silly parking question

[Pammy jo]

So if you are staying on-site, and you leave the parking area do you have to pay each time you leave or can you pay with your bill when you check-out?

 

[lindalinda]

You do not pay when you go in or out, its just a daily charge on your bill when you check out.

 

[Syndrome]

Does this "extra" parking fee REALLY bother anyone, besides me !!!!
Seriously, we pay BIG $$$ to stay on-site at Universal. Do they really need to charge for parking for hotel guests!!! I stayed at RPR Club, over Christmas/New years 05/06...... barely over 6 months ago, and I was pretty mad when I was charged $7. a day for self parking! Got over it.
Now......fast forward.....new reservations......we are staying for 15 nights around Thanksgiving 2006 at the RPR and HRH......Club Level for ALL 15 nights.......and now the new confirmation letter says that self parking is $12. per day!!! Thats about a 40% increase in 6 months! Sorry, its not the money that is what sends me off the deep end, and I am not cheap,( if I were, I would be staying off site for a fraction of the price!).......but come-on, $12. to park per day at the hotel, that I am staying at and dropping some big $$$ to stay with my family. I have to pay $180. to park my car for the priviledge of staying at there hotels !!! Its not the money, so much as the point of it! None of WDW hotels charge for hotel parking........and the rates are on-par with universals hotels. I have stayed at WL,Poly,AKL and never have had to pay to park.
Maybe its just me, but as much as my family prefers the Universal hotels.......and we do REALLY like the RPR and HRH.........its making me second guess if its the right decision, just out of principal !!! If it were not for the FOTL perk.....it would a no-brainer. Look out if the WDW resorts come up with some kind of FOTL system........even if its only for concierge. Thats Universals LAST playing card!
In the end.......we WILL probably stay at RPR/HRH ..........but I am sure that I cant be the only one, who is bothered by this!
Sorry to vent........just wanted to see opinions on this.
BTW.......You pay to park per day.......you can come and go as you please, and the per day charge is still $12 to self park and $18 per day for valet, oh and its plus tax too!
Highway robbery, I tell ya!!!!!

Later...........Syndrome

 

[lindalinda]

the hilton in chicago charges 40$ a day. These fees are pretty common, you just may not notice them.

 

[Syndrome]

Yea, I have stayed at many hotels in NYC, DC, Philly,Chicago etc. I expect to pay something for parking........in those "big" citys, parking is at a premium. You cant avoid it I guess........with the parking garages and such......there is just simply no where to park.
But at a resort hotel, in Orlando, where we all pay the PREMIUM rates to stay......it seems like they should at least hide it or something. Build it into the price! There is no shortage of parking in the Universal/WDW areas.
All I am saying, is it seems like we are getting "nickel and dimed" to death here. I guess I would feel better if the Resort Rate was $12. higher per night, instead of seeing a "parking charge" on the bill! I am SURE that WDW charges for parking at the resorts........we just dont see it.......at least they hide it so we feel better about it! Its a marketing thing. Its only the principal that is bothering me.
Just saying!
Anyway........We Still cant wait for our trip to RPR/HRH........and we WILL have a great time in spite of my, minor bout with the dark frugal side! I mean REALLY.......$180. to park for our stay..........sheesh !!!
Later.........Syndrome

 

[jillybeene71]

I feel you!!! I am extremly mad at this also...I stayed at the HRH and I received my confirmation letter through email, it said in bold black letters that parking was $10 when I got there she told me it would be $12. I showed her the letter and she told me it just recently changed. I just got the confirmation letter on June 29. We checked in on July 3. It changed in 4 days. They could have put on emails that there would be a rate change on a certain date. I am not cheap either, but I do have a budget and I figure things out to a T. The extra $10 didnt hurt me but its the principal of it.

 

[robvia]

Wow, that does add up if you are staying 15 nights. I'd call a manager at the hotel in advance and see if they could do something. For people staying a couple nights (like me), we pay it and move on. But those fees do add up, which is why I tell people to park across the street in the TGIF lot if they want to save money.
If people could park for free at the onsite hotels, then everyone would go there and then walk to the parks. So I agree they need some fee, but not $12, that's getting expensive.

 

[goofy!]

Does this "extra" parking fee REALLY bother anyone, besides me !!!!
...
.......and the rates are on-par with universals hotels. I have stayed at WL,Poly,AKL and never have had to pay to park.
..........but I am sure that I cant be the only one, who is bothered by this!
Sorry to vent........just wanted to see opinions on this.

Nope, doesn't bother me at all. Most luxury hotels charge for parking or a "resort fee." The Swan/Dolphin charges a daily rate for the newspaper/parking/pool towels. In the world of luxury travel, $10.00 (or 12.00 now) is quite the deal.

And I have to disagree that the prices of the Universal hotels are on par with Disney. Universal is a much better deal.

For instance, we are also going at Thanksgiving. We have a huge family reunion during this time. The rest of the family is staying at the Beach Club. We opted to stay at the Portofino. Not only was it much cheaper, but we get a nicer/bigger room, I get FOTL AND Loews rewards me for being a good customer (unlike Disney) by automatically upgrading me to a suite.

Why Disney rates are not on par with Universal and why we chose the Portofino vs. our favorite Disney resort:

Disney Polynesian- Garden View Concierge over Thanksgiving week: $696.88 per night
Royal Pacific club room - $349.00 per night
Portofino club room- $409.00 per night

I would have to park 30 cars a day to make up for the $300.00 per night difference

But ultimately, what made our decision was that I could get my suite at PBH AND rent an Excursion for the week to ferry us to Disney and I was still better off than with the single room at one of the deluxe Disney resorts.

I, for one, am glad that they don't "hide" the parking fee in the room rate like Disney does. This way, I can pay it when I have a car, and not pay it when I don't have a car. My option. I think it is a much fairer system. I just figure it into the room rate when I make my decision to book. Really, people wouldn't bat an eye if their rate for RPR came up as $139 a night rather than $129, so why all the fuss about $10.00 when it is broken out as a fee for only people with a car rather than a mandatory fee for everybody?

 

[damo]

I actually prefer it this way too. We usually don't have a car so why should I have to pay the hidden cost for parking?

I like all the fees upfront and the lower room cost. I have paid over $500/night for a Disney hotel but never over $200/night for a Universal Hotel. Disney's hidden fees really, really boost their rates.

 

[Metallicat]

All I can say is that if you stay at the Hard Rock, CHECK YOUR BILL! I was aggrivated enough about paying to park in their lot every single day and then have to walk up all those stairs, (stayed 11 days) but they charged me for valet parking like 10 times and I have never had valet park a car in my life.
of course they adjusted the bill for me. but still if I hadn't checked it, I would have been charged.