Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[bluecastle]

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone on this thread for their respectful sharing of various opinions on this issue. This does not always happen on the DIS, or on most social media these days, and I am very appreciative of it. I haven't sent my emails to Disney yet because I am afraid that if I get one of those responses that I've read here I might just lose it. But, since I think it is important for them to see that people have strong feelings about this, I will take my chances on their response. Thanks again! So many good points being made here.

 

[Colleen27]

I would have to guess it depends on the location of the hotel. Most hotels in cities like Orlando, New York, and Chicago charge for parking. A hotel in Nebraska probably won't.

I wouldn't put Orlando in that group. Of the hotels we've looked at, it seems pretty evenly split - some charge, some don't, some roll parking into a general resort fee. Among the 7 DS hotels that get EMH and 60 day FPs, there are two that don't charge and five that do, but one of those includes "free" parking in some of their discounted rates. NYC, Chicago, DC, places where real estate is at a premium, of course hotels charge... because the ground their parking lot is on could have real, significant value if sold off (or because they use third-party owned lots that charge *them*). Outside of a half-dozen or so major cities where I wanted to be downtown for public transit access, I don't think I've ever paid for parking at a hotel.

Just curious which DS hotel you're looking at? An offsite suite for a good price sounds like a great option right about now.....

The Doubletree. The pool is pretty basic but we seldom spend enough time at our resort to use it, and a one-bedroom suite is $600 cheaper than Caribbean Beach for our six-night stay in late Aug. The Hilton Buena Vista Palace, which is more comparable to a Disney deluxe resort and has a really fabulous pool with a lazy river, also has suites for about the same price as CBR's rack rate. I limited my search to the hotels that get EMH and 60 day FP; if those things don't matter to you, you can find even cheaper accommodations without going more than a couple minutes from Disney property.

I think they don't want to charge day guests as they want to encourage people that are local or whatever to come to the resorts to dine and shop, etc. .... and then a lot easier to just add this on to the room bill for those with a car vs having to set up toll booths at the entrances and exists to all the parking lots, etc.

I suspect that's why there's no charge for day guests - because they don't want to spend on the infrastructure and staffing to use a ticket or check-out system, and they can't really do so with the current layout of the resort entrances without creating a major bottleneck that would tie up buses as well as drivers who may or may not need to pay. An overnight fee can be tacked on to reservations based on whether guests indicate they will have a car or not. Fees for day guests would require timing and payment mechanisms.

We try to avoid EMH like the plague as wait times increase significantly (even during the EMH). And the buses have been so poor the last couple of years we have started using Lyft a lot on property. I would venture to guess travel from some of the "off-site" hotels is almost as easy, but at significantly lower price for accommodations, included meals, rewards, etc.

When they tell you to budget 1-1.5 hrs for transport 5-8 miles on property, the idea of "on-site" loses a lot of appeal.

And really, I think they should recommend more than that these days. I've always been a "bubble" person. Even if I do drive down, I don't want to drive on property and we just take the buses. This last trip, the buses at CBR were so bad that by the end of the trip we didn't even bother trying to use them. We just got in the van and went. Part of that was because we had a wheelchair in our party and they do precisely nothing to make sure a wheelchair user can get on a bus if you're in a resort with multiple stops - our room was near the last stop at CBR and there was almost never room for the chair by the time the bus got to our stop, but even when there was an attendant at the stop he did nothing more than say "Wait for the next one" as multiple buses arrived too full for the chair. But part of it was also the timing - as much as 40 minutes between buses during the morning rush, for example. And if I'm going to feel like I have to drive to get to the parks in less than 2 hours, there's really not much difference between driving from Disney Springs or Bonnet Creek and driving from Caribbean Beach or Pop.

 

[drp4video]

I'm curious after reading your post... do we have any sense of what proportion of Disney visitors also visit Universal, and vice versa? And how many nights they spend in each on average when they do this?

I would think this would impact how many people might see Universal hotels as a viable option. We haven't been to Universal (went to the one in Hollywood primarily for Walking Dead attraction!) -- we would NEVER consider an onsite hotel there as a viable alternative to a WDW resort.

But I could imagine other area hotels seeing a bit of a bump... not sure... I could see this "fading into the woodwork" in a few months, with new visitors having no idea there was ever free parking. Will they pick offsite vs. onsite for a $13-$24/night difference in parking, IF they would NOT have done so for the already existing price differential... maybe... but seems doubtful on any large scale...

