Disney Resorts to start charging parking fees....

[bryanb]

Kind of off topic but since I am now going to stay offsite for the first time... what are the shuttles like for those hotels? We fly in and would rather not deal with a rental car.

It depends on the hotel, but the Good Neighbor hotel shuttle system is not great. Very few pickup times, didn't operate on-time, and took forever to stop at the various hotels -- at least in the two times I used it. I'd plan on Lyft/Uber as a backup.

Anyway, the reason I forgot these critical follow-up questions is because - here comes my favorite part - she told me that if a day-guest is scanned and then later found to be there for “8 to 10 or 12” hours, they would charge their guest folio. Eight to 10 to 12 hours! So either they’re taking into account the long waits at ‘Ohana, or they really want that day guest to enjoy the value in his/her select recreational experiences.

My question about how this would prevent someone from going to their Kona breakfast reservation and then heading to the parks for 10 to 12 hours was met with awkward silence. So rest assured, this new policy sounds like it will really crack down on parking abuses! ETA: I understand why they'd want day guest to park for free for some period of time to spend money, but this seems excessive and it doesn't seem to solve any issues for resort guests without some type of validation system - maybe it will firm up further down the line?

8-10 hours!?!? Say it isn't so! I was still kinda hanging on to hope that they would limit it to just a few hours. Ok, I already emailed the main WDW email address days ago, I will go ahead and email George's office now!

We don't know if she was speaking about actual policy, or using 8-10 hours to illustrate an example of where Disney would identify something as abuse. As far as I know, there is no set limit on number of hours for a day guest. I wouldn't get so angry about that and I don't see it as an invitation to abuse the system. Their policy is a little bit left open, but if enough people start abusing it, they'll have to make it more explicit. What we do know is that a guest isn't supposed to even park at a resort to sneak off for four hours in a park, so if you get caught doing that, they'd be entirely within their rights to call that out too. 8-10 hours sounds like an example to me.

However she meant it, take it in the spirit it was given. If we nitpick everything people say, then companies will just decide to always used canned responses that reveal nothing.

 

[vinotinto]

Speaking of parking and charging at the resorts.....
Can you imagine the LINES of cars at the "proposed gates" (if they implement them at each resort?)!!???? WOW!!
There would be a LINE of cars paying/exiting/entering, etc....
That would "add time" to getting to a resort/restaurant/etc...
Just food for thought...
Questions:
1. HOW would they do the gate system?
2. HOW do you pay for it? Automated? Security booth?
3. HOW do you work in "day passes"? I can hear it now, a 4 min explanation as to "Oh, I am here only to eat at the Flying Fish
at BW, and I will not be paying, just staying for my dinner".... Meanwhile, the line backs up longer and longer...

LOTS of questions about this "new parking plan"...

My .02 cents worth....

Deerh

[/QUOTE]

I would think they would do it just like every other parking area. Either a manned booth to collect fees with a gate with a ticket when you enter. If you are shopping or eating at the resort they would validate your ticket for free parking and if you exceed the time limit you would be charged. Or just a gate system with use of your magic band to get in or out or still using a ticket that you insert and pay with a credit card when you leave if you don't have a magic band and are just a day visitor. I have been in many paid lots that do both of these things. In the resorts that have a lot of traffic they may have to have more gates or booths like they do in city parking lots.[/QUOTE]

Like I mentioned many pages back, the "industry standard" of Universal already charges for parking (($13 for values and $24 for deluxes) *but* they also charge Day guests for parking. You get a ticket when you enter. If you are an overnight guest, you use your room key to enter/exit. The overnight parking is charged to the folio. If you are a day guest, you pay upon exit. It's a per hour charge and adds to $45/day. Simple. Here in Atlanta, they don't even man some parking lots. You grab a ticket when you enter the lot and you get a ticket from the restaurant that gets you 2 hours free. You enter your ticket at exit, followed by the restaurant's ticket. If it's less than 2 hours, the gate opens. If it's more, you pay the difference. Easy, peasy and FAIR.

I'm OK paying to park my car AS LONG AS THE DAY GUESTS PAY TOO. What is bothering me is paying to park only to have the day guests take the parking spots and get to park for free.

