Theme Park Parking Price Increase

[Melanie]

As of this past Sunday, it now costs $14/day to park at any of the four theme parks. That's a $2 increase.

[Bethis26fan]

wow

[JPL]

Sorry but this always bothered me! You want to pay to come visit your parks and then pay to park my car:confused: It's not just Disney. Raising the price is just a quick way to add to the bottom line!

[seanyred]

Just remember if you are staying on property or are an annual pass holder parking is free. I don't think it is right but I'm pretty sure that the Six Flags near Chicago is at least $14 to park.

[DizNee143]

that is crazy! just to park!
they keep raising the prices for everything else..i guess they didnt want the parking prices to feel left out! lol..
thank god we always stay on property and are dvc memebers also..:mickey:

[mudpuppysmom]

pretty soon they'll just say "stick em up" at the parking booth......over the course of a week long visit that adds nearly $100 to your trip!

[Melanie]

Just remember if you are staying on property or are an annual pass holder parking is free.

Thank goodness!:thumbsup:

[Ian]

I was joking (only partially) on our last trip that eventually Disney World will be a turnstile, a guy who turns you upside down and shakes all the valuables out of your pockets, and then another turnstile.

We just got one step closer to that. :shake:

And it's not that I begrudge them the right to raise their prices ... it costs me like $12 to park for a Phillies game, so this isn't that bad. But I just do not get the money grabs in the worst economy in 80 years!! It's just PR stupidity and, quite frankly, I'm a little disappointed that someone at Corporate didn't put the kibosh on it.

[BMan62]

I guess I'm going to have to start driving down!! Then I can feel like I'm getting a REAL bonus for staying on property!! 10 days * $14 = $140 savings just to stay on property!!!

Yes, I know this is 'false logic,' but that would make the effective cost of a room at a Value resort, during Value season, $68/night. ($82 - $14)

[disneygirlnowmom]

As far as Great America near Chicago goes, the parking fee there is $15 or $25. The $25 is for parking in the first like 50 rows. The 15 is for parking in what used to be the overflow parking lot, its probably 1/2 mile to the entrance from there.

The thing is that at Disney you can use their transportation, you can't at Great America. The only way to get there is with a car.

I guess Disney's right in line with other theme parks these days, but I have to agree with Ian that in this economy it was a unwise decision.

[jnfr2424]

Geez!
Reason # 1 on why to use Disney Transportation!

[KylesMom]

Savings realized by staying off-site for a week is losing value quickly. Maybe that's the point of the price increase? Sheesh!

We never really paid much attention to the cost of parking until this last trip when we noticed more people than usual forking over cash at the windows. DH did the math & realized that there is more than just sentimental value in staying on-site!

[Imagineer1981]

Even Universal is 15 dollars or so, and you even have to pay that fee if you just want to go to City Walk. On the plus side with Disney, you only pay for the 4 main parks for parking. The water parks and down town disney are all free.

Maybe they should offer a multi day parking pass at a discount, so it averages to 10 a day instead of 14 or something, but I guess the point is to maybe get more people to stay on property.

[Disney4us2]

It is the same here on the west coast at Disneyland. Here the two parks share parking. I am glad I am renewing my passes and won't have to pay parking each time we go.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is near us... they charge $15.00 for parking.

We passed by the Hollywood bowl during an event... they were getting anywhere from $30 to $50 for the parking... YIKES

[ThanxForNoticin]

Since we are approaching winter, the extra cost is probably to off-set the expense of plowing the snow off of all those Disney parking lots - I'm sure that cost adds up quickly!

[magicofdisney]

Wasn't it just less than 2 yrs ago that parking was only $10? :mad:

[joonyer]

Since we are approaching winter, the extra cost is probably to off-set the expense of plowing the snow off of all those Disney parking lots - I'm sure that cost adds up quickly!


Good One! :funny: :funny: :goof: :goof:

[caryrae]

Maybe that will be a new option on your park passes along with, hopping, non-expire, ect, you can pre-pay parking at a discount.


Geez!
Reason # 1 on why to use Disney Transportation!

but if you are using Disney Transportation you are in a Disney Resort so even if you drive it's free to park. So it's a #1 Reason to stay on-site, free parking or free Disney Transportation.

