Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[Skippyboo]

Just booked Dolphin for last week in September this after DVC rentals had no available studios. With resort fee and parking still less than what discounted AKL would be.

 

[mikejs78]

Boy, their site is glitchy. It's back to the page that doesn't mention the new fees and also doesn't mention the free park parking for resort guests...

 

[KaptKaveman]

Thank you for posting the contact information at the top of this thread. Made it very convenient to send an email expressing my displeasure. Really a bad business decision, they are going to wind up driving this family offsite, which means we will probably eat offsite too for at least 2 meals. So far by my count that is akin to throwing away 500$ a day(deluxe for a night + 1TS and 1QS per person) to try to gain 24$ a day for a parking spot that was free on our last trip.

In my email I mentioned with the money we would save staying offsite, who is to say we wouldn't do a day trip or two to Universal.

 

[Planogirl]

I asked this about a thousand pages ago but why would Disney give so many extras to the good neighbor hotels if they don't want people staying in such places? It's weird.

Besides it's not hard to go elsewhere without a car. Uber is great.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Now if someone gets a call from Bob himself and get free parking for life I just won't waste my time.

You know, you never know who you will hear from.

I emailed a bit over a year ago over the CRT fiasco (for those that don't remember, a bunch of families had their reservations cancelled because they decided to hold a "chef's night" inside the castle). George Kalogridis personally called me off of my email. He was very receptive to what I was saying and told me he appreciated me emailing him and that he now realized what a misstep it was. It was a good call and I appreciated it, especially since I wasn't one of the effected families.

Making your voice heard, in whatever capacity, is never a waste of time.

 

[Keels]

I get what you're saying. I was a charter member of D23. My membership lapsed during a period where my Dad passed away suddenly, less than a month after my Mom was diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimer's, and I was out of town for a month dealing with arrangements.

After I got home and eventually realized about the lapse, I contacted D23 to see if they would reinstate my membership and charter member status. They said no. Period. It had lapsed, nothing they could do. Not so much as a "sorry for your loss" at least. I told them I would obviously pay for the lapsed period, but really wanted to keep the charter member status. I asked about speaking with anyone more senior, eventually got a call and was told the same. This would have cost them NOTHING, but the principle meant something to me. I absolutely get that they didn't owe it to me, but why not do it?

They didn't care about my circumstances, didn't care that we own a gazillion DVC points, are AP holders, have a Disney VISA, have been on a Disney cruise, do rD races in addition to annual trips, etc., etc. Didn't care in the least. I've never signed up for D23 again and never will. It took me a while before I wanted to think about anything Disney. In the end, we still enjoy our WDW trips, rD trips, etc., so we go on them. I have felt a tad different about Disney since then, though. Bottom line for me is that it's about whether we want to go to WDW, ALL things considered. We still do. If at some point that equation shifts enough, I'll wave au revoir!

I'm really sorry this happened to you.

I had a similar experience with Disney recently, and it really put everything into perspective for me - I always had a feeling I was important because I was an AP, a semi-local and someone that booked multiple events with them annually.

But, at the end of the day - they're really just a business and I'm just another consumer to them. The "Magic" and "Pixie Dust" is just a bit and it's not at all the same company I worked for back in the 90's and loved with all my heart.

The toxic culture at Pixar and how they treat women was alarming. ESPN is just a ridiculous playpen of mismanagement. I know they treat their non-salary CMs like garbage, and the CP CMs as "free labor". It's all just starting to feel SO sweatshop to me that it makes me uncomfortable with spending any more $$ outside what I'm currently on the hook for through Marathon Weekend of 2019. My expenditure in 2018 is already FAR less than 2017, and that's with me being in Orlando already more this year than last year AND with a DCL cruise booked for my four girlfriends and I in a month for my birthday.

I'm definitely in the minority because I don't care a lick about theming in a hotel room - I want it to be clean, high-end and modern (that's why I LOVE the new Yacht Club rooms). So, if I'm paying her $400/night rack rate AND for parking? The room better be on Four Seasons level - or at least on the level of Swolphin, and sadly, most of the deluxes at Disney fall short in comparison.

Frankly, they could've just raised prices to cover whatever overhead they needed for parking and face NO blowback. Like how Southwest is always more expensive than anything else I can fly - but my bags are free and I can change my flight for free ... maybe that's how they want to phrase things, but it always works out for me that my flights on AA are incredibly cheaper WITH checked bags than SW with free bags.

I was planning to buy DVC - both a resale contract and then eventually direct at Riviera, but now those plans are on indefinite hold. Not entirely because of this parking fiasco, but just because I don't like the way Disney is going with pricing and charges. And also, because I don't care for Star Wars or Marvel ...

 

[Spaceguy55]

I asked this about a thousand pages ago but why would Disney give so many extras to the good neighbor hotels if they don't want people staying in such places? It's weird.

