Blown away by this "budget suggestion" is this STEALING to you

[mercydisney]

It's wrong. It's rude. It's not stealing. Put it this way. Could Disney call the police and have that person arrested for stealing a parking place? Sorry but illegal parking isn't stealing. Disney could tow the car.

That person "stole" a parking place from a paying guest? Only true if you think that paying guest has the legal right to call the police and have that person arrested

I posted stealing. Your response has changed my view.

I would not do it. On my vacation I want to relax not worry about paying for parking.

 

[MineMail]

While it does seem more like "trespassing" than "stealing," if the hotel charges a daily parking fee and you lie to get out of that fee, it is theft of services (parking spot.) Lying about having a reservation or checking out the hotel is misrepresentation.

In any case, it's unethical to lie and cheat to save a few bucks. What are they teaching their children? Anything's legal as long as you don't get caught. I agree, tow their car and let the lesson be learned.

As someone else said, if you can't afford the parking, don't go to the theme park.

 

[Arabelle]

I posted stealing. Your response has changed my view.

I would not do it. On my vacation I want to relax not worry about paying for parking.

Lol, I switched my view the other way around because of the post. They are stealing profit from Disney. Aren't they?

 

[DawnM]

About a year or two ago someone on these boards posted details about this. I was surprised it wasn't immediately deleted. I don't even remember what the details were anymore and have never done it, but I guess some people do.

Dawn

Yeah. I once went in that way by accident as I was coming from a different direction and was really surprised that it brought me to the magic kingdom behind the booths where you pay for parking.

 

[valee]

I've gone to the hotels in the evening and will walk around and admire the decor, especially around the holiday. We always just tell the guard that we want to look at the hotel. I don't use any resources that I feel are exclusive to hotel guests, such as the pools or children's programs. I always wind up buying some food or something from the gift shop or one of the pin carts in the lobby, so they're making money off me.

I would not ever consider parking at one of the hotels to avoid paying parking at the theme park. If I wre traveling with someone who proposed this, I'd insist on paying for the parking myself, so that I could enjoy my day with a clear conscience.

And a check of legal terms makes this activity sound like it can be clearly termed "stealing":
Theft of services is the legal term for a crime which is committed when a person obtains valuable services — as opposed to goods — by deception, force, threat or other unlawful means,
Crimes of this sort are typically prosecuted as larceny. This category encompasses a wide variety of criminal activity including, but not limited to, leaving a hotel or restaurant or similar establishment without paying for the service; and "turnstile jumping" or other methods of evading the payment of a fare or fee when using a public transit vehicle or entering a private facility normally requiring payment (e.g., jumping over the fence at a fair or rock concert).

 

[LocaRoja]

2 years ago, I rented a car and was driving all around the property exploring and stumbled across that same access to the MK (behind the parking gates). I hadn't been paying much attention to where I had been coming from to even repeat it, but I figured Disney must know it exists!

 

[Acklander]

About a year or two ago someone on these boards posted details about this. I was surprised it wasn't immediately deleted. I don't even remember what the details were anymore and have never done it, but I guess some people do.

Dawn

Don't know what the point would be in deleting it. You can just google for how to do it. Personally, I have a pass that gives me free parking so it's not a benefit to me.
I wouldn't consider by passing the parking gate to be stealing, but I consider it as going against the intentions of what Disney wants, and for that reason I wouldn't be comfortable doing it.

 

[ICF]

Dishonest yes....stealing...probably not.

As far as being cheaper on site...not for us as we were driving down either way.

We stayed for 7 nights in a 3BR / 3 BA townhouse with full kitchen and our own private "splash" pool at Windsor Hills for $699 (which included all taxes / fees). It also came with free wifi and the complex is very nice with pool/exercise room and free movie theatre.

We could be to the any of the parks in 15 mins or less (besides MK - thanks to the T&T center) which generally beats any of the buses...plus I'm not trying to hope for a place to sit down on the bus after a long day.

The townhouse also allowed us to eat very cheaply as we were eating in the townhouse typically for bfast & 1 other meal and only eating "disney" food (at Disney prices) once a day.

Sure -- we paid $14 / parking for the 4 days we spent at the parks -- but that $56 was likely balanced out by the 1st meal we didnt have to eat on property.

 

[timmac]

Disney transportation is available to everyone who has a Disney ticket, not just those who are staying on property.

I was just about to post this exact same thing.

Of course, using the parking spot at the hotel is wrong in and of itself, though, so the usage of the transportation should be a non-issue here.

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

This is so stealing!! I am fuming reading this thread. Get me the electronic park passes/braclets (RDFI?) so we can get people who stay off site to not enjoy our benefits.

Staying onsite at WDW is a perk, and off-site people can stay at their off-site hotels, and find their own methods of transportation.

To have a previous travel agent say these items is ridiculous.

Start scanning my RDFI bracelet when I get on the Disney private transportation. That will take care of a lot of these people!!!!!!!

