would this upset you?

[dixiegirl]

Reading this kinda reminds me of when we went to Disney a few yrs back with inlaws and friends of the family.. We all (about 10 ) went on Toy Story Mania , now hubby and my famliy had already been on the ride before, knew it was 3d , put the glasses back in the little bin by the exit...RIGHT?? Did'nt find out until we were home and mother inlaw gives us the glasses from the ride, 6pairs!!!!! She said "ooh Thought you might want these !" I'm like "for what??? Their 3D !! This is why prices go up, you can't keep these ma"!!

Yeah its kinda the joke now when we go ,That no you can't keep the glasses!

 

[Jimmy Thick]

In before the lock.



Jimmy Thick-Didn't I write a thread about parking years ago...?

 

[Hakunamatata]

oh geez.
If I really paid for parking every time I was supposed to, I would have a lot less Disney Souveniers around the house.

The Mouse still got my money. It was either going to be for parking or for souveniers.

So, if you have an account at a certain bank, its ok to steal cash from it.....got ya.

 

[whitethunder]

I'm not saying this is right or not, but before I was an AP holder I was a seasonal pass holder which didn't include parking. We would all the time park at DTD, hop a bus to a resort and generally eat lunch, then hop a bus to a park. Never once trying to hide what we were doing from a CM in any way. In fact we use to ask the drivers what bus we needed to take next to the park. We would also use it as a way to check out resorts we wanted to have a mini vacation at.

Also, the resorts for the most park have shops. The guards will gladly let you in just to browse the shops, whether you actually go to the shop or not is your own choice. You get to live with your lie.

Even now that we are AP holders, on some lazy days we will hop buses and grab lunch. I certainly do not feel like i'm "stealing" the free transportation from Disney.

 

[G00fyDad]

So, if you have an account at a certain bank, its ok to steal cash from it.....got ya.

Keep in mind, I am against this practice too but I have to ask....

How does your scenario of a bank robbery in any way compare to cheating parking but still giving money to Disney through souvenirs? :shrug:

 

[unkadug]

While I'm not condoning the skipping of payment at the parking lot, I do have to ask the question if the parking fees are really necessary, especially considering how much a ticket cost, and isn't really just a ploy by Disney to make the stay onsite and/or passholder more palatable by not charging for parking privileges.

 

[Rasvar]

I haven't paid for parking for years because I was either staying on site or have an annual. I really did not notice how quickly the price of parking has gone up the last decade. Nothing would surprise me. The bigger problem is the poor security system that does not verify those are legit resort guests. I am more upset about that than someone scamming the parking cost. Granted, parking at All-Star would be one of the last places I would chose to do that.

 

[sbkline]

No, it doesn't upset me. It's none of my business.

Would I do it? Probably not. But it's not as black and white as many are making it out to be. It's not as black and white as equating it with stealing the 3D glasses, shoplifting, robbing a bank, or any other ridiculous comparisons that someone might make on here. I consider it a gray area. In all of those examples that I just listed (which were taken from this thread), an actual, physical good was stolen, whether it be a large sum of cash from a bank, or something as cheap as 3D glasses. But whatever it was, it was a physical item that was stolen and it costs money to replace. And it's wrong. Now in the case of cheating the parking system, no physical "theft" has taken place. That parking lot is still there. It does not need replaced because someone parked somewhere else for free and bussed over. Heck, even in the example, from a few weeks ago, of people pulling over on the shoulder and taking pictures of the entry arch, there is physical damage done to the sprinklers and vegitation, which costs money to fix. But not so here. Disney is not having to spend money replacing something that has been stolen as a result of parking in a hotel parking lot instead of paying the $14 parking fee. So the analogies are silly.

 

[Master Yoda]

While I'm not condoning the skipping of payment at the parking lot, I do have to ask the question if the parking fees are really necessary, especially considering how much a ticket cost, and isn't really just a ploy by Disney to make the stay onsite and/or passholder more palatable by not charging for parking privileges.

