Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[FaMulan358]

I admit I'm chuckling a bit at the "have" to have 2 bathrooms. How spoiled we have become in our time. Once upon a time one bathroom, large-family homes were the norm. We just did a family get together with 10 people, 2 of whom have bowel disorders, 4 of whom were children ages 5-12 and 1 bathroom.... Lol. But there are times I would appreciate having a 2nd bathroom.

Seriously!! We’re a family of 5 and we live everyday with 1 bathroom!

Yep we’re also a family of five with one member having IBD and we also only have one bathroom (but that’s ontario housing prices for ya)

We’re the middle-class that Disney is trying to push out, so for us the luxury is going on vacation at all. We only do a major trip every 3-4 years so we’re willing to skimp on comfort a bit if that money can go into extending the vacation. A family suite is almost always out of the question so that means sharing a bathroom and sticking a cot in a room that would otherwise sleep 4. We’re already living on top of each other and sharing a bathroom is just an extension of that. It’s not like we spend much time in the room anyway.

We were pretty thrilled when we found out that CBR and CSR would be able to sleep all 5 of us, even despite the cost. If those Univeral suite prices quoted earlier turn out to be true, then I can already tell you where we’ll be staying next time.

 

[ashleyrm]

Curious - Has anyone been charged the parking fee yet? I know of one person that booked a last minute trip (after the parking fees went into effect) and they said the fees were waived.

 

[TLM2015]

@ashleyrm Interesting did they say why the fees were waived?

 

[dm1996]

I was at Boardwalk on Friday meeting some friends that were staying there and they said nobody ever said one word about parking fees to them.
They went last minute for 2 nights. They never received their bill, but credit card was only charged for their room cost. They didn’t want to ask about it and risk being charged.

 

[ashleyrm]

@ashleyrm Interesting did they say why the fees were waived?

Response: "They asked if I had a car at check in and then said the fee was waived for my stay."

 

[SL6827]

Response: "They asked if I had a car at check in and then said the fee was waived for my stay."

Wonder if you skip the front desk and go directly to your room?

 

[TLM2015]

Interesting thanks! Maybe they are reconsidering the charge after all?

 

[amiskell28]

Does that include the quite pools that have no lifeguard? I can't imagine not having a hot tub to use after a long day at the parks

Couple pages back, and off topic, but does anyone know the answer to this? Nothing like nice relaxing soak after all that walking!

 

[Toolulu22]

Interesting thanks! Maybe they are reconsidering the charge after all?

I really hope so. However, this fee really irked me. I know Disney is a business and as much as we all love the Disney Bubble etc etc. they are in it to make money and are going to squeeze us all for every last cent as long as we keep packing out the Hotels and parks. On that note- after the announcement of the fees, I started looking at the prices of the hotels off-site. HOLY GUACAMOLE!! I think I stayed off-site once and it was probably twenty years ago. I forget how great the prices are in comparison to staying on-site. Seriously. We usually get a DVC one-bedroom, and these are up to over $600 rack rate. Even if we lucked out to get 30% off, if we add taxes and fees (ahem, parking)- we're talking about $500 a night just for hotel. Some of the off-site one bedroom suites (with kitchen but not inroom washer and dryer) were less than $200 a night. I think that on our next trip we'll try at least a split stay to see how things work out. For that kind of savings, stepping outside of the Bubble is worth it to us. We'll be literally down the road from the gate.

 

[DrDeb]

And I just had an idea to use Uber even more... Here's the work around. Pay to park at an MCO "Park and Fly" - $5.99 per day. Take their bus to MCO, use DME or Uber to get to your resort. Use complimentary transportation while at your WDW resort, and take DME back to the airport to pick up your car (or Uber). Save $20 per night on parking, less the cost of your Uber ride (if any, hence the DME option if you are long on time but short on $$$).

you said EVERYTHING I've been thinking...I always stay onsite and have watched the rates rise, the park tix rise, and the dining plan cost rise, and still I return 2x per year because I love WDW so. But a resort parking fee seems excessive even for Disney. Going in 30 days so we'll see how they handle this at FQ!

