Cheaper parking than at Dolphin?

[joelkfla]

As for ASM only having 1920 rooms I say it has 3 times more since to me ASMusic, ASSports and ASMovies is one resort.

From a guest perspective, they are separate resorts.

They have separate check-in, separate pools, separate food courts, and separate themes. The only front-of-the-house thing they share (sometimes) is transportation.

 

[chartle]

From a guest perspective, they are separate resorts.

They have separate check-in, separate pools, separate food courts, and separate themes. The only front-of-the-house thing they share (sometimes) is transportation.

For some odd reason I though they shared check in and food court.

ETA: I think I was stuck thinking about AoA and that being one resort when each one of the All Stars = AoA (layout wise)

 

[NancyIL]

For some odd reason I though they shared check in and food court.

No - each of the All Stars has their own food court and check-in desk. What a zoo it would be if all three shared only 1!

 

[TDC Nala]

If you are looking for a nicer resort experience, without the high cost, you can always look into renting DVC points from someone. That cuts down on the resort cost quite a bit, and you get some terrific amenities..and you get free parking at that resort!!!

There are tradeoffs to consider with renting points too - do you want daily housekeeping? You need to pay for it. There's also the fact that it can be difficult to cancel a point rental. Some owners who rent points don't allow refunds for a cancellation at the last minute, because they get stuck with the points in holding or lose the points entirely.

 

[goofy4tink]

hmm We should look into POFQ, we love the rest at POR and the food court, and in resonding to this post I learned that POR is the biggest mod, which I probably knew long ago, but forgot



You and I may know these things, and I am sure you Mod's more than I, that is why I am here, to learn from everyone. But don't take your knowledge for granted. Last April I booked with AAA to get the parking, storytime, firework benefit, never again. Sadly the agent knew much less than I did. It is NOT really her fault, there is sooo much to know and she rep's mnay places not just disney. Also there are so many choices, I don't think you can go to any other single resort area and find as many for sure. But even Disney employee's have a hard time keeping up as many of us have experienced.
That's what these boards are for, IMHO, a Q & A so we can share our knowledge and for money to save $$$ where they can.


ps, I spent weeks helping someone plan a disney resort stay 2 yrs ago, when she called me and told me she changed it all to the dolphin and booked I dropped to my chair, she thought she was still getting DME, the dining plan, etc... It's a LOT to take in .. is there a fainting emoticon!

Oh, absolutely. No one is going to know everything. And I will stand corrected here. After heading over to the S/D official site, it's hard, if not impossible, to find that there is a daily parking fee. So, it would be hard to know that going in...which, IMHO, is wrong. It should be stated right up front.

I realize that the $15 parking fee is what it is. I even realize why they have it in place. Yes, we chose to book the Dolphin, and I'm happy with that choice. I have no problem paying the parking fees, but what is so wrong about seeing if there is a way to do it cheaper with a little leg work? I am NOT trying to scam anyone. I was hoping that there is a legitimate alternative. We have to rent a car because we are going to the beach for three days before Disney. No way around it. We won't be using the car once we are at Disney, so it would be sitting. I am now taking the advice of looking into a one way car rental to save money (thank you, BTW!). Why throw money down the drain if I don't have to? Why in the world am I getting jumped on for asking a legitimate question? Especially by a mod? I am pretty savvy when it comes to Disney, but we've never stayed at the Dolphin so I didn't know if there was something that I was missing. Jeez people, quit assuming the worst. A simple no would have been fine, but instead, you've turned me into a cheat which couldn't be further from the truth.

Ummm, I don't think I even came close to jumping on you. I gave you a pretty clear and concise answer. You are staying at a particular resort, you are supposed to park there...even if it costs to do so. Why would anyone think that other alternatives would be an option??? If that were the case, everyone staying at these resorts, with cars, would park elsewhere.
No one said you were a 'cheat' or anything close to that. You got the answer to your question....no, there are no alternative places to park if you are staying at the S/D.

 

[NancyIL]

Oh, absolutely. No one is going to know everything. And I will stand corrected here. After heading over to the S/D official site, it's hard, if not impossible, to find that there is a daily parking fee. So, it would be hard to know that going in...which, IMHO, is wrong. It should be stated right up front.

While the parking charge isn't noted on the front page of the Dolphin's web site, a check of Transportation Options shows this (https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/property/area/transportation.html?propertyID=468):

Transportation Options

Guests of WALT DISNEY WORLD SWAN AND DOLPHIN enjoy complimentary transportation throughout the Walt Disney World Attractions.

It's so convenient! A Friendship Launch offers access from the hotels' dock, running approximately every 15 minutes to and from Epcot® and Disney's Hollywood Studios™. A series of walkways will also lead you to the entrance of these Theme Parks.

