NO MORE free valet parking for DVC members.

[TLSnell1981]

I can't wait until the next "perk" is eliminated. Heck, go ahead and eliminate every last one. The only other one I care about is the discount on APs.

Why should I pay a penny for a perk I don't use? That seems to be the drumbeat for many DVCers. Make it all pay to play.

I can't wait to see how much my MFs go down.

 

[JimC]

We hold two contracts with DVC and pay a substantial amount of dues which gets harder and harder to justify the monthly expense.

I think the vast majority will not use the valet service as at $12. per day plus tipping. Thus overtaxing an already strained self park option.

Now I have to look forward to over full self park lots as they were over full before this change and I expect it even harder to find a spot after especially at peak vacation times. Florida rains, carrying grocery bags from distant parking lots ie. Boardwalk which is across the street. Transporting small children to and from the resort....

I had already been thinking about how I had after a trip and adding up what I totally spent my pockets had been picked at every opportunity.

If the cost of the contracts is hard to justify then maybe you should rethink your vacation spending. Disney vacations are a luxury, nice to have, but not essential if it places too much strain on your personal finances.

 

[Dean]

I can't wait until the next "perk" is eliminated. Heck, go ahead and eliminate every last one. The only other one I care about is the discount on APs.

Why should I pay a penny for a perk I don't use? That seems to be the drumbeat for many DVCers. Make it all pay to play.

I can't wait to see how much my MFs go down.

Nice attitude, why not start with the AP discount, LOL. I think it's unlikely that dues would go down as the "perks" cost little to nothing for DVC members other than those inherent to the operation of a resort (pool, exercise, internet etc). And given that the others must be paid for by someone, a decision has to be made as to who/how it's paid for and whether there are any discounts that might be applicable (volume, etc).

 

[VLee]

Then you pay to valet.

Exactly! .... my point.

 

[DebbieB]

I arrived at BWV yesterday. The self parking was horrendous. They had the entrance from the main driveway blocked off but no guard at the side entrance. I went round and round to find a space, finally got one. We decided to park with the luggage in the car until we found out if our room was ready. It was, so I got the car to take the luggage up to the door. Could not find a space after dropping off my friend & the luggage. Since I was only going to be a few minutes while we took our luggage up, I parked in one of the WDW company spaces, several were empty. After taking the luggage up, we were back out within 15 minutes to go grocery shopping. Cars were all over the lot going round and round. After returning from grocery shopping, I said to the guard at the gate what the deal was with the parking today. He said lots of people were at ESPN for football games, then he suggested valet parking. That really ticked me off. I said to him why should I pay $12 to valet park when non-hotel guests are taking the spaces? Luckily I found a space pretty quick, if I had to valet park I planned to go in and talk to the manager. They need to police that main lot better. There was no sign out front directing people to the overflow and it seemed like cars were just pouring in.

 

[crisi]

Then you pay to valet.

Or you drop your stuff off with the bell hop while your kids are in the car, park your car, and you and your kids enter the hotel. Like you would if you were staying at a WDW resort - or any hotel - where valet parking was not even offered.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Nice attitude, why not start with the AP discount, LOL. I think it's unlikely that dues would go down as the "perks" cost little to nothing for DVC members other than those inherent to the operation of a resort (pool, exercise, internet etc). And given that the others must be paid for by someone, a decision has to be made as to who/how it's paid for and whether there are any discounts that might be applicable (volume, etc).

It seems to be the attitute on this board. If you don't use it...toss it...who cares. Forget the concept of "something for everybody". And, I'm sure those pennies. for the minuscule perks, turn in to $$$.

BTW, you missed the sarcasm in my previous post. (I thought it was obvious).

Or you drop your stuff off with the bell hop while your kids are in the car, park your car, and you and your kids enter the hotel. Like you would if you were staying at a WDW resort - or any hotel - where valet parking was not even offered.

Maybe, you haven't been to BWV when you can't even get to the front door. It was that way when we were there in October. Our driver had to drop us just past the bridge. Cars were abandoned....either, valet wasn't doing their job or everyone was "dropping off" their luggage.

I'm sorry, as an owner or a guest, it's unacceptable.

 

[Dean]

It seems to be the attitute on this board. If you don't use it...toss it...who cares. Forget the concept of "something for everybody". And, I'm sure those pennies. for the minuscule perks, turn in to $$$.

BTW, you missed the sarcasm in my previous post. (I thought it was obvious).

I didn't miss the sarcasm, I simply thought it was misplaced. I can't speak for everyone else, my view is that this is something that should be pay to play and asking other people to pay for one's usage is inappropriate in the absence of a significant volume discount that benefits everyone.

Maybe, you haven't been to BWV when you can't even get to the front door. It was that way when we were there in October. Our driver had to drop us just past the bridge. Cars were abandoned....either, valet wasn't doing their job or everyone was "dropping off" their luggage.

I'm sorry, as an owner or a guest, it's unacceptable.

This is a different, and somewhat separate issue. One I'm sure will be rectified over time as they balance out the valet spaces vs the self parking ones and iron out the changes.

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

We just returned home last night from 10 days at BWV. I could not agree with you more. The parking is a NIGHTMARE. There is no control over who parks in the self parking lot. They want you to park across the street near Hess? Are you nuts? We personally saw someone almost get killed crossing that road by someone who plowed through the redlight. But did you notice how empty the Valet lot is? Good god. The kicker is if you looked at your Portable Perks....Free Valet is still listed. We both had a good laugh over that one.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We just returned home last night from 10 days at BWV. I could not agree with you more. The parking is a NIGHTMARE. There is no control over who parks in the self parking lot. They want you to park across the street near Hess? Are you nuts? We personally saw someone almost get killed crossing that road by someone who plowed through the redlight. But did you notice how empty the Valet lot is? Good god. The kicker is if you looked at your Portable Perks....Free Valet is still listed. We both had a good laugh over that one.

