room-only reservation, get all your money back, and keep your FPs.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I thought if you do not cancel within 4 days, you can not get a refund for your room? Or is that incorrect, @wannabeBelle ?

Depending on the booking type, that is correct. Packages are different from room only reservations so keep that in mind. I understood what was said is that they keep the one nights stay so they get the benefits and just stay elsewhere. Cancelling then wouldn't be an issue. Marie

 

[Weather_Lady]

Your moral gymnastics never cease to amaze me.

Huh? If I buy a perfectly good meal, eat half of it, and then return it and get my money back on false pretenses, that's dishonest.

If I buy it and simply and choose not to eat it, what's dishonest about that? No gymnastics involved, just common sense.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I don't know about "saving thousands," but as far as the trip to Scotland that I mentioned went:

- DH and I paid a total of $6,400 for a 10-day "Best of Scotland" Rick Steves Tour, which included hotel/B&B, most of our food including a couple of upscale dining meals with alcohol, a guide and motor coach transportation, and all of our touring admissions (museums, castles, Loch Ness river cruise, etc.). We paid an additional $1,100 for economy airfare and $500 for additional meals and souvenirs. Total cost for 10 days was $8,000, or $800/day.

- For us to spend 10 days at WDW in a deluxe hotel (which offers fewer amenities than the places we stayed in Scotland, where we enjoyed daily hot breakfasts and even oceanside views, but it's the closest comparator) -- let's say Beach Club pool view during the same end of September-beginning of October time period we went to Scotland, with parkhopper tickets -- the total cost is $8,067. Add $600 for roundtrip airfare on JetBlue and our total is nearly $8,700. But WAIT, we're not done! Add in 10 days' worth of the DDP for over $1,300 and the total cost for 10 days at WDW is $10,000, or $1,000/day).

I realize there are ways to make the European trip more expensive or the WDW trip less expensive, but if I'm trying to craft a Disney trip that has an apples-to-apples comparison with the accommodations, amenities and activities that were involved in our 10-day Scotland tour, that's how the numbers shake out.

Great job!! Marie

 

[Weather_Lady]

That seems like a fair assessment. I don't have too much of an issue with those who pay for the whole duration of the trip and stay off property, as they technically paid for access to all of their 60-day Fastpasses...kind of a waste to me personally, but like you said it's their prerogative. Like many here I've been a longtime WDW fan, and I kind of had a very visceral initial reaction to the idea that people could cancel like that and still keep all the benefits.

I understand -- and agree.

 

[xdan0920]

Huh? If I buy a meal, eat half of it, and then return it and get my money back, that's dishonest.

If I buy it and simply and don't eat it, what's dishonest about that? No gymnastics involved, just common sense.

I am not getting into a debate with you, just pointing out how much your moral outrages ebb and flow. It's funny.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I am not getting into a debate with you, just pointing out how much your moral outrages ebb and flow. It's funny.

Whatevs.

 

[YankeeMouse]

For me, it's less about the $20/nt parking and more about taking away perks for staying at a Disney resort. Mornings at MK are now an extra cost, parks close earlier and late night EMH 2 hours instead of 3 hours. We have AP and travel from Chicago and we used to have available the resort discounts prior to general public codes...no more. We will still get the AP but now it is just because we come down often enough to make a parkhopper more expensive. It's a little less magical but not enough to stay at a off-property resort with convenience stores and tee-shirt shops taking away from the immersive bubble experience.

 

[Keith2426]

Safe to safe, with almost three thousand post on this site alone, this very well may be the straw that breaks the camels back with an awful lot of people

 

[fngoofy]

There are just too many cars on WDW property and with all the new resorts being built something needs to be done to reduce them. The new Star Wars resort, the new one in front of Epcot, the River Country resort, the new Tower at Swan and Dolphin and others not yet announced. When all is said and done you will have thousands of new rooms and cars on property if something isn't done. Maybe charging at the resort isn't the answer but no longer giving free parking at the Parks to people staying onsite.

Wrong.

We always get a rental car on our annual trips. We have never experienced a full resort parking lot or a full Park parking lot. There are not "too many cars on property."
This is a way to get millions more $ without having to provide anything new. It's a slab of asphalt that requires no attendants, little to no upkeep, and will make them cash.

Charging our family the same amount to park as the car costs for a week is crazy.
The complete opposite of a "magical experience."

 

[Scuttle]

That will be $85-$175 dollars a week, please...subject To a 5-10% annual increase, of course

On top of ticket price increases, food price increases, soda price increases annually... all while the parks remain delapitated.

Can you Imagine the good press that they'd get if say they didn't increase ticket prices one year while Universal did? That's assuming TDO cared about the goodwill of the company of course

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I read people say that on this site, and I don’t understand it.
.

If you're an east coaster and you get good airfare...it's absolutely possible to do trips to Europe same or cheaper..

I spent about $5800 for 10 days in and around Paris before kids....and that included 4 days of day trips around the countryside including a last minute/unscheduled day to a certain theme park complex in Marne la Vallee (we were museumed out )...

So that was 2006...during the bubble. If you assume 50% (more than reasonable) inflation...that gets you to $9000...staying at Okw Caliber places. Excellent food at half the wdw price...more wine than you can consume.

What's 10 Days gonna cost you to wdw? With airfare? Staying at places charging $400 a night...

Wdw was never "cheap"...but it was "affordable" Based on approach. That term is becoming obsolete in this argument.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wrong.

We always get a rental car on our annual trips. We have never experienced a full resort parking lot or a full Park parking lot. There are not "too many cars on property."
This is a way to get millions more $ without having to provide anything new. It's a slab of asphalt that requires no attendants, little to no upkeep, and will make them cash.

Charging our family the same amount to park as the car costs for a week is crazy.
The complete opposite of a "magical experience."

Agree...realize that you're disputing with the same duster argument: "all that disney does is correct"

The stance kills any valid points made.