Disney shuttle buses arrive at the main entrance of the hotels approximately every 20 minutes to transport guests to Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Downtown Disney® area, and to all other Walt Disney World® Resort hotels and attractions.

As an additional benefit, taxi, van, towncar and limousine transportation is available 24-hours through Mears Transportation desk, located in the lobby of the WALT DISNEY WORLD DOLPHIN Hotel.

If you are traveling by car, please see driving directions, from the airport or any other location.

Parking Information

On-Site Parking (15 - 20 USD per day)

** You are right that the www.swandolphin.com web site requires more searching for parking info, but it is in the FAQ section: http://www.swandolphin.com/feedback/transportation.html

 

[Allison]

Oh, absolutely. No one is going to know everything. And I will stand corrected here. After heading over to the S/D official site, it's hard, if not impossible, to find that there is a daily parking fee. So, it would be hard to know that going in...which, IMHO, is wrong. It should be stated right up front.



Ummm, I don't think I even came close to jumping on you. I gave you a pretty clear and concise answer. You are staying at a particular resort, you are supposed to park there...even if it costs to do so. Why would anyone think that other alternatives would be an option??? If that were the case, everyone staying at these resorts, with cars, would park elsewhere.
No one said you were a 'cheat' or anything close to that. You got the answer to your question....no, there are no alternative places to park if you are staying at the S/D.

Why would someone think other alternatives wouldn't be an option? You never know. Doesn't hurt to ask and questions should be encouraged here. Who knows, maybe the OP is from an area where there are parking lots are close by that people can park in long-term.

OP-I completely understand why you would ask the question. It doesn't hurt to investigage alternatives. I mean we here all advocate doing our research and homework. It appears to me that is what you were doing.

 

[Greysword]

Why in the world am I getting jumped on for asking a legitimate question? ... Jeez people, quit assuming the worst. A simple no would have been fine, but instead, you've turned me into a cheat which couldn't be further from the truth.

Hi

First, the Transportation board is a pretty blunt place, where you get the answer with no window dressing at all. It is very straightforward.

Second, many people come on here looking for ways to "scam" the WDW parking system. An example would be to park at the Contemporary and stroll over to Mk for the day. Yes, these questions still get asked.

The perceived roughness of it is the implication of the question, which is "if we park at one of the WDW resorts or the Fantasia golf course, can we avoid the parking fee?" That may not have been your intent, but it is what the intent of others asking the same question has been and would likely be. This was also what I read as the true meaning of the question, myself.

Third, $15 is not unreasonable, since many areas with limited parking also charge the same or higher fee. For instance, it is $22 to park at the Hilton in downtown Portland.

Fourth, since you are renting a car, it is more reasonable to turn it in. However if you were driving your personal vehicle, I was going to suggest using airport parking at MCO, since they sometimes have specials in the periphery lots.

Thanks for asking, and please remember that while you are the one that actually asked the question, the answer will be absorbed by many readers. Thus, the answer was for those who have the intent to avoid a change through any means instead of just someone who will follow the rules.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Let's see... I can stay at Disney have exterior corridors, lousy beds, no "loyalty reward" or...

I can stay at the Swan/Dolphin have interior corridors, "heavenly beds" and get free stays and/or upgrades for being a loyal customer.

And the price. About the same...even after I add in the extras.

Hmm........ I know why I don't stay at a Disney resort anymore LOL!

Cute theme only goes so far.

It's kind of sad that a "Deluxe" resort prices the same as a Disney Moderate resort..... Gives you a clue of how overpriced Disney hotels really are.

 

[NotUrsula]

Why would someone think other alternatives wouldn't be an option? You never know. Doesn't hurt to ask and questions should be encouraged here. Who knows, maybe the OP is from an area where there are parking lots are close by that people can park in long-term.

OP-I completely understand why you would ask the question. It doesn't hurt to investigage alternatives. I mean we here all advocate doing our research and homework. It appears to me that is what you were doing.

Probably because WDW is 39 sq. miles of private property. There just is no space anywhere within a reasonable distance of the Epcot Resorts where a legitimate third-party long-term parking facility would be allowed to operate. (Especially since the Disney-owned resorts offer free parking to guests as one of their star perks -- it stands to reason that means that everyone else has to pay to park.)

As to the rate, yes, it's a bit stiff for a place that isn't in a central city, but as long as I am not paying rack at S/D it's no big deal to pay it. We are loyal SPG members, and for 1 out of 3 of our stays at S/D we normally don't pay anything at all except for the parking charge because we can stay on points; can't do that at any other onsite hotel.

OP, look on the upside: with a car you can go whereever you like whenever you like very quickly, including to meals at other resorts and to the water parks without having to deal with bus transfers. (This is especially useful if your DH is going to be in the conference the whole time; he probably isn't going to feel like wasting his limited "fun" time waiting on buses.)

