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Disney to charge for parking at resorts?

fryoj

Premium Member
May 19, 2013
3,525
4,779
Screamscape is reporting that WDW is going to start charging for parking at it's hotels both for guests staying at the hotels and for those who are just dining. Take it with the standard Screamscape grain of salt, but it really seems like something Disney would do to increase income. Any more credible sources out there that this is going to happen?
 
Screamscape is reporting that WDW is going to start charging for parking at it's hotels both for guests staying at the hotels and for those who are just dining. Take it with the standard Screamscape grain of salt, but it really seems like something Disney would do to increase income. Any more credible sources out there that this is going to happen?

Im sure it will come, Disney see Uni doing it down the road so why not. Only real surprise is that they haven't already.

You could say Disney already charges us all for parking through inflated room rates, but this isn't advertised so nothing at all stopping them slapping an extra $20+ on those rates for bringing a car.

One thing that could stop it is if they are worried how many would dump the cars and use Disney Transport? This could cripple an already bursting at the seams system, which in turn could cost them more than they make from parking charges. What then, bus, monorail and sky ride charges?

Interesting to see if anything comes of this
 
this just flat out pisses me off. Disney hotels are already so overpriced. The free parking was always one of those incentives that made you feel a "little better" about paying the extra money...now they will take that away from us as well.

It also sucks for the folks that like to go to the different hotels to have dinner/drinks, etc. Having to pay a fee to park, so I can go to Trader Sams is not cool.

EDIT...ok I just read this only effects "overnight" parking.

STILL SUCKS!
 
A Disney rep has come out in saying any prior reservations made before March 20th will be fine, but after that and they haven't placed reservations is where they will have to pay for the fee.

Not just Universal, but Vegas has been starting to do this a lot with their resorts, and that our group has had to pay for parking now for our upcoming trip.
 
A Disney rep has come out in saying any prior reservations made before March 20th will be fine, but after that and they haven't placed reservations is where they will have to pay for the fee.

Got linkage to this? :)
 
I just thought I would offer a little background behind parking fees at hotels. Many assume it's just simply a cash grab especially in an area where land and parking is plentiful, it's really a little more complex (not that there isn't some cash grabbing going on). It all comes back to valet. In order to offer valet service at a hotel there are obviously expenses (labor, supplies, training, liability etc.) Wether the hotel chooses to do this themselves or take the popular option and outsource it to another company these expenses need to be covered. Currently the going rate is $20 - $30 per car depending on volume to make this practical. Most people will not pay this rate for valet, the only way to get people to pay these rates is to make it effectively less. If standard parking is $25 and valet is $30 then valet is effectively $5. In this scenario a good volume will use valet and in turn keep it busy enough to make it work. Disney currently charges $25, as you can imagine the business is pretty low when you have the choice of $25 versus walking a few steps to park your car for free. This in turn creates a situation where the valet company is in some cases losing money and the valet employees sometimes don't even make minimum wage. Of course that makes it difficult to keep quality people employed. The valet company at Disney can justify these losses a little more than other companies at other hotels because they are making good money off airline check-in. They've definitely reached if not passed some time ago the tipping point where self parking needs to have a charge to maintain the right volume to keep valet functioning. This is/was inevitable, I can tell you from first hand experience Disney has dragged their feet on this for some time.
 
I just thought I would offer a little background behind parking fees at hotels. Many assume it's just simply a cash grab especially in an area where land and parking is plentiful, it's really a little more complex (not that there isn't some cash grabbing going on). It all comes back to valet. In order to offer valet service at a hotel there are obviously expenses (labor, supplies, training, liability etc.) Wether the hotel chooses to do this themselves or take the popular option and outsource it to another company these expenses need to be covered. Currently the going rate is $20 - $30 per car depending on volume to make this practical. Most people will not pay this rate for valet, the only way to get people to pay these rates is to make it effectively less. If standard parking is $25 and valet is $30 then valet is effectively $5. In this scenario a good volume will use valet and in turn keep it busy enough to make it work. Disney currently charges $25, as you can imagine the business is pretty low when you have the choice of $25 versus walking a few steps to park your car for free. This in turn creates a situation where the valet company is in some cases losing money and the valet employees sometimes don't even make minimum wage. Of course that makes it difficult to keep quality people employed. The valet company at Disney can justify these losses a little more than other companies at other hotels because they are making good money off airline check-in. They've definitely reached if not passed some time ago the tipping point where self parking needs to have a charge to maintain the right volume to keep valet functioning. This is/was inevitable, I can tell you from first hand experience Disney has dragged their feet on this for some time.
Only the Disney deluxes offer valet parking. And if I'm not mistaken, they will even be charging the parking fee at the All Stars.
 
Only the Disney deluxes offer valet parking. And if I'm not mistaken, they will even be charging the parking fee at the All Stars.

exactly. While I understand the valet issue. A huge amount of visitors come in from out of town, and on buses.

They are also working at one of the most popular destinations in the world.

Another way of dealing with this issue, is to reduce the amount of free parking spaces available, or make them farther away from the resort. People valet when parking is too much of a hassle, or space is limited. Not just because they have money to spend.

Keep your "resort" and "parking" fees to the hotels where people can afford them. We aren't staying at a "value" resort because we are swimming with cash.

Personally, I'd prefer them to just charge parking at the parks instead. As you don't necessarily go to the parks everyday of your visit.
 
Only the Disney deluxes offer valet parking. And if I'm not mistaken, they will even be charging the parking fee at the All Stars.
Yeah, there's no excuse for that and same goes for Universal with Cabana Bay. I'm sure Disney would say it's something about consistency, the truth is they're not going to give a perk to a value resort that a deluxe doesn't have. I suspect they'll be handing over the self parking operation at the value resorts to the same company who also does luggage services there so there could be some justification for it there, but yeah that's mostly a cash grab.
 
I’d be fine with parking fees if I wasnt beaten for two decades that Disney is better and less shady for just “including the fees” in the prices for the hotels.

Beach Club this weekend is $575 a night.
Royal Pacific is $414.


someone on the magic forum did a weekly price difference between UOR and Disney, and I think the UOR ended up being like $3000 cheaper a week.
 
Well now I’m always staying at UOR. Only ever really chose Disney hotels due to free parking and the price sometimes being cheaper it Cabana, Sapphire, and Aventura will all now be better hotels with cheaper pricing.
 
The unintended consequences of this will be interesting, depending how the final plan shakes out. Resort F&B will likely take a hit (on top of the losses newer, let's be honest, better, restaurants at Disney Springs have caused).

Also how many "in-the-know" lifestylers will gladly pay to park at Contemporary or Boardwalk rather than the parks themselves.

And how many tickets will now have to be written for cars left overnight in the water parks (or even TTC if hotel parking > $25).
 
Well Cabana is by far the better deal than any value at Disney. Stayed at all star movie for one night the other week and that was more than enough time. Place was terrible.
 
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