20 dollars for parking now...? Come on now...

[xiphoid76]

I went to our Six Flags in June. Parking was $8 and a Burger/fries/coke was $10

Regarding Disney, I won't be paying the extra fee for our trip in 12 days. 2 days of parking was already covered and the remaining 2 were not. I was willing to pay the $17 a day to park, as bad as I hated it but I won't pay $20 to park without cutting something else from the trip.

Just cancelled our CP lunch for 3 on 10/19 and will be packing a lunch (it was the easiest cut to make). In Disneys effort to gain $6, they've lost over $100. Should I ever return to Disney, I will once again offset the cost of parking by spending less in the parks to eat (we don't buy souvenirs so food is the easiest way to make cuts for us).

That would be amazing! The Six Flags I have been to have 20 dollars parking and burger meal costs 15.99. Our local park is a Cedar Point Park - Valley Fair and parking is 15 dollars and the food is 17 dollars and up (and disgusting to boot). Food is much cheaper and better at Disney!! You can get a great sit down meal at Disney for that price.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Would it be better if Disney had published on July 1 that parking will increase from $17 to $20 on October 4? Or a $1 increase the first of the month for three months?



Sure there are......there are PLENTY of discounts for Six Flags tickets. Buy in advance on their website, coke cans, coupons in convenience stores, fast food places, etc. With the slightest amount of advance planning, it's almost never necessary to pay full price. As for multiple days, a season pass is often the smartest choice is one intends to visit a 6F park more than once a season.

Yes, 6F food is next to inedible. Many of the chain's parking lots are poorly designed and maintained. I like 6F, most years I buy a season pass, but I do find any Disney park to be better. The extremely cheap admission prices at 6F is the main reason I go, and of course they have some awesome roller coasters.

Why yes, it would be better to preannounce for planning purposes. I'm sure all the ap holders would have appreciated a heads up.on the recent change.

I also wonder why all the other yrs had around 1 dollar increases and this yr was three.

I just don't understand people that defend everything. The raised it 3 dollars cuz they could. And before I get 100 comments saying they having every right to...supply and demand...blah blah blah. I understand it is their right. My argument is they know people will pay and they decided to cash in with a huge increase. A three dollar increase might not sound huge. But it is when it was only 18 to begin with.

I imagine the meeting went something like this...

Management: hey this stupid magic thing really sucks and took all our money...is their a way to make a quick 30 million a yr by doing nothing?

Other board members: 3 dollar hike in parking????

Management : Done...those suckers will actually thank us because they don't have to break a twenty. Win win!

By the way...I live in cincy...never paid more than 10 for mlb parking. And it actually almost alwqys free because I park across the river and walk. In addition you can easily get 10 tix. I always see people compare sporting events...but sporting events usually have a large range of prices. Also, our main concert facility includes free parking.

 

[xiphoid76]

We have two local theme parks. One was a Six Flags, but isn't now. It's $8 to park. The other is Holiday World where parking is free as well as all sodas. Ticket prices are about half what Disney charges too. I love Disnay World, but the greed is about to the point where I'll take my business elsewhere.

I cant wait to try out Holiday World - we are going next year Free parking and soda is awesome!!

 

[jsmla]

It's not the dollar amount for me, for me it's definitely an emotional reaction to three significant increases in one day while the quality of my parks experience continues to diminish. IMHO, no one need justify their choice to continue to visit WDW. In like spirit I will only say that I've reached a point where I am, in DIS terms, no longer feeling the magic. It is absolutely within the Disney corporation's rights to raise prices as they see fit. It is also within mine to feel these increases are becoming excessive and to opt out. In my case our financial situation, the price of a day at Six Flags or the cost of parking at a football game has nothing to do with it. I assess each individually and determine if it is worth it.

I'm feeling very wishy-washy over the whole situation. I go to WDW at least four times a year and have visited at least once annually since 1989. Giving up Disney will leave a significant hole in my leisure time, especially when you factor in things like OCD planning and fooling around on message boards.

As far as funding future enhancements in the parks goes, we own a small business and have never raised our prices to cover improvements in infrastructure. If we need to improve the parking lot or purchase a new delivery truck that's just a cost that we absorb internally. We also lower our prices when our wholesale costs drop but even I am not foolish enough to expect that!

This is pure speculation on my part but I will not be at all surprised to see further price increases when Avatar and Star Wars lands open. That way the customer will fund these expansions and then pay more to enjoy them once they open. It's an ideal business model, one I wish we could get away with. Meanwhile, I think I may just take a break and let those of you who are not bothered by the increases fund the future. For now, the product as-is at WDW is rapidly approaching a not worth my time and money barrier for me.

 

[Planogirl]

People who pay $20 to park at a local theme park probably aren't making multiple day visits. When we go to Disney we do 7-10 park days. We stay offsite because it's cheaper and more comfortable for our family of 6. Between the changes in fastpasses and raising parking prices, Disney is become less and less appealing to us.

This is exactly what I was thinking. You pay for several days at WDW and that can make a big difference to a family's budget.

 

[lugnut33]

I think it's ridiculous for both to charge for parking.

Again though, if they charge at the parks they should be charging at the resorts too.

 

[bpadair32]

I think it's ridiculous for both to charge for parking.

Again though, if they charge at the parks they should be charging at the resorts too.

Nope, you get benefits for staying onsite.

