Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[TheMaxRebo]

Yeah and at those places they charge for parking, your not also spending thousands on theme park tickets, merch, food, special ticketed events. They are not getting the multiple income stream that Disney gets.

Not even a comparison in that regard.

that's fine but the hotels on property still need to make money to justify their existence - and Disney gets money from people staying off site on theme park tickets and merch and food, etc. as well

No way Disney would look at their financials and think "well, we are losing a ton of money on the hotels, but the parks are doing fine so we are good" - no, those hotels/resorts need to stand on their own

and I am not saying I agree with what Disney is doing or am happy about it, but do get the angle of wanting to be seen as "apples to apples" for comparison purposes when someone is looking for hotels in the area online and see the Disney one charging $150 for a value and an off site location charging $90, but the off site location then has a $40 resort fee that you don't see right away .... and for Disney it would be better to see it as "Staying Onsite for $150 vs off site at $130" which would be a more apt comparison

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

But it does have to do with extra cost. I've seen numerous people here and on Twitter claim that this is going to break the bank for them. If it less than 200 bucks breaks the bank for your vacation, then maybe you need not to take said vacation.

For some people...maybe. If they're already shelling out a lot for a once in a lifetime trip and there's an extra fee attached, that may affect them. In my case, that money could be used for food or souvenirs, but is instead being used on a pointless fee. The majority of people though are just tired of Disney taking advantage.

 

[peteykirch]

it's not the money...it's the constant nickel and diming. Let's be honest, the hotels are overpriced when compared to competition. To add a blatant cash grab of a fee onto the already high prices is what is angering people. Can I afford and extra $200 in June (I realize I won't be paying bc the trip is already booked)? Sure I can...does it piss me off...yes it does.

Eh if you want true nickel and diming look at the Swan and Dolphin.

Disney is late to the game on collecting extra money they leave on the table in the guise of "good will" and the "Disney difference"

I only have an issue with the extra charges because Disney isn't taking that extra revenue and investing them in their employees and infrastructure. Relying on the College Program in Front Line jobs is a joke. Traditions training is a sliver of what it used to be. I had no issue paying more at Disney in the past because it meant getting great customer service, having well informed cast members, etc.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Just because others do, doesn't mean its right. My point is it rubs people the wrong way. When you notice that $100/night resort has a $60 resort fee, most people get upset. They feel angry. They feel tricked. They feel they've been baited and switched. I would rather do business at the $150/night place.

It feels slimy and that's not the impression I have ever had from Disney Parks, but now a lot of us do. Disney advertises on being "magical" and different. They are working hard to be "just like everyone else".

i get that - I guess I just never saw them as "magical" when it came to money - they are a business like any other. I see it more in the service they provide so that is why I always get more upset by reduced quality of service than I do for an additional fee or increased pricing. If they are providing a superior service then what they charge is less of a concern to me. And that is why we moved off site as the return I was getting for staying onsite I don't see - more than the actual cost

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Are you sure handicap doesn't pay the fee? I don't get that impression from reading the policy. It was a specific carve out that i interpreted was only to say they have that type of parking. A few points above it said in that bullet point that case was exempt, not that all that follows is also exempt.

100% sure, no.

But since it won't effect my next two trips, I won't worry about it right now.

During one of those trips, I will inquire about it and find out for sure.

 

[j2thomason]

My wife, DD6 and I drive to Disney from PA each summer so we always have a car but we never leave the bubble. Now that they have pushed us off of Disney property with the price increases, we will leave the bubble and explore other parts of Orlando. Looks like their plan backfired in our case.

I agree! I am also an annual passholder at Universal, so I might just stay off a property and spend more time, and money, there!!

 

[PrincessV]

I was actually in the middle of planning our annual summer trip to WDW when this news broke, so here is my non-theoretical, real-time response...

I canceled our onsite resort reservation and am in the process of booking something much nicer and less expensive, with no parking fees, offsite. The principle of the matter does bother me - a lot! - but this is 99% a dollars and cents decision: I don't care to spend $19 a night for a chunk of asphalt that may or may not even be anywhere near my room. And I have to park my car somewhere, as driving is the only reasonable way to get from home to WDW when you live 100 miles away. If I can afford an extra $19/day I'd much rather spend that on dining, or an better level of accommodation offsite. And if I can't afford that extra, I simply have to stay elsewhere.

