Disability parking at Universal hotels question

[loribell]

Does anyone know if they charge for parking at the Universal hotels if you have a disability placard? I know valet was free at Animal Kingdom Lodge when we visited in March. I’m just wondering for budgeting purposes.

Thanks I’m advance!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would expect that they do charge for disabled parking. You could call and ask. They're open now.

 

[Dream Finder]

Yup - Loews charges everyone for parking.

 

[loribell]

Yes they do!

 

[DisneyOma]

Why is it that WDW doesn't charge, and others do? Anyone know the reasoning?

 

[keishashadow]

Why is it that WDW doesn't charge, and others do? Anyone know the reasoning?

It’s an accommodation that is granted.

Most deluxe resorts/hotels tend to charge both resort & parking fees

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yup. Universal hoyels have been charging both for years, maybe even when it was just Portofino.

 

[DisneyOma]

It’s an accommodation that is granted.

Most deluxe resorts/hotels tend to charge both resort & parking fees

Why is not paying for something an accommodation? Are they poor? That would be the reason for not paying, not being disabled - access is not being denied by having a fee, is it?

 

[keishashadow]

Why is not paying for something an accommodation? Are they poor? That would be the reason for not paying, not being disabled - access is not being denied by having a fee, is it?

I’m not quite sure if you are being tongue in cheek or whether you are trying to make a point but, I’ll bite.

An establishment doesn’t care what your net income is. if they charge a fee to access their parking lot & a person wants to utilize it, they are obligated to pay...unless the business has a voluntarily stated accommodation in place. I.E. free parking or valet for those with an accessible parking plate or tag/card.

when parking fees are stated as standard policy for an establishment, it is my understanding that under the ADA, free parking for the disabled is not an unalienable right....only that they provide the stated legal # of spaces etc.

https://adata.org/factsheet/parking
perhaps the following will help as to the two of the definitions of accommodation that apply to my usage?

Definition of accommodation:

1: something supplied for convenience or to satisfy a need: such as
a: lodging, food, and services or traveling space and related services

2: the act of accommodating someone or something : the state of being accommodated: such as
a: the providing of what is needed or desired for convenience

 

[OurBigTrip]

Why is not paying for something an accommodation? Are they poor? That would be the reason for not paying, not being disabled - access is not being denied by having a fee, is it?

Agree, it’s not an accommodation.

My guess is that they give free surface parking so that people with placards don’t overwhelm the free valet offering for those with a placard.

They should have gotten rid of that before they started charging for surface parking

 

[DisneyOma]

I’m not quite sure if you are being tongue in cheek or whether you are trying to make a point but, I’ll bite.

An establishment doesn’t care what your net income is. if they charge a fee to access their parking lot & a person wants to utilize it, they are obligated to pay...unless the business has a voluntarily stated accommodation in place. I.E. free parking or valet for those with an accessible parking plate or tag/card.

when parking fees are stated as standard policy for an establishment, it is my understanding that under the ADA, free parking for the disabled is not an unalienable right....only that they provide the stated legal # of spaces etc.

https://adata.org/factsheet/parking
perhaps the following will help as to the two of the definitions of accommodation that apply to my usage?

Definition of accommodation:

1: something supplied for convenience or to satisfy a need: such as
a: lodging, food, and services or traveling space and related services

2: the act of accommodating someone or something : the state of being accommodated: such as
a: the providing of what is needed or desired for convenience

So what are they accommodating by allowing those with a placard to park for free? It's not needed or desired just by those with the placard, is it? I believe OurBigTrip got it right - but I don't understand about the free valet parking either. Why can't people with a placard pay for parking like everyone else does? Is it the availability of HC spots, the location, or just a misplaced sense of something else?

 

[mamabunny]

So what are they accommodating by allowing those with a placard to park for free? It's not needed or desired just by those with the placard, is it? I believe OurBigTrip got it right - but I don't understand about the free valet parking either. Why can't people with a placard pay for parking like everyone else does? Is it the availability of HC spots, the location, or just a misplaced sense of something else?

In theory, you *can* pay for parking (with a placard) if you wish - simply notify the Front Desk that you wish to pay for parking like everyone else. They may ask you to confirm that is what you really want to do, but there is no reason you can't pay if that is what you want to do.

 

[OurBigTrip]

In theory, you *can* pay for parking (with a placard) if you wish - simply notify the Front Desk that you wish to pay for parking like everyone else. They may ask you to confirm that is what you really want to do, but there is no reason you can't pay if that is what you want to do.

Speaking only for myself, if a policy is in place that offers free parking to placard holders, no one who qualifies should feel in the least bit bad about using it. To me, it’s not about the people who use what Disney is offering, it’s that Disney is offering it in the first place.

 

[DisneyOma]

In theory, you *can* pay for parking (with a placard) if you wish - simply notify the Front Desk that you wish to pay for parking like everyone else. They may ask you to confirm that is what you really want to do, but there is no reason you can't pay if that is what you want to do.

Okay, I'll play the semantics game - why are they not expected to pay? What is it about the HC placard that makes WDW think that it would be reasonable for them not to have to pay, but everyone else does have to pay?

 

[Mrsjvb]

because its Pixie Dust. look, I myself don't entirely agree that anyone with a Placard shouldn't pay. when I had my card, I fully expected to pay anywhere we parked. its actually only in Florida thats free parking for Handicapped Placards/Plates is a thing. (many of the cruise terminals here also offer free parking.) but for whatever reason, Disney has chosen to go that route and since it is policy, it is what it is. none of us WANT to pay $20 or whatever the daily parking fee at Universal is. but we do.

