Guest charge for parking rumors

[UConnJack]

With all the rumors about Disney thinking about charging guests for parking at the resorts, I was wondering if this would be applicable to DVC members? Now I know we technically only own/lease a portion of the building itself, but since we are "owners", could Disney charge us as well? I'm guessing the answer is yes, Disney probably already reserved the legal right for this somewhere in the documents. But is there some sort of law for the timeshare industry about providing parking/access to owners? I can see Disnsey doing this for resort guests, they still are just guests. But it would really p-off a lot, if not most, DVC members to think they have to pay to park at their own timeshare.

 

[bicker]

There surely is no law about providing free parking for timeshare guests, at least not in the states I've lived in.

Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests. If the benefit is taken away from Disney resort guests, we should expect that it may be taken away from us as well. We shouldn't get p'd-off. We should accept that sometimes things don't go our way.

If that does happen, I would like to see DVC consider providing free parking as a benefit of DVC membership. Generally, I prefer for as much as possible to be a la carte, rather than paid for by the membership fee. However, I could see parking as such a common service, that it would be reasonable to have everyone pay for it from the common fund, rather than each person having to pay for it individually when they use the service. (I say this even though we're using ME, so practically speaking, don't benefit from free parking at all.)


As an aside: Keep in mind that the Swan and Dolphin have charged guests for parking for years.

 

[rantnnravin]

There surely is no law about providing free parking for timeshare guests, at least not in the states I've lived in.

We've never had to pay a parking fee at any timeshare we've ever stayed at.

Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests.

We are owners, not guests.

We shouldn't get p'd-off. We should accept that sometimes things don't go our way.

ummm....what?

As an aside: Keep in mind that the Swan and Dolphin have charged guests for parking for years.

again, the operative word is "guests" not owners.
As an aside: keep in mind that my street is on town property, but they don't charge me to park in my own driveway. And, I'd be pretty p'd off if they did.

 

[bicker]

We've never had to pay a parking fee at any timeshare we've ever stayed at.

We've never had to pay a parking fee at a timeshare either, but my point was that wasn't a required perquisite. DVC is by far the best timeshare in the world, AFAIC, and so I wouldn't be surprised to see fees and costs associated with it that are over and above what we experience at lesser timeshares. Furthermore, there are timeshares, in areas where parking costs money, where timeshare owners have to pay for parking. The determining factor is whether or not the timeshare has deeded parking spaces. Most do; some don't. DVC doesn't.

We are owners, not guests.

My point about "Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests" was that we're not being offered free parking because we're owners, but rather because we are treated like Disney resort guests. If Disney resort guests get treated differently in that regard, then we should expect to as well, because, again, we're getting free parking because we're being treated like Disney resort guests in that regard.

Contrast that with the free valet service. That is a perq extended to DVC owners as owners. I'd not expect that to be affected by Disney charging a parking fee to get into the parking lot.

ummm....what?

My point there was that we should expect what we're explicitly promised, and therefore get upset only when someone doesn't do what they're obligated to do. We shouldn't get "p-o'ed" when someone changes things that they told us they may change someday.

As an aside: keep in mind that my street is on town property, but they don't charge me to park in my own driveway. And, I'd be pretty p'd off if they did.

Well, then be careful where you move. We had to pay for parking when we lived in White Plains. We didn't own the "driveway" to our home there, just like we DVC owners don't own the "driveway" at BWV. We paid $60 per month for each car in White Plains, and that was a discounted rate.

 

[jakenjess]

I would be very unhappy if DVC starts charging us for parking. We always rent a car because we like having the flexibility to go off site for groceries or other shopping and to go to the parks when we don't want to rely on Disney transportation. I would see this as a way of Disney trying to get more people to use ME, thereby keeping them from leaving Disney property during their vacation.

 

[rantnnravin]

My point about "Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests" was that we're not being offered free parking because we're owners, but rather because we are treated like Disney resort guests. If Disney resort guests get treated differently in that regard, then we should expect to as well, because, again, we're getting free parking because we're being treated like Disney resort guests in that regard.

Point taken... I'm saying that just as we are not treated like other "guests" in other regards, we should be respected as "owners" as far as the parking situation goes.

We didn't own the "driveway" to our home there,

my point was that I own my driveway and would be pretty PO'd if someone tried to charge me to park there.

And just to be clear...Just because an entity does not explicity state that a condition "will not" change, does not indicate that one shouldn't protest changes with which they do not agree.

 

[rantnnravin]

I would see this as a way of Disney trying to get more people to use ME, thereby keeping them from leaving Disney property during their vacation.

Yes, but they're guaranteed our patronage for a full generation...
Maybe charge guests, but not owners

 

[Uncleromulus]

Charging me to park my car at OKW (if that's the sort of thing being contemplated here) won't make me a happy trooper.
As far as the other Disney resorts--most often we'll use our free DDE/DVC valet parking and at SwanDolphin, we have the restaurant validate the ticket.

Merely as an aside, each year we go down to some friends timeshare (a highrise) in Ocean City Md. As owners, they park free. As GUESTS, we pay $70 for the 3 days we're there.