 

[sumertime]

Fingers crossed that the prices will go down even more, but so far I have booked a one way rental car for three days, will turn it back in at the Dolphin and then pick it up the night before heading home (very early flight) and with the $45 savings in parking fees, I'm saving over $100.

 

[sumertime]

Why would someone think other alternatives wouldn't be an option? You never know. Doesn't hurt to ask and questions should be encouraged here. Who knows, maybe the OP is from an area where there are parking lots are close by that people can park in long-term.

OP-I completely understand why you would ask the question. It doesn't hurt to investigage alternatives. I mean we here all advocate doing our research and homework. It appears to me that is what you were doing.

Thank you! I'm from the midwest and this is very much true. I can park at the nearest major airport for $25/week by staying at a nearby hotel and taking a shuttle to the airport (all legit, I promise). $45 is not going to make or break our trip, but it's a few meals for my kids. It's not something "fun" to pay for, so I was hoping that there was something different I could do. Obviously, with the help of those here who offered it, I was able to do that. That's why I asked.

Goofy4tink, we'll have to agree to disagree. This was my first post on the transportation board and you were not welcoming.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay...listen, I may be a bit cranky. But, I don't think I was unwelcoming at all. You asked a question, you got the answer. You may not have liked the answer. Nothing I, or anyone else, can do about that.
I'm very sorry you feel that you were not treated nicely here. I apologize for that..but, there is little pixiedust over here. We get too many people trying to figure out ways of not paying for services at WDW. So, as already mentioned, when we see someone who wants to avoid paying the parking fee at the S/D, and wants to know of 'alternative options', many here think of it as someone not willing to pay their way.
As for parking at a nearby hotel and leaving your car, while you take a shuttle to the airport?? We call that 'stay, park and fly'...and many hotels close to airports offer this service. BUT...they do insist that you pay for a night at the hotel. But, perhaps the midwest is different than the east coast.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We have reservations for three days at the Dolphin, and I'm hoping there's a cheaper option than the $15/day. This is the first time we'll have a car. Is there somewhere nearby we could pay to park and then leave it for a few days? Not looking to do anything against the rules, just want to maximize our savings.

sumertime,

I'm sorry that some the the replies in this thread treated your question as an unreasonable one. I think it's a completely reasonable question.

When staying at downtown hotels is cities across America, there are often lower-priced parking options than using the hotel's own parking, often just a block away. At airports, there are usually lower-priced long-term lots nearby, as well as airport hotels offering parking packages. And when attending a theatrical performance, a short walk can often save a lot of money compared the theater's "official" parking.

Unfortunately, there's no such parking alternative for the WDW Swan & Dolphin.

Also, please be aware that the WDW Swan and Dolphin Resort charges a "mandatory Resort Service Package" of $14 + tax per day.

At least there's only a parking fee if you actually have a car. But you have to pay for the Resort Service Package, even if you don't use any of the services in the package (such as health club and Internet). If the "package" is mandatory, it should rolled into room rate. But they can quote a lower room rate by how they're doing it now.

Between the parking, the Resort Service Package, and taxes on them, you have to add more than $30 per day (if you have a car).

 

[NancyIL]

Fingers crossed that the prices will go down even more, but so far I have booked a one way rental car for three days, will turn it back in at the Dolphin and then pick it up the night before heading home (very early flight) and with the $45 savings in parking fees, I'm saving over $100.

You will need to do the paperwork for the car before the Dolphin's rental car office closes at 4:00. In order to not pay $15 to park the car your last night - pick-up the keys but don't take possession of the car until early the next morning when you are ready to go to the airport. (You give the keys to the valet, and he will bring the car to you.) In other words - let the car stay in the Dolphin's rental car lot overnight. If you get your car the day you rent it, you'll have to move it to the guest parking lot, and you'll be charged $15.00 for parking.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thank you! I'm from the midwest and this is very much true. I can park at the nearest major airport for $25/week by staying at a nearby hotel and taking a shuttle to the airport (all legit, I promise). Understood - but the airport in this case is a 30 mile, $55+ cab ride from the airport. $45 is not going to make or break our trip, but it's a few meals for my kids. Clearly not the impression you I tended to give but this statement makes it sound as if your children will have to skip some meals if you're required to pay for Dolphin parking. It's not something "fun" to pay for, so I was hoping that there was something different I could do. Obviously, with the help of those here who offered it, I was able to do that. That's why I asked.

Goofy4tink, we'll have to agree to disagree. This was my first post on the transportation board and you were not welcoming.

.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay guys...this one has pretty much run it's course. The OP got the answer she needed.