[Ed]

On the plus side with Disney, you only pay for the 4 main parks for parking. The water parks and down town disney are all free.

Shhhhhhhhh.... they might hear you! :nono:


Since we are approaching winter, the extra cost is probably to off-set the expense of plowing the snow off of all those Disney parking lots - I'm sure that cost adds up quickly!

Don't forget all the deicing chemicals for the rides.


I do find it suspiciously ironic that this went into effect one day before the following was announced:

Despite the still-struggling economy, about 25,000 unionized hourly workers at Walt Disney World are getting raises this week.

The raises, which will range from 4 percent to 5 percent for most workers, are part of a three-year contract that the resort and Service Trades Council Union negotiated in April 2007. Another 4,000 tipped employees will get raises at the end of the year.

The trade council — an umbrella group representing half a dozen smaller unions whose members include costumed characters, hotel maids, stagehands, monorail drivers and many more — estimates that the raises will add between $15 million and $20 million dollars of purchasing power to the local economy.

That contract expires a year from now.

:shrug:

[barbiegirl314]

Wasn't it just less than 2 yrs ago that parking was only $10? :mad:

I can remember when it was $7.00.

I mean really doesn't Disney get enough money from us as soon as we enter into the parks?

[Altair]

[QUOTE=caryrae;1969442
but if you are using Disney Transportation you are in a Disney Resort so even if you drive it's free to park. So it's a #1 Reason to stay on-site, free parking or free Disney Transportation.[/QUOTE]

Of course Disney wouldn't figure that parking fee into the resort room price. So in fact you may be paying for parking even though you didn't drive a car to the resort.:secret:

[AHOTE]

I can remember when it was $7.00.

I mean really doesn't Disney get enough money from us as soon as we enter into the parks?

:secret: I can remember when it was $1.00 :D

[Polynesian Dweller]

Sorry but this always bothered me! You want to pay to come visit your parks and then pay to park my car

I don't understand. Why is paying to park at a Disney theme park different than any other theme park, most hotels in cities. most sports stadiums? I just stayed at the Sheraton in Niagara Falls and had to pay $20 per night to self park in their lot. They wanted me to come and rent a room in their hotel and then charged me for the parking. Same thing.

Note that Disney is $6 cheaper than the Sheraton. There is nothing unusual or out of line with Disney charging for parking and in fact its a bargain, especially considering how many people get it without paying a parking fee at the gate at all.

[Patricia]

but if you are using Disney Transportation you are in a Disney Resort so even if you drive it's free to park. So it's a #1 Reason to stay on-site, free parking or free Disney Transportation.

Actually anyone using any type of Disney media can use Disney transportation, so you could technically stay off site and still use it without the parking fees.

[disneyboundagain]

I wonder how long it will be before the parking isn't free for guests staying on property??:(:(

Anyone wanna bet?

[Mousemates]

Note that Disney is $6 cheaper than the Sheraton. There is nothing unusual or out of line with Disney charging for parking and in fact its a bargain, especially considering how many people get it without paying a parking fee at the gate at all.

"Unusual" and not "out of line" I can to a certain extent agree with....but it being a "bargain" just doesn't sell. Its a money grab, plain and simple.

[Polynesian Dweller]

"Unusual" and not "out of line" I can to a certain extent agree with....but it being a "bargain" just doesn't sell. Its a money grab, plain and simple.

Of course it's to increase revenue. But has everyone forgotten: Disney is a business. It has been since Walt and Roy founded it in 1923. Businesses exist to create profits. If they don't they go out of business or are bought out by someone.

So why complain if a business explores a profit stream that is still a bargain and it is. Or is Disney not supposed to be a normal business? There will be price increases that is what businesses do and as with all optional expenses we can choose to pay it or not. Nobody forces us to go to Disney and spend money.

[BrerGnat]

I'd rather they raise the parking price than the prices of the tickets AGAIN...or jacking up food prices...

At least the parking is OPTIONAL. And, definitely a way for Disney to "convince" people to stay on property.

