Avoiding The parking Fee at Universal Orlando.

[Metro West]

Just curious. How are you saving a parking fee, if you're paying a cab to get there? Is the parking fee really that high? We're using Mears, but I wondered.

The daily parking fee at the garage is $15.00...Disney's is $14.00 so it's not a lot of difference.

 

[damo]

Yes, this has been my experience -- just tell them you're dropping someone off, and they'll send you in the right direction... no fee.

Unless you are being dropped off by taxi. You can personally drop someone off without the fee...we've done that. It has something to do with the cab license with the park they told me. Certain cabs (mears perhaps?) don't have to pay the parking fee.

 

[damo]

I haven't gone yet....but I think it's bad they charge you to park at the resort when you stay on site! At least Disney doens't charge you to park at your resort.

Disney owns their own hotels where Universal doesn't.

Disney's comparable hotel prices are much higher than Universal's to include those "free" things. Check the price of any deluxe hotel within walking distance of the parks and compare it to Universal's. Then add the parking. You'll still be cheaper staying at Universal.

 

[nytimez]

Unless you are being dropped off by taxi. You can personally drop someone off without the fee...we've done that. It has something to do with the cab license with the park they told me. Certain cabs (mears perhaps?) don't have to pay the parking fee.

Best thing to do is just call the taxi companies and ask.

 

[Gala]

because inky dinky doo the parking fee is ridiculous!! $14 just to be droped of is a freaking joke! i dont have an issue with paying it, but i was wondering if i could avoid it, yeah we will be paying for a taxi and ontop of the taxi the $14 is ridiculous, like i said in one of my posts it dosnt matter either way because we still have to get into the park, and disney can get away with it, but again i was oonnnllyy wondering if there was away to avoid it.

 

[Metro West]

because inky dinky doo the parking fee is ridiculous!! $14 just to be droped of is a freaking joke! i dont have an issue with paying it, but i was wondering if i could avoid it, yeah we will be paying for a taxi and ontop of the taxi the $14 is ridiculous, like i said in one of my posts it dosnt matter either way because we still have to get into the park, and disney can get away with it, but again i was oonnnllyy wondering if there was away to avoid it.

Well I would certainly have an issue paying $14.00 just to be dropped off...I don't care where it would be...Disney or otherwise. There is just no excuse for Disney to charge anything to be dropped off. I guess people excuse the "drop off charge" because its Disney and you're close to the "magic."

 

[keishashadow]

no reason for any park to make it easy on you to stay offsite. free parking is a perc they 'build into' the rate @ disney.

fyi many report parking @ DTD & grabbing a bus to a resort, then to a park but it seems overkill to save a few bucks imo

 

[damo]

Best thing to do is just call the taxi companies and ask.

I agree. However, if it never even crosses your mind that you will be charged a parking fee to be dropped off by a taxi, it will never cross your mind to call and ask in advance, lol.

 

[Gala]

haha not so much as its close to the ''magic'' lol just that well you cant avoid it at disney from what ive seen now, and they have you by the balls lol we'd take the shuttle but we have reservations at 8:20 am and the bus dosnt leave till 9am for disney, my sister is insisting on getting there pretty dang early as well. so just one of those things, im happy universal dosnt charge to be dropped of by a taxi though thats helpfull

 

[dlaushey]

Wow, I would think Disney would do better than that. However, if it were me then I would have the taxi drop me off at the resort closest to the parks:

Magic Kingdom - Contemporary
Epcot/Hollywood Studios - Boardwalk/Beach/Yacht Club
Animal Kingdom - AK Lodge - that would be the hardest. The other 3 you can walk from the drop off.

 

[Rip]

Is this true? I honestly didn't know this if so.

Yep. A few years back my wife and I flew down for our annual HHN/Food and Wine anniversary trip rather than drive down as we usually do. Took a cab from HRH to Epcot and had to pay the damned parking fee even though no one was parking.

 

[Rip]

The next time, we cabbed to a hotel and took a bus.

You better not post that on the Disney board....

 

[Rip]

I haven't gone yet....but I think it's bad they charge you to park at the resort when you stay on site! At least Disney doens't charge you to park at your resort.

Actually, Disney does charge you to park, it's just built in to the room charge. Universal doesn't own the hotels, they are owned/operated by Loews (yeah yeah, I know HRH is only operated by Loews, the Seminole tribe owns it), so it isn't Universal that charges you. It's exactly like staying at the Swan/Dolphin, you have to pay an additional parking fee because unlike Disney, most resorts don't build their parking fees into their room rates.

 

[Metro West]

You better not post that on the Disney board....

Yeah...no kidding.

 

[damo]

You better not post that on the Disney board....

lol, I thought transportation was "free" with your ticket?

 

[Lou Holtz]

lol, I thought transportation was "free" with your ticket?

It is. They don't seem to get that and try to get all hot and bothered.

 

[Friendly Frog]

WOW, I never knew about the Taxi drop off charge. Shame on Disney, they should have a FREE taxi drop off spot.

 

[nhrenee]

The next time, we cabbed to a hotel and took a bus.

You better not post that on the Disney board....

Ain't it the truth.

 

[cm8]

lol, I thought transportation was "free" with your ticket?

Try telling that to some of those WDWE

 

[tweetylori]

We were just at US/IOA for a day in April. We stayed at the Peabody on Universal. Took a cab to and from to avoid the hassle of driving. It was a $14 cab ride each way. With tip, we paid $20 each way. That way if we wanted to have a few drinks it would not be an issue to drive. As it worked out, that wasn't an issue, but yet we were glad to not have the hassle of driving and parking. Our trip was a short one, so it was worth it to us to pay for the cabs.