Paid parking is coming to WDW resorts March 2018

[Remy is Up]

Staying at Coronado in two weeks and they were sure to remind us of the parking fee. Ive spoken to someone with Guest services after sending a rather blunt email to management about my issue with the fee, as well as numerous other issues. The young man was very nice but when I mentioned this being a lead in to resort fees, he stumbled and didnt know how to respond. Again, he was very nice but lets be honest, charging people for a slab of cement they already pay for in the price of the resort is not an added value. I am the last person to complain about the "extras" Disney tosses out there as optional purchases, because they are a choice and can add value to someones experience if they choose to purchase it. Parties, Tours, extra hours in the parks, etc. No issue with a company making money because it is a CHOICE. Yes, everyone else charges parking fees, but, the prices to stay on property are already ridiculous, even with AP discounts which yearly get less and less and harder to get ( but I wont go into the devaluing of AP holders as guests). The parking fee was already built in. As is a resort fee. But in any case, they are charging them and there isnt anything people can do about it.

 

[tlmadden73]

Imagine a world where companies had to advertise the bottom line price (after taxes and fees (that you can't avoid).

I was looking into the Great Wolf Lodge (and while I know you get a waterpark in the deal, but man those places are expensive per night) .. The price per night advertised was like $187 .. not bad .. go to check out . .BAM .. $80 in taxes and "fees" (per night). I can't avoid those taxes and fees -- so your advertised price should have been $260 .. NOT $187. To me that is deceptive. It is a bait and switch. Government should be more worried about these types of practices instead of worrying if a restaurant is listing the calories of their food on the menu.

At least Great Wolf Lodge has free parking

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Imagine a world where companies had to advertise the bottom line price (after taxes and fees (that you can't avoid).

I was looking into the Great Wolf Lodge (and while I know you get a waterpark in the deal, but man those places are expensive per night) .. The price per night advertised was like $187 .. not bad .. go to check out . .BAM .. $80 in taxes and "fees". I can't avoid those taxes and fees -- so your advertised price should have been $260 .. NOT $187. To me that is deceptive. It is a bait and switch. Government should be more worried about these types of practices instead of worrying if a restaurant is listing the calories of their food on the menu.

At least Great Wolf Lodge has free parking

supposedly that is one reason Disney is moving to this model with having the seprate fees - so that it is more apples-to-apples when you are searching for a room on priceline or expedia or whatever as they price comparison there are all before any fees (so in your example it would show the $187, not the $260)

Which would be fine if Disney were going to just lower all the rates by this new parking fee so the net result was the same, but of course that is not the case

 

[Moliphino]

Imagine a world where companies had to advertise the bottom line price (after taxes and fees (that you can't avoid).

I was looking into the Great Wolf Lodge (and while I know you get a waterpark in the deal, but man those places are expensive per night) .. The price per night advertised was like $187 .. not bad .. go to check out . .BAM .. $80 in taxes and "fees" (per night). I can't avoid those taxes and fees -- so your advertised price should have been $260 .. NOT $187. To me that is deceptive. It is a bait and switch. Government should be more worried about these types of practices instead of worrying if a restaurant is listing the calories of their food on the menu.

At least Great Wolf Lodge has free parking

Airlines have to do it now, why not hotels?

 

[Roxyfire]

Imagine a world where companies had to advertise the bottom line price (after taxes and fees (that you can't avoid).

I was looking into the Great Wolf Lodge (and while I know you get a waterpark in the deal, but man those places are expensive per night) .. The price per night advertised was like $187 .. not bad .. go to check out . .BAM .. $80 in taxes and "fees" (per night). I can't avoid those taxes and fees -- so your advertised price should have been $260 .. NOT $187. To me that is deceptive. It is a bait and switch. Government should be more worried about these types of practices instead of worrying if a restaurant is listing the calories of their food on the menu.

At least Great Wolf Lodge has free parking

This is what happens when people demonize regulation. Just like not all regulations are sensible, they aren't all bad or useless either. Corporations will do what they need to do in order to increase revenue and improve their bottom line. That's the number one reason why I dislike resort fees. It went from, in this case, instead of offering amenities to attract consumers, to charging for them regardless of whether they're used or not. Just show me the all in price rather than making me figure out which one is the best. I'm fine with parking being priced separately but it should be front and center, and WDW resorts are not doing that, a little blurb on the page isn't enough.

Sorry I'll get off the soapbox now...

 

[tlmadden73]

This is what happens when people demonize regulation. Just like not all regulations are sensible, they aren't all bad or useless either. Corporations will do what they need to do in order to increase revenue and improve their bottom line. That's the number one reason why I dislike resort fees. It went from, in this case, instead of offering amenities to attract consumers, to charging for them regardless of whether they're used or not. Just show me the all in price rather than making me figure out which one is the best. I'm fine with parking being priced separately but it should be front and center, and WDW resorts are not doing that, a little blurb on the page isn't enough.

Sorry I'll get off the soapbox now...

I can see it getting to the point of hotels having really cheap advertised prices but:
Just charging all sorts of "convenience" fees and resort fees to make the price over double what they advertise.

I have the same issue with concert tickets. A "facility" fee. Well .. duh .. I wouldn't be able to attend the event if it wasn't for the facility!

 

[JimmyBean42]

I can see it getting to the point of hotels having really cheap advertised prices but:
Just charging all sorts of "convenience" fees and resort fees to make the price over double what they advertise.

I have the same issue with concert tickets. A "facility" fee. Well .. duh .. I wouldn't be able to attend the event if it wasn't for the facility!

Ticket fees drive me nuts. I have to pay a "convenience fee" to print my tickets at home? Really, I'm saving them money by not having them print it and mail it to me. But honestly, if they start regulating hotels on this it would be phenomenal b/c I think it would open the door to regulate hidden fees in other items like cable, internet, cell phone, car purchases and other services that add ridiculous unadvertised "fees".

 

[dlavender]

I can see it getting to the point of hotels having really cheap advertised prices but:
Just charging all sorts of "convenience" fees and resort fees to make the price over double what they advertise.

I have the same issue with concert tickets. A "facility" fee. Well .. duh .. I wouldn't be able to attend the event if it wasn't for the facility!

I've always joked about this when looking at hotel prices.

Seriously, why don't they just advertise a $1 per night, with $250 in fees?

 

[kiki02]

oh that's good laveder. If i were an artist, I would draw an ad joke with that price! LMAo sale wdw hotel... $1.00 + $250 fees. thank you for making my day.

 

[ELLH]

The thing I wonder is: if we are to assume these parking prices have always been “built in” to the room fee, wouldn’t it make sense that, now with the clear separation of the two fees, the room rates should go down the appropriate amount? i.e., let's say AoA cost $150/night before. Now the parking fee is $15. Shouldn’t the rate for AoA drop $15 to $135 now?


Nah… that’s just silly.

 

[tlmadden73]

The thing I wonder is: if we are to assume these parking prices have always been “built in” to the room fee, wouldn’t it make sense that, now with the clear separation of the two fees, the room rates should go down the appropriate amount? i.e., AoA costs $150/night before. Now the parking fee is $15. Shouldn’t the rate for AoA drop $15 to $135 now?


Nah… that’s just silly.

LOL.

Right, Disney basically wanted to raise hotel prices by about $20/room and this was an "easy" way to do it without having their "base" price be ASTRONOMICALLY higher than their competition (Universal/outside hotels)

But, how many people do these companies think they are fooling with "fees" hiding price increases? (I guess a lot .. which is sad).