Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[mikebb]

Just thinking out loud here but could this be a way to keep people on site? Stay at hotels and use Disney transportation so people don’t go venture off elsewhere. Sure there is still Uber but that’s also an added expense.

We haven’t gotten a car at Disney since 2003. We always use Disney transportation now. Even the one time we stayed at the Dolphin we used a shuttle to and from the hotel.

I suppose, but what I would be curious about is the statistics around people who drive vs. fly to Disney. I could be wrong, but I would think that between locals, weekenders (like us who live in state but aren't truly local), and long-distance road-trippers, Disney has a larger percentage of driving vacationers than many other destinations.

And even being drivers by necessity - since the 2 1/2 hour trip wouldn't benefit us to fly - we still tend to stay entirely in the bubble when onsite. If anything, all of these upcharges start making Disney feel less "all-inclusive" for us and have us considering branching out with more trips to Seaworld, Busch Gardens, Universal, etc.

 

[rteetz]

This would just drive me the other way. I would probably book an on-site room only reservation and cancel it at the 5 day cancellation mark to get my FPs and then stay offsite since I have free parking with my AP. If I’m going for a week (8 nights) parking at $25 a night is going to be like $200, that’s a lot of money just for parking when I have free parking at the parks with my AP regardless. I was fine paying the fee at universal but I was only there 2 nights and I could walk to the theme park or take a dedicated water taxi that I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for.

My point is it’s getting people to not drive to WDW rather use DME. Obviously APs are a different animal but for a regular guest I could see this swaying them from getting a car to using DME and Disney transportation only.

 

[rteetz]

I suppose, but what I would be curious about is the statistics around people who drive vs. fly to Disney. I could be wrong, but I would think that between locals, weekenders (like us who live in state but aren't truly local), and long-distance road-trippers, Disney has a larger percentage of driving vacationers than many other destinations.

And even being drivers by necessity - since the 2 1/2 hour trip wouldn't benefit us to fly - we still tend to stay entirely in the bubble when onsite. If anything, all of these upcharges start making Disney feel less "all-inclusive" for us and have us considering branching out with more trips to Seaworld, Busch Gardens, Universal, etc.

I could see it being pretty even. From a lot of place Orlando flights are pretty cheap. We always fly to Orlando because why waste 20 hours for a $120 flight?

 

[dina444444]

My point is it’s getting people to not drive to WDW rather use DME. Obviously APs are a different animal but for a regular guest I could see this swaying them from getting a car to using DME and Disney transportation only.

I would never want to have to rely on MDE. I prefer not having to loose that extra time at the parks on both ends of my trip and I would still pull my own luggage cause I don’t care to have to wait hours on end for a delayed delivery.

 

[jknezek]

I will be interesting to see how they handle this at Fort Wilderness. Paying for the site essentially IS paying for parking. I could see them charging for more than 1 vehicle at the site, but how they will handle that with golf carts would be interesting.

 

[rteetz]

I would never want to have to rely on MDE. I prefer not having to loose that extra time at the parks on both ends of my trip and I would still pull my own luggage cause I don’t care to have to wait hours on end for a delayed delivery.

I can’t rent a car because I’m not old enough to so I use DME and my family always has as well. I’ve never had a major problem with it. Sure sometimes it takes a while but I always plan for that. As for luggage I’ve never had an issue with that either. Maybe I’m just lucky but it works for me.

 

[rteetz]

I will be interesting to see how they handle this at Fort Wilderness. Paying for the site essentially IS paying for parking. I could see them charging for more than 1 vehicle at the site, but how they will handle that with golf carts would be interesting.

Now that would be interesting.

 

[Monykalyn]

Last weekend we stayed at a DS resort, rate was $200/night, plus $50 in parking and resort fees(had to charge both, huh?).

Most hotels charge for parking. Sucks Disney didn't and now they are going to, but nothing out of the realm of the ordinary.

If you book direct and are a reward member sometimes fees are waived. Or if book with OTA like Orbitz and are platinum member ( I am) then I can stack discounts and often get fees waived-had the fees waived by booking through orbitz last Thanksgiving at B Resort, and parking waived during a special by booking direct at Doubletree in January. -that combined with fact that offsite are often hundreds cheaper over LOS there is no reason to stay on Disney property. So to say "that is the way it is" is somewhat misleading. Car rentals (if you do due diligence) can be dirt cheap-therefore DME is mute point.

We almost always have a car when we visit too.

 

[dina444444]

I can’t rent a car because I’m not old enough to so I use DME and my family always has as well. I’ve never had a major problem with it. Sure sometimes it takes a while but I always plan for that. As for luggage I’ve never had an issue with that either. Maybe I’m just lucky but it works for me.

As a solo traveler that doesn’t want to be dependent on anyone else’s time I much prefer being in a rental car. It takes me 30 minutes from when I leave the park on my last day to get to the airport via the toll road so if I have a 7pm flight I am leaving the park at 4:15 versus having to get a bus back to my resort for a DME that will be leaving by at least 4pm.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just thinking out loud here but could this be a way to keep people on site? Stay at hotels and use Disney transportation so people don’t go venture off elsewhere. Sure there is still Uber but that’s also an added expense.

We haven’t gotten a car at Disney since 2003. We always use Disney transportation now. Even the one time we stayed at the Dolphin we used a shuttle to and from the hotel.

I think it depends on the type of vacationer you are.

Even when we were offsite though back in 2011 we had a rental car and used the free shuttle to get to WDW and USO though we did drive a few times because the shuttle wasn't always convenient.

