Disney Raised Parking Prices Overnight!

[Marionnette]

Just in time for the Easter Holiday crush and without warning. Just like the ticket price increase (not that you can"stockpile" parking spots like you can with tickets )

Posted last night on the TPAS board at around 10:30:

Starting tomorrow, guests will be charged $17 to park a standard car at all four Walt Disney World theme parks' parking lots. This is $2 up from the current price of $15, which was raised in June from $14.

Downtown Disney "parking" (as if there really is any left), Disney Water Park parking, and parking for select annual passholders and Disney Resort Hotel guests will remain free.

ETA: The post that I quoted above has now been updated to include the following information:

"The pricing increase did in fact go in effect today with a standard car, limo, or motorcycle costing the previously mentioned $17. RVs and trailers will be $18 and busses and tractor trailers will be $21. What I didn't predict was the $5 price increase in Disney Resort Hotel valet parking, which is now $20 (up from $15)."​

$20 to valet park! Glad that I get it for free with TiW (but who knows how long that perk will last!)

 

[davedmaine]

OP - be prepared for the following posts from the Disney apologists.
- "$17 is still a great value. There's 4 people in my family so that's only $4.25 for each of us to park at Disney World!"
- "So don't go anymore! More parking for the rest of us!"
- "If you want to avoid parking fees, just stay onsite. It's not rocket science."

 

[cjnix29]

what is crazy to me is all the increases! And all sooner than a year after the previous increase. Was it about 9 months since the last increase in ticket prices, raised the dining plan price in less than a year, now parking in less than a year. Of course, these don't count the merchandise price increases, which I am sure have occurred as well, they just don't advertise those! Parking doesn't effect us, as we stay on site, but all the increases just continue to price people out of the vacation. I know....they have to pay for the Fantasy Land expansion and the MB implementation....both unimpressive to our family (with BOYS!), but that's the way it goes.

 

[Marionnette]

OP - be prepared for the following posts from the Disney apologists.
- "$17 is still a great value. There's 4 people in my family so that's only $4.25 for each of us to park at Disney World!"
- "So don't go anymore! More parking for the rest of us!"
- "If you want to avoid parking fees, just stay onsite. It's not rocket science."

I only posted as a PSA for others. I happen to have an AP and DVC membership (so I stay onsite). The price increase is no big deal to me. I really don't care what the "apologists" have to say but some people might like a little heads up as they head into their late-spring and summer vacations.

 

[ICF]

that's crazy.....parking prices have gone up 21% in less than a year.

At that pace, it will be $20 by next year.

 

[kmb584]

I saw that last night.. insane! $17/day to park is ridiculous.

 

[Disneychix]

Of course they had to raise valet parking to $20, otherwise everyone would just valet park their car at a resort for the day for $15!

 

[Marionnette]

Of course they had to raise valet parking to $20, otherwise everyone would just valet park their car at a resort for the day for $15!

They increased it much more than they increased the theme park fee. Maybe it is designed to discourage day guests from using the resort lots for the convenience of not having to fight traffic at park closing times. It would certainly be easier to walk to CR after a night at MK or to BW, YC/BC after EPCOT closes. I'm sure that plenty of people have done this in the past. I've even seen it suggested on the TPAS.

 

[Burnedout]

It does take away the incentive to pay valet rather than regular parking lots.

Not a Disney apologist (see fp+ threads). However I've found parkj g prices to. E in the rise everywhere. Sucks but seems to be the trend.

As far as the other comments they are all true. The parking perk becomes greater now, it is a fact of life that one either lives with or not, etc.

 

[ConnieB]

OP - be prepared for the following posts from the Disney apologists.
- "$17 is still a great value. There's 4 people in my family so that's only $4.25 for each of us to park at Disney World!"
- "So don't go anymore! More parking for the rest of us!"
- "If you want to avoid parking fees, just stay onsite. It's not rocket science."

You forgot:

Get an AP then parking is free.

