News WDW Resorts to add fees for parking

[ford91exploder]

What I think they could do is start their own Uber like service exclusive to WDW. Then ban Uber and Lyft. I think they had some surveys recently asking about people's desire to have more personal transportation services for a fee of course. Maybe they can use all the local Lifestylers as drivers

There was a Disney survey about that very subject discussed here a couple months ago, I would not be surprised to see 'Magical Rides' show up and then have Uber/Lyft booted.

 

[21stamps]

Iger has said they want to add more hotels and I'm fairly sure there will be a rush to have at least one if not two done by the 50th. I also think that's when you'll most likely see resort fees put in place. People will come for the 50th regardless and they'll pay the fee because it's part of the deal with attending the 50th celebration. Once they do it then for return trips it's just part of the equation.

One final point on occupancy rates though. At the same time they announced occupancy was up I believe they also announced attendance was slightly down. Are we really to believe there are large numbers of people visit Orlando and stay on property but don't visit the parks?

It's only a 2 week period.. but I can say from personal experience that there was barely any availability during the last week of November and first week of December. Very, very, little availability. A lot of resorts were sold out completely, a few only had 1 or 2 bedroom suites. We had to do a split stay bc we couldn't find an open (non ridiculously priced suite) room for 9 consecutive nights during our trip.

 

[ford91exploder]

This is happening all over Orlando though..and everywhere else. I don't think you could find one car or taxi service who is happy about Uber and Lyft.lol

The difference of course is that WDW is ALL private property with PRIVATE roads with controlled access to boot, So unlike the rest of the properties Disney CAN ban Uber/Lyft from their property and the guests cannot walk from the public roads to the private Disney road system.

 

[RobidaFlats]

One final point on occupancy rates though. At the same time they announced occupancy was up I believe they also announced attendance was slightly down. Are we really to believe there are large numbers of people visit Orlando and stay on property but don't visit the parks?

This argument makes no logical sense. The number of park guests (even in a down year) are orders of magnitude above hotel guests. So unless there were more hotel guests on a given night than park guests, you cannot logically infer that there would be anyone staying on property without visiting the parks.

That's not to say it doesn't happen, but the issue of occupancy up with attendance down in now way suggests (let alone supports) your conclusion.

 

[GoofGoof]

Iger has said they want to add more hotels and I'm fairly sure there will be a rush to have at least one if not two done by the 50th. I also think that's when you'll most likely see resort fees put in place. People will come for the 50th regardless and they'll pay the fee because it's part of the deal with attending the 50th celebration. Once they do it then for return trips it's just part of the equation.

One final point on occupancy rates though. At the same time they announced occupancy was up I believe they also announced attendance was slightly down. Are we really to believe there are large numbers of people visit Orlando and stay on property but don't visit the parks?

Look at what new stuff has opened in Orlando in the last year or 2. How much of it has been at WDW? I do think it's possible people that stayed on property spent less time at the WDW parks, especially DVC owners who visit most years or at least very regularly. They also jacked up single day tickets a lot more than multi-day passes so it may be that a lot of the decline in attendance was day visitors. Just speculation on my part.

I could see them waiting to implement the new resort fees for a little while but with Avatar and especially SW Land opening in the next several years I think the place will be pretty packed and they could probably get away with it. Most people who visit WDW also stay in hotels elsewhere so they are probably familiar with these fees. It doesn't mean they will like it but it won't be a complete surprise.

 

[21stamps]

The difference of course is that WDW is ALL private property with PRIVATE roads with controlled access to boot, So unlike the rest of the properties Disney CAN ban Uber/Lyft from their property and the guests cannot walk from the public roads to the private Disney road system.

But if they did that.. what about the airport.. and Universal, etc? Would they tell people that they are forced to use Disney transport or Mears only?

 

[Laketravis]

.....The number of park guests (even in a down year) are orders of magnitude above hotel guests.....

Thus Iger's determination they need more rooms.

 

[Disone]

Sold DVC rooms do not automatically qualify as occupied DVC rooms. Also DVC occupancies are typically higher than regular rooms, however there's also a lot more regular rooms than DVC Villas. However when they take regular rooms out of the inventory, such as they have at Wilderness Lodge, those are taking out of the room inventory. So if they've taken two hundred rooms out of Wilderness Lodge, to be converted to villas, that's two hundred rooms less to sell before they hit a hundred percent occupancy at that Resort. Meanwhile the Villas have not been turned over to DVC yet so they don't count as member inventory either.

 

[ford91exploder]

But if they did that.. what about the airport.. and Universal, etc? Would they tell people that they are forced to use Disney transport or Mears only?

WDW will use flowery language to say for the Safety of Our Guests only approved WDW Transportation 'partners' are authorized for pickup and dropoff on Disney property. i.e. like it or lump it.

 

[21stamps]

WDW will use flowery language to say for the Safety of Our Guests only approved WDW Transportation 'partners' are authorized for pickup and dropoff on Disney property. i.e. like it or lump it.