We usually do both Disney and Universal, but we always stay at Disney as it was convenient not to change hotels, and there was no parking fee. After our trip this May, this will change. No reason not to stay at Universal now and with a stay there, we get the perk of an Express pass.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone on this thread for their respectful sharing of various opinions on this issue. This does not always happen on the DIS, or on most social media these days, and I am very appreciative of it. I haven't sent my emails to Disney yet because I am afraid that if I get one of those responses that I've read here I might just lose it. But, since I think it is important for them to see that people have strong feelings about this, I will take my chances on their response. Thanks again! So many good points being made here.

If you're mad, let disney know

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Here is an article that outlines them pretty well:
http://attractionsmagazine.com/two-new-universal-hotels-coming-to-former-wet-n-wild-site/

- Should be open summer of 2019
- Total of 2,800 guest rooms, including 1,450 two-bedroom suites
- nights starting at less than $100 per night
- Will include early access to the parks but not express pass (so similar to Cabana Bay)

Those sound like great options. I wonder if that will bring an end to Universal’s pool hopping policy, though. That will be interesting.

With pool hopping vs. free parking, I have chosen free parking as the bigger perk. With free parking gone at Disney, Universal definitely has the upper hand- where resorts are concerned, anyway.

Unfortunately, as Disney diminishes the guest experience, I hope Universal doesn’t feel that they can, too. Competition can be a good thing and force companies to keep up with or exceed guest expectations. But I wonder if it could have the opposite effect. Seems like Disney has the attitude that “If Universal doesn’t provide it to guests, we don’t have to either” (i. e., free parking). Hopefully Universal doesn’t go that way.

 

[TLM2015]

I like staying inside the disney bubble. But I cancelled my Pop reservation for this summer. Even though I would not have been affected by the parking fees just the principle of charging $170/nt for Pop and then a parking fee on top just felt ridiculous and laughable.

Staying onsite I would always take a car because Disney transportation is not quick enough especially for park hopping. But even with a car, I would never leave Disney so they got all my vacation dollars when I was in Orlando. Well that's no longer going to be the deal I'll stay offsite and spend less at Disney. Since the money really wasn't the deciding factor, it's more about value, even if I don't end up saving money (which I probably won't because I'm going to upgrade to a nicer resort offsite and then have to pay for theme park parking) overall I'll get more value out of my vacation especially since we will be spending some resort time. As nice as SAB was at BC when we went last year, there are offsite for cheaper with larger and just as enjoyable (at least they look enjoyable) water park/features.

 

[dlavender]

I'm curious after reading your post... do we have any sense of what proportion of Disney visitors also visit Universal, and vice versa? And how many nights they spend in each on average when they do this?

I would think this would impact how many people might see Universal hotels as a viable option. We haven't been to Universal (went to the one in Hollywood primarily for Walking Dead attraction!) -- we would NEVER consider an onsite hotel there as a viable alternative to a WDW resort.

But I could imagine other area hotels seeing a bit of a bump... not sure... I could see this "fading into the woodwork" in a few months, with new visitors having no idea there was ever free parking. Will they pick offsite vs. onsite for a $13-$24/night difference in parking, IF they would NOT have done so for the already existing price differential... maybe... but seems doubtful on any large scale...

Not sure.

We spent the weekend going to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. We fell in love with Cabanna Bay. We decided the 15 min drive to WDW is well worth it for those accommodations at that price point. We are staying at Hard Rock this week and going to MK. So for us, seems like the recipe for success is a Uni hotel with a WDW park.

 

[bluecastle]

If you're mad, let disney know

This is what I sent to guest communications, Iger, and 3 other big wigs. As you can see, near the end I get a bit emotional, but that is how I feel. I wish I had thought to tell them that there are actually people canceling their trips. Maybe someone else can do that. Here goes:
I am writing about the elimination of free parking at your resorts for hotel guests. I feel this unfairly penalizes those of us who drive to WDW. People who fly receive free passage to their resort via Disney's Magical Express. They are then free to enjoy the Disney bubble throughout their vacation. I am sure you know what the Disney bubble is. It is the feeling that once you are at Disney, you are immersed in its theming and magic for the duration of your trip and free from the stresses of work and real life.

My family has been driving to WDW from VA since 1990. We discovered that by saving money by not flying, we could afford to stay longer and in the deluxe hotels. We park our car and then enter the Disney bubble for a week or more. The next time we are back in the car it is for our trip home. We use Disney transportation the entire time, eat at our resort and at the parks, and never leave property. Yes, we pay a higher amount for our resort and food, but we have always felt it was worth it for the magic and memories we received in return.