I guess, this is why this was/is an important (and somewhat reasonable) perk at BWV. It's a unique situation. MO

 

[meuseman]

I definitely agree on the parking problems at BWV. I just got back from 5 nights with my rental car, and I have to say that if I knew I would be driving back to the resort between 2 and 10pm, I had to think twice about driving or taking the bus. The blockades were up on the entrance drive but there was nothing to stop anyone from pulling in the entrance across from the conference center.

I am a very early riser and saw a number of cast members parking in the main self park lot and the self park lot that is behind the valet lot (which was never more that 1/3 full). If we are not going to have free valet at BWV, control the parking better (maybe with a room key gate).

 

[Dean]

I guess, this is why this was/is an important (and somewhat reasonable) perk at BWV. It's a unique situation. MO

Nothing has changed on availability of parking spaces and while the cost has changed, it has changed for the entire system no matter the choices made. Thus if one wants to valet, simply valet park.

Parking across the street has always been an option and there are many times when it is a necessity even before this change. cast members using the lots has always been an issue, I mentioned it many pages ago and suggested they'd need to police that issue better as they will non guests parking in the regular self pay lots. Things should settle out over a few months.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Nothing has changed on availability of parking spaces and while the cost has changed, it has changed for the entire system no matter the choices made. Thus if one wants to valet, simply valet park.

What has changed is the number of guests using valet. That lot is empty and puts a bigger strain on self parking. I wasn't even able to reach the front door AND it doesn't look like it was an isolated incident.

 

[Sophie's Mom]

We just returned from a six day stay at VWL. The valet lot had no more than 25-30 cars parked in it any one time. However, the self parking was pretty full and you had to walk fairly far. I hope if valet parking proves to have fewer customers that they will at least open up part of the valet lots to self parking cars.

 

[Dean]

What has changed is the number of guests using valet. That lot is empty and puts a bigger strain on self parking. I wasn't even able to reach the front door AND it doesn't look like it was an isolated incident.

I think everyone realizes that and we all know it's creating issues at present. I, for one, expect them to be ironed out over time.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I think everyone realizes that and we all know it's creating issues at present. I, for one, expect them to be ironed out over time.

Well, for me? It's no longer worth the money or the hassle to rent a car. We enjoyed dining and shopping at WDW, but don't like the buses. It's much easier to hire a car...drop off and pick up (used to be door to door). We go to AK once and suffer the bus. We now have the majority of our meals in the Villa and skip the shopping. I don't care to haul my purchases on the bus.

Maybe, we are the only ones who have changed our habits. Loss of free valet was the tipping point for us.

 

[MELSMICE]

We just returned home last night from 10 days at BWV. I could not agree with you more. The parking is a NIGHTMARE. There is no control over who parks in the self parking lot. They want you to park across the street near Hess? Are you nuts? We personally saw someone almost get killed crossing that road by someone who plowed through the redlight. But did you notice how empty the Valet lot is? Good god. The kicker is if you looked at your Portable Perks....Free Valet is still listed. We both had a good laugh over that one.

These thing should have been considered before the change was made. If you are not going to offer free valet then you have to "patrol" the lots more & you also need security for the additional guests that will be crossing a busy street.

BWV guests should be parking in the lots closer to the resort & Boardwalk day/evening visitors should be parking in the lot across the street. It floors me that the "powers that be" did not think there would be an issue with the valet change & did not address this. Obviously, the only thought was the money & not the guests.

I'm hoping no one gets seriously hurt crossing the street. I realize that people cross the street every day without injury, but when you have more people doing it, the chances increase that something will happen.

I'm disappointed that the people in charge did not put more thought in to other ramifications of this decision - not just a dues increase.

 

[Golden Rose]

They stopped having security check where you're staying in order to park closer to the BW? When we were there in October, there definitely was an extra security guy "guarding" access to the closer self-park lot. Only guests staying at the BW could use it. I wonder if they only did this during F & W...

I think BW is the only WDW resort that really has that much of a problem, and I think they will figure out some sort of solution. I don't think the solution is likely to include free valet parking for DVC members, but I do think they'll find a way to make parking easier at the BW.

Honestly, if they just released the valet parking lot to guests staying at the BW only, and made the valets park across the street, it might fix the problem with a minimum of hassle and expense.

 

[DebbieB]

They stopped having security check where you're staying in order to park closer to the BW? When we were there in October, there definitely was an extra security guy "guarding" access to the closer self-park lot. Only guests staying at the BW could use it. I wonder if they only did this during F & W...

None this weekend. They did have the poles up on the entrance from the main driveway, forcing you to go around to the side but no guard at the side entrance. I have not been out there today to see if they opened the main entrance for weekdays.

 

[Dean]

Well, for me? It's no longer worth the money or the hassle to rent a car. We enjoyed dining and shopping at WDW, but don't like the buses. It's much easier to hire a car...drop off and pick up (used to be door to door). We go to AK once and suffer the bus. We now have the majority of our meals in the Villa and skip the shopping. I don't care to haul my purchases on the bus.

Maybe, we are the only ones who have changed our habits. Loss of free valet was the tipping point for us.

That's certainly your choice and I'm sure there will be others that take that approach as well. Everyone has to make their own choices based on their personal situation but some have talked about it in terms of hurting Disney and DVC, IMO, that is wishful thinking.

Honestly, if they just released the valet parking lot to guests staying at the BW only, and made the valets park across the street, it might fix the problem with a minimum of hassle and expense.

I suspect the number of spots is tied to contracts to a degree, hopefully there's an out clause if so or the contract is year to year. Obviously that's what needs to happen.