Sure it's easy money. I bet that's why they did it. Those extra $2 per car really add up. They've gotta make up the lost money on all these promo rates at the resorts somehow...

What's wrong with that?

I know that a lot of people just see it as greedy, and to an extent it is. But, that's what businesses DO! They are not alienating anyone by this increase. They are simply making it "less enticing" to be a day visitor, or to stay off property. So be it.

At least at Disneyland, when people pay for parking, they get the option of a HUGE covered parking structure. It can be (sort of) justified that the price for parking there is to offset the cost of maintenance to said structure, security patrols and security camera monitoring, elevator maintenance, etc.

And at least at WDW there is a very good system of trams and such to get you to the front gate. This isn't the case at MANY other theme parks and venues...

Still, parking fees exist mainly as a cash cow. Always have, always will, no matter WHERE you are. Price gouging for parking is nothing new.

Just look at the prices to rent a stroller (or, if you really want to gasp, a DOUBLE stroller) for the DAY! It's twice as much as parking a car...

Still, people pay it.

[Mousemates]

So why complain if a business explores a profit stream that is still a bargain and it is. Or is Disney not supposed to be a normal business? There will be price increases that is what businesses do and as with all optional expenses we can choose to pay it or not. Nobody forces us to go to Disney and spend money.

I'm not actually complaining per se (just commenting on the thread)...for we like most of the folks on this friendly little part of the internet...stay exclusively on site and thus on a personal level this does not effect me in the least. I really have no "dog in this fight" and thus no real complaint...(just commentary :thedolls:).

My point of contention is with the idea that a fourteen dollar parking fee should be seen as a bargain...(i.e. a deal so good that one should feel fortunate to get it.) Just because other parks charge exorbitant fees to house someone's car for the day, doesn't make Disney's slightly less exorbitant fee a bargain.

In a similar vein, I too have paid some fairly high parking fees at downtown hotels in several major cities on the east coast...just as you paid $20 to park at the Niagra Sheraton...however, were Disney to begin to charge a $15 "resort fee" (a 25% discount/bargain in comparison to the Niagra Sheraton) the fact that it cost less than other places would still not make it a bargain in my book....or (IMO) anyone elses for that matter.

Imagine the howling that would occur if the next move following a $2 increase for off-site guests was a new "bargain" resort fee of say $14 a day...now that I would complain about.:laughing:

[Joannelet]

But Walts idea was to never pay more than 5 cents for a hot dog in the parks. :) What ever happened to Walts original ideas? LOL :)
I think he would be so upset to know the money hounds that are running the company today :(
Its changed so much that not that many families can even afford a day in the parks anymore. :(
It costs a lifetime for some families to save up for a trip to disney. I know there are a lot of people on intercot that go all the time (including my family) but I think these are the privledged in a sense. I know that its out of the norm for a lot of other people out there to be able to go on a yearly basis.
All these increases in every aspect of the Disney theme park industry is getting a little out of hand.....
But on another note...they know they aren't going to stop the die hard fans from paying the increase.....

[BrerGnat]

...however, were Disney to begin to charge a $15 "resort fee" (a 25% discount/bargain in comparison to the Niagra Sheraton) the fact that it cost less than other places would still not make it a bargain in my book....or (IMO) anyone elses for that matter.

Imagine the howling that would occur if the next move following a $2 increase for off-site guests was a new "bargain" resort fee of say $14 a day...now that I would complain about.:laughing:

You'd better not have any plans to visit Disneyland Resort, then! They have been charging a mandatory "resort fee" for a couple years now. $13.80 per night. INCLUDES internet access, daily paper, access to fitness facility, AND self parking. What a deal! :rolleyes:

Now that they have re-structured Disney management to eliminate "East Coast/West Coast" operations mentality, it stands to reason that the implementation of a Resort Fee at the WDW hotels is just a matter of time.

AND, they only do it at Disneyland because "all the other hotels in Southern California do it."

A LOT of hotels charge a RESORT FEE. The fact that the WDW hotels don't *yet* is sort of an anomaly in the industry. Expect it soon...

