News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[jsand99]

You have to feel sorry for those whose job is defending the indefensible, She's passionate because her paycheck depends on her being passionate.

In answer to your question, Absolutely not.

Oh I'm sure the conversations are recorded and she wouldn't dare say anything that would make her superiors think she isn't completely drunk on the Disney koolaid.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Well I just returned the call to the lady who has been trying to call me. She definitely had her script and talking points ready and defended Disney to the point that it seemed she would give her life for it. She gave me the "align with industry standards and the majority of Orlando hotels charge for parking" speech. I asked why Disney was wanting to align themselves with other resorts instead of being the industry leader that every other resort, theme park, etc wants to be. She said "oh we are the industry leader! You can't go anywhere else and get the experience you get at Disney! You get so much staying at a Disney resort you can't get anywhere else like emh, fp+, transportation." I said well you can get a nicer room at a Disney Springs hotel for less than the cost of a Disney value resort and get all the benefits. Her response was basically you can't see a giant buzz lightyear and be immersed in the magic at the Holiday Inn. She also said parking fees were never included in room price and parking lots need maintenance. She also said that they were working on a new experience at the resorts where cast members will give guests a personal welcome experience. That's the first I've heard of that. She also talked about how no other company cares about their guests as much as Disney and wants everyone to have a magical experience! She said she knows personally how much Bob, Bob, and George care about us! I mentioned that a lot of "guests" recent experiences haven't been very magical. She said that I shouldn't go by what others say but go and judge for myself. I then asked if she didn't think that all the negative publicity that Disney was getting over this would have any sort of affect. She didn't seem to care about that and brushed it off as just a few people complaining on social media. I also asked if anyone had given any thought to how the parking fee would affect the already overcrowded and unreliable bus system. She said she couldn't comment on that beyond hypotheticals but on busy park days the buses will be busy. Also they make every effort to make sure the buses are running as timely and efficiently as possible. She also told me that guest should call when they have bad experiences with the buses and also talk to a manager about it. I told her most people on vacation don't want and shouldn't have to go through that trouble. I finished by telling her many feel that Disney is losing it's value. You no longer get what you are paying for at Disney. She said she doesn't believe that and started talking about all the new lands and rides again. It could have easily been a huge argument if I would have been just a little more aggressive. I was surprised at how intense she was in her defense of Disney. Now doesn't that make everyone feel better???

Sounds like they are dissolving pixie dust in the kool-aid and requiring a constant IV drip of it. While the person is doing her job, that sounds like absolutely over-the-top defending of Disney's Golden Goose.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Sounds similar to my call, but you pushed her more than I pushed the guy I spoke to. Interesting to note some of the same questions and attempt to deflect what we may have read on the internet vs actual experience, other hotels do it, etc. Sadly, I see no likelihood of this policy being changed. Quite the opposite... I now see very little reason why a resort fee would not be the next change.

DING DING DING!!!! Winner winner chicken dinner. "We are proud to introduce the Disney Resort Fee©, bringing the Disney MAGIC!!! in line with industry standards".

Of course, they used to set the standard, not follow it. As long as you ignore that, all is good.

 

[ford91exploder]

Sounds like they are dissolving pixie dust in the kool-aid and requiring a constant IV drip of it. While the person is doing her job, that sounds like absolutely over-the-top defending of Disney's Golden Goose.

Disney Demands 'Maximum Effort'



And it sounds like your CSR was providing 'Maximum Effort' in the theme park wars that day.

 

[jsand99]

Sounds like they are dissolving pixie dust in the kool-aid and requiring a constant IV drip of it. While the person is doing her job, that sounds like absolutely over-the-top defending of Disney's Golden Goose.

She definitely went above and beyond with her embellishment of Disney. Some of the concerns I shared made her laugh and others seemed to offend her and cause her to go into some sort of hyper defense mode. She had plenty of canned responses that she used as the reasoning for several different things.

 

[The_Jobu]

She definitely went above and beyond with her embellishment of Disney. Some of the concerns I shared made her laugh and others seemed to offend her and cause her to go into some sort of hyper defense mode. She had plenty of canned responses that she used as the reasoning for several different things.

