Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[TheMaxRebo]

They are only make 24% profit on the parks. Not nearly enough for Iger and co to be able to afford summer homes on Mars when they use their golden parachutes.

Seriously though, parking fees are probably close to 100% profit since they were paying for parking lot maintenance out of resort room prices before anyway. Win for Disney and the head of parks will probably get a large bonus for it.

Yup, I did some rough calculations and can easily get to $50m profit annually from this - which would increase profits from all of parks and resorts by 4% which I am sure analysts and shareholders would like

 

[lucas]

I dont think so. They would not want a big announcement as people would expect this from now on with any price increase. (Re: if they were to reverse it)

I've been thinking this, too. I really don't think they will reverse it because of this reason.

 

[kiki02]

Staying offsite then - they are too greedy for me.

 

[mrswillson]

I (and for my entire life up until this moment would never believe I would be saying this) very proudly checked the "will not be returning" button for the poll. Quite frankly, I'm done.

I grew up practically living in WDW and on DCL. My family was DVC. I became a Cast Member for the Disney Store for several years, which was one of my dreams since I was a little girl. When my husband and I married, it was inside AKL overlooking the savannah. Last year, my husband and I sailed on the Fantasy for our honeymoon, and I've personally sailed on 6 DCL cruises growing up. Until this year, my husband and I were annual passholders as well, as we live in such close proximity to the parks (and because I have been such a die-hard Disney fan for as long as I can remember.)

That is no longer the case now. Between the astronomical price hikes for DCL, another price hike for annual passes and park admission, and now overnight parking charges for the resorts, we've washed our hands of Disney. My parents have sold their DVC membership. I haven't and will not be renewing our annual passes. And we have also switched this year's EC cruise from DCL to Royal, and quite frankly, couldn't be more excited about it.

The bottom line: we won't be returning to Disney at all for the foreseeable future.

Disney is a business - this is common knowledge, and I nor anyone else is refuting this fact; this is the most frequently used argument from Disney proponents and fans every time a change like this occurs. However, I am a firm believer that a business should continue to better its product, and if it is going to raise prices, it shouldn't be on the heels of cut corners and lost amenities. The Disney that I grew up with and worked for no longer exists. Once upon a time the company stood to a different standard, and the primary aim has inched away from providing magic to its guests to now milking them for revenue. A previous poster echoed my thoughts exactly: the reasoning behind this decision is to fit the industry standard... and since when has Disney fit that mold? I was always under the impressed Disney offered a premium experience that was not available anywhere else, and yet now we have a company, whose letterhead is a mouse, that has become just like any other big business driven by the goal of corporate expansion at the cost of its magical touches.

At one point in time I would have balked at the idea of going to a different theme park, or sailing with another cruise line. However today I welcome the change, as Disney's decisions have made me realize that there are other companies whose product can rival theirs now that they have lowered themselves to the same standard. There is a whole big world out there to see, and now that I've taken off my rose colored Mickey glasses, I look forward to experiencing it.

 

[lucas]

I don't want to upset others. But, if they are going to penalize me daily for driving there (we live 200 miles south of WDW), I do think there should be a charge for the Magical Express.

 

[MommaBerd]

Question about DVC concerning the post from mickyminniemom. It states that DVC is still going to be complimentary for DVC Deluxe Villa guests. Is that ALL room types
including the DVC studios or just the 1 BRM, 2 BRM and Grand villas? Most of our trips involve using the studio size rooms. Second: So a person has a dinner reservation at a specific resort, are they going to be required to pay the parking fee just to eat dinner?

If you are staying at a DVC resort on points, no matter the size of the room/villa, you will not be charged for parking. The MFs cover the cost/maintenance of parking, so they can’t charge for that.

Second, it seems that if you have an ADR at the resort, they will validate your parking for up to three hours.

 

[lucas]

Staying offsite then - they are too greedy for me.

Don't stay at Gaylord Palms (right down the street from POP). They charge for parking. From their website:
Parking
Resort self-parking is $22.00 a day; valet parking is available for $33.00 a day. (Tax is additional.)

 

[cottontail]

The past two days my emails to Bob Iger have been sent back. Has anyone else had the same problem. "The following message was undeliverable". Either I have the wrong email address or they have shut the email down.

Deb.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

The past two days my emails to Bob Iger have been sent back. Has anyone else had the same problem. "The following message was undeliverable". Either I have the wrong email address or they have shut the email down.

Deb.

I sent one yesterday to the email in this thread and it didn’t bounce back. I didn’t get a call or response or anything but no bounce back.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Don't stay at Gaylord Palms (right down the street from POP). They charge for parking. From their website:
Parking
Resort self-parking is $22.00 a day; valet parking is available for $33.00 a day. (Tax is additional.)

A lot of off site places charge for parking - but they don’t charge $140/night for a basic motel room or $400/night for “deluxe” ....

Before part of the reason you could rationalize the high price for the Disney resorts was everything was included so you got more for you money - that is no longer the case

So yeah, I might have to pay for parking offsite but if I am starting from a price point 40% less than what disney is charging I am still way ahead (and likely getting larger, nicer accommodations with included breakfast and other things Disney doesn’t provide)

 

[Brocktoon]

I don't want to upset others. But, if they are going to penalize me daily for driving there (we live 200 miles south of WDW), I do think there should be a charge for the Magical Express.