This is 100% stealing, nothing else. This type of theft has a monetary value, and those of us staying onsite pay for these costs (buses, gas, etc). Just because it is free to someone doesn't mean it isn't stealing to someone else.

this 100%

Disney transportation is available to everyone who has a Disney ticket, not just those who are staying on property.

even those who arnt paying for the parking spot that goes along with keeping a car on property

Is this including park tickets? The 11 year old is considered an adult.

yes it does

 

[Acklander]

this 100%



even those who arnt paying for the parking spot that goes along with keeping a car on property



yes it does

Even those who aren't paying for a parking spot can use the transportation system - a certain percent of each ticket sold is paid to the transportation department. There are many who stay at off site hotels, use their hotel shuttle to go to one park, and then Disney transportation to go to a different park.

 

[NotUrsula]

Parking is a funny thing; it never fails to amaze me how so many people are willing to jump through hoops and waste enormous amounts of time and effort just to avoid parking charges, while they would happily shell out twice the amount in a day on snacks. Some people just have issues with paying for parking, and I know from experience that the feeling is very widespread in the US. (There are folks who are also like this about tolls.)

IMO, paying for valet parking isn't the same issue; if WDW did not want you to do that they would threaten tow your car after the dinner window was up, but they do not. If the resorts did not want non-guests using valet services they would impose limits; I think they are happy enough with the cash most of the time.

As to the "work-around" route, without the pass in the window you could always get called out by the folks in the yellow stripes, and getting out of that lot and going back around takes a LONG time.

 

[2luvmickey]

What about people who rent a campsite just for the parking passes and stay in an less expensive offsite hotel? I know that has been suggested in some guidebooks.

Personally, I have driven my car over to another resort with my 3 DS to look at the grounds, or visit one of the shops. We never stay longer than an hour at most, but get a sense of where we would like to stay next time.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney wants guests, even those staying offsite, to shop in the Disney resorts. Enjoy adult drinks in the bars. Dine in the restaurants. Yes even use Disney transportation from the parks to the hotels. Do you really think the purpose of RDFI is to prevent those guests from going to the resorts?

Disney could certainly do a better job making sure people who don't belong using a resort parking lot don't park there. My guess is Disney checks in those resorts, at the time, when it matters to Disney. Parking is an issue at MK resorts and EPCOT resorts. Disney may not care about non-resort guests parking in other resorts.

This is so stealing!! I am fuming reading this thread. Get me the electronic park passes/braclets (RDFI?) so we can get people who stay off site to not enjoy our benefits.

Staying onsite at WDW is a perk, and off-site people can stay at their off-site hotels, and find their own methods of transportation.

To have a previous travel agent say these items is ridiculous.

Start scanning my RDFI bracelet when I get on the Disney private transportation. That will take care of a lot of these people!!!!!!!

This is 100% stealing, nothing else. This type of theft has a monetary value, and those of us staying onsite pay for these costs (buses, gas, etc). Just because it is free to someone doesn't mean it isn't stealing to someone else.

 

[pyrxtc]

I was eating at a Longhorn down near Disney last week and it was recommended to the people at the next table that they do just this so they could see the New year's fireworks by 3 separate waiters/waitresses.

 

[horseshowmom]

What about people who rent a campsite just for the parking passes and stay in an less expensive offsite hotel? I know that has been suggested in some guidebooks.

I've never rented a campsite, but if someone does, they're entitled to whatever benefits come with it regardless of whether they stay there or not.

 

[NotUrsula]

What about people who rent a campsite just for the parking passes and stay in an less expensive offsite hotel? I know that has been suggested in some guidebooks.

I think the idea of this one isn't about parking; it's about the dining plan, most especially free dining. It wouldn't make any sense to do it just for parking, since parking is $14/day and the cheapest rate at FW at the moment is $48/night.

 

[tigger51276]

Are you including the same cost out of pocket for food on site as off ?

Eating off site can easily save 10 bucks a day per head. 5 people x 10 bucks x a 7 day vacation = more than parking and a rental car will cost.





Your rant is funny..... Thank you for posting it .

I don't think the price of food off site vs on site makes a huge deal personally. Most people don't go to Disney and leave at meal times just to go off site to eat. Honestly with the amount of time you'd lose at the parks and cost of gas you really aren't saving anything. I know some folks do, do that, but for the majority they eat on site.

 

[tigger51276]

I think the idea of this one isn't about parking; it's about the dining plan, most especially free dining. It wouldn't make any sense to do it just for parking, since parking is $14/day and the cheapest rate at FW at the moment is $48/night.

Do people who rent campsites for $48/night get free dining? Somehow I find it hard to believe they would give away free dining like that, Disney would be giving away more food then the cost of the site.

 

[Acklander]

I don't think the price of food off site vs on site makes a huge deal personally. Most people don't go to Disney and leave at meal times just to go off site to eat. Honestly with the amount of time you'd lose at the parks and cost of gas you really aren't saving anything. I know some folks do, do that, but for the majority they eat on site.

When we rent off site we'll eat breakfast at the house, eat a late lunch in the parks, and dinner off site on our way back to the house. If we're planning a late night in the park (usually magic kingdom) we don't go to the parks until the afternoon. We don't go to the parks first thing in the morning till it closes as that's too exhausting for us, but if that's how you prefer to do it, it would be easier to stay in the parks.