I have asked myself the same question many times. The one thing that has always irked me about Disney and theme parks in general is paying for parking. When I take emotion out of the equation I can see a few legit reasons for the charge. First and foremost, a parking lot that generates its own revenue stream can provide its own maintenance budget. I fear that if parking lot maintenance was rolled into the ticket price in someway it would be looked upon as a loss leader of sorts and be first on the chopping block when it came to cutting costs. Second ,as you pointed out, they provide a great incentive for people to stay on site and for Fl residents to upgrade to a full AP. Lastly I think they do it simply because they can. Just like tipping is expected at restaurants, people expect to pay for parking.

 

[devoy1701]

So, if you have an account at a certain bank, its ok to steal cash from it.....got ya.

Keep in mind, I am against this practice too but I have to ask....

How does your scenario of a bank robbery in any way compare to cheating parking but still giving money to Disney through souvenirs? :shrug:

I didn't follow the example either. But he challenges everything I post anyway.

I could see how it would equate if I had said that I do not pay for parking AND I don't spend any money at the parks, then I would just be pocketing an extra $12 every time I visited. And I should also say that for the last 2 years we did have full APs, so it's not the only way we every parked.

I don't know what it is about parking...it just never bothered me not paying. I know how to park at the parks without having to pay and I knew there was absolutely 100% no chance of repercussion, so I just did. I also knew that I would end up spending that $12 in the park since I didn't use it to pay for parking...it just never bothered me NOT paying. Guess I'm just a horrible person. :drevil:

I have asked myself the same question many times. The one thing that has always irked me about Disney and theme parks in general is paying for parking. When I take emotion out of the equation I can see a few legit reasons for the charge. First and foremost, a parking lot that generates its own revenue stream can provide its own maintenance budget. I fear that if parking lot maintenance was rolled into the ticket price in someway it would be looked upon as a loss leader of sorts and be first on the chopping block when it came to cutting costs. Second ,as you pointed out, they provide a great incentive for people to stay on site and for Fl residents to upgrade to a full AP. Lastly I think they do it simply because they can. Just like tipping is expected at restaurants, people expect to pay for parking.

And you know...I was pleasntly surprised this month when we visited the Florida State Fair...fully expecting to have to shell out atleast $10 for parking and there was a sign at the toll booths that said "Please Pull Forward, Parking is Complementary."

I tell you it's the little things that get me.

 

[Master Yoda]

And you know...I was pleasntly surprised this month when we visited the Florida State Fair...fully expecting to have to shell out atleast $10 for parking and there was a sign at the toll booths that said "Please Pull Forward, Parking is Complementary."

I tell you it's the little things that get me.

I have run into the same thing at the Callahan fair in North Florida. At most they have a group like the ROTC, Boy Scouts, etc, taking donations for parking. I just hate getting nickle and dimed and IMHO parking falls right into that category.

 

[devoy1701]

I have run into the same thing at the Callahan fair in North Florida. At most they have a group like the ROTC, Boy Scouts, etc, taking donations for parking. I just hate getting nickle and dimed and IMHO parking falls right into that category.

100% agree. And Disney just makes it worse with the periodic price hikes on parking. I think it's gone up $4 in the past 5 years for absolutely no reason.

I would love to see how much revenue they bring in a day on average for their parking lots.

 

[vjgraham]

Not surprising that someone would resort to this but, it is really unbelievable that the guards let it happen not only once but 14 times. What's up with that. ?

 

[flynnibus]

And besides, you don't even need a card to get in the gate these days. People just say "I have a dinner reservation for (restaurant name)" and the guards let them in, no further questions asked. At least they have not given us a hard time about it in years. Heck, they haven't given out the white slips of paper for your window in at least 6 or 7 years.

Are you really staying at these properties than?

Because if you didn't get the slip of paper, you'd be asking for it - it's how you prove you don't need to pay for parking at the parks.

Which makes me wonder why the woman doesn't just try it at the parks.. maybe she assumes the park people look closer than the hotel people.

I can tell you the guards can be strict - it depends on the location and time. At times the MK resorts get very strict - and they do have lists of reservations for those resorts with table service resturants.

If saving the money on parking gets those guests in the doors to spend even more money then Disney isn't going to pursue this issue.

oh geez.
If I really paid for parking every time I was supposed to, I would have a lot less Disney Souveniers around the house.

The Mouse still got my money. It was either going to be for parking or for souveniers.

