Disney Resorts to start charging parking fees....

[SmithSmith]

Ever hear of license plate recognition. I don’t know about there in the States, but it’s common here in in UK parking lots. If the computer doesn’t have you flagged as having paid (and there will be something in the system for short term day visitors vs on site stays associated with those plates you can bet) then you won’t leave the lot. Even our Macdonald’s restaurants use number plate recognition to get orders through faster. This is Disney, it mightntake a few months to get it into place, but I guarantee you this is the way they’ll be going.

I would hope that this will also help crack down on the parking at resorts and heading to parks. They could easily implement a maximum 3 hours. Anything over and you get the 24 hour charge for that hotel before you can leave.

I definitely think the parking charge is a step too far, but don’t anyone think they can’t easily enforce it. My only hope is that because of this they will also crack down on the cheaters, and then there should be plenty of parking for the legit day guests resort hopping or dining as well as the resort guests.

I wouldn’t put it past Disney. They are the ones that put RFID tracking on soda cups after all...

 

[Kevin355]

I wouldn’t put it past Disney. They are the ones that put RFID tracking on soda cups after all...

Yes they did.

 

[johnnyr]

I started looking elsewhere to vacation when Disney started putting RFID chips in beverage cups to limit people on beverages. I just thought that was a tacky move back then. I don't know of any vacation spot in the world that does that. When all the cutbacks and price increases started a few years ago, I really started to feel betrayed by Disney as I have been a loyal "guest" (and I use that term lightly lately) for the past 20+ years. I've emailed my observations and concerns to them, received phone calls and have spoken to whoever would listen. In the end they only patronized me and told me what they think a "guest" would want to hear. Nothing has been done to reverse any of their money grabbing policies and I don't think they will reverse this one either. Personally, I think they are so far over budget with all the projects they have up in the air. It's really sad to watch what they are doing to their loyal base of fans. I'm afraid with Star Wars, Toy Story Land and the 50th anniversary coming we have only seen the tip of the iceberg with cuts, price increases, fees and upsells. For me and my family, sadly we spend much less time in Disney World because it is not the same as it once was. They value is just not there anymore. They took all the benefits of staying onsite in a Disney hotel away. I'm fortunate I was able to experience the Disney that once was. I feel bad for the new generation.

 

[chelynnah]

The only problem I see is Disney is notorious for not following their own rules. There are many easy ways to figure out who is over staying as a day guest and who are overnight guests they would just have to enforce it and they haven't had a good track record with that.

But if it’s all handled electronically then it’s not so difficult to enforc, as opposed to just telling a story to one guard on the way in and another on the way out hours later. The technology would track you coming and going.

 

[Kevin355]

I started looking elsewhere to vacation when Disney started putting RFID chips in beverage cups to limit people on beverages. I just thought that was a tacky move back then. I don't know of any vacation spot in the world that does that. When all the cutbacks and price increases started a few years ago, I really started to feel betrayed by Disney as I have been a loyal "guest" (and I use that term lightly lately) for the past 20+ years. I've emailed my observations and concerns to them, received phone calls and have spoken to whoever would listen. In the end they only patronized me and told me what they think a "guest" would want to hear. Nothing has been done to reverse any of their money grabbing policies and I don't think they will reverse this one either. Personally, I think they are so far over budget with all the projects they have up in the air. It's really sad to watch what they are doing to their loyal base of fans. I'm afraid with Star Wars, Toy Story Land and the 50th anniversary coming we have only seen the tip of the iceberg with cuts, price increases, fees and upsells. For me and my family, sadly we spend much less time in Disney World because it is not the same as it once was. They value is just not there anymore. They took all the benefits of staying onsite in a Disney hotel away. I'm fortunate I was able to experience the Disney that once was. I feel bad for the new generation.

Amen.

 

[lambdabeta]

Yes.
I don’t think so.



Everything was booked under my husbands account with his email and phone number. We shared one account. I did not have my own MDE until much later. I was only on the booking for that first stay in name-only.

When I contacted GS that first time I used an email address that was not associated with any MDE profile. I did not relate any info regarding my husbands profile, nor did I give any personal info besides my name and cell number.

I don’t see how they could’ve possibly connected me to that past stay or known I had been a guest.

Are you talking about a complaint to GS many years ago? It may have been policy back then to call everyone that emailed with a concern or complaint. It could be that simple as to why they called you. It is probably in the last 2 years that they stopped doing that. I have no frame of reference since I went in Dec 2017 and emailed them that same month. I can't speak to what they did previously. If you didn't give them your phone number and you were wondering why, that is probably because you were listed under your husbands account. That is all I can suggest.

