Subsonic Radio

Watched a YouTube video about changes coming to WDW and they said guests staying onsite would now be paying for parking. True? What about DVC owners?

Also, the individual sized toiletry amenities are going away, being replaced by full sized items.

True. DVC owners have parking included. I annual pass holder still have parking included at the parks.

Parking info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest ... s/parking/

At least some Value resorts have moved to full size, refillable bath items and more resorts are adopting this. I believe deluxe resorts still offer individual items. This is just what I have gathered from sites online. My wife and I are DVC and last trip, they still had the individual sizes.

As much as I tend to give Disney a pass on some of the costs, this one is not acceptable to me. Their hotels are very expensive (even the value ones based on what you actually get for a room). I'm willing to pay for the convenience and the Disney feel. But parking should not be charged with guests already spending so much. And the extra cost of parking based on the expense of the hotel is even worse. People will pay it and hotels will be packed, so I doubt Disney cares what I think. But it is in poor judgement from a PR perspective. The word gouging comes to mind.

Yes, they announced this earlier this year and I am rally glad I squeaked by on my last trip there in January.

There are three reasons why it'd be "fair" in my mind to charge for parking:
1) You have parking that could be used for non-Disney things and you want to deter those users from taking precious spaces
2) You want to deter non-guests from parking in the hotel lots
3) You want to deter guests from using cars where they might drive off property at some point and spend money elsewhere

For a closed ecosystem like WDW resort, #1 is no excuse. I could, however, swallow #2 but then you'd expect guests to get a waiver. I'd also accept #3, but this whole thing just feels like yet another money grab.

For your #2, if I read the link correctly, visitors actually don't pay - especially if going to a restaurant. Which seems backwards to me.

OTOH, I checked at Universal
22 per night

But if you are there for short time? 42 (34 for valet - which again seems backwards). Now that's how you keep visitors from taking spots from guests

sfein wrote:For your #2, if I read the link correctly, visitors actually don't pay - especially if going to a restaurant. Which seems backwards to me.

Wow, I didn't realize that, and agree it's really backwards!

I just recently stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek, in Disney Springs area. Their self parking was $27 night, and Valet was $34. We chose to do Valet for a few dollars more and the convenience. I would imagine if the same goes at most Disney resorts then more people will utilize Valet. It is convenient and nice especially in our rainy Florida weather!

sfein wrote:For your #2, if I read the link correctly, visitors actually don't pay - especially if going to a restaurant. Which seems backwards to me.

I think the battle has been against those that would park in a resort lot and head to the parks for the day. Same issue that has been at Downtown/Disney Springs. I'm thinking most diners and shoppers are, usually, at a resort very short term and are probably not a large percentage of the folks parking. I'd also guess that the shops and restaurants don't want additional parking fees to scare off potential customers. If that is the case, they don't seem too worried about scaring off paying room guests! But, room guests, have a larger investment against which parking is a small percentage. It would stick out a lot more to a shopper or diner. Parking fess would have the potential to nearly double the cost of a meal in some cases.

Overall, I'd say it's another way for Disney to pad the coffers a little more. To be fair though, it's a tactic many hotels have been using.

sfein wrote:As much as I tend to give Disney a pass on some of the costs, this one is not acceptable to me. Their hotels are very expensive (even the value ones based on what you actually get for a room). I'm willing to pay for the convenience and the Disney feel. But parking should not be charged with guests already spending so much. And the extra cost of parking based on the expense of the hotel is even worse. People will pay it and hotels will be packed, so I doubt Disney cares what I think. But it is in poor judgement from a PR perspective. The word gouging comes to mind.

Not shocked, this is not limited to Disney properties (which they have charged for at DLR for years). I was at a conference in Vegas and hotels there are doing it. Easy revenue since you have no alternative.

Definitely other hotels do it and Disney has the right to do the same. Always an annoyance when I travel and have to add 20 or 30 per night to park. I was actually shocked on my last trip. I stayed at Crown Plaza at Phoenix Airport. I almost fell over in shock when they told me parking was free - including valet.

sfein wrote:I was actually shocked on my last trip. I stayed at Crown Plaza at Phoenix Airport. I almost fell over in shock when they told me parking was free - including valet.

LOL, yeah, I live in Scottsdale. We still have places like that. It is strange for an airport hotel because I don't know how they police against people parking there just to fly out.

I guess I'm the odd ball. I think horizons1 and sfein make valid points but for people like my wife and I, the blue collar under class Disney fans it just feels like we are being punished. It just feels like they don't want us, the poorer fans, staying at their hotel. I get it that other Hotels are charging so Disney has the right to do it to but I hate that argument. Disney should't be doing what "other" hotels are doing, they don't need to. I mean I get it, it's a great way to make more cash, and in the end it's a buisness.

So am I correct in reading and understanding that Seasonal and Annual pass holders do not have to pay for parking?

I guess the one nice thing I can say is that they do at least charge less at the value than they do at the moderate, than they do at the deluxe. So at least they are charging those staying in the less expensive rooms less for parking. It doesn't affect you, unless they start charging for the Magical Express. Then you would have to make a decision of whether it is better to rent a car and pay for parking, or pay for the Magical Express. My Mom and I only rented a car once when we knew we would be going to do other things while we were down there, but mostly we were truly taking a destination vacation and had no need for a vehicle so the Magical Express was perfect.

If they start charging for DME then I'll probably just Uber.

You sort of pay for that already, if you are staying on-property. The costs are rolled into the final price.

Not that it changes much, but this isn't limited to Disney world. I was at a conference in Vegas (flew in) and someone was ranting at person behind the counter because the major hotels have all started to charge for parking.