Disney to charge for resort parking for reservations made March 21,2018 and after

[BLTAaron]

Maybe in the future Disney can charge $1100 per person for their annual pass and make self parking at your PAID resort free? What a steal...

Awful.

 

[dina444444]

Maybe in the future Disney can charge $1100 per person for their annual pass and make self parking at your PAID resort free? What a steal...

Awful.

They already do for one of the Disneyland annual pases which is $1149.

 

[jeff_h]

SOG has charged for parking as long as I can remember, but prices are more reasonable... I think the first time I stayed there in 1997 is was $5 per day, now it's up to $7 for self-park or $12 for valet.

http://shadesofgreen.org/index.php/accommodations/parking

 

[keishashadow]

So it’s a thinly disguised ploy to entice people to buy DVC?

No, it’s nickle & diming guests. At least there is tiered price. designed to get more people to use MDE & keep the majority of their $ onsite. Good news is they probably won’t ever ‘charge’ for the bus service that delivers said captive audience. Charge equating to a separate line item on the bill vs having it worked into the hotel rates.

In their defense, it is tiered. Certainly, not uncommon for resorts to charge both resort & parking fees, especially in MCO. Just new for WDW.

This may thin the herd just a bit but the throngs for Toy Story will still keep the hotels full.

In the grand scope of things, even with a tight budget @ the values, one could absorb the parking cost via cutting back somewhere else on the trip...ditch the DP & eat some meals offsite, etc.

 

[Jimsig]

Found a couple Disney contact emails on elliott.org, the consumer advocate website. It lists a couple higher up instead of the general email if anyone is interested.

http://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/disney-world/

 

[Jimsig]

Sucks for those who drive. Wow. So very glad we don't. Wonder if it means fewer rent cars now?

How much busier does DME get now?

It begs the question. Are they going to start charging resort guess to park at the 4 parks? It sounds like they really want more control of your trip.

Said to a friend earlier to watch for that in a year or two.

 

[cjnix29]

I just hope it means they are going to improve bus service for the deluxe resorts. If I have to pay that much more to park a car, I won't. So I'll have to use the buses, which are awful at the deluxe resorts because they all share them! This really irritates me. You already pay a premium to stay on site, one of the perks being free parking. The other is EMH, which they have already diminished the value of by allowing off site resorts availability to use that as well. What is the incentive to stay on site for the Disney premium price? If we go back, it's probably Swan and Dolphin for us. Because if I have to pay parking anyway, even with the resort fees, the room rates are much more reasonable!

 

[RysMomma]

I have to say I'm really surprised by it. I mean, when we go this year, we won't have a car, but usually we do rent one. We just decided because of the cruise too, we would just stay with Disney transportation. I didn't realize that many off site hotels charged for parking.

 

[ToddyLu]

I could see this if gas were $5 a gallon ( here in MS it is $2.20...I think it is horrible and would blast them on FB if I had a FB account.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Swan/Dolphin has charged for parking for years.

https://swandolphin.com/feedback/transportation.html

5. Is there a fee for parking at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin?
Yes. The nightly fees for parking are listed below and subject to change.

Self Parking Fees and Valet Parking Fees

Non-Registered Guest*
Self park $20.00 for each exit
Valet $30.00 for each exit
Registered Guest **
Self park $20.00 + tax per day
Valet $30.00 + tax per day

 

[John Marecek]

Disney has been behind the times on this one. Paying for overnight parking at hotels in popular cities is a normal thing. If you look around Orlando, the majority charge $15-$22. Anytime more fees appear, people go nuts, I get it, but there's still more value paying to park at a Disney resort than paying to park off property and again paying to park at the theme park. Yes, I used park 4 times in 1 sentence

Can't get mad a Disney for this. It's the norm. I give them credit for tiering the pricing. They could have just said it's $25 for everyone.
Now, when resort fees appear.......