 

[RedAngie]

My "f" key stuck. It was supposed to say "no discount FOR multiple days".

Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding. True, I don't think Six Flags offers multi-day discounts per se. But one can always buy two separate discounted daily tickets. Or a limited season pass without benefits other than admission costs the same as a full price one day ticket.

I think it's ridiculous for both to charge for parking.

Again though, if they charge at the parks they should be charging at the resorts too.

They DO charge guests for parking at the resorts, thru their room rates. Just like the room rates cover the "free" Magic Express bus from/to the airport.

Universal is open about it....lower room rates, plus added parking charge for their hotels.

 

[GreatLakes]

I don't think the parking fee increase is solely about generating $20/day out of guests. I think it is part of a bigger strategy to get offsite guests to stay onsite. If Disney can ramp up prices so staying offsite isn't as much of a a cost advantage while also making your feel like you are missing something in the parks (not getting as long of a window for FP+ for example) they have more bullet points to use while selling you a resort room.

I think this is really just the beginning of that strategy. I think you'll see onsite guests have the ability to purchase additional FP+ before offsite guests can get their initial 3 and I think eventually you'll see Disney use their MyMagic+ data to offer special experiences to onsite guests such as guaranteed character meets or hard to get ADRs...all for a price of course.

Or I could be wrong. Time will tell.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Universal has also raised its parking fee from $17 to $20. (Their hotel guests do not get free parking - the hotels are pretty easily walkable except for Cabana Bay. And they pay a per day fee to park at the hotel - which I believe is a bit less than what is charged at the park.)

 

[bpadair32]

Universal has also raised its parking fee from $17 to $20. (Their hotel guests do not get free parking - the hotels are pretty easily walkable except for Cabana Bay. And they pay a per day fee to park at the hotel - which I believe is a bit less than what is charged at the park.)

Im still waiting to see all of the outrage here about their parking prices increasing $3 overnight.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

well...it is typical that when one Orlando park raises prices, the others follow suit, so it's not entirely unexpected like Disney's price hike was - because Disney was first.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Im still waiting to see all of the outrage here about their parking prices increasing $3 overnight.

I'm just ad bothered by that. My outrage does not have limits

I hate that uni charges for parking and fridges etc. Also think they should validate parking if eating at city walk. I would actually go then. Oh well...no one asks me but that would be my advice to uni.

 

[bpadair32]

well...it is typical that when one Orlando park raises prices, the others follow suit, so it's not entirely unexpected like Disney's price hike was - because Disney was first.

So raising prices is ok as long as you aren't the first company to do it?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

No, that it wasn't unexpected. The unexpected usually has a greater impact.

Anyone who detests paying $20 for parking at WDW would most likely also detest paying $20 for parking at Universal.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I'm wondering now if the folks that got around parking in the park lots by valet parking at the hotels will continue to do so for convenience sake since it jumped from $15 to $25????

 

[amylevan]

I also wonder why all the other yrs had around 1 dollar increases and this yr was three.

The last time they raised parking it was from $14 to $17 - also $3.

And there was the same outrage last time. And guess what? It didn't affect attendance.

 

[amylevan]

The last time they raised parking it was from $14 to $17 - also $3.

And there was the same outrage last time. And guess what? It didn't affect attendance.

My bad, it went from $14 to $15, then 9 months later went to $17 in March 2014. See outrage: http://www.disboards.com/threads/th...crease-tomorrow-update-in-first-post.3256602/

 

[poppinspenguins]

My bad, it went from $14 to $15, then 9 months later went to $17 in March 2014. See outrage: http://www.disboards.com/threads/th...crease-tomorrow-update-in-first-post.3256602/

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

.


Guess my point wasn't clear. Disney is doing everything they can to force people to stay onsite. it makes it not an appealing vacation for large families or those on a budget

As someone who also has a large family, I do understand your point. When I told DH about the most recent parking increase he just shook his head and laughed. Parking was $15 when went in 2013 and has gone from $15 to $17 and now $17 to $20. If anything (speaking for myself on this one), all these various price increases (tickets, dining, parking, resort rates, changes to resort "season" classifications, and now possibly tiered ticket prices) make staying offsite look just that more appealing.

Same. I have left the parks in the past and see droves of people waiting for a bus and think to myself.....how is that fun? Where is the value in that? They prob look at me and think "why do you want to drive? Where is the value in that?" Every person is different.

It wouldnt surprise me if Disney didnt eventually try to buy out Windsor Hills. Being that close, and with what they have to offer, they have to put a dent in Disney's lodging pocket.

Now if Windsor Hills closed their pool, started charging for parking, closed their movie theater at 5pm, allowed drunks to roam around and rental prices went up? I wouldn't stay there. Thats what Disney is doing, giving less and charging more. Its ok to charge more if you are providing new services.

Upping your price by $10 and giving nothing isn't the same as upping your charge by $15 and giving $5 in value to the consumer.

Windsor Hills is ridiculously close. We rented a 3 bdrm condo there in 2013 (our first time staying offsite) and I tell people it is so close that I didn't feel like we left that "bubble" people frequently reference when discussing staying onsite . Windsor Hills is literally around the corner from Animal Kingdom Lodge and AK via Sherberth Road and you pretty much only have to make two turns when driving out of Windsor Hills to get onto World Drive (to enter the Disney parks).