I would not be surprised if they do add a surcharge for the Magical Express eventually, but I don't think Disney is there yet. Disney really only operates DME as a way of keeping people locked on-site and spending all their $$$ in the Disney bubble. If you don't rent a car and DME transports you to your resort you're more likely to spend every last cent in the parks, resorts and Disney Springs ... where Disney is willing to transport you. I don't think Disney wants to add a DME charge yet and push more people to spend offsite.

With the resort parking fee, Disney looks at it like those guests may already travel and spend off-site so we might as well monetize them any way we can

 

[lucas]

A lot of off site places charge for parking - but they don’t charge $140/night for a basic motel room or $400/night for “deluxe” ....

Before part of the reason you could rationalize the high price for the Disney resorts was everything was included so you got more for you money - that is no longer the case

So yeah, I might have to pay for parking offsite but if I am starting from a price point 40% less than what disney is charging I am still way ahead (and likely getting larger, nicer accommodations with included breakfast and other things Disney doesn’t provide)

I would never pay $400/night. That is why we stay at POP. (For $400/night for several nights, I could go on a cruise and have food and entertainment included.)

Over the years, we have stayed off-sight - on occasion. I hated it. There is the hassle of getting to/from the parks and the hotel. And, once you are at your hotel, nicer accommodations or not, it is like being back in the real world. For me it was a real disconnect with WDW, having to go back and forth each night.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't want to upset others. But, if they are going to penalize me daily for driving there (we live 200 miles south of WDW), I do think there should be a charge for the Magical Express.

I think Disney would think twice before charging a fee for the ME. I think the whole service would fold if that's the case. It would probably be just as cheap and much quicker to Uber to your resort from the airport. I would be more inclined to do that, rather than pay for a bus.

 

[jlwhitney]

I think Disney would think twice before charging a fee for the ME. I think the whole service would fold if that's the case. It would probably be just as cheap and much quicker to Uber to your resort from the airport. I would be more inclined to do that, rather than pay for a bus.

It really depends. People with kids in car seats , especially with 2-3 Uber is not really super easy. Not everyone is comfortable with uber.

Thing with ME is they contract with Mears so it would hurt Mears too.

 

[Klismania]

I (and for my entire life up until this moment would never believe I would be saying this) very proudly checked the "will not be returning" button for the poll. Quite frankly, I'm done.

This is me, too. I've spent SO MUCH MONEY at Disney World starting in 1986 when I went there for the first time and fell in love. I saw the place as a magical, wondrous fantasy that I could use as an escape, returning to it again and again over the past 30 years to renew my spirit.

This recent change finally ripped away that last shred of magic and made me see Disney World for what everyone else who wasn't addicted was seeing it as: A corporation that viewed me not as a valued guest or returning family member, but as an ATM.

Once that magic is gone, it's gone. It's that ephemeral feeling that Walt Disney was so brilliant at understanding and tapping into that made repeat business almost guaranteed for the next 100 years as parents take their kids, then their kids take their kids, and so on and so forth. But once that chain is broken, it's broken. And there's no getting it back.

 

[Farro]

I don't want to upset others. But, if they are going to penalize me daily for driving there (we live 200 miles south of WDW), I do think there should be a charge for the Magical Express.

I've seen this sentiment several times. Don't understand it, you want an ME charge just out of spite?

 

[Disneylover99]

It really depends. People with kids in car seats , especially with 2-3 Uber is not really super easy. Not everyone is comfortable with uber.

Thing with ME is they contract with Mears so it would hurt Mears too.

True. I guess it depends on how they planned to charge. Per person? Per reservation?

 

[jlwhitney]

A lot of off site places charge for parking - but they don’t charge $140/night for a basic motel room or $400/night for “deluxe” ....

Before part of the reason you could rationalize the high price for the Disney resorts was everything was included so you got more for you money - that is no longer the case

So yeah, I might have to pay for parking offsite but if I am starting from a price point 40% less than what disney is charging I am still way ahead (and likely getting larger, nicer accommodations with included breakfast and other things Disney doesn’t provide)

It is all priorities in the end. For some off site is a great option and may be a great new option. For others they don't want it. We all have different budgets and how we want to spend our money on and worth/value is all in the eye of the individual.

For us, we are 2.5 hours away so obviously we drive. We have found we dislike parking at the parks and driving around. We like the buses, even though at times they are frustrating. Neither of us want to drive around orlando more than we have too. Many of the off site hotels that we would even consider have parking fees anyway.

 

[lucas]

I would not be surprised if they do add a surcharge for the Magical Express eventually, but I don't think Disney is there yet. Disney really only operates DME as a way of keeping people locked on-site and spending all their $$$ in the Disney bubble. If you don't rent a car and DME transports you to your resort you're more likely to spend every last cent in the parks, resorts and Disney Springs ... where Disney is willing to transport you. I don't think Disney wants to add a DME charge yet and push more people to spend offsite.

With the resort parking fee, Disney looks at it like those guests may already travel and spend off-site so we might as well monetize them any way we can

That is exactly what I was saying. They are penalizing us drivers.

(Plus, we drivers already have to pay for gas, tolls and the wear and tear on our cars.)

 

[jarestel]

There seems to be a few of us who claim they will continue to happily pay more money for less value because "one must keep shareholders happy". I wonder if this is only a Disney related philosophy or do the same folks happily overpay for mediocre automobiles and average houses as well. I suspect it's only Disney where the $$$ blinders are in full force. And that's perfectly fine if they wish to do that. But preaching and counseling others to accept it or stay home seems a bit over the top.