 

[jakenjess]

Yes, but they're guaranteed our patronage for a full generation...
Maybe charge guests, but not owners

I agree!

 

[Lewisc]

Valet used to be free for resort guests but is still free for DVC. I don't know if Disney or DVC is paying for DME but if Disney decides to charge for parking to help defray that expense....

 

[MickeyCrazed]

With all the rumors about Disney thinking about charging guests for parking at the resorts, I was wondering if this would be applicable to DVC members?

Did I miss something? I cannot locate any threads (other than this one) that mentions this rumor. Can you point me in the correct direction?

 

[Chuck S]

Personally, I don't think Disney will start charging guests a parking fee. If they begin to start chipping away on the long-time onsite perks it will be harder to justify staying onsite for many people. Remember the DDP is peceived as a value by many folks, and it has led to increased resort occupancy. An extra $70+ for a week of open parking for resort guests would cancel out a lot of that perceived savings.

As far as trying to boost DME, for a lot of folks it is not economical to fly to WDW, especially from nearby states. It is these same people that visit more often than those of us that live 1000+ miles away. Why alienate them?

 

[MiaSRN62]

I feel if disney wants to get more parking fees, then charge guests to enter the parks, but not to park at the onsite resorts ? I think onsite guests are already paying a premium room price to stay on wdw grounds vs much cheaper accomodations offsite. I agree with Chuck, in that it'll be harder for people to see the benefit of staying onsite. And those that do, may decide not to rent cars. I can tell you, without a rental, I'd be doing ALOT less resort dining/shopping because relying on disney busses to get you from one resort to another is a major pain. I know for me personally, if they started charging for parking, I'd cut way back on the amount of disney resort dining we do. I could see lost revenue overall to these restaurants if alot of people did this. So disney needs to think this one over carefully.

 

[paults]

There surely is no law about providing free parking for timeshare guests, at least not in the states I've lived in.

Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests. If the benefit is taken away from Disney resort guests, we should expect that it may be taken away from us as well. We shouldn't get p'd-off. We should accept that sometimes things don't go our way.

If that does happen, I would like to see DVC consider providing free parking as a benefit of DVC membership. Generally, I prefer for as much as possible to be a la carte, rather than paid for by the membership fee. However, I could see parking as such a common service, that it would be reasonable to have everyone pay for it from the common fund, rather than each person having to pay for it individually when they use the service. (I say this even though we're using ME, so practically speaking, don't benefit from free parking at all.)


As an aside: Keep in mind that the Swan and Dolphin have charged guests for parking for years.

Sorry but if they do start charging for parking I for one would not like a common fund to pay for it. Let those who use a car pay as they use, just like the S/D. I don't need to pay for someone else's parking.

 

[bicker]

Exactly the reason why this is an issue. Different members have different thresholds for what should or shouldn't be covered by the common funds.

 

[Chuck S]

Remember, though, that upkeep on the parking lots at the DVC resorts are paid for through our dues. Upkeep at regular resorts are paid through room rates. If they start charging for parking in an effort to keep "room rates" down, would our dues get cheaper?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

If this is true, I can't help but think that off site guests who park at the resorts to save a few bucks are partly the cause.

Our last trip (only 4 days) the rental car prices were outrageous, so for the first time we tried FL Tours and cabs. We had a great experience with airport transportation with FL Tours, and the cabs to and from dinner were awesome. The cabs were clean & plentiful everwhere we went, and nobody had to be a designated driver.

Fl Tours and cabs could be our sole future transportation...

MG

 

[CarolMN]

Remember, though, that upkeep on the parking lots at the DVC resorts are paid for through our dues. Upkeep at regular resorts are paid through room rates. If they start charging for parking in an effort to keep "room rates" down, would our dues get cheaper?

I was wondering about this, too.

If our dues now pay for resort parking lot maintenance (I don't know for sure that they do, though), then we would also be entitled to a share of the parking revenue. Maybe the revenue would be enough to actually reduce our dues - so this could be a good thing, LOL.

I think this reasoning is essentially why valet parking is free to members - since our dues help pay the salaries of the valets (as part of the resort operating costs), it wouldn't be right for us to have to pay twice for the same service.

 

[drakethib]

I usually don't bash the mouse and understanding that this is a rumor, but if this indeed becomes true, if we as DVC owners do not unite against this I think we are stupid. YMMV.

I have a hard time believing that the revenue generated by this would reduce our dues. They would have to hire more security to see who has paid and who has not or print up tags or stickers or whatever.

I would also hate to see that parking be charged for at other resorts as well (other then valet).

There comes a point where it becomes ridiculous for a company trying to nickel and dime you at every available chance and I think this may be that point.

JMHO

 

[CarolA]

There surely is no law about providing free parking for timeshare guests, at least not in the states I've lived in.

Free parking is a perq extended to us as Disney resort guests. If the benefit is taken away from Disney resort guests, we should expect that it may be taken away from us as well. We shouldn't get p'd-off. We should accept that sometimes things don't go our way.

Bicker,
you have got to be kidding.

Folks on here goe p'd-off when they can't get FREE dining......