Parking Policy Changes for Downtown Disney starting 8/16/17

[dina444444]

Effective August 16, 2017, the parking policy will be updated to provide 2 hours of free parking when you make a $20 minimum purchase and receive validation from any Downtown Disney location (including quick-service restaurants and kiosks)—or up to 4 hours of free parking with validation from any Downtown Disney table-service restaurant or AMC Theatres movie experience.

Beyond these validations, each additional hour will cost $12, charged in 30-minute increments, with a minimum $6 charge after the initial 15-minute grace period. Additionally, the maximum daily parking and lost ticket fees will increase from $36 to $48.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney-district/

 

[ashley0139]

Wow, now you don't even get the regular free two hours without spending $20? That seems crazy.

 

[Kender]

Woah. No more quick stops in to grab a small snack on the way home for me then. I spend maybe $10-$15. $20+ is a rarity. I'm also usually in DTD for less than 30 minutes depending on the line at the quick service stop.

Has parking gotten that bad in DTD to strip away all free parking? It didn't seem that awful when I last stopped in for my road snack.

 

[wowsmom]

I wonder if the businesses will stick to the $20 purchase for validation or just validate with any purchase? We sometimes pop into DTD to eat at Earl of Sandwich or get some treats from Marceline's. It's not always over $20.

 

[ashley0139]

Woah. No more quick stops in to grab a small snack on the way home for me then. I spend maybe $10-$15. $20+ is a rarity. I'm also usually in DTD for less than 30 minutes depending on the line at the quick service stop.

Has parking gotten that bad in DTD to strip away all free parking? It didn't seem that awful when I last stopped in for my road snack.

I think it's that a lot of APs use it for short term theme park parking. They're trying to curb that. Now it's $20 either way.

 

[SMD]

It seems like they've moved past discouraging theme park parking and into punishing single people who want to eat quick service at DTD. If a group meets up and goes to quick service dinner, maybe Starbucks, buy a few small items at various stores, they may not each spend $20 or not $20 at one location, but they're still spending money at DTD. It's not so appealing if everyone has to pay those rates to park. Even if we all arrive in one car, I really don't want to have to split a quick service check to get to $20 for a validation if it comes to that. Now I might as well use my parks parking, which they're also trying to discourage for people not staying for very long.

 

[SteveMP]

If i spend over $20 multiple times I could probably make a quick $5 for each receipt. Sounds cool. Can't wait til Christmas time.

 

[Kender]

I wonder if the businesses will stick to the $20 purchase for validation or just validate with any purchase? We sometimes pop into DTD to eat at Earl of Sandwich or get some treats from Marceline's. It's not always over $20.

Someone commented on the AP Facebook page they could see a place like Häagen-Dazs validating at $12 since unless you have a large family, spending $20 at a single quick service snack shop like that is going to be difficult. I have to agree with them, but I also could see it being a YMMV situation too.

I'll be curious about experiences with this once it goes live. I'll also be curious to hear what the quick stops think of this as I could see this hurting (people just skipping going to DTD altogether just for a quick bite/snack) or helping (larger purchases made just to meet minimum) their businesses.

I think it's that a lot of APs use it for short term theme park parking. They're trying to curb that. Now it's $20 either way.

I would have thought the two hour free limit would do that. Or that they'd still leave an hour free so those who are using it as intended (to pop into DTD for a quick bite/quick bit of shopping, but might not spend $20) wouldn't be caught in what feels like a punishment if you are only buying a small snack/meal.

It wouldn't be so troubling/annoying if it allowed for combining receipts. Or was a "with any purchase" rather than a minimum purchase. But the requirement it be a single location/bill is going to be a hindrance for those not going in with a larger group that will all spend the $20+ on the same purchase.

 

[ashley0139]

Someone commented on the AP Facebook page they could see a place like Häagen-Dazs validating at $12 since unless you have a large family, spending $20 at a single quick service snack shop like that is going to be difficult. I have to agree with them, but I also could see it being a YMMV situation too.

I'll be curious about experiences with this once it goes live. I'll also be curious to hear what the quick stops think of this as I could see this hurting (people just skipping going to DTD altogether just for a quick bite/snack) or helping (larger purchases made just to meet minimum) their businesses.



I would have thought the two hour free limit would do that. Or that they'd still leave an hour free so those who are using it as intended (to pop into DTD for a quick bite/quick bit of shopping, but might not spend $20) wouldn't be caught in what feels like a punishment if you are only buying a small snack/meal.