 

[madge]

Just in time for the Easter Holiday crush and without warning. Just like the ticket price increase (not that you can"stockpile" parking spots like you can with tickets )

Posted last night on the TPAS board at around 10:30:


ETA: The post that I quoted above has now been updated to include the following information:

"The pricing increase did in fact go in effect today with a standard car, limo, or motorcycle costing the previously mentioned $17. RVs and trailers will be $18 and busses and tractor trailers will be $21. What I didn't predict was the $5 price increase in Disney Resort Hotel valet parking, which is now $20 (up from $15)."​

$20 to valet park! Glad that I get it for free with TiW (but who knows how long that perk will last!)

Food prices went up today, as well. At least at the Quick Service places.

 

[OhMari]

I am surprised that they do not charge for resort parking fees. The Swan/Dolphin charges $20 or more to park your car each day. We stayed off site at other resorts and paid for parking.

Another couple that we meet each year at my dh convention takes a town car or taxi to the resort. We figured it out one year and we end up paying the same with the price of our rental and parking fees. So, I am sure this is going to be a trickle effect with taxi's. Limo's and town cars. They will all be raising their prices too.

 

[DVC Sue]

Boy, it just seems like Disney is raising their prices for everything! It's already expensive! I'm just not sure how an average family can afford a trip to WDW.

 

[of2dbeach]

We are 2 hrs south of Disney and havent been there for a few reasons. if you look at my ticker you will see we have 5 children in our group but are now paying the adult prices for them. Cost is a huge factor and even when we bring food in with us it dosent cut the cost that much and its a pain to go back and get it from the loocker and find a place for 7 of us to sit and eat it. They get you even before you get in there. How sad for big families. I think Disney is missing what Walt said about a park for families to enjoy together.

 

[bcuinohio]

Boy, it just seems like Disney is raising their prices for everything! It's already expensive! I'm just not sure how an average family can afford a trip to WDW.

You are so right!

 

[MillauFr]

Boy, it just seems like Disney is raising their prices for everything! It's already expensive! I'm just not sure how an average family can afford a trip to WDW.

The only way we can afford it is buy canceling cable TV, canceling land line phones, having a prepaid cell phone that costs $100 per year, and selling our second car. Otherwise I couldn't afford it.

 

[supergoofy]

Boy, it just seems like Disney is raising their prices for everything! It's already expensive! I'm just not sure how an average family can afford a trip to WDW.

Yet Disney is packed.

I'd say Disney is not to worried about it.

 

[Marionnette]

Yet Disney is packed.

I'd say Disney is not to worried about it.

According to Josh at easywdw.com, attendance for 2014 is up 1.3% over 2013. That's not exactly what I would call "packed", and there's nothing to indicate the demographics of the guests. The increase could be partially due to healthy economies in other countries.

I also want to point out that increased attendance does not necessarily translate directly to guest spending. Money is finite and the mouse may be greedy, but he can't have it all. People who spend more on parking and admission may spend less on food and merchandise. The profit margin on the parking and admission might be greater. So overall profit may increase while total revenue stagnates or only rises slightly.

The end result could come back to bite Mickey in the butt. How many people are going to come back from their first Disney vacation with the complaint that they spent $400 for their family to get in for the day, $17 to park the car and then couldn't afford to feed them once they got in the gate because a hot dog & soda cost them $10 at Casey's?

 

[junebug]

Food prices went up today, as well. At least at the Quick Service places.

Do you have more info on quick service increases?

 

[andrews_dad]

Not sure average families are coming to Disney. Pretty sure their core customer is upper middle class. I know a Disney trip is a strain to our budget, and we make much more than the current average (I think I read average household income is $55K or so). Disney is not a value vacation, even for savvy travlers like us from this board. 20 years ago you could find ways to do Orlando on the cheap, but not so much anymore. We used to hit Disney two per year, but now do one trip per year. We have begun to find is is actually cheaper and nicer to take our second trip to Atlantis. With direct flights out of Baltimore to Nassau, what was once considered a very expensive trip to Atlantis is now more affordable than the Mouse for us. Now that Southwest has added direct flighst to Aruba (been one trip), Jamaica (just stopped a day on cruise), and Puerto Rico (never been), we are skipping Disney completely in 2015 and spending less on vacations.