 

[Spaceguy55]

Offering the extras together while discouraging the many AP guests with parking fees is a win win for them. The AP's will move off site and open up rooms to generate more $$$$ per room.
I sent emails and got my callback, got the same script but I did keep her tied up for over 30 minutes

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

So as I said, Emailed the 3, just got a call from guest communications, Abraham.

It was a very interesting call. He told me my email had actually been personally read by Iger, Kalogridis, and Chapek, he actually repeated this twice on the call, so maybe they randomly read mine ? or maybe its just a company line


He said they are receiving unprecedented feedback from this, and wanted me to know that I would not be receiving a form letter response. He seemed genuinely interested in my feedback, which I gave him more at length. And reiterated that the execs are really quite concerned / listening about / to the feedback they have been receiving. I mean, I know its his job to make me feel like I was heard, but he did it well. I went into a little more detail regarding the fact that myself and other members of my family just can't justify this cost increase, and that it was also part of the larger pattern of cost increases and decreased service levels / offerings.

Anyway, he was very clear that he could not promise that anything would be changed, but did seems to genuinely convey that people's concerns are being heard.

Of course, without any change in this case, the phone call doesn't really help. If the upcharge sticks, we don't stay on site, nice call or not. Its just the last straw in a whole bundle that have been placed on the counter weight to the value of staying onsite of late.

I am really glad that you had this opportunity, and that you used it so well to lay out that this is part of a bigger picture issue.

My husband and I were just talking about all of this. In particular, I’m bothered by what amounts to an 11%ish increase in resort cost at a value resort. It feels like a bridge too far to me — on top of continual room rate and ticket price increases.

It may well all be part of a corporate strategy to replace however many Guest X’s with fewer Guest Y’s who will spend more — all fair game in the world of maximizing profits (which I have said many times and still believe!) — but this does feel... sad to me at this point, for lack of a better word.

They may be taken aback by how this isn’t as much about the dollars to many. It’s going from FREE to $$ for something that does not add to your vacation experience. Ticket price increase?? Well, they’re investing in parks — you get more for your money! Room rate increase?? Well they’ve just renovated (or something!!). But parking?? Hmph.

I still think they calculated that they’d get an initial bad reaction but worth it. And I suspect that’s probably true. We have such short attention spans these days. Always POSSIBLE that they reverse, but I doubt it. Don’t want to communicate to people that a social media outcry works — don’t want to be held hostage in the future!! Maybe they decrease a bit later... or give more opportunities to get your parking for free in certain circumstances (yippee!), OR perhaps think more carefully about optics and rollout next time. Prices aren’t going down anytime soon, but MAYBE they’ll think more about how close they might be getting to an inflection point on increases.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'm really sorry this happened to you.

I had a similar experience with Disney recently, and it really put everything into perspective for me - I always had a feeling I was important because I was an AP, a semi-local and someone that booked multiple events with them annually.

But, at the end of the day - they're really just a business and I'm just another consumer to them. The "Magic" and "Pixie Dust" is just a bit and it's not at all the same company I worked for back in the 90's and loved with all my heart.

The toxic culture at Pixar and how they treat women was alarming. ESPN is just a ridiculous playpen of mismanagement. I know they treat their non-salary CMs like garbage, and the CP CMs as "free labor". It's all just starting to feel SO sweatshop to me that it makes me uncomfortable with spending any more $$ outside what I'm currently on the hook for through Marathon Weekend of 2019. My expenditure in 2018 is already FAR less than 2017, and that's with me being in Orlando already more this year than last year AND with a DCL cruise booked for my four girlfriends and I in a month for my birthday.

I'm definitely in the minority because I don't care a lick about theming in a hotel room - I want it to be clean, high-end and modern (that's why I LOVE the new Yacht Club rooms). So, if I'm paying her $400/night rack rate AND for parking? The room better be on Four Seasons level - or at least on the level of Swolphin, and sadly, most of the deluxes at Disney fall short in comparison.

Frankly, they could've just raised prices to cover whatever overhead they needed for parking and face NO blowback. Like how Southwest is always more expensive than anything else I can fly - but my bags are free and I can change my flight for free ... maybe that's how they want to phrase things, but it always works out for me that my flights on AA are incredibly cheaper WITH checked bags than SW with free bags.

I was planning to buy DVC - both a resale contract and then eventually direct at Riviera, but now those plans are on indefinite hold. Not entirely because of this parking fiasco, but just because I don't like the way Disney is going with pricing and charges. And also, because I don't care for Star Wars or Marvel ...

Thanks. And I do get what you’re saying.

 

[mshanson3121]

Boy, their site is glitchy. It's back to the page that doesn't mention the new fees and also doesn't mention the free park parking for resort guests...

Maybe they're actually reconsidering. Could we dare hope?!

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Maybe they're actually reconsidering. Could we dare hope?!

We can hope. But if they reverse it Igor will go back to his lab, mix a few chemicals, open the storm doors, and wait for the lightning to bring to life his latest money grabbing monster.

It’s alive ...

 

[MommaBerd]

I find it *very* difficult to believe that these execs are reading each email of the people they are calling...too many emails and too many call backs.

 

[Sue M]

Just to throw this out. I'm a planner by nature, but I only plan in detail when i'm required to plan in detail. How many other vacation spots require the level of planning that go into a trip to WDW? In my experience, nothing else even comes close to it. Usually when we go on vacation, we pick a big thing for the day (whether or not we bought tickets in advance) and then decide we'll eat dinner out, but not where. The rest of it is just spontaneous or seeing something by the side of the road we want to look at or a "we might as well do this because we have time to kill" type thing. You can't do that at WDW!

I'll wager that most folks plan their vacations like that. I remember the DL and WDW of my childhood and my parents didn't have to plan like my wife and I do. On the last childhood trip, I remember the only planning was to get their reservations at the Contemporary and ticket books in advance. They didn't even make reservations at the Polynesian until they got to WDW. A successful trip to WDW, where you can do as much as possible for the expensive tickets that we've paid for requires a level of planning that is probably rare for other vacation locations. I joking tell my wife the closet thing to planning for a WDW vacation is planning for a military campaign!

So I can cut the folks a little slack because they didn't plan ADRs at 180 days or FPs at 60 or 30 days or know to have a detailed plan or use a touring plans site. They probably didn't know any of that if they didn't do a ton of research in advance. Even past advice we've been given on slow times to go is no longer valid.

But what should concern Disney is that the folks who show up once and swear they'll never come back are a lost opportunity for future revenue. Its the repeat sales that make you money, not the one time sale. Look at my family and I. If we would have had less crowded parks and not feel like we were constantly rushing around on our trip last month, we probably would have been looking for ways to make a trip next year or the year after. Now, who knows when we will return....



To be honest, they probably don't care about the customer. Disney knows that most people will still come to the parks and resorts no matter what they do. They know they can raise prices or whatever and there will still be folks willing to fork over their money. They know that to some people, they can do no wrong.

The only way to get Disney's attention is to stop spending your money with them - vote with your wallet. Until a lot of people start voting with their wallets, Disney is going to keep on nickeling and diming us, raising prices, packing the parks, and taking away things we used to enjoy for free.

For sure the days of winging it in the parks are over. I remember in DL we used to ride Pirates in the morning then go around to Blue Bayou to book lunch res.
During WDW Year of a Million Dreams the parks were ghost towns. I won a Dream FP for all the major MK rides, but they were all walk on!
I don’t know, first visitors who start doing any research will see they really need to plan. I found this to be true our first visit and came with photocopies of WDW The Unofficial Guide Touring Plans which I would recommend to any WDW newbie, and still didn’t really grasp how big WDW is. But thanks to Plans we did most everything. With commandos style touring. We learned. Next trip was 10 days, not 4!

 

[Roxyfire]

I asked this about a thousand pages ago but why would Disney give so many extras to the good neighbor hotels if they don't want people staying in such places? It's weird.

Besides it's not hard to go elsewhere without a car. Uber is great.

Seriously, that's what I do. I'm not driving 18+ hours with only a child, in my leased vehicle so I fly. I know people talk about the "dirt cheap" car rental rates in Orlando but I'm just not seeing it I guess. Maybe it's when I choose to travel or the fact I do not want to travel very far from the airport or trust a company I've never heard of. As long as my uber/lyft fares stay under $450 per vacation, I'll stick with them.

 

[Linkura]

I find it *very* difficult to believe that these execs are reading each email of the people they are calling...too many emails and too many call backs.

Definitely making use of their interns.

 

[Rich M]

in 100 percent honesty I do hope everyones emails do make a difference because Disney is definitely punishing those who do live close or those who just like to have there own mode of transportation. Its not right for them to discriminate against one group of patrons but I also believe that if they did the same thing and called it a resort fee and everyone was affected that this would have been even worse but I can see this coming at a later date because its industry standard. I remember when you use to be able to ask for a free razor or toothbrush or something if you forgot it. Now I have to pay $25 a day for the newspaper, use of gym, and other stuff I don't use on vacation. Maybe its time to go back to thinking of the actual customer first.

 

[mikebb]

Maybe they're actually reconsidering. Could we dare hope?!

Yea, doubt it. Same thing happened last night for a few hours until it went back. Credit goes to Disney’s lousy IT not the execs actually listening to feedback.

 

[Rich M]

If people want to call and complain let them. No need to reply to people saying you won't because it would waste your time.

I was just giving my opinion which is what I thought this discussion board was all about. Didn't mean any harm by it and stated that. I didn't intend to make any one feel that they couldn't voice there displeasure nor do I want to feel that I can't voice my opinion also. I value everyones opinion.

 

[Redarrow5150]

What Disney SHOULD have done? You can buy bricks to build sidewalks around the resorts with your name on them. I know they've done this for EPCOT but what a PR disaster Disney has provided with this announcement.