It wouldn't be so troubling/annoying if it allowed for combining receipts. Or was a "with any purchase" rather than a minimum purchase. But the requirement it be a single location/bill is going to be a hindrance for those not going in with a larger group that will all spend the $20+ on the same purchase.

You would think, but let's just say it is suggested VERY often on certain Facebook groups when people are wondering about cheaper parking that people just park at DTD for a couple hours.

 

[SMD]

It's possible to get a validation from DTD restaurants for less than the cost of parking and then you'd get almost 4 hours of park time. And for people without the parking benefit, which new lower level APs haven't been able to add for several years now, 90 additional minutes of parking at DTD is still cheaper than $20 at the park lots.

 

[Kender]

You would think, but let's just say it is suggested VERY often on certain Facebook groups when people are wondering about cheaper parking that people just park at DTD for a couple hours.

Ugh. We just can't have nice things, can we?

 

[Curlyxz]

Yeah, I've been reading a lot disapproval on Twitter in regards to these changes but these changes are only happening because of abuse by AP's. Isn't the current DTD parking meant to be where the new hotel is going anyway? Perhaps they're trying to lessen demand with these changes.

 

[SteveMP]

Yeah, I've been reading a lot disapproval on Twitter in regards to these changes but these changes are only happening because of abuse by AP's.

Surely it couldn't be due to Disney's greed like all of the other changes going on. I'm sure APs caused the fee for MaxPass and Lily Belle , and the mile long list of other fees too.

 

[SMD]

Universal charges for parking upfront, and certain places like the movie theater refund some of the parking. CityWalk is way more popular for shopping than DTD. If DTD was better at attracting people to go there for shopping or food alone, they wouldn't have to worry about having open spaces for people to use when they go to the parks or don't otherwise spend money at DTD.

 

[DLgal]

Disney created this parking mess and now we have to pay for it. That's just wrong. Why don't they build another parking garage in the parking lot behind Paradise Pier hotel? That huge parking lot is such a waste of space since it's flat...

 

[MillauFr]

Disney created this parking mess and now we have to pay for it. That's just wrong. Why don't they build another parking garage in the parking lot behind Paradise Pier hotel? That huge parking lot is such a waste of space since it's flat...

So shouldn't people using the service actually pay for those parking structures? It costs $60,000 a space to build a parking structure. Why should people who are just going to Downtown Disney without parking their car pay? Only people who are using the parking structure should pay Disney to reimburse them for the $60,000 it cost to build the parking structure.

 

[alvernon90]

It costs $60,000 a space to build a parking structure.

Where did you get that number? Because a little bit of googling indicates that you are off by a factor of three: the average cost is less than $20,000 per space in Los Angeles.

http://www.carlwalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Carl-Walker-2015-Cost-Article.pdf

 

[MillauFr]

Where did you get that number? Because a little bit of googling indicates that you are off by a factor of three: the average cost is less than $20,000 per space in Los Angeles.

http://www.carlwalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Carl-Walker-2015-Cost-Article.pdf

We budget $75,000 a spot in Seattle. This includes the cost for planning, design, right-of-way, environmental costs, mitigation fees, construction, construction administration. It all adds up pretty fast. The right-of-way alone costs $40,000,000 an acre alone in Seattle. I find it hard to believe the costs are much less in the urban areas of California.

Donald Shoup at UCLA is a good source of information if you care to read.

http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/HighCost.pdf

 

[SteveMP]

We budget $75,000 a spot in Seattle. This includes the cost for planning, design,
f

Give me a can of white spray paint and a tape measure and I'll "design" plan and paint the standard dimension parking spaces for $20 a spot. Crazy how much companies will literally reem you when ggiven the chance

 

[alvernon90]

We budget $75,000 a spot in Seattle. [...] I find it hard to believe the costs are much less in the urban areas of California.

Not sure why you estimated the cost at 20% less if you think the costs are not much less, but I see your point. I think the article you linked is trying to make a different point, which is about the cost per space for complying with the minimum number of spaces required by law. That's not what Disney would be doing, they would be building a garage to provide well more than the minimum required.

I do not have the expertise to resolve the discrepancies, but the good news is that it doesn't matter in my life, so I'll just go on not knowing for sure how much the per-space cost would be to build a new garage at DLR and try to be as happy as I can.