Here's an article by the Huffington Post (yes yes take the source with a grain of salt) published a month ago:
http://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mandatory-hotel-resort-fees-rip-maybe . The link goes to a website for MO senator because she introduced a bill regarding resort fees but it's mostly about national issues with resort fees.
Just a few highlights:
"The new Four Seasons Resort Orlando, located in an epicenter of resort fees (regional/high destination point-see my post above this one), decided
not to charge them in order to set itself apart from the competition."
"A national poll of registered voters released in late 2015 found that 80 percent said hotels and resorts
should be required to include mandatory resort fees in the daily room rate, which would allow customers to comparison shop before they book a room. More than 20 percent of respondents said that in the past year, they’d been charged a mandatory fee in addition to the room rate and tax."
"A coalition of consumer advocates, including the National Consumers League and Travelers United, is ratcheting up
pressure on lawmakers to eliminate these controversial surcharges, which cover features such as wireless Internet access and towels at the hotel gym. Late last week, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D.-Mo.), introduced legislation called the
Truth in Hotel Advertising Act of 2016, which would
prohibit hotels from advertising a room that doesn’t include all mandatory fees."-think about how the price of airfare now includes all fees up front. Also this statement listed here isn't meant to be political in nature whatsoever for the DIS board purposes but to reflect the growing disdain of resort fees at a government level.
And perhaps the most (ok maybe to me) obvious way of pointing out the issue with resort fees:
"There is a growing realization that resort fees, at least as they are now charged, are unfair and deceptive. They would not be tolerated in almost any other business, so why are hotels allowed to get away with them? Even some hotel employees know that their guests are on to them. Consider what happened to John Doe*named changed here on DIS board but article has actual name*, a consultant and corporate traveler based in Roslyn, N.Y., who found an $89 rate at a casino hotel in Mount Pocono, Pa., but soon discovered that the rate didn’t include a $15 resort fee. He phoned the property to find out what the fee covered. “It covers our free Internet, free in-room coffee and valet parking for the hotel guests,” a reservations agent answered. “
If you charge $15,” Doe replied, “
it isn’t free.” That left the receptionist speechless."
Currently marketing-wise Magical Express, Parking, Magic Bands and Wi-Fi is touted as being complimentary; Extra Magic Hours and FP+ @ 60 days, and resort activities are listed as a benefit (all are technically listed as benefits but only extra magic hours, FP+ @ 60 days and resort activities says benefit the rest say complimentary). The def of complimentary is: given for free.