 

[goofy4tink]

Actually, I can get mad at Disney. Free parking is one of the things that set Disney apart. I understand the need to charge for parking at DLR...space is at a premium there. That isn't the case in WDW. Absolutely nothing is changing. Room rates are already high, park passes are high. I just booked a last minute stay at Movies, for next week. If I had booked it next week, for the week after, I would be paying $163 a night!! Bad enough that I'm paying $149 for a value room, but to tack on an addtl $13, well, it's nuts.
I've started renting a car while in WDW because my dd lives and works there. I like to be able to visit with her. So, rather than pay $163 a night for a value, I guess I'll be looking at off-site resorts. For that kind of money, I can get a much nicer room. Sure, I'll miss out on EMHs and 60 day FPs. I can live with that. I have an AP, so I park free in the parks....at the moment. Sure, I'll probably pay a resort fee, and possibly a parking fee at an off-site resort. For me? It's the principal. What's next? A resort fee? Everyone seems to be saying that Disney is just catching up with the times, that other places charge for parking, so why shouldn't Disney. But, be careful. These other resorts also have resorts fees and paid shuttles. Is that the next thing to come down the pike??? A daily resort fee? Paid buses? DME with a charge that we can actually see, instead of buried in our room rates?

And to not charge those who are visiting the resorts? That's crazy. I've seen so many people saying that this is in response to those people that abuse the parking in order to get to the parks more quickly or cheaply. But, those aren't the people paying to park now. It's a gratuitous money grab. Parking hasn't been improved, no addtl security has been added. Disney is seeing how much the market will bear. Park entry gets raised, people continue to pay the prices. Sure, they complain but then buy a park hopper and head to WDW. Room rates keep going higher. Again, people complain, and then book their vacations at WDW. Dining has gone up, while quality and choice has diminished...yet, restaurants are full. It's going to be interesting to see what the future holds for costs at WDW. I think that with Toy Story opening this spring, and Star Wars in the pipeline, Disney isn't worried about alienating too many guests. They know that the resorts are going to be at capacity...they know a ton of people are going to be driving in for these new park additions. So, why not charge? It's a no brainer.....they do nothing new, yet rake in the money. Parking remains exactly the same as it is right now, but we get to pay for it. Disney is in danger of losing some of what set it apart.

 

[n2mm]

While I’m exempt right now as a dvc member, many of my friends and family are not. I’m totally disgusted by this news. I always thought of Disney not nickel and diming people a positive thing, but now they are on the same level as other resort accommodations. Why didn’t they just increase the resort room rates. Really, would anyone notice a $13 increase at a value resort? We’ve come to expect that. It would not have left such a bad taste in people’s mouths. And while I’m dvc, I certainly know this time next year it will probably be us complaining about this. Dvc perks change all the time and remember when they took our free valet away. And charging resort guest this charge at theme park resorts is a slap in the face. We have to fight for a parking space at Bwv. To announce that day guest can still park there is an insult. We eat there and shop there too, but we have to pay to park. I’ve also sat on my balcony some evenings and watch the cars leave after Epcot closes. So instead of dealing with this abuse, we now have to pay the price. I certainly expect us dvc members in this situation next. This really hits the folks in states near Florida who drive. Why not start charging people to ride magical express....$10 a head. They would’ve made more money there!

 

[goofy4tink]

While I’m exempt right now as a dvc member, many of my friends and family are not. I’m totally disgusted by this news. I always thought of Disney not nickel and diming people a positive thing, but now they are on the same level as other resort accommodations. Why didn’t they just increase the resort room rates. Really, would anyone notice a $13 increase at a value resort? We’ve come to expect that. It would not have left such a bad taste in people’s mouths. And while I’m dvc, I certainly know this time next year it will probably be us complaining about this. Dvc perks change all the time and remember when they took our free valet away. And charging resort guest this charge at theme park resorts is a slap in the face. We have to fight for a parking space at Bwv. To announce that day guest can still park there is an insult. We eat there and shop there too, but we have to pay to park. I’ve also sat on my balcony some evenings and watch the cars leave after Epcot closes. So instead of dealing with this abuse, we now have to pay the price. I certainly expect us dvc members in this situation next. This really hits the folks in states near Florida who drive. Why not start charging people to ride magical express....$10 a head. They would’ve made more money there!