For DME I can't see us ever wanting to use that type of service. The idea of being captive on WDW's property for me personally isn't my cup of tea.

I have been to two places where we didn't get a rental car but that is because of the location--St. Lucia, and NYC area are the only two places we've not had a rental car though when we were in Newark, NJ in December we had a rental car for a few days as my husband was there on business. However, we just walked to Penn Station and rode public transit from there into NYC.

 

[SL6827]

Wonder if this could have an effect on the parking garages at Disney Springs? Would even more people park there now? Or park there and use SSR buses?

 

[loves to dive]

I'm not surprised since almost all major hotels charge a separate parking fee in most cities. Do I like it? Nope, we drive down, we use Disney transportation when we get there but we still drive down. We live in Georgia so it's only a 7 1/2 hour drive. I might could get a plane ticket for around the price of parking but then I would either have to pay to park my car at the Atlanta airport or pay someone to drive us to the Atlanta airport, which would probably end up costing more than the parking fee. I stay at Swan/Dolphin more often than not now days since even with their resort fee and parking fee it's less than the Epcot resorts and about equal to a moderate so why not stay in a semi-deluxe within walking distance to two parks. I do have an AP and have had for a number of years since I take multiple trips a year so fingers crossed there is some sort of discount at least for AP holders.

 

[Farro]

If you book direct and are a reward member sometimes fees are waived. Or if book with OTA like Orbitz and are platinum member ( I am) then I can stack discounts and often get fees waived-had the fees waived by booking through orbitz last Thanksgiving at B Resort, and parking waived during a special by booking direct at Doubletree in January. -that combined with fact that offsite are often hundreds cheaper over LOS there is no reason to stay on Disney property. So to say "that is the way it is" is somewhat misleading. Car rentals (if you do due diligence) can be dirt cheap-therefore DME is mute point.

We almost always have a car when we visit too.

We don't stay off-site. We also don't drive. So DME is not a mute point to me.
It is the norm to charge for parking at most hotels all over the place (or neatly wrapped in a resort fee), it's not misleading. It was not the norm for Disney, but seems it will be.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can’t rent a car because I’m not old enough to so I use DME and my family always has as well. I’ve never had a major problem with it. Sure sometimes it takes a while but I always plan for that. As for luggage I’ve never had an issue with that either. Maybe I’m just lucky but it works for me.

Well there should be companies available at MCO to rent under 25 but you would incur the surcharge for doing so which would make it less financially feasible for sure.

My husband and I were fortunate because when we were under 25 the companies we worked for as a perk would waive the under 25 surcharge for us if we booked though the company website if leisure travel. Since my husband has needed a rental car for business many times over prior to be 25 when he booked under business travel and his company's account the fee was automatically waived.

 

[mikebb]

Wonder if this could have an effect on the parking garages at Disney Springs? Would even more people park there now? Or park there and use SSR buses?

Hmm, yeah, interesting. Although, like many other things it is a matter of volume, and I wonder how many people really utilize the "trick" of parking at DS and taking buses to avoid paying for parking now.

But I totally can imagine the scene when someone decides to "outsmart" Disney and park in the garages for the entirety of their vacation to avoid $$ in parking charges, only to find that Disney has started towing overnight garage parkers and they now have $$$ in impound fees.

 

[Monykalyn]

It is the norm to charge for parking at most hotels all over the place

Just about every city (including near Disney) you can find less expensive, still nice hotels, with no resort or parking fee, or as I said-belong to their reward club. So it doesn't have to be the "norm. It is because they can get away with it, especially business travelers on expense accounts.

 

[Farro]

Just about every city (including near Disney) you can find less expensive, still nice hotels, with no resort or parking fee, or as I said-belong to their reward club. So it doesn't have to be the "norm. It is because they can get away with it, especially business travelers on expense accounts.

I'm not sure what you are trying to get at? They still charge the fee, don't they? There are just ways to get around it.
Disney will start charging the fee - their way to get around it is to use their free park to park, hotel to airport transportation (for now). I get some don't want to, but technically the choice is still there (for now).

All this to say it's not surprising they are doing this. Disappointing? Sure. Surprising? No.

***edited to change word choice

 

[Rich M]

I am not shocked to hear this because at Disneyland they already charge hotel guest for parking. When staying DVC it is waived. Unless this has changed.

 

[dina444444]

I am not shocked to hear this because at Disneyland they already charge hotel guest for parking. When staying DVC it is waived. Unless this has changed.

It hasn’t. Parking is at a premium at Disneyland, compared to the abundance of it at WDW.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It is the norm to charge for parking at most hotels all over the place (or neatly wrapped in a resort fee),

I wouldn't say most hotels all over the place. I would say location location location means a lot more than anything.

You're not going to find too many hotels in my suburbia area that charge parking fees. You will however have that more common when you move to Downtown.

For example the Sheraton connected to a well-used convention center in suburbia doesn't charge a fee however if you move to the Sheraton connected to a well-known commercial complex in Downtown you pay a parking fee. Same goes for Hilton, etc. in our area.

Heck we stayed at Hilton Grand Vacations on Boulevard in Las Vegas that didn't charge a fee (was located on the street just behind the strip) but the Hilton Grand Vacations on the Strip charged a parking fee (as did I *believe* most if not all hotels on the Strip). The hotels by the way were about a mile from each other.

Parking fees typically goes with the location. Many travelers go to many different areas in the nation stay at hotels without parking fees. It is the norm when it comes to considering location.