 

[sbd78]

Well thanks to this b.s. new policy, I've booked my 2019 vacation and it's not at Disney. As I said in an earlier post, I had a knee jerk reaction of wanting to cancel our upcoming Disney trip this May even though the parking fee won't affect this trip. My hubby and kids want to stick with Disney this year though, since we've been planning it for so long. My anger, however, caused me to start researching other vacations. I found a great deal on a Norwegian Cruise for next summer, June of 2019. 7-nights out of New York to Bermuda on the Norwegian Escape, $1 deposit to book, balance isn't due until Feb. 2019 and the trip can be cancelled without penalty until then. Ocean view family stateroom, 2 of my kids sail free, and hubby and I get a free open bar package for the length of our cruise. Total cost for 2 adults and 3 kids? $4,500. I'm pretty excited about it and kind of wish we were doing that for this years vacation. So thanks Disney, for making me research other options.

BTW, the sale I booked runs through tonight if anyone else is interested.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

It depends on the hotel, but the Good Neighbor hotel shuttle system is not great. Very few pickup times, didn't operate on-time, and took forever to stop at the various hotels -- at least in the two times I used it. I'd plan on Lyft/Uber as a backup.





We don't know if she was speaking about actual policy, or using 8-10 hours to illustrate an example of where Disney would identify something as abuse. As far as I know, there is no set limit on number of hours for a day guest. I wouldn't get so angry about that and I don't see it as an invitation to abuse the system. Their policy is a little bit left open, but if enough people start abusing it, they'll have to make it more explicit. What we do know is that a guest isn't supposed to even park at a resort to sneak off for four hours in a park, so if you get caught doing that, they'd be entirely within their rights to call that out too. 8-10 hours sounds like an example to me.

However she meant it, take it in the spirit it was given. If we nitpick everything people say, then companies will just decide to always used canned responses that reveal nothing.

The spirit the 8-12 hours was given was to the question "How long do day guests get to park for free?" (And most of the responses were canned) I don't know that I was "angry" or "nitpicking" about it, but I do struggle to see what a day guest could do for 8-12 hours at one of the resorts that doesn't involve the pool or the parks, and given that there are already parking issues at a few of the resorts, one might imagine that they'd be trying to address that issue for resort guests in this process. I agree that Disney tends to be vague on these kinds of things...Anyway, Disney is an entity all its own in terms of an all-encompassing "resort", but most places I've paid for parking and had it validated for dining, etc., had more limits in place. ETA: and they also had a way to collect fees...

 

[tchris4]

Hypothetical: what happens if you leave your car overnight at one of the theme parks? Let's say you start out at HS and then take the boat to boardwalk for dinner and then decide to go to Epcot, leaving your car still at HS. If you are staying on property, you do not pay to park at the parks, right now. I've never left a car and we don't drive down, so it doesn't really concern me YET, but just wondering if people leave cars at theme parks overnight - would it circumvent the parking fee?

 

[JacknSally]

Hypothetical: what happens if you leave your car overnight at one of the theme parks? Let's say you start out at HS and then take the boat to boardwalk for dinner and then decide to go to Epcot, leaving your car still at HS. If you are staying on property, you do not pay to park at the parks, right now. I've never left a car and we don't drive down, so it doesn't really concern me YET, but just wondering if people leave cars at theme parks overnight - would it circumvent the parking fee?

Parking isn’t allowed overnight at the parks so you may get towed and/or ticketed.

 

[SmithSmith]

Hypothetical: what happens if you leave your car overnight at one of the theme parks? Let's say you start out at HS and then take the boat to boardwalk for dinner and then decide to go to Epcot, leaving your car still at HS. If you are staying on property, you do not pay to park at the parks, right now. I've never left a car and we don't drive down, so it doesn't really concern me YET, but just wondering if people leave cars at theme parks overnight - would it circumvent the parking fee?

Parking isn’t allowed overnight at the parks so you may get towed and/or ticketed.

Yep. I remember watching a Vlog (maybe TimTracker or JustinScarred) and in it they came back to a parking lot (maybe HS) many hours after the park had closed. They showed they were the only car left in the lot and pointed out a security vehicle that was idling and waiting for them to leave. I thought that was interesting.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Hypothetical: what happens if you leave your car overnight at one of the theme parks? Let's say you start out at HS and then take the boat to boardwalk for dinner and then decide to go to Epcot, leaving your car still at HS. If you are staying on property, you do not pay to park at the parks, right now. I've never left a car and we don't drive down, so it doesn't really concern me YET, but just wondering if people leave cars at theme parks overnight - would it circumvent the parking fee?

