Free parking is currently a perk of staying on site and it's marketed by Disney as that.
I'm kind of surprised that so many people seem to be content to ditch that perk and start paying for it.
The "hey, we usually pay for parking everywhere else" explanation doesn't really work for me because this isn't "everywhere else." It's Disney World and resort guests have not had to pay for parking at Disney World. That's the precedent.
You know what else you have to pay for everywhere else? Buses. If the previously complementary buses suddenly cost money, would so many still have the same "oh well, just like everywhere else" response?
The last time we stayed at the JW Marriott in Washington DC we paid almost $60 per day for parking.
Hey, you're the one living on the wrong side of the Delaware, my man. And let's be clear, I'm from and have chosen to live in Philadelphia, not some suburb. I do like your side of the river for the Arkansas barbeque they brought North over there on 70, but you won't catch me dead at either Cherry Hill or KoP...I'm a Philly public school teacher, I can't afford either of those places.Whoop whoop whoop...philly alert...you've been identified!!! Return to king of Prussia where you belong!!!
I'm thinking of major cities - and Orlando is a major city, and a huge tourist city besides. In major cities/tourist areas, you gotta pay. $60 for parking and DC seems right (although crazy, I get it!)...just part of the deal.
Uh oh... what have I missed??My personal line in the sand is when I have to buy 2 concurrent tickets to tour my preferred way,
Uh oh... what have I missed??
I agree. I expect to pay for parking at any hotel I stay at. If we don't, it's generally some sort of perk where parking is "free"... like an AMEX discount or the like -- akin to DVC not paying.I'm thinking of major cities - and Orlando is a major city, and a huge tourist city besides. In major cities/tourist areas, you gotta pay. $60 for parking and DC seems right (although crazy, I get it!)...just part of the deal.
Whew!! Same here. We get APs and hop almost every day -- absolute must for us.Oh Lordie, you've missed nothing. But park hoppers are a beyond a must do for *me*. I won't travel to WDW without them It's just what my line would be...maybe. I might be able to justify my billable rate vs. the cost of fps, but that's some math I'd have to consider.
I agree. I expect to pay for parking at any hotel I stay at. If we don't, it's generally some sort of perk where parking is "free"... like an AMEX discount or the like -- akin to DVC not paying.
I don't park - including at my thousands of other hotel stays. I use mass/private transit when I travel. I won't even road trip to my folks place on the gulf which is like 6-7 hours away - I fly. That's my preference. There are tons of travelers like me. I just know charging for parking is pretty standard; its part of hotel stays. Same with resort fees - IMO, normal cost of traveling. I can't think of a hotel in Vegas that doesn't charge both and they're steep, like $35 pn resort fee. WDW has bundled this, ME, internal transit as part of their value prop. They're changing that paradigm now. You can be upset about the increase, but parsing it is the thing I don't get. I mean you couldn't pay me to use ME when I can get a car service - should I be charged less because I'm too inpatient for ME? I've also used a car service a TON of times when their was a bus service. If I walk out and the MK bus is shoving off, I'm in a towncar/cab in 30 seconds. I think there are a number of people like me who see those as lovely add-ons, but I could be wrong. Again, my experience is my own. Doesn't make my way right OR wrong, works great for me.
The other side is to ask is if free parking really is free, in a cliched "no such thing as a free lunch" way. We don't know one way or the other how the room rates break down, things like "free" transportation, dme, etc have real costs that Disney likely isn't just absorbing out out of goodness of heart, but these things are likely paid for from room rates. Parking may be one of those things that is included and allocated from room rates. If it is included and charging parking a la carte helps slow down rising room rates, is that a bad thing?
Hey, you're the one living on the wrong side of the Delaware, my man. And let's be clear, I'm from and have chosen to live in Philadelphia, not some suburb. I do like your side of the river for the Arkansas barbeque they brought North over there on 70, but you won't catch me dead at either Cherry Hill or KoP...I'm a Philly public school teacher, I can't afford either of those places.
Exactly.I think the problem here...to put it simply...is that the disney Hotels are already double what they should cost as far as services...and I'm not trying to shock and exaggerate. They fall far under the upscale chains and classic hotels and don't provide anywhere near the service. Sometimes the ambience makes up for it...sometimes the rubber meets the road.
With the amount of price increase in simply the last decade...Parking has been paid for 100x over. It's just a straight profit rate increase...nothing more.
I knew it was coming. And your 6 Super Bowls too. Went to school out that way (IUP). I have no great animosity to the other side of the state. In fact, I find most of us on this side, don't think about your side too much. You may own the cups, but head to head, you really have nothing to stand on.Speaking of...you're on the wrong side of the state...