And now, all this has changed due to this new policy. Now, in addition to the higher cost of staying on property, you are adding a fee, ( and it is higher for the deluxes where we tend to stay) and for what reason? Day guests not staying at the resort will be allowed to park for free. People who fly will not have any extra fee added to their hotel folios. The only people you are charging are people like me, who drive. This is unfair and has made me feel unwelcome.

I am now considering things I have never considered before: staying offsite and/or staying at Universal. Yes, I know they have a parking fee, but their hotel prices are lower so it is still the more economical of the two.

If we return, we will make adjustments. If we fly, that will mean a shorter trip and possibly staying at a non-Disney hotel. This all adds up to less revenue for Disney. After all these years of being a loyal and repeat visitor and never receiving any recognition or financial reward for that, I can't believe I am considering maybe not even returning

I am the Disney go to person at work. I have sung your praises for years, had to explain to naysayers why we go so often, and I've made recommendations for others who are planning trips. I am a walking billboard for Disney with several pins on my lanyard. And now, I am feeling like my connection has been severed, my bubble has burst.

Please reconsider this policy.

 

[ZuuL]

I hear ya'! I worked for a timeshare company in my early 20's and knew it was a good deal under the right circumstances. Went on our first family WDW trip when my son was 15 mos. old -- bought DVC 3 mos. later and the rest is history. He just turned 13 and we continue to get a ton of use out of it. At some point the kids will tire of it I'm sure, though they currently claim that they never will...

DVC membership helps greatly

Not sure.

We spent the weekend going to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. We fell in love with Cabanna Bay. We decided the 15 min drive to WDW is well worth it for those accommodations at that price point. We are staying at Hard Rock this week and going to MK. So for us, seems like the recipe for success is a Uni hotel with a WDW park.

hopefully your stay at hard rock is better than what we had. The one night we stayed there rain water was leaking through the window and lot of one of my family members clothing was soaked. The view could have been as well...

 

[Scifidiner]

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone on this thread for their respectful sharing of various opinions on this issue. This does not always happen on the DIS, or on most social media these days, and I am very appreciative of it. I haven't sent my emails to Disney yet because I am afraid that if I get one of those responses that I've read here I might just lose it. But, since I think it is important for them to see that people have strong feelings about this, I will take my chances on their response. Thanks again! So many good points being made here.

I agree I have never understood people that get offended by someone's opinion on a vacation. Everybody's budget is different, likewise what's important in a vacation is different for everyone. If you are fed up with price increases and have decided not to go back to WDW, you know I can't blame you. I fully understand that. If you think a WDW vacation is well worth it even in view of the ever increasing prices, I can't get mad at you, it's your money. I find myself somewhere between those two extremes. I'm irritated at Disney, but we'll go back. However, not as often and we will adjust how we go about it. I hope Disney takes notice and realizes how many loyal WDW fans they have lost along the way. The effect of which may not be felt for years. If you don't get an emotional attachment when you are young, you are a lot less likely to go as an adult and take your kids.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

“If Universal doesn’t provide it to guests, we don’t have to either” (i. e., free parking). Hopefully Universal doesn’t go that way.

I don’t think that will be the case in the short term. Universal is still trying to grow their market share and compete with Disney. Disney is still king of the hill and probably not feeling that threatened by Uni at the moment. They have twice the gates and new lands opening. I think Uni is still in a phase of trying to lure people away.

We stayed at Royal Pacific the week of Thanksgiving. For $255 a night (booked only a month out) we got Express Pass, excellent boat service to the parks, ate where we wanted without ADRs, and could go on any ride any time we wanted. It was a fabulous guest experience even during a busy time at half the price point of Dis.

 

[peabody58]

I'm curious as to how the ripple effect will work with the off-site hotels. With the laws of Supply and Demand, as more guests opt for off-site locations, those hotels will be able to slowly raise their rates, and I am sure many will follow up with parking fees of their own. May take at least a year to start showing up, but it will happen.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I'm curious after reading your post... do we have any sense of what proportion of Disney visitors also visit Universal, and vice versa? And how many nights they spend in each on average when they do this?

I would think this would impact how many people might see Universal hotels as a viable option. We haven't been to Universal (went to the one in Hollywood primarily for Walking Dead attraction!) -- we would NEVER consider an onsite hotel there as a viable alternative to a WDW resort.

But I could imagine other area hotels seeing a bit of a bump... not sure... I could see this "fading into the woodwork" in a few months, with new visitors having no idea there was ever free parking. Will they pick offsite vs. onsite for a $13-$24/night difference in parking, IF they would NOT have done so for the already existing price differential... maybe... but seems doubtful on any large scale...