Not all money is equal - it's called MARGIN and of course in both cases there is the difference of where the money is allocated. Paying for parking which is nearly all gross margin.. is far more valuable to Disney than you paying for a souvenir that disney only makes say 40-50% gross margin on.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I'm more annoyed when I see someone in the grocery store checkout line using food stamps for food then pushing beer and cigarette on there that they pay for with cash they magically have.

For me those people are stealing from me a taxpayer and their own kids... but someone gaming parking from Disney... sorry I wouldn't waste the energy to get angry about that. If it were a problem for Disney they would do something to stop it like check room keys before they let you on the bus.

 

[slappy magoo]

I have asked myself the same question many times. The one thing that has always irked me about Disney and theme parks in general is paying for parking. When I take emotion out of the equation I can see a few legit reasons for the charge. First and foremost, a parking lot that generates its own revenue stream can provide its own maintenance budget. I fear that if parking lot maintenance was rolled into the ticket price in someway it would be looked upon as a loss leader of sorts and be first on the chopping block when it came to cutting costs. Second ,as you pointed out, they provide a great incentive for people to stay on site and for Fl residents to upgrade to a full AP. Lastly I think they do it simply because they can. Just like tipping is expected at restaurants, people expect to pay for parking.

There is one other advantage to WDW charging for parking...advantage for them, I should say (And of course there may be more advantages but this is the one that comes to mind). By charging for parking, and charging what they do, in a sense they're trying to create a disincentive (discentive?) to people driving to WDW. To save that money, people will use hotel buses (on or offsite), or in the case of larger groups, cram as many people as they can into as few cars as possible. What saves the guest a few bucks also results in fewer cars in the lot which means the potential for MORE income by allowing MORE people who CAN'T or WON'T use alternate means of transportation. I know there are only a few days in the course of a year where the parks may close because the lot if filled, but if they can make it so that people are more inclined to use fewer cars which results in more people being able to come in and money (especially since the lines for rides are so long, may as well shop, right?) improves their bottom line.

 

[G00fyDad]

Are you really staying at these properties than?

Because if you didn't get the slip of paper, you'd be asking for it - it's how you prove you don't need to pay for parking at the parks.

Yes. I stay in the resorts each and every time I go. Always have. And for our last few trips I did not get the half sheet printed paper that they tell you to stick in the window. And I get in the gate without parking by showing my room key card. What are you showing them? :shrug:

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Not surprising that someone would resort to this but, it is really unbelievable that the guards let it happen not only once but 14 times. What's up with that. ?

she told me by the 4th time they started waving her threw bc they recognized her and the car I can see that happening bc they have done that to me but it was always after being there a week or so longer lol

 

[sbkline]

There is one other advantage to WDW charging for parking...advantage for them, I should say (And of course there may be more advantages but this is the one that comes to mind). By charging for parking, and charging what they do, in a sense they're trying to create a disincentive (discentive?) to people driving to WDW. To save that money, people will use hotel buses (on or offsite), or in the case of larger groups, cram as many people as they can into as few cars as possible. What saves the guest a few bucks also results in fewer cars in the lot which means the potential for MORE income by allowing MORE people who CAN'T or WON'T use alternate means of transportation. I know there are only a few days in the course of a year where the parks may close because the lot if filled, but if they can make it so that people are more inclined to use fewer cars which results in more people being able to come in and money (especially since the lines for rides are so long, may as well shop, right?) improves their bottom line.

The flaw I see in that is that it makes no difference who they get the $14 from. If I am there with a party of 8, and we break up into two groups of four and drive two cars in, then Disney gets $28 from my party. But if, as you say, we all cram into my van and park one vehicle, and leave the space open for another car, then Disney gets only $14 from us, but $14 from someone else. Still $28 either way, except by piling all 8 of us into the van, there is the possibility that no one else will take that spot and Disney won't get that other $14. Maybe I'm missing something in your reasoning. Can you explain further?

 

[sbkline]

Yes. I stay in the resorts each and every time I go. Always have. And for our last few trips I did not get the half sheet printed paper that they tell you to stick in the window. And I get in the gate without parking by showing my room key card. What are you showing them? :shrug:

We stayed on propery in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 and we got that slip of paper every time. Seems odd that you did not. :shrug: