Parking Fee for reservations made before March 21st.

[Tksolomom]

We booked our resort a few months ago for our May trip. We decided we wanted to rent a car for one day. Will we be charged for parking or since we booked prior to March 21st. I am thinking no but just wanted to get others feedback. Thanks.

No, you should not be charged for parking. If you are, I would complain as it clearly stated that guests who booked before the 21 would not be charged.

 

[yaya74]

Since you booked prior to March 21st, no you will not be charged.

I chatted with a Disney CM online just now asking about the effect of modification on my reservation, which was made prior to March 21, on the issue of overnight parking fee. She told me "contingencies have been placed for cases like yours" so I don't need to pay for parking during this trip....

 

[Accidental Magpie]

I am interested to find out if reservation modification would interfere with the “free parking with reservation made before 3/21”. My reservation for August trip was made in Feb but I changed resort due to the discount. My reservation number is still the same but the confirmation said “updated reservation date March 21”....... Will I be responsible for the parking fee now???

I have modified my original reservation made on 3/16/18 SIX times. Each time I did it by phone and got confirmation that my changes/modifications would not cause us to incur a daily parking charge. Each time they said since the original booking was 3/16 there would be no parking charges.

 

[Iya]

Call the resort and ask to talk to the front desk at the actual resort. Generally when you call, you are first "handled" by a screener. Specifically ask to talk to an employee at the resort that can pull your reservation while talking to you. They can answer all your questions.

You can't call the front desk. Ever. Even if they tell you they are the front desk, they aren't.

 

[Runner225]

I am interested to find out if reservation modification would interfere with the “free parking with reservation made before 3/21”. My reservation for August trip was made in Feb but I changed resort due to the discount. My reservation number is still the same but the confirmation said “updated reservation date March 21”....... Will I be responsible for the parking fee now???

I spoke with Chapek's office a few weeks ago and they assured me that if you changed/modified a reservation made prior to March 21, you will NOT be charged.

I ended up adding a day to our July vacation last week (after 3/21) and when I spoke with a CM they also told me that we would not be charged for parking since the initial booking was prior to 3/21. They seem to be consistent (so far!).

 

[snappy]

I was under the same impression - if you booked before 3/21, you would not be charged. Maybe it's just a glitch and it shows up but won't be on your bill - hopefully? People definitely will need to review their guest folio! If it's already increased in price that would really be bananas!

Why am I not surprised?

 

[AngiTN]

If you modify your reservation and keep your same confirmation number then you'll have little to nothing to worry about regarding parking charges. That number is going to be the driving force to the charge. They'll know when that number was issued. When it had changes won't really matter, when it was issued will.
If your confirmation number changes, then I'd really watch things when I checked out.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

You can't call the front desk. Ever. Even if they tell you they are the front desk, they aren't.

You are right. I gave a quick answer and did not go into adequate detail. There is a team of CMs that handle all kinds of issues that are not located at the front desk. That team can respond to this concern. The last time I communicated with them, they were called the back office.

 

[snappy]

You are right. I gave a quick answer and did not go into adequate detail. There is a team of CMs that handle all kinds of issues that are not located at the front desk. That team can respond to this concern. The last time I communicated with them, they were called the back office.

Thanks. Good info!

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

If it's already increased in price that would really be bananas!

"Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort. You are a valued customer and we are hearing your voice that you don't like the $13/19/24 resort parking fees we have put into effect for stays booked after March 21. Our team has conferred and decided our valued customers prefer round numbers and with that in mind, we have altered the resort parking fees to $20/30/40 for the benefit of our valued customers. Have a magical day!"

 

[BrianR]

So what's the tailgating policy at the resorts? If I'm paying $24 a day am I allowed to put up a canopy, grill, games, drinks, etc? Might as well get my asphalts worth...

 

[DISNEY1975]

It has been reported here many times that calls to the "resorts" go to a call center, even though they answer with the name of the resort and insist they are at the resort. The front desk CM's can't take phone calls while they are servicing people at the actual resort.
Denise

Its not the front desk CMs talking the calls, its a backroom office, and you can talk to a room assigner or resort manager. You have to be within a week of your stay.

 

[dansdad]

Its not the front desk CMs talking the calls, its a backroom office, and you can talk to a room assigner or resort manager. You have to be within a week of your stay.

Actually you will be talking to a CM at an off site Call Center.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Actually you will be talking to a CM at an off site Call Center.

Most times you will, but if you let them know you are within a week of your stay and need to speak to someone at the resort, they will put you through. I am a TA and have met 2 room assigners, that I spoke with a several times, while I was on a personal vacation and at my host agency convention at WDW.