 

[Kevin355]

Are you talking about a complaint to GS many years ago? It may have been policy back then to call everyone that emailed with a concern or complaint. It could be that simple as to why they called you. It is probably in the last 2 years that they stopped doing that. I have no frame of reference since I went in Dec 2017 and emailed them that same month. I can't speak to what they did previously. If you didn't give them your phone number and you were wondering why, that is probably because you were listed under your husbands account. That is all I can suggest.

You bring up a good point. When we went with 2 groups of friends, I had all of their e-mail address on my WDW profile so we could all see each other's itinerary.

 

[kkbrig]

Annual pass holders get free parking at the theme parks. Any chance they will have free parking at the resorts? (hoping!!)

 

[dansdad]

Annual pass holders get free parking at the theme parks. Any chance they will have free parking at the resorts? (hoping!!)

As of now, no.

 

[lambdabeta]

But if it’s all handled electronically then it’s not so difficult to enforc, as opposed to just telling a story to one guard on the way in and another on the way out hours later. The technology would track you coming and going.

That would require them purchasing the technology. I doubt they will do that. That is why they are only charging overnight guests because when you drive in they will know you have a reservation and a car. They already have that technology now. They wouldn't have to change anything. As many have said this is a simple way to increase revenue with no cash outlay on their part.

 

[dansdad]

That would require them purchasing the technology. I doubt they will do that.

It's already installed. Happened about 18 months ago.

 

[SmithSmith]

Are you talking about a complaint to GS many years ago? It may have been policy back then to call everyone that emailed with a concern or complaint. It could be that simple as to why they called you. It is probably in the last 2 years that they stopped doing that. I have no frame of reference since I went in Dec 2017 and emailed them that same month. I can't speak to what they did previously. If you didn't give them your phone number and you were wondering why, that is probably because you were listed under your husbands account. That is all I can suggest.

Yes. I was talking about my first contact with GS in 2014 because I was relating it to your experience with GS. They were similar because both of us were “new” guests at the time. We both contacted them shortly after our first trip in years.

My calls to GS this year included one agent confirming that they still call to follow up after every email received. I realize now that that is a lie. I’m just relating to you what I was told.

You bring up a good point. When we went with 2 groups of friends, I had all of their e-mail address on my WDW profile so we could all see each other's itinerary.

Again, I did not have an MDE at that time. The email address I used was not connected in any way to my husbands account or our resort booking.

 

[UncleMike101]

You bring up a good point. When we went with 2 groups of friends, I had all of their e-mail address on my WDW profile so we could all see each other's itinerary.

I've been receiving offers for Disney Cruise Lines, Disney offshore resorts, Disneyland, Disney Movies, Marvel Comics, Disney Baby, Disney Audio, and Disney Video.
While I've never expressed any interest in any of those Disney ventures my Daughter, who in listed in my MDE under "Friends" has inquired about most of those offerings.
It appears that since we are associated within the same group of MDE "friends" all of us are targeted for advertising after one of us makes an inquiry.
My guess is that all data on Guests is shared over the entire Disney network and none of our information is "private" within the Disney Empire.

 

[Spaceguy55]

IF and when they implement this fee there are a few things I know they will not do:

1 They will not be towing your car..the charge comes in your folio on check out day.
2 They will not be charging at the gate to the resort..same reason.
3 They will not stop you from leaving the resort without paying, that would be a lot to ask from current CM's that might cause a PR nightmare and possible legal action..missed flights would be a good example.

This is a thing or 2 they may do:

1 If you manage to somehow get around whatever system they put in place to impose this tax/fee, "and they associate a car to your room", they will just put it on your card for incidentals that most people have on file, if for any reason that card is not valid on day of checkout they will just keep it in their system for your next trip and collect it then before you make a new reservation or buy or renew anything else with them.
2 When you dispute this charge or claim ignorance, they will more then likely waive it the first time and welcome you back for your next vacation..welcome home.

A couple other things:
The cost of the proper signage and properly trained CM's in the parking lots to make sure they are able to do this without a legal liability is going to be high so I would expect a trial period with the tax/fee added to your folio at checkout for awhile. The last thing they want is a line of disgruntled guests mixed in with check ins at the front desk complaining about being overcharged..could get ugly.

If this becomes permanent , then I would expect a one time flat add on fee for AP's or other discounts and incentives for everybody else, we can hope....

 

[disneyholic family]

For so many years, Disney has been able to charge whatever they wanted because they had the "Disney Difference". They thought they were the only game in town and that they were offering a unique experience with a level of service that was in a level above everyone else. For a while, they might have been right, but they set the standard and other companies took notice and followed their lead. Now, Disney has created competition and it's not only nipping at their heels, but poised to quickly overtake them. Disney no longer has a monopoly on the Orlando theme park and resort business and they cannot get away with thinking that people will blindly pay whatever they charge simply because its Disney.