I'm sure she has a thick binder that lists things like "if they say x, counter with y. If they say A, point out B to them.

 

[ford91exploder]

She definitely went above and beyond with her embellishment of Disney. Some of the concerns I shared made her laugh and others seemed to offend her and cause her to go into some sort of hyper defense mode. She had plenty of canned responses that she used as the reasoning for several different things.

Sounds like you got one of Zenia's flying monkeys on the line, Impressive achievement.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm sure she has a thick binder that lists things like "if they say x, counter with y. If they say A, point out B to them.

You know it could be incredibly amusing to have a system similar to 'ELIZA' talk to the rep, That would wrap them around the axle pretty quickly.

ELIZA - Early AI system programmed as a non-directed psychotherapist.

 

[The_Jobu]

You know it could be incredibly amusing to have a system similar to 'ELIZA' talk to the rep, That would wrap them around the axle pretty quickly.

ELIZA - Early AI system programmed as a non-directed psychotherapist.

My first real job was at a movie theatre and even there we had a script to counter specific customer complaints. I can only imagine how many scripted responses Disney would have.

 

[UncleMike101]

She definitely went above and beyond with her embellishment of Disney. Some of the concerns I shared made her laugh and others seemed to offend her and cause her to go into some sort of hyper defense mode. She had plenty of canned responses that she used as the reasoning for several different things.

Apparently there's a huge difference in the CM profile that they use to select who talks to us.
Your lady appears to be a "Take it or leave it" person and not a problem solver.
The guy that I spoke to was apologetic, and instead of pointing out how I should be grateful for the opportunity to spend all of my money at WDW, he stated that all of my concerns were valid issues and that George and the other WDW staff were engaged in long discussion on ways to provide the WDW guests with the best experience possible.
He was diplomatic, courteous, and agreed with almost all of my talking points.
And after we hung up he may well have laughed and said "Well I pulled the wool over the eyes of another chump." but during the call he was nothing but professional polite and non argumentative.
I'm afraid I would have come off as a really wizzed off customer to that lady the first time she entered the "My Disney. Take it or leave it" mode.

 

[jsand99]

Apparently there's a huge difference in the CM profile that they use to select who talks to us.
Your lady appears to be a "Take it or leave it" person and not a problem solver.
The guy that I spoke to was apologetic, and instead of pointing out how I should be grateful for the opportunity to spend all of my money at WDW, he stated that all of my concerns were valid issues and that George and the other WDW staff were engaged in long discussion on ways to provide the WDW guests with the best experience possible.
He was diplomatic, courteous, and agreed with almost all of my talking points.
And after we hung up he may well have laughed and said "Well I pulled the wool over the eyes of another chump." but during the call he was nothing but professional polite and non argumentative.
I'm afraid I would have come off as a really wizzed off customer to that lady the first time she entered the "My Disney. Take it or leave it" mode.

She was definitely a take or leave it type. She was doing her best to convince me that Disney was the best thing since sliced bread and that we are still getting excellent value despite the parking fee. Forgot to mention earlier but she even through out the "80% of Orlando hotels charge" stat. She didn't really have anything when I brought up complimentary breakfasts and other things that are "industry standard" at most hotels. There were a couple of times when she just went silent or stuttered trying to come up with something. She really came across like a used car salesman. I think "apologetic and sympathize" is a better approach than what I got. Even if it isn't sincere.

 

[mikejs78]

Apparently there's a huge difference in the CM profile that they use to select who talks to us.
Your lady appears to be a "Take it or leave it" person and not a problem solver.
The guy that I spoke to was apologetic, and instead of pointing out how I should be grateful for the opportunity to spend all of my money at WDW, he stated that all of my concerns were valid issues and that George and the other WDW staff were engaged in long discussion on ways to provide the WDW guests with the best experience possible.
He was diplomatic, courteous, and agreed with almost all of my talking points.
And after we hung up he may well have laughed and said "Well I pulled the wool over the eyes of another chump." but during the call he was nothing but professional polite and non argumentative.
I'm afraid I would have come off as a really wizzed off customer to that lady the first time she entered the "My Disney. Take it or leave it" mode.