The more emotional response I have is about the future, beyond the immediate trip planning. Like others here have said, I've watched the quality of WDW stays decrease over the years and it's gotten very hard to pay the premium price WDW asks for sub-par lodging. I fall squarely into a lower-middle class income and I can't just spend willy-nilly, but I enjoy nice things and want my vacations to feel like a step above what I could have staying at home, so I budget carefully to stay in hotels that bring me joy. My income hasn't changed much over the past 15 years, but what it can buy at WDW has changed drastically: I sold my DVC membership because the quality and availability tanked and I needed liquidity at the time, I stopped staying at Deluxe resorts because the price was beyond what I could afford, and I only booked Mods at AP/FL discounted rates. It's rare that a Value at a discounted rate ever beats an offsite option. The one advantage onsite has had over offsite is free parking... now that playing field is leveled and if I have to pay to park*, I'd rather do so at a nicer offsite resort.

(*But I don't have to. I can name multiple, convenient offsite options that don't charge for parking.)

 

[mikebb]

I was actually thinking they would offer Free Parking in the future as they do Free Dining now!

You're probably not far off, but I'd picture being more of Disney going away from Free Dining/Parking, but advertising more as a "total package." As they are purported to be doing with the Star Wars hotel, I can see them advertising something like "Stay at the Star Wars Resort, all inclusive for only $2400 for a family of 3 for a weekend, a $3200 value", then these packages will be truly inclusive of dining, parking, park tickets, etc. They will just hide each of the components in the price and promote it as a "savings".

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Eh if you want true nickel and diming look at the Swan and Dolphin.

Disney is late to the game on collecting extra money they leave on the table in the guise of "good will" and the "Disney difference"

I only have an issue with the extra charges because Disney isn't taking that extra revenue and investing them in their employees and infrastructure. Relying on the College Program in Front Line jobs is a joke. Traditions training is a sliver of what it used to be. I had no issue paying more at Disney in the past because it meant getting great customer service, having well informed cast members, etc.

THIS. I would literally have zero problems if Disney would up their game. The service is slipping. Things are falling apart, rides are broken constantly, etc. etc.

 

[tlmadden73]

All I can say is this;

Yes it always sucking paying for something that was free in the first place.

HOWEVER! If the average stay is 7 days, and you stay at a deluxe level resort, if the extra $161 is what makes you decide not to stay on property anymore or not go to WDW anymore, than perhaps you shouldn't be going to WDW in the first place? If less than 200 bucks makes it impossible for you to go, than should you really be spending money on a vacation anyway?

I know this is going to sound elitist or mean, but it's true.

That $161 increase is basically 1 night at a value resort. I bet you'll see families just shorten their vacation to make up for this expense (money doesn't grow on trees for everyone).

Or maybe they will skip a TS meal ..
Or maybe they won't get as many souvenirs
Or maybe they will pack their lunch instead of eating a QS.
Or maybe they won't get hoppers this time

Etc. etc.

So that's the issue . .people blatantly see they are getting LESS for the same cost. A parking fee is even more in your face. Paying for something that gives you NO value at all and you have no option of opting out of if your drive. So unless Disney is going to wash my car, or put in an air conditioned garage for the length of my stay, paying for something that was free yesterday just angers your guests. EVEN if they can afford it. People like to get something for their money spent. People gladly pay extra for Deluxe accommodations because of the theming, proximity to MK, the amenities, etc.

Does Disney want people cutting their vacation spending? Maybe . .maybe they truly are trying to reduce demand to keep attendance from growing too much

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Has nothing to do with extra cost, most people can pay it. As others have said, it's the principle of it.

It's Disney simply doing it because they know they can and that's why it's wrong.

I guess I don't get the whole "that's why it's wrong" view.... they are a company operating in a free market - they should do everything they can to maximize returns, they aren't a charity. And as a free market people should voice their displeasure and say how it is negatively impacting them and also voice it with their wallets and not go or stay off site or whatever and then Disney can respond (or not). It may suck, and no one has to be happy about it, but I don't see it as a question of "right or wrong"

 

[Missmadeline]