 

[Anniefrances]

I just checked into CSR with a reservation made last year. The CM indicated there would be a charge for parking. I said that it was my understanding that reservations made before March 21 would be exempt. The CM said they could give me a partial credit. I felt like a bit of a jerk and said thanks but I'd really prefer to speak with a manager on this. The CM then went and spoke to a manager and came back and waived the fee. Just thought I would share in case this happens to anyone else. The CM was super nice but had I not stood my ground I would have paid for parking.

 

[snappy]

I just checked into CSR with a reservation made last year. The CM indicated there would be a charge for parking. I said that it was my understanding that reservations made before March 21 would be exempt. The CM said they could give me a partial credit. I felt like a bit of a jerk and said thanks but I'd really prefer to speak with a manager on this. The CM then went and spoke to a manager and came back and waived the fee. Just thought I would share in case this happens to anyone else. The CM was super nice but had I not stood my ground I would have paid for parking.

Thanks for sharing. You handled it well. It’s not surprising since the parking fee is a new thing. Maybe the CM was new?

 

[Anniefrances]

Thanks for sharing. You handled it well. It’s not surprising since the parking fee is a new thing. Maybe the CM was new?

Thanks - I had the impression that the CM was not new, so maybe there is just some confusion about implementation of the new policy. I will say that out of all the resorts we've been fortunate to stay at, CSR has the friendliest CMs. From the ones who greeted us walking in to the lobby, to the custodial CM who personally escorted us to find a bathroom (and then chatted with my kids) rather than merely giving directions, the CM mentioned above, and the CM who apologetically told me it was too late to order room service, then called back a couple minutes later and said she double checked and the kitchen could get one last order for the night. Wow, we haven't yet seen the rest of the resort, but I am impressed.

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks - I had the impression that the CM was not new, so maybe there is just some confusion about implementation of the new policy. I will say that out of all the resorts we've been fortunate to stay at, CSR has the friendliest CMs. From the ones who greeted us walking in to the lobby, to the custodial CM who personally escorted us to find a bathroom (and then chatted with my kids) rather than merely giving directions, the CM mentioned above, and the CM who apologetically told me it was too late to order room service, then called back a couple minutes later and said she double checked and the kitchen could get one last order for the night. Wow, we haven't yet seen the rest of the resort, but I am impressed.

And CSR is the one resort we had such a bad time with we checked out a day early. And it stemmed from them making not communicating properly to us about changes made to our reservation, changes that shouldn't have been made in the first place.

I would want to speak to that manager to know why they were trying to charge parking in the first place. Who is getting the info wrong? The CM at the front desk or the manager giving it out? Is that manager telling the CM to try and charge and then see if the guest says something? After what happened to me, if it's the same manager, I honestly would not be surprised. Not after what they tried to put past me, without informing me. Had I been an uninformed guest I would have been out money. And that ticked me off.

 

[rdaky]

I would want to speak to that manager to know why they were trying to charge parking in the first place. Who is getting the info wrong? The CM at the front desk or the manager giving it out? Is that manager telling the CM to try and charge and then see if the guest says something? After what happened to me, if it's the same manager, I honestly would not be surprised. Not after what they tried to put past me, without informing me. Had I been an uninformed guest I would have been out money. And that ticked me off.

This is what I am wondering. Are they trying to just implement the parking fee for everyone and are only going to waive it if you actually have to argue with them about it? I am really disappointed that he even tried to give you a partial discount. What is that all about? Did he know the truth and was still trying to get you to pay something, or did he not know and thought that offering a discount would make you happy, or was he completely clueless?

We always do online check in because it's easy, but for our June trip I think we are going to have to skip online check in, or otherwise do online and do regular check in also, because I am concerned that they are going to try to charge us for parking.

 

[KCSherri]

I just checked into CSR with a reservation made last year. The CM indicated there would be a charge for parking. I said that it was my understanding that reservations made before March 21 would be exempt. The CM said they could give me a partial credit. I felt like a bit of a jerk and said thanks but I'd really prefer to speak with a manager on this. The CM then went and spoke to a manager and came back and waived the fee. Just thought I would share in case this happens to anyone else. The CM was super nice but had I not stood my ground I would have paid for parking.

Wow. This bothers me - a LOT. As people upthread have said, it sounds like they didn’t even bother to check the date of when you made your original reservation.

Quick question: How did they know you have a car? Did they just ask how you arrived at the resort? Did the guard at the gate radio ahead & tell them you arrived by car? I’m just curious as to how this is all going to be implemented...and so far, it doesn’t sound very organized, AT ALL.