I'd argue it was an accommodation that is not covered under ADA since everyone else has to pay. as such an individual business has the freedom to be nice.

closest I ever got was a few of the Renaissance Faires I have attended in places like TX, MD and NY had was was called 'preferred parking' where you paid as opposed to the free parking on acres of land nearby. this preferred parking was closer to the main gates of the Faires. I'd say about half the time when I showed my card I was waved through without having to pay. possibly because the faire didn't have any dedicated HA spots. I dunno. they were still unpaved thats for sure.

 

[lanejudy]

What is it about the HC placard that makes WDW think that it would be reasonable for them not to have to pay, but everyone else does have to pay?

Waiving parking fees for HA is common in some areas, maybe not where you live. Some states or municipalities have laws/ordinances for it, and while I believe those don’t technically apply to private lots, many owners of private parking follow suit - likely to prevent confusion and/or arguments when patrons aren’t sure who owns the lot. Such laws may have originated because there was a lack of HA spots, I’m not sure. Remember, one must provide proof to receive an HA plate/placard, thus benefits may be "more than" equal access.

WDW has chosen to waive resort overnight parking fees for HA tags. They haven't stated why and likely won't. I suspect it’s because they already offered free valet service and didn’t want a conflict with self-park vs valet. Obviously they don’t feel it’s a significant revenue loss at this time; they can always change policy in the future.


Back to OP's question... HA parking at Universal. It seems Universal does not waive parking fees for HA.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, I'll play the semantics game - why are they not expected to pay?

Truly, you would have to ask Disney - and there's no guarantee they would tell you. I know in my state, if you have a placard you can park at public metere free. I think that's due to more placards than HP spaces, but I never wctually queried.

 

[arminnie]

In New Orleans (not sure about the rest of the state) a HC tag gets you 3 hours free at a public metered parking place. It does not have to be in a HC marked spot.

 

[DisneyOma]

Truly, you would have to ask Disney - and there's no guarantee they would tell you. I know in my state, if you have a placard you can park at public metere free. I think that's due to more placards than HP spaces, but I never wctually queried.

In New Orleans (not sure about the rest of the state) a HC tag gets you 3 hours free at a public metered parking place. It does not have to be in a HC marked spot.

Here too - because accessible spots are not always the closest spots in a huge city. That's the reasoning behind free street/meter parking - they aren't always close to the store/venue. Doesn't make sense at WDW, where 1/4 of HC spots are open when the whole lot is full otherwise.

So it's just so they don't have issues with valet? Then why not just charge everyone for valet parking? I guess I could email guest services myself

 

[mamabunny]

Here too - because accessible spots are not always the closest spots in a huge city. That's the reasoning behind free street/meter parking - they aren't always close to the store/venue. Doesn't make sense at WDW, where 1/4 of HC spots are open when the whole lot is full otherwise.

So it's just so they don't have issues with valet? Then why not just charge everyone for valet parking? I guess I could email guest services myself

Hasn't Valet at WDW Deluxe Resort Hotels always been free for folks with legit HA tags/hangtags/stickers/plates?

And the fact that you have seen HA spots open in the lot when it is otherwise full is just happenstance; WDW has the minimum number (if not more) of HA spots as required by law. If their Guests who are filling that particular hotel that night are (1) Not handicapped, and so not eligible to use it or (2) Handicapped, but arrived at the Resort absent a personal vehicle to park, or (3) Not returned to the hotel at the time you checked the lot - regardless of the reason that those spaces are empty, it doesn't matter. I have been Valet parked at Deluxe Resorts when we didn't intend to Valet - we would have parked in the general lot - but there were no HA spaces left, and so we Valet parked as an option of last resort for me.

Maybe (and this is just conjecture, of course) but just maybe WDW said "Valet has always been free at Deluxe for HA vehicles, so when we move to charging for parking at all Resort Hotels, we will keep HA parking free for all Resorts." I truly don't believe that anyone campaigned for free HA parking, and I also truly believe that the (relatively small in the grand scheme of things) amount of money that Disney is "missing" from not charging for those parking spaces is a drop in their bucket. If Disney goes under because they didn't collect parking fees from those HA parking spots? They have WAY bigger problems than collecting rent on those spots will ever fill.

But, in a moment of serendipity, or empathy, or maybe just because they thought "aw, what the heck...", they decided not to charge for HA spots at Resort Hotels for Guests who are staying there, proving once and for all that the bean counters don't always win. Hooray!

In other words, they bent over backwards to not incur a charge to a group (handicapped individuals - which includes disabled veterans, and children - with authorized parking indica from their home state) that historically have not been charged at WDW. No, they didn't *have to* make it free at Moderate & Value Resort Hotels, but the fact that they did is a courtesy, a little kindness on their part, and one that I (and others) appreciate.

Clearly you and I will never agree on this issue. And that's OK, we can still be friends, even if we don't see eye to eye on this one issue But before you go to Guest Services and demand that HA parking users pay the same as everyone else, stop and consider why it matters so much to you. Because I can assure you that there are folks visiting WDW every day who appreciate that little "perk" or "bonus" or whatever you want to call it. It does matter to them, and it does make a difference to some people - and if it bothers you personally, then just don't tell the front desk you are parking HA, and let them charge you the same fee as all of the able-bodied folks.

Like @Mrsjvb said above, it's Pixie Dust. Enjoy it while it lasts!