Thank you for putting the time and thought into this well-crafted response! I feel so emotional about this and my emotions are blocking my ability to sound reasonable.
We have been driving to WDW every 1-3 years since 1990. We save up and then we go. We drive to save money and for the convenience of being able to pack any way we want. Now that our DD is in her early 30's, we treat her and her husband to sharing a 2 BR villa with us. These have been cash reservations at WLV or BWV. We park the car and don't get in it again until we check out a week or so later. Even with the unpredictability of WDW transportation, we love being in the Disney bubble. We have always been willing to pay more for a Disney hotel because of everything that contributes to that bubble: theming, transportation, restaurants on site, recreation on site, and yes-free parking!
People who fly get DME for free. We drive to save money and so that we can afford to stay in a villa. We have accepted higher ticket prices, higher resort costs, and ridiculously high food prices. Now this. I feel like WDW has targeted those of us who drive and I honestly don't understand why. If we fly, we will stay less days and spend less money there! How are they getting more money from us? First they changed the ticket policy- I always bought tickets a couple of years in advance to save money. Now I can't do that anymore. You know what I did last night? I checked out the Universal hotels! Even with paying for parking, they are cheaper. I also plan to check out DS hotels. But my bubble is gone. The prices people are quoting are not accurate. It's 24.00 plus applicable taxes added to your hotel bill. For an 8 night stay, that's over 200.00, so that my car can sit in a parking lot in the FL sun. At least in the city it's in a garage!
I want to write to them, but, like I said, right now I am taking this personally.