Im thinking you wont get your parking pass to park at the parks for free unless you register your car at a resort first for which you will be charged.

Bottom line is they wanted someone to pay for something and the easiest most guaranteed way to squeeze dollars out of guests was to implement this parking fee. It would cost them money to charge day guests at the resort, having to man the gates, but it costs them nothing to bill a guest already there with thei CC on file.

I can only HOPE, and pray come 03/21, we might see reduced rates at the reorts (I know, ha hahhha) That would be smart on their part, make you think you are not being double charged, then through the months slowly increase the rates back up again and hope nobody notices.

I also think this is great timing, as usually free dining is announced in April. I swear, if they announce a free parking deal instead, I will mail them all my previous WDW memories, photos, momentos etc.. I will never want a reminder of that place again!!!

 

[Gryhndmom]

Sent Bob Iger an email last night and so far no phone call yet....I mean really what could he be so busy with that he can’t call me about my ideas on charging day guests for parking ?

 

[emilymad]

Im thinking you wont get your parking pass to park at the parks for free unless you register your car at a resort first for which you will be charged.

Bottom line is they wanted someone to pay for something and the easiest most guaranteed way to squeeze dollars out of guests was to implement this parking fee. It would cost them money to charge day guests at the resort, having to man the gates, but it costs them nothing to bill a guest already there with thei CC on file.

I can only HOPE, and pray come 03/21, we might see reduced rates at the reorts (I know, ha hahhha) That would be smart on their part, make you think you are not being double charged, then through the months slowly increase the rates back up again and hope nobody notices.

I also think this is great timing, as usually free dining is announced in April. I swear, if they announce a free parking deal instead, I will mail them all my previous WDW memories, photos, momentos etc.. I will never want a reminder of that place again!!!

What I am wondering is Disney gave us warning of this change which they don't always do. I think it was to encourage people to book before March 21st. So now resorts will be full and they won't have to offer as big of discounts. I think they are embracing this anger and hope it is moving people who are on the fence about booking to book now at full rack rate.

 

[deerh]

I would think they would do it just like every other parking area. Either a manned booth to collect fees with a gate with a ticket when you enter. If you are shopping or eating at the resort they would validate your ticket for free parking and if you exceed the time limit you would be charged. Or just a gate system with use of your magic band to get in or out or still using a ticket that you insert and pay with a credit card when you leave if you don't have a magic band and are just a day visitor. I have been in many paid lots that do both of these things. In the resorts that have a lot of traffic they may have to have more gates or booths like they do in city parking lots.[/QUOTE]

Like I mentioned many pages back, the "industry standard" of Universal already charges for parking (($13 for values and $24 for deluxes) *but* they also charge Day guests for parking. You get a ticket when you enter. If you are an overnight guest, you use your room key to enter/exit. The overnight parking is charged to the folio. If you are a day guest, you pay upon exit. It's a per hour charge and adds to $45/day. Simple. Here in Atlanta, they don't even man some parking lots. You grab a ticket when you enter the lot and you get a ticket from the restaurant that gets you 2 hours free. You enter your ticket at exit, followed by the restaurant's ticket. If it's less than 2 hours, the gate opens. If it's more, you pay the difference. Easy, peasy and FAIR.

I'm OK paying to park my car AS LONG AS THE DAY GUESTS PAY TOO. What is bothering me is paying to park only to have the day guests take the parking spots and get to park for free.[/QUOTE]


Ok, I understand what you said above.. STILL does not explain or answer the "Long Lines" at the exit gates even IF they are unmanned. I personally
think that they would be manned "gates" as it would be faster... THAT is a relative term BY THE WAY... I still think it will be a Cluster ...... In my
opinion... I can only imagine the lines at the resorts... And for what it is worth, I live in Atlanta too, and do know about the parking places unmanned
Downtown... But, THAT is a different animal than 1 resort, and 500+ rooms and people going out and coming in 1 entrance all the time...