She was definitely a take or leave it type. She was doing her best to convince me that Disney was the best thing since sliced bread and that we are still getting excellent value despite the parking fee. Forgot to mention earlier but she even through out the "80% of Orlando hotels charge" stat. She didn't really have anything when I brought up complimentary breakfasts and other things that are "industry standard" at most hotels. There were a couple of times when she just went silent or stuttered trying to come up with something. She really came across like a used car salesman. I think "apologetic and sympathize" is a better approach than what I got. Even if it isn't sincere.

I wonder if they are purposely trying different approaches to gauge the reaction....

 

[Jeff456]

while i have read alot of the pages not seen if it has been posted but this will not apply to uk bookings untill 2020 at least . Email below is a friend of my wifes.View attachment 271975

Hmmmm that's interesting and hopefully true!

 

[ford91exploder]

I wonder if they are purposely trying different approaches to gauge the reaction....

Probably, It would be consistent with a 'Data Driven' approach.

 

[ford91exploder]

My first real job was at a movie theatre and even there we had a script to counter specific customer complaints. I can only imagine how many scripted responses Disney would have.

Yes but an AI answering every question with a question could be extremely amusing to watch.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Nah... you need to learn how to "spin" change better. They will put out a press release that they heard their guest complaints about the parking fee and other incidental costs and have rolled those into a new Disney Resort Fee (c), thus improving the guest experience. What they won't mention is that the new fee is higher than the sum of the separate fees, and that all guest now pay for all of the fees, even if they don't use a service.

I like hate like the way you think. I have a feeling this is going to be rather close to what ultimately ends up happening. Getting all guests to pay a particular fee is the ultimate bean counter goal, as it means fairly consistent revenue.

"Experience the all-new Star Wars: Galaxy Edge!!! A family of four can stay 4 nights at a Disney All-Star resort, plus four 4-day Magic Your Way Base Tickets, starting at $2,999!!! ($59/night resort fee not included) "

"Want to be closer to the all-new Star Wars: Galaxy Edge? A family of four can stay 4 nights at a Disney's Pop Century resort, just a 7-minute Disney Skyliner© ride away from Disney's Hollywood Studios, plus four 4-day Magic Your Way Base Tickets, starting at $3,999!!! ($69/night resort fee not included) "

"Want to be as close to the MAGIC as possible? A family of four can stay 4 nights at a Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, just a 4-minute monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom Park, plus four 4-day Magic Your Way Base Tickets, starting at $5,999!!! ($89/night resort fee not included) "

 

[Calmdownnow]

Hmmmm that's interesting and hopefully true!

European Union law insists that all fees are clearly outlined up-front in the advertised costs of things like hotel stays etc. Many UK travel companies still produce printed brochures and to ensure that they do not fall foul of the EU rules, they enter into contracts with Disney to lock-in the advertised prices. It is believed that as a result, Disney cannot then charge extra fees for parking at resorts within the contract period. Hence the situation where many UK guests will not have parking applied until the expiry date of existing contracts.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

European Union law insists that all fees are clearly outlined up-front in the advertised costs of things like hotel stays etc. Many UK travel companies still produce printed brochures and to ensure that they do not fall foul of the EU rules, they enter into contracts with Disney to lock-in the advertised prices. It is believed that as a result, Disney cannot then charge extra fees for parking at resorts within the contract period. Hence the situation where many UK guests will not have parking applied until the expiry date of existing contracts.

True. But the email carves out the UK. One would think if this is the case then Spain, France, Germany et all, would also be given this grace period. No mention of other EU countries other than the UK.

Edited to say I re-read the email and I can't tell if it was sent specifically to someone coming from the UK. If so, it was probably personalized based on country. Initially I thought it generic. It may be specific for UK but pricing still in USD and the date is not in European format). Interested to see if this does apply to EU as whole.

 

[UncleMike101]

Probably, It would be consistent with a 'Data Driven' approach.

You're probably right.
I also suspect they do a profile of the guest being called.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's been a week...and the lazy wdw clientele doth not spoken...as expected.

And I bet many hurried up and booked by Wednesday to "avoid the fee"

Death, taxes, and stupidity

It's not who booked before Wednesday. It is how it affects things after Wednesday. It will take a while to actually sink in and take hold if anything is really going to sink in and take hold.