Little upset at the NYTimes....

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
..... there really isn't anything wrong with doing this. The resorts restaurants, as well as the entire boardwalk complex, are open to the general public for business, you do not need to be a resort guest. Showing a PS at the gate wouldn't help, as most restaurants accept walk-ins. Maybe the valet parking charge was an attempt to stop the freeloaders. The only other answer would be an additional parking lot- a remote one- for those customers that do not have a resort parking pass in their windshield.

There is an additional lot for BW - across the street next to the gas station. They recently announced that on weekends during the Flower & Garden Festival, only registered BW guests could use the main lot, others were to use the other lot between certain hours. They should do this all the time!

I've attended 2 BWV annual member meetings and this came up both times. I have the feeling that they are trying to strike a balance between keeping BW guests happy and making the Boardwalk restaurants/stores easily accessible to keep them happy. If they would just force non-WDW guests across the street it would probably solve the problem. I heard that there's a guide out somewhere that gives the tip of parking at BW to avoid the parking fee at Epcot or MGM.

 

[Sammie]

I think Disney needs to go to the policy that Gaylord Hotels uses. The Nashville hotel is such a tourist attraction that parking for guests became ridiculous especially at Christmas.

They charge to park unless you are a guest staying at the hotel. The fee would need to be more than the fee to park in the Park lots. If you dine or shop you take your receipt and get a parking voucher from Guest Services and when you leave you don't have to pay. If you are just sight seeing then you pay to park. In order to get the voucher you have to spend at least the cost of parking. If not you can not get the voucher. This prevents people from buying a pack of gum and expecting to get the voucher.

The added revenue allowed them to built lots for day guests with the closer lots to the resort reserved for the guests actually staying there.

I truely believe if guests had to pay more than the cost of the MK, MGM and Epcot parking lot there would be fewer problems. I also think that resort guest should pay less to valet park at their own resort than someone visiting that resort.

If someone is coming to the resort to spend money on entertainment, shopping, or dining, I think they deserve a place to park.

 

[LewB]

Now everybody who would never read that left wing rag (wink, wink) know all about it

 

[PamOKW]

Both Y&B and BW have to accomodate people who are coming to meetings and events at the convention centers as well as to use the entertainment district at BW. Very often for large meetings not everyone is staying at the host hotel. They should have designated lots for hotel guests.

During Christmas Week several years ago they did check who was coming in to park on the busy days and it looked like non-WDW (all resorts not just BW) cars were being turned away.

 

[Dean]

This has long been reported in tour books, articles and on the Web; nothing new unfortunatley.