I'd be massively upset. I used Uber a ton. Including to the airport...(that one only bc I missed the ME lol)

 

[GoofGoof]

WDW will use flowery language to say for the Safety of Our Guests only approved WDW Transportation 'partners' are authorized for pickup and dropoff on Disney property. i.e. like it or lump it.

You could always take the Disney bus to Disney Springs and walk across the street to the Hess station or one of the other hotels there to catch an Uber ride. Not very convenient, but doable to beat a ban. How about Swan and Dolpin too. Would they be exempt?

 

[ford91exploder]

I'd be massively upset. I used Uber a ton. Including to the airport...(that one only bc I missed the ME lol)

Many will be upset but Disney is completely within their rights to ban any one for any reason from Disney property.

 

[RustySpork]

I think that could actually upset some guests more than a resort fee.

I agree, especially since a lot of people use these services to go shopping off site, and to visit Universal and SeaWorld.

 

[L.C. Clench]

This argument makes no logical sense. The number of park guests (even in a down year) are orders of magnitude above hotel guests. So unless there were more hotel guests on a given night than park guests, you cannot logically infer that there would be anyone staying on property without visiting the parks.

That's not to say it doesn't happen, but the issue of occupancy up with attendance down in now way suggests (let alone supports) your conclusion.

Without looking it up didn't they indicate that the reduction was only 1 or 2% but the occupancy jump was almost 8 or 9%. You're right that the attendance far exceeds the hotel numbers but it would still seem very odd to have that significant of an increase in rooms (provided the # of rooms was the same from one year to the next) and yet an overall drop in attendance unless the belief is that significantly fewer people are willing to stay offsite and still do Disney.

 

[ford91exploder]

You could always take the Disney bus to Disney Springs and walk across the street to the Hess station or one of the other hotels there to catch an Uber ride. Not very convenient, but doable to beat a ban. How about Swan and Dolpin too. Would they be exempt?

That would work, pretty incovenient especially if one has luggage...

For the Swolfin it depends if the roads to them are public, if they are Disney cannot ban Uber/Lyft, It's the whole private property thing and I doubt Marriott would want to enforce Disney's ban because of the value of Uber/Lyft to them in places other than Orlando.

 

[GoofGoof]

That would work, pretty incovenient especially if one has luggage...

For the Swolfin it depends if the roads to them are public, if they are Disney cannot ban Uber/Lyft, It's the whole private property thing and I doubt Marriott would want to enforce Disney's ban because of the value of Uber/Lyft to them in places other than Orlando.

Not practical for going to/from the airport or grocery shopping but wouldn't be a terrible option to get away for the day to Universal or Sea World. And really since Uber uses regular cars not taxi cabs could they really stop drivers from dropping guests off at the hotel? This is Disney who installed chips in drink fountains so they didn't have to actively confront guests who were committing a crime are they really going to have the guy at the gate grill a driver?

 

[RobidaFlats]

Without looking it up didn't they indicate that the reduction was only 1 or 2% but the occupancy jump was almost 8 or 9%. You're right that the attendance far exceeds the hotel numbers but it would still seem very odd to have that significant of an increase in rooms (provided the # of rooms was the same from one year to the next) and yet an overall drop in attendance unless the belief is that significantly fewer people are willing to stay offsite and still do Disney.

I don't have the numbers handy, but even if the ones you provided are correct (I have no reason to doubt them as the logical principle remains) it still doesn't suggest anything. Just as an example: attendance could be down in the "average" vacationer groups, while the "hard-core" fans keep coming, perhaps even in slightly larger numbers. One could imagine that the those "hard-core" fans are more likely to stay on site. Thus a small increase in those fans, even if offset by a much larger decrease in general guests would lead to an increase in occupancy with a decrease in attendance.

Note I am not suggesting that this is the case, merely providing an example that would exclude concerns over people staying on site without visiting the parks.

 

[Lets Respect]

This is a company that doesn't allow guests to choose what temperature they prefer to sleep at. I'm surprised it hasn't taken longer to put in parking fees at the resorts. Speaking of AC, I would seriously pay up to $50 a night to have a room with an honest thermostat and no motion sensor. Maybe $100 a night. Not even kidding

 

[ford91exploder]

Not practical for going to/from the airport or grocery shopping but wouldn't be a terrible option to get away for the day to Universal or Sea World. And really since Uber uses regular cars not taxi cabs could they really stop drivers from dropping guests off at the hotel? This is Disney who installed chips in drink fountains so they didn't have to actively confront guests who were committing a crime are they really going to have the guy at the gate grill a driver?

Gate guy does not have to grill the driver as Uber/Lyft cars are required to show logo on windshield. And all Disney has to do is serve notice to Uber/Lyft that they are banned from property and the App would be updated to remove WDW as a destination. (most probably with a popup saying complain to Disney about ban)

 

[flynnibus]

That would work, pretty incovenient especially if one has luggage...

For the Swolfin it depends if the roads to them are public, if they are Disney cannot ban Uber/Lyft, It's the whole private property thing and I doubt Marriott would want to enforce Disney's ban because of the value of Uber/Lyft to them in places other than Orlando.

Can we drop the 'ban uber' theories? You know it's not going to happen.