Beware Parking Charges

[k5xs]

Just back from a terrific week at AKL. Loved everything about it, but was surprised to find $25 per day parking charges as I scanned our check-out bill (we used DME).

It was no problem getting the charges backed out at the front desk on our way out, but I am glad I took the time to glance at the emailed summary of charges.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Did you use any kind of ride sharing service on your trip? I've seen reports of people getting dinged for parking if they took an Uber back to their hotel and used their MagicBand to scan in through the car entrance.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

So you were charged for daily parking without your own car? How the heck does that even happen? At least you saw it and got it corrected immediately. But have to wonder how many don't realize it until they've left the resort - has to be a tougher fix then (like waiting on a phone line for 3 hours).

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So you were charged for daily parking without your own car? How the heck does that even happen? At least you saw it and got it corrected immediately. But have to wonder how many don't realize it until they've left the resort - has to be a tougher fix then (like waiting on a phone line for 3 hours).

I don't know if this is what happened with @k5xs, but if you look at my comment above, I believe "this person is parking overnight" is triggered if you scan your band at the gate.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I don't know if this is what happened with @k5xs, but if you look at my comment above, I believe "this person is parking overnight" is triggered if you scan your band at the gate.

You may be right. Sounds terribly arbitrary, though - and faulty!

 

[k5xs]

Rode in on DME. Didn't scan in at gate. Did not have a car there at all at any time.

Front Desk CM who resolved the error asked me if we had arrived by rideshare, and of course I said no.

Gawd I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Rode in on DME. Didn't scan in at gate. Did not have a car there at all at any time.

Front Desk CM who resolved the error asked me if we had arrived by rideshare, and of course I said no.

Gawd I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Something TRIGGERED That nightly charge. It has been happening from day one.
Most the time it is rideshare by someone in the room or gate security flagged a car reported going to your room.

 

[k5xs]

Something TRIGGERED That nightly charge. It has been happening from day one.
Most the time it is rideshare by someone in the room or gate security flagged a car reported going to your room.

Now that I think about it, my DW had a drug store prescription delivery . I wonder if that could have triggered it.

If so, that's a seriously flawed process.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Now that I think about it, my DW had a drug store prescription delivery . I wonder if that could have triggered it.

If so, that's a seriously flawed process.

I'm not sure why that's a seriously flawed process. The number of people getting drug store prescription deliveries is probably 1 in a million, and the problem was fixed immediately when they were made aware. I don't see anything wrong with a system that breaks in extraordinarily rare circumstances and then is remedied quickly.

 

[k5xs]

I'm not sure why that's a seriously flawed process. The number of people getting drug store prescription deliveries is probably 1 in a million, and the problem was fixed immediately when they were made aware. I don't see anything wrong with a system that breaks in extraordinarily rare circumstances and then is remedied quickly.

I doubt the number of prescription deliveries is as few as one in a million. But more significantly I would be surprised that if this episode was in fact triggered by that delivery, that it is only drug store deliveries that trigger parking charges.

I suspect--again, IF, that is what triggered it, which isn't established--that the system does not differentiate drug store deliveries from any other kind of deliveries (pizza, other food, groceries, strollers, scooters, flowers, balloons, candy, Amazon, other merchandise, whatever). I suspect there are FAR more deliveries in the aggregate than "1 in a million."

And yes, it is a seriously flawed system if it assumes anyone with any sort of delivery (or a visitor?) triggers an assumption that the guest has parked a car and deserves to be charged a parking fee every night thereafter.

If that's truly what's going on, it should be fixed.

 

[KristaZ]

I've had this happen to me both of the last 2 times I stayed at Grand Floridian - it's only ever happened to me at that resort. I always use DME and have never used a ride share service and I've never had a delivery while at GF, so literally nothing I could have done would have triggered it. When I've resolved it at the front desk, they pretty much told me it's a system error and happens all the time. I always carefully scrutinize my guest folio before leaving the resort now.

 

[RamblingMad]

Maybe they assume everyone has a car and wait for people to ask to have it removed.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Apparently, Disney errs on the side of charging and asking forgiveness than they do missing out on a charge.

 

[tjmw2727]

AOA in April and September, used DME for 3 of the 4 of us and not charged any parking fees.

My SIL dropped off my niece on our 2nd day and picked her up the day before we left. Niece was a registered guest and used her mb at drop off, SIL told guard she was picking up her dd on pick up. We also used rideshare to return to the resort once.

 

[maryj11]

I had this happen to us a few years ago. I couldn’t figure out why I was charged this certain amount everyday. We took the magic express and never had a car. You have be on guard I guess and make sure you check everything carefully.

 

[tjmw2727]

I had this happen to us a few years ago. I couldn’t figure out why I was charged this certain amount everyday. We took the magic express and never had a car. You have be on guard I guess and make sure you check everything carefully.

This is good advice no matter the resort/hotel, always double check your folio!!

With the exception of Disney and a couple other vacation/resort destinations I don't use room charge when staying at a hotel if I can help it. I travel for work and for my dd's sporting events fairly often and I can't tell you how many times I have been charged for room service, restaurant meals and other items that weren't mine. Since I specified no room charging it is much easier to clear things up.

 

[ariel222]

That happened to us a few years ago. We didn’t notice until we got home but the charge was easily reversed once we noticed it.

 

[starry_solo]

Something TRIGGERED That nightly charge. It has been happening from day one.
Most the time it is rideshare by someone in the room or gate security flagged a car reported going to your room.

Nope. I can report that I stayed at DVC (BOARDWALK) for part of my trip and then Grand Floridian (hotel, not DVC). I arrived via bus from AK and got charged with two days of parking for GF. Didn't notice until AFTER I checked out so had to call to get the charges reversed.

No one visited us while at GF

 

[HopperFan]

Now that I think about it, my DW had a drug store prescription delivery . I wonder if that could have triggered it.

If so, that's a seriously flawed process.

Yes that would be a flawed system. The driver didn't use your MagicBand or Ticket to scan the gate. They would have stopped with Security and told them they were making a delivery. So what, Security decided to trigger parking fees for you?

This is the biggest flaw in the no parking pass process. If at check-in you had to get a parking pass if you have a car, the system knows you have a car. They could also but a block on your MB/Key so that it could not open the gate on it's own. If you use ride share then you'd have to go through the Security and explain. Easy enough to do, lazy on their part.

Not the first report of this, I mean who is driving and who isn't is a guessing game for Disney. Aside from ride share, we always have a car and have def dropped friends at their hotels who have no car. Everyone should always check their bills before they leave. After having an issue, I moved to no longer charging to my room. Since the room itself was paid before I even got there, not charging to room means no bill at the end.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Do DVC resorts charge for parking? We just stayed at the treehouses and weren’t charged. We used a magic band to open the treehouse gate daily.