We're doing our first Uni/WDW split in April - 3/5 days. My "Disney" friend that just did her first split thinks I will be itching to get to Disney in 2 nights, but I'm not sure. We've waited until now as my older son (13) has never been much of a thrill guy and we figured there was too much he wouldn't want to do at Universal, but we're really looking forward to it.

We always fly to Disney and have never rented a car, and we love the Disney resorts. For years, DH and I would argue about times I'd want to do a cab/uber someplace to save time, since he's a big "value" guy and didn't want to "waste" the free Disney transportation. But as the years have gone by with the hit or miss buses, he doesn't put up as much of a fight and my little envelope that I use to squirrel away taxi fare has grown! And I agree with previous posters - the resort overall is huge, and getting around is time-consuming - especially as we like a mid-day break - so I understand why people prefer to have a car.

I'm looking forward to the benefits of the more compact size of Universal in terms of getting around! It's funny, I was just talking to my sister about how I thought Universal would be a great place for a extended family trip since people could choose different resorts (different price points) but it would be easy to get around and we could all hang out at each other's pools (and less general planning, which I'm sure would be helpful for a larger group!). Plus, the express pass that is part of my resort stay has a monetary value assigned by Universal since it can be purchased separately, so to me adds "value" to my resort reservation too. I'm not sure if people would put that into the equation if Disney starts to add more fees and is less "inclusive?"

But to answer your actual question, I'm not sure yet if I will enjoy the resorts as much as I have the Disney resorts and if we'll continue to do splits or work it out in another way...I do agree that eventually new visitors to Disney may not realize that the parking fee is relatively "new."

 

[arminnie]

I happily stayed onsite and offsite before I bought DVC 15 years ago. I've long since recouped my initial purchase so I now look at the cost to stay as what my points cost per year in maintenance fees. And that makes it ridiculously cheap compared to rack prices. Even if one ignores the parking charges.

I am selling two of my three DVC contracts as I don't need that many points anymore. But I will keep one just to get the benefits - like AP discounts. But I think my strategy may be to keep one of my DVC contracts (SSR) but to rent out the points to pay for the maintenance fees and give me some extra funds to pay for an offsite stay. I didn't want to sell all of my DVC contracts as I like the extra benefits - but then I realized that I could still get the benefit of being a direct buyer even if I rented out my points.

 

[bluecastle]

Interesting coincidence? I received an email newsletter from Universal tonight. I don't remember the last time I got an email from them.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Interesting coincidence? I received an email newsletter from Universal tonight. I don't remember the last time I got an email from them.

If Universal was really smart/gutsy they would put out a new promotion that includes free parking

 

[loveshak22]

If Universal was really smart/gutsy they would put out a new promotion that includes free parking

That would be hilarious!

 

[Arielfan98]

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone on this thread for their respectful sharing of various opinions on this issue. This does not always happen on the DIS, or on most social media these days, and I am very appreciative of it. I haven't sent my emails to Disney yet because I am afraid that if I get one of those responses that I've read here I might just lose it. But, since I think it is important for them to see that people have strong feelings about this, I will take my chances on their response. Thanks again! So many good points being made here.

I'm in the same boat. I was hesitant at first because honestly I am not the type of person to complain, share concerns, or send customer feedback. However, this as I've stated and others have stated several times, that this is the last straw. The point in letting Disney know isn't to guarantee they will adjust their policy, but rather they recognize we are fighting back and voicing our opinions. So all in all I believe if we all keep voicing our opinions we will still benefit from it even if it doesn't directly change the parking fee.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

The amount of the parking fee isn't the issue. They are claiming it sets them equal to "industry standard" but at the same time charge double roughly of area hotels, have smaller or less attractive rooms, don't give free breakfast, and don't have microwaves, all of which are industry standard. They also are charging people that are actually staying while not people there for a few hours so it doesn't solve any perceived parking lot issues at several resorts.

We would always compare onsite to off by adding the total cost then seeing if the added perks were worth the extra cost. Getting free parking at the parks was always included, now its a wash or a slight savings. Another perk gone, and that double cost a night is getting paper thin. The 60 day FP remains the only reliable perk since EMH have been slashed in recent years.

The Disney Springs hotels now get 60 FP, so count that onsite perk out too...

 

[Planogirl]

I've been reading good things about the Disney Springs Holiday Inn. While I intend to stick with Cabana Bay, a few nights in the WDW area makes Disney park visits more convenient.

By the way, I'm not writing this time. I already did so after other changes that bothered me and the response was aggravating to say the least. I still enjoy quite a bit at WDW but I've given up on the company overall.