Agree 100%. I've also sat and watched as cars make a mass exodus after IllumiNations. Same thing at BLT. I own DVC. But I also stay at regular resorts. I go to WDW fairly often...for someone who lives 1300 miles away. I've been able to budget my trips so as to allow me to go more often. But, with the rising resort rates and now parking being added to that, I'm not sure I'll be able to do that. I've found that renting a car has allowed me to visit my kids while at WDW. With the rising costs, that may have to change.

 

[n2mm]

Yep,we are also doing the math. We figured if we have to pay $200 to park our car at a delux resort for 8 nights, then we will not be dining at wdw restaurants to cover that cost. Lucky for us that over the years, we don’t have any favorite places to eat, then I can stop buying my TIW card each year too. Disney use to impress me as staying head and shoulders above the rest, but they took a huge step down now. We also own at BLT along with Bwv and we too have struggled to find parking there too.

 

[John Marecek]

Money grab is the first thing many are seeing, but I don't think that's the only thing in play here. Traffic is awful, construction isn't helping, and when Galaxy's Edge opens, the traffic will go to a place it's probably never been. This will discourage some from renting a car, lightening the load.

There's also the fact, they don't want you to leave the property, and a car makes that option much more convenient than ride sharing services. If they can discourage some from renting a vehicle, may keep them on property instead of driving to shop and eat in Orlando.

I wouldn't expect DME and bus service to ever come with a fee. They want be your driver from beginning to end so you stay and spend your money in the bubble.

Yes, better accommodations are available off property, but you are paying for the EMH, the 60 + 10 on FP, 180 + 10 on ADRs, the transportation and the overall the experience. Daily fees of $22 for your car, $30 resort fees, plus your room cost, it's going to add up quick with none of the conveniences off-property. Maybe our family is different, but how much time does one spend in the room? Not being snarky, seriously asking.

 

[DLgal]

They already do for one of the Disneyland annual pases which is $1149.

No, theme park parking is included with that pass, not hotel parking. It would still cost that passholder $20/night to park at any of the Disneyland Resort hotels as a guest.

 

[dina444444]

No, theme park parking is included with that pass, not hotel parking. It would still cost that passholder $20/night to park at any of the Disneyland Resort hotels as a guest.

I was just making a comment that Disney already has an AP that costs over $1100.

 

[JohnneeO]

Sucks for those who drive. Wow. So very glad we don't. Wonder if it means fewer rent cars now?

ETA - Wait, so overnight guests pay to park. Guests going to eat do not. What if you are going to eat AND going to stay the night? I suppose staying the night overrides dining so you get charged a fee? But if you drive to another resort to dine you won't pay there. Wonder how they are going to determine who's there to eat and who's there overnight?

This is all speculation based on the fact that the parking charges will be added to your hotel bill, and that I am guessing that hotel guests would be expected to register their vehicle when they arrive.


First of all, if you drive to a hotel you aren't staying at, you won't/can't be charged the daily parking fee, but you will still be subject to the four hour limitation, and there is already a system in place for that.

Second of all, Disney would need to implement some type of control to exit resort parking. Scan your MB when you leave, and they will know if your reservation requires to pay for parking or not. If it does not (DVC member, reservation made before 3/18/18, etc.), then fine go ahead and leave. If you are required to pay, and if the exit control confirms you have a car registered to your room, then fine go ahead and leave.

However, if you are are required to pay, and if the exit control confirms you DO NOT have a car registered to your room, then the parking charge is added is to your bill. Guests not staying at the hotel would be issued a ticket upon arrival, and must surrender it when leaving to prove less than four hours have elapsed. Lose your ticket? Then you would be charged the daily on-site fee.


Once again, this all speculation, and the actual implementation could be completely different.

 

[JohnneeO]

Here's in interesting situation for me that I have questions on then.... 1- I already booked my upcoming trip awhile ago, for next month. Does this still apply to those already booked? and 2- While I'm not using a car myself, I will have an overnight guest for just 1 night during my trip that will be using a car. Will they still get charged, and if they do, how will they determine that they only stayed 1 night with the car?

It won't apply to you since you booked before the cutoff date. So your overnight guest should be able to park for free under your room reservation. I'd bet that if you registered their car when you arrive, it wouldn't matter what day they actually arrive/leave.