 

[The_Darkside]

Just spent two nights at Pop. Did online check-in and skipped the front desk entirely. Had our magicbands so we just used the returning guest lane driving in and didn’t even interact with the security at the gate. Checked out today and no parking charges on the credit card.

 

[rteetz]

Just spent two nights at Pop. Did online check-in and skipped the front desk entirely. Had our magicbands so we just used the returning guest lane driving in and didn’t even interact with the security at the gate. Checked out today and no parking charges on the credit card.

Did you book prior to March 21st?

 

[bluecastle]

Ever since I posted here about considering a stay at Universal, mentioned it in my phone call with the WDW CM, and researched the different Uni hotels on trip advisor and the Uni site, I have been getting almost daily emails from Universal! I guess someone is listening. ( I was hoping it would be Disney)

 

[UncleMike101]

Ever since I posted here about considering a stay at Universal, mentioned it in my phone call with the WDW CM, and researched the different Uni hotels on trip advisor and the Uni site, I have been getting almost daily emails from Universal! I guess someone is listening. ( I was hoping it would be Disney)

The lesson here is that nothing we do on an electronic telecommunications device is private.
The Facebook, Google, Twitter, et al, owners and the Government have seen to that.

 

[The_Darkside]

Did you book prior to March 21st?

Nope booked on March 25th

 

[larry47591]

Nope booked on March 25th

I think this proves they were not ready to roll this out. Unless they make you check in at the desk I think it will be hard to know who is driving and who is not. I’m sure they will work it out soon enough but seems to be lots of confusion.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ever since I posted here about considering a stay at Universal, mentioned it in my phone call with the WDW CM, and researched the different Uni hotels on trip advisor and the Uni site, I have been getting almost daily emails from Universal! I guess someone is listening. ( I was hoping it would be Disney)

I am still waiting for them (Uni) to see all this chatter and come out with a promotion that includes free parking

 

[tlmadden73]

I think this proves they were not ready to roll this out. Unless they make you check in at the desk I think it will be hard to know who is driving and who is not. I’m sure they will work it out soon enough but seems to be lots of confusion.

Right .. it feels like they just announced this .. without any thought (or idea how much negative feedback they would get). Considering how quick it was announced until the "roll out" of March 21, they didn't seem to have any infrastructure in place to enforce this parking fee. It seems like they were just going to just ask you if you have a car at check in (or when you book) .. and just tack on the fee based on guests honesty?

Considering they announced that day guests would be free, it just seems that the upper management made this decision, but hotel staff weren't given time or direction on how to implement or enforce this.

It feels like they would need either:
1) Some sort of "parking sticker" for the length of your stay - which would seemingly require "parking police" to ticket those who are parked overnight without it. I can't see Disney spending the time and money to have meter maids at every hotel. But this sorta would defeat the purpose of "straight to the room" check in.

2) Some sort of check-in process the first time you roll into the hotel. Stop at the security gate and scan your Magic Band and that info goes into the system. (The thinking there - If you scan a Magic Band to get into the gate, you didn't come in via Magic Express .. so you MUST have a car.) You just pay a "per night" fee at check out.

 

[lucas]

Just spent two nights at Pop. Did online check-in and skipped the front desk entirely. Had our magicbands so we just used the returning guest lane driving in and didn’t even interact with the security at the gate. Checked out today and no parking charges on the credit card.

This is another thing that doesn't seem fair about this whole thing!

We like to check-in at the desk and of course we go thru the guard's lane. So, dummies like us will be charged.

But, if we do the online check-in and avoid the guard by going thru the returning guest lane, no charge?!

(ETA: They cut out people sneaking free refills by having the refillable mugs with chips in them, so I am sure they will put a stop to this.)

 

[Toolulu22]

I am still waiting for them (Uni) to see all this chatter and come out with a promotion that includes free parking

Doubt they would they do that.

We’ve been staying at Universal for years, for a few days before heading to WDW. Since they opened Harry Potter, then Volcano Bay, and now new Value resorts- their ticket prices have gone up and their hotel prices fluctuate just like Disney.

We usually stay in a standard king at Royal Pacific, and have always paid about $200-$225 per night when we go in June or July. I was shocked when I checked availability for that timeframe and rooms were over $400. I don’t see them offering anything free when the trend has been increasing prices overall.