Just my .02 cents..
deerH

 

[DISNEY1975]

What I am wondering is Disney gave us warning of this change which they don't always do. I think it was to encourage people to book before March 21st. So now resorts will be full and they won't have to offer as big of discounts. I think they are embracing this anger and hope it is moving people who are on the fence about booking to book now at full rack rate.

People who were waiting for a promo and decide to book now to avoid the fee would probably end up cancelling if a promo didnt come out before they really started dumping money into it. I see many on the promo thread who have booked early in hopes of free dining, then if it is announced and they dont get the resort or dates they want, they cancel their booking.

 

[lambdabeta]

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

So they installed plate reading technology, because that is what the OP and I were talking about.

 

[Colleen27]

Like I mentioned many pages back, the "industry standard" of Universal already charges for parking (($13 for values and $24 for deluxes) *but* they also charge Day guests for parking. You get a ticket when you enter. If you are an overnight guest, you use your room key to enter/exit. The overnight parking is charged to the folio. If you are a day guest, you pay upon exit. It's a per hour charge and adds to $45/day. Simple. Here in Atlanta, they don't even man some parking lots. You grab a ticket when you enter the lot and you get a ticket from the restaurant that gets you 2 hours free. You enter your ticket at exit, followed by the restaurant's ticket. If it's less than 2 hours, the gate opens. If it's more, you pay the difference. Easy, peasy and FAIR.

I'm OK paying to park my car AS LONG AS THE DAY GUESTS PAY TOO. What is bothering me is paying to park only to have the day guests take the parking spots and get to park for free.

For me, the difference is logistics, not fairness. I don't care if Universal wants to charge for parking because you don't need a car there. With the current state of Disney transportation, I don't feel that is the case at WDW any more. If you want to park hop at Universal without a car, you're not wasting a couple hours of your park day. You don't have to add two hours transportation time to a rest/swim break. And if you want to be at a Universal park when it opens, you don't have to be at the bus stop at least an hour early and have luck on your side. I feel like Disney created a system where a car is a real value for visitors because the transportation system is so hit-or-miss, and is now penalizing guests who make the rational decision to use a car to maximize the value they get from their park tickets.

 

[DISNEY1975]

So they installed plate reading technology, because that is what the OP and I were talking about.

Why would they do that when many many many cars are rentals?

 

[dansdad]

So they installed plate reading technology, because that is what the OP and I were talking about.

Yup.

 

[lambdabeta]

Well so much for everyone getting phone calls. This is the email response I just received. They pretty much said too bad, deal with it.

Dear Deserrai,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding our policy for overnight resort parking.

We thank you for being an Annual Passholder and for continuing to enjoy the other extras that we offer throughout our Theme Parks and Resorts. Please know that decisions to adjust our policies are based on a variety of factors, including alignment with our resorts in California and Hawaii. Be assured that we are committed to providing high-quality, unique experiences and special moments in our Theme Parks and Resorts that our Guests enjoy.

Information about parking for Resort Guests may be found on our website. Theme Park parking will remain complimentary for Resort Guests. Rest assured, due to you booking your resort stay for August before March 21st, you will not be effected by the upcoming parking fee changes.

If you choose to visit a resort for a day to dine, shop or enjoy resort activities, parking will be complimentary.

Deserrai, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us and hope you and you family will enjoy your visit in August!

Warmest regards,

Bonnie
Guest Experience Services
Walt Disney World Resort

Out of curiosity. Who did you email? GS, or one of the executives?

 

[DISNEY1975]

Yup.

So they are going to give the rental car agencies a big bill and leave it to them to find the renter to charge back?

 

[dansdad]

So they are going to give the rental car agencies a big bill and leave it to them to find the renter to charge back?

I have no idea how they are going to handle this new, crappy idea. I just know that they have installed the license plate reader technology.

 

[SmithSmith]

So they are going to give the rental car agencies a big bill and leave it to them to find the renter to charge back?

I have no idea how they are going to handle this new, crappy idea. I just know that they have installed the license plate reader technology.

Perhaps the same way FL toll-by-plate works?

From the website:

How does it work? Cameras take a photo of the rental car's license plate as it goes through the toll lane and sends a bill for the tolls to the rental company's tolling program vendor. The vendor collects the toll plus applicable service fees from the customer's credit card, and pays the toll to the road agency. The service fees are retained by the vendor, not the toll road.