I think Disney burst their own bubble. This latest move was a money grab, pure and simple. There is simply no justification for it...at all. The only possible way to defend this fee would be if they had extended it to day guests as well, and the logical reason for NOT doing so is because there is no practical method already in place to collect it. Since that is not the case, this is pure greed on Disney's part and because of that, Disney has made themselves look very bad in the eyes of many die-hard Disney fans, myself included.

With the way Disney has reduced the quality of their "product" while simultaneously raising their prices, they have already priced out many families who can no longer afford to take annual vacations. Now, they are adding insult to injury by tacking on fees for no apparent reason other than to pad their profits. That's just sleazy and those who can afford to go might not want to spend their vacation dollars at a destination that is just looking to squeeze every dollar out of them that they can without providing any real benefit in return. I don't think it's the fee itself that has set people off. It's the principle of the whole thing. Disney already charges 25-50% more than other hotels in the area, yet they don't offer amenities like free breakfasts, king size beds, and frequent visitor programs. Now, they are trying to justify adding on additional fees by saying that it's the industry standard. Well, if you aren't going to follow the industry standard in terms of cost or amenities, then there is no sense in trying to follow the standard when it comes to tacking on extra fees either.

This move is going to hurt them on two fronts. First are those who have never considered staying off-site and now see that there are other, cheaper options without the parking fees. In this thread alone, there are dozens of people who have realized that there are off-site options that will fit their needs as well, or better, than Disney's options. Resort occupancy is going to decline, no doubt. Second, they might even lose some theme park attendance too if people decide that they just don't want to visit Disney AT ALL. Some people here on this thread have had enough and cancelled their vacations altogether. They see Disney getting just a little too greedy and this was the final straw. Sometimes business is not all about the numbers. I think Disney looked a little too hard at the numbers and forgot about the human beings behind the numbers on this decision. The "human factor" is what they underestimated in their equation and it's going to come back and hit them in their bottom line. I sincerely hope that they take this backlash under consideration and take some serious steps to correct it going forward. They have really tarnished their reputation on this one...maybe they need to give Olivia Pope a call.

this is very well said!! i hope you emailed this to george and the bobs...

.

 

[lvdis]

Disney has lost this cheerleader. No more free advertising from me.

Same here.

 

[fla4fun]

IF and when they implement this fee there are a few things I know they will not do:

1 They will not be towing your car..the charge comes in your folio on check out day.
2 They will not be charging at the gate to the resort..same reason.
3 They will not stop you from leaving the resort without paying, that would be a lot to ask from current CM's that might cause a PR nightmare and possible legal action..missed flights would be a good example.

This is why I am concerned about partial stay parking charges. How will you prove that out of the 11 nights you stayed at your hotel that you only had a car parked overnight for two nights? If no one is monitoring the cars coming in and going out, who would know? I am hoping that we will be getting some sort of parking pass to put in the car again, and I can pick it up on the day the car arrives and turn it in on the day the car leaves as my proof that the car was only there a set number of nights. As much as I am disgusted by this blatant money grab, I would be livid if they tried to charge me for nights when the car wasn't even on property (especially if it's only two out of eleven nights!). Since this is something that occurs pretty much every trip for me, it's a big factor as to whether I stay on site or off (or just do a day trip from home, if worse comes to worse).

This post brought back another blast from the past for me. I used to stop by CR a couple nights a week for dinner on my way home from work (back before the cc guarantee and no show fee), so obviously my car was in the lot A LOT. One night I came out and found a "parking ticket" on the car. It said that I was being given a ticket as a cast member parking in guest parking, my manager was being notified, and if it occurred again, I would be towed. I've never worked for Disney, so I don't know who was being notified, but I thought it was funny at the time. That is a unique souvenir I've held on to through the years . . .

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Moments ago I made my final placeholder reservation for one night at Pop for 7/31/19.
That is 499 days from now. That is as far out as you can go right now.
I may cancel, or I may modify it. Since it was made before the cutoff, it can be modified and still get free parking.
By Christmas 2019 or Christmas 2020 I wonder if the value parking price will be at 19 dollars per night.............

 

[Kevin355]

Moments ago I made my final placeholder reservation for one night at Pop for 7/31/19.
That is 499 days from now. That is as far out as you can go right now.
I may cancel, or I may modify it. Since it was made before the cutoff, it can be modified and still get free parking.
By Christmas 2019 or Christmas 2020 I wonder if the value parking price will be at 19 dollars per night.............

You know the fee will go up for the Holidays.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It does make one curious as to why they extended the perks to those outside the bubble. Any theories?

Reinstated, not extended. Well, there wasn't FP+ back then, but the Hotel Plaza Boulevard guests got the same perks as o site guests. Then just the Hilton did, then nobody, now all seven properties