Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[Disneylover99]

My favorite part of all of this logic: Spending $100 at a restaurant or $50 at a gift shop earns you $30 in free parking. Spending $300 a night for lodging does not.

Not to mention that as an overnight guest you're also probably spending a ton of money at their restaurants, gift shops, etc....on a daily basis.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Why not be equitable and charge a fee for Magic Express then?

Because they WANT you to take ME and then be stuck on property - they don't want you do have your own car and thus be able to go "off campus" or *shudder* to Universal

 

[PrincessV]

So my planning for our annual summer WDW vacation has gone like this:

Book ADRs for our must-dos on busy days
Start keeping an eye out for room-only discounts
Get excited that TSL will open right before we get there
Realize discounts may be difficult or impossible to come by because of TSL opening
Start exploring alternative accommodations... my go-to Wyndham Bonnet Creek is already booked solid, so are DVC studios
Reluctantly book CBR at rack rate
Question why I would spend that much (IF I can afford to spend that much) when other options abound...
Decide it's still worth if I can swing it...
See the rumor about paying for resort parking & realize I literally can't afford that
Start looking at much nicer, bigger, less expensive offsite options
Determine that by staying offsite I can afford more nights AND Universal APs...
And if we add Universal APs, we'll probably just go there next summer

Yep, this really is the camel that broke this camel's back! Or will be, if it comes to pass. Even if it doesn't, it's led me to seriously rethink staying onsite at all. And if I'm offsite with a full kitchen, I'll spend less on food at WDW, too. I know the corp doesn't care, but it really is losing more and more money from folks like me.

 

[rteetz]

When do they start charging for Magical Express, parking at Disney Springs, Fast Passes?

I don’t think they will charge for the first two. Magical express is supposed to keep you on property. No reason to charge for it. Disney springs is all about shopping and dining and has plenty of parking. The only way they charge for parking there is if they add transportation to the parks from Disney Springs.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The negative reaction to that could be that the guests spends 100% of their money at non disney related areas now. It's a gamble disney is willing to take. I think they'll run off a few guests, but not enough for Iger to care.

Attendance is up over the past several years (~14% since 2010) and they know it will only go higher with Star Wars: GE coming - so I think they are willing to risk some families now not going at all if the trade off is plenty of people to replace that family and an increase % that do not have cars and are "stuck" on site and have to use Disney transportation and Disney dining and can't (as easily) get to Universal, etc.

 

[Disneylover99]

Because they WANT you to take ME and then be stuck on property - they don't want you do have your own car and thus be able to go "off campus" or *shudder* to Universal

Then they better hire some more bus drivers and increase the bus service going to and from the parks.

 

[peteykirch]

My favorite part of all of this logic: Spending $100 at a restaurant or $50 at a gift shop earns you $30 in free parking. Spending $300 a night for lodging does not.

You do realize that the "validated" parking is only for a few hours, and not overnight?

 

[Airb330]

I TOTALLY agree with you.

And the funny thing about is we’re pretty well off. We can afford all of the extras if we so choose. However, the value for us is starting to slip. We’re dvc, luckily bought at the right time. That helps the pricing shock. We can go to Europe cheaper than Disney anymore (and are going to Ireland and Rome on two separate trips) for cheaper than one week at Disney!

I still see the parking fees issue like airline baggage. We’ll all complain and most will pay. This won’t even be an issue in 6 months. I do hope they’ll at least charge a “reasonable” price. $20-30 isn’t reasonable!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

My favorite part of all of this logic: Spending $100 at a restaurant or $50 at a gift shop earns you $30 in free parking. Spending $300 a night for lodging does not.

correct! $300 is for the room - whether you have a car or not. If you choose to bring a car and not take advantage of other services Disney provides then you are free to but need to pay for bringing that car on property that those that do not bring cars will not have to (at least, that is how they will look at it)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ah, all goes back to Walt's dream where anyone can go to Disney, regardless of price. Since hes not here, I guess it doesn't matter to those higher ups anymore

well, we could go back to that model where you needed a ticket to ride any individual ride and those that could afford more tickets could go on more rides

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Then they better hire some more bus drivers and increase the bus service going to and from the parks.

welp you got Gondola's coming to a number of the resorts to help ... plus Minnie Vans are available!

 

[mshanson3121]

Not sure how reliable this source is, but they say it is not a rumor but is in fact definite, and starts March 21st. $25 per night for Deluxe, $19 for Mods and $13 for Values. No charge for DVC Dexlue (owners or renters) and valet is increasing to $33.

http://www.chipandco.com/walt-disney-world-resorts-will-start-charging-for-overnight-parking-301676/

 

[Disneylover99]

I also read that if you already have an existing reservation made before March 21 the parking fee does not apply. I hope that is true.

I read it as all reservations moving forward beginning March 21st will have to pay the fee. Unless you read a different article from Chip & Co. than me.

 

[GrumpySue]

I just spent two weeks at the Yacht Club and many times came back to the resort to a full lot and had to park way over by the convention center. Not cool considering how much this place costs. If they plan on charging me for parking, they better make sure that I have a spot every time I return. I will refuse to pay otherwise.

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

I have a reservation in June made on points rented from a DVC member. We always rent a car, both for grocery shopping, off site touring and when the kids were small, not having to fight the buses. Will I be considered a DVC member and not be required to pay for parking at our resort?

I doubt it, I think they will make you show a DVC card.

 

[madge]

Then they better hire some more bus drivers and increase the bus service going to and from the parks.

minnie vans ... they'll be everywhere. I'd assume there's quite a bit of profit in those.

 

[mshanson3121]

Also reported here. So, it's true and the nickle and dimeing up the wazoo continues.

https://wdwnt.com/2018/03/breaking-...charging-resort-guests-for-overnight-parking/

 

[Disneylover99]

welp you got Gondola's coming to a number of the resorts to help ... plus Minnie Vans are available!

Except Gondolas are a year away and Minnie Vans are not free.

 

[Disneylover99]

minnie vans ... they'll be everywhere. I'd assume there's quite a bit of profit in those.

I might as well drive and pay the daily resort fee.

 

[Turn the Page]

Unfortunately, paying for parking at hotels is becoming standard practice in some areas. I have to say I really loathe the hidden fees that more and more hotels and resorts are adding on. It is bad enough that you see a room rate quote that doesn't include the sometimes 15-20% taxes tacked on let alone mandatory daily parking and resort fees. When I'm comparing hotel rates I want to know what the final cost is, that is the only way to accurately compare them. I hate it when I compare prices and select one only to find out that the only reason that rate was lower than the other option was because of the resort fee they hadn't mentioned on their website that doesn't get tacked on until I get to the last step of the booking process.

Now, that said, while I do not like it at all and am disappointed in Disney for going this route, I can't say the parking fee affects us at all. We live a solid 24 hour drive away so we fly and do not rent a car. I know some people prefer to have a car on property but we never saw the need. We get a grocery delivery and are perfectly happy to use Disney transportation during our stay. The only time we have ever had a car on property is when we drove down and camped at Ft. Wilderness when I was a kid. Does anyone know if there will be a fee to park at the campground? That would seem odd to me that they charge you to park at your own site but then again, I suppose if they are charging you to park in front of your room it's not that much of a stretch to charge you to park at your campsite.