We went for a few years in a row and stayed deluxe on the summer deal. The last time we went, in 2016, we got stuck a few times trying to get from MK to the Floridian after fireworks. The resort monorail was down and everyone was being directed to the TTC line. The lines were just insane and we couldn't get on so we opted for the boats. Which took just as long,, as they did not send more as they said they were doing. Bottom line it took forever to get back to our "deluxe" hotel and we were really quite pissed off. It didn't happen one night, it didn't happen two nights. They can't send a bus? They can't send more boats?
My point is, it's stuff like that and the drain in the bathtub that didn't work properly no matter how many times they sent maintence to our bathroom, and reduced MK hours last summer for Halloween parties that led us to cancel our trip last year. We drive 20 hours and for us, this parking fee is greedy, gross, and another reason for us to say nope, not this year. I get that Disney doesn't care, but that's where I'm at. If I really wanted to be there with my family the parking fee would not break the vacation, but it is one more factor that brings the ick factor up for me that Disney is just a pain in the rear for now more than anything else. And that makes me sad.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

If they do decide to reverse this in the future it would be hilarious. "NOW PARK FOR FREE AT DISNEY HOTELS!!!" lol

I would very much expect to see promotions that include it as a "perk"

 

[rteetz]

I don't know about that because it would only hurt DS further. It really seems that the stores are hurting, some have already closed down and most restaurants are not difficult to get in to. It would be a real disadvantage to discourage locals and offsite folks in coming there. As long as it's not easy to get to parks from there, I think it should stay free.

There has really only been one store that’s closed (Vince Camuto) and a lot of those stores do really well. I agree though that it should stay free.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I guess I don't get the whole "that's why it's wrong" view.... they are a company operating in a free market - they should do everything they can to maximize returns, they aren't a charity. And as a free market people should voice their displeasure and say how it is negatively impacting them and also voice it with their wallets and not go or stay off site or whatever and then Disney can respond (or not). It may suck, and no one has to be happy about it, but I don't see it as a question of "right or wrong"

My thought exactly. "That's why it's wrong" makes it sound like there is a moral issue with charging for parking on a vacation -- or just generally charging what the market will bear for any product/service (that isn't a necessity).

 

[wee-haggis]

From 2015 but still true.....................http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-disney-price-hike-scott-maxwell-20151107-column.html

 

[Rich M]

Considering I can stay at Bonnet Creek in a 2 room unit for less than a value resort, before these fees, I am definitely done staying on site. I actually looked into renting DVC points for our next trip, but then I remembered the new security junk and changed my mind. I saw no reason to pay $2,000 more for a much smaller unit, and be treated like a criminal.

Outside of downtown areas, I will never book a hotel with resort or parking fees, even when I am traveling on business. I will also pay more to fly Southwest because their actually treat their customers with respect not like an endless bank account (and I used to work for one of their biggest competitors, who I won't fly on any more due to their anti-customer policies).

Really, if Disney keeps up their current pace of monetizing everything while also cutting costs, I may not have many trips left in me.

BTW: The people who are hoping that Disney will improve the bus system to go with this are nuts. This changes gives them more reason to make the buses worse. The worse the buses, the more likely you are to drive. This allows them to make more money, while spending less.

What security junk are you referring too?

 

[peteykirch]

Also, I can easily state, I will gladly stay in one of the refurbed rooms at the Pop Century versus the Polynesian. We stayed at the Poly last September, and the rooms are already looking like garbage. Mismatched paint touch up jobs, broken fixtures, rooms that take in water from your average Floridian 3:15PM thunderstorm. Is it nice being on the monorail loop, or being close to MK? Absolutely, but is it worth 450 a night versus 130 at the Pop? NOPE. This is the madness which is Disney hotels, you are paying for the location 85% of the time. For the prices Disney charges for "deluxe" accommodations the rooms should look immaculate, but they usually don't.

I will admit I would never stay at the Pop without renting a car because those bus lines are ridiculous the majority of the time no matter how many buses they dispatch. So even having to pay 13$ a night to park is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Poly would command.

 

[Scifidiner]

We are planning to go to WDW in '20 or '21, TS & GE will be open. Will this change my mind? No. Monday I was planning on staying at POFQ, as of today I'm planning on staying at the Dolphin. I compared exactly the same dates for both hotels (as an example) and the Dolphin was $53.00/night cheaper than POFQ for the basic room. Now this is with a discount through my company mind you. So not only is Disney losing the parking fee and income from the resort, but I'm going to be eating at the Dolphin as well.

 

[peteykirch]

What security junk are you referring too?

Where Disney can now enter your room because of the Vegas shooting. There are no more do not disturb signs.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What security junk are you referring too?

I assume this is referring to the whole removal of the "do not disturb" signs and that people will enter your room to do "security" checks