[Ian]

I can remember when it was $7.00.I know for a fact it was $5 in 1997 ... so in 12 years the price has increased by 280%.

That's reasonable. :shake:

[Mousemates]

You'd better not have any plans to visit Disneyland Resort, then! They have been charging a mandatory "resort fee" for a couple years now. $13.80 per night. INCLUDES internet access, daily paper, access to fitness facility, AND self parking. What a deal! :rolleyes:

Now that they have re-structured Disney management to eliminate "East Coast/West Coast" operations mentality, it stands to reason that the implementation of a Resort Fee at the WDW hotels is just a matter of time.

AND, they only do it at Disneyland because "all the other hotels in Southern California do it."

A LOT of hotels charge a RESORT FEE. The fact that the WDW hotels don't *yet* is sort of an anomaly in the industry. Expect it soon...

well, I'm glad we got our DL trip in a couple of years ago (but we didn't stay on property) ...but it does look like my $14 "gues-stimate" might not be too far off. Of course, the fact of the matter is that there is already a precedent for a resort fee in the area, one is already in place at the Swan and Dolphin.

Will i pay one if they put one in place...probably, becasue we love WDW. But the nickeling and diming (or Hamiltoning and Jacksoning at Disney) does get a bit wearisome and at some point it will impact how often we go and how long we stay. Disney is great, but the truth of the matter is that there are lots of wonderful places to vacation in our nation.

In a time when so many folks are struggling financially, a $2 (16% i.e. from $12 to S14 a day) seems to be an unseemly and poorly timed attempt to squeeze a bit more blood out of the turnip.

[A Big Kid]

I wonder how long it will be before the parking isn't free for guests staying on property??:(:(

Anyone wanna bet?


It already isnt. It is just rolled into the cost of your hotel room. No sense in separating it because you have the added "value" of not paying it out of pocket.

[Mousemates]

check out this bit of parking related info from the DVC section from mjaclyn:


DVC Charging Members for Valet Parking as of 10/11/09

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Has anyone heard about this? We were just a the Poly where we valet parked (I thought it was free at any WDW resort for DVC members), so I called DVC to verify that I actually did have to pay at a non DVC resort, and the CM told me that effective tomorrow, 10/11/09 all members will have to pay $12.00 for valet parking. What irritates me the most about this is that it's $2 more expensive than they're charging regular guests!! I thought that free valet was a nice perk. What will they take from us next?

Good question.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Amazing. If people were to believe what is said in threads like this one then Disney should never increase a price ever. Guess what, they would have been out of business 20 years ago. Costs go up and so do prices, Every other business raises prices but for some reason Disney isn't supposed to. Its a business folks, plain and simple.

The other amazing thing is how people are all over even minimal price increases and always forget all the things that you don't pay directly for. DME is a big cost but not a direct charge, the boats, ferries, monorails, and the fleet of buses are all not directly charged for. But I guess instead of having increases in places like parking to help pay for these things, most folks would rather go back to the early days and have to buy a separate ticket to ride the monorails (yep that was the way it was).

Let's have a perspective on these things. Like everything else in the world prices will go up. Disney's a business, how hard is that to understand.

[Live4WDW]

:mickey: I can see where some prices have to go up. So many responses about the economy, and what bad timing this is. What should Disney do? Just shut the doors and weather the financial storm. As a business they have the right to make money. As a business in order to survive, they have to make money. As our cost on items have gone up, do we not think that their cost have gone up? It is quite fine to vent about price increases, nobody cares for them. As a former business owner (restaurant) I would cringe the few times that I had to raise the prices to offset the expenditures of daily operations. Either that or loose money? I wish it was cheaper to go to Disney, as a fan I will pay to go play until I can't afford it, or choose to go somewhere else. I cannot begrudge Disney's effort to make a profit no matter how untimely, or ridiculous I might think it is. All I can say is this past Aug when DW and I were at WDW I saw the price to park and was glad I did'nt have to pay it. :)

[Mushu11756]

I wonder how long it will be before Disney does away with FREE parking for guests staying on property? That will really help there bottom line, and they will probably start charging for Magical Express as well. Hey you cant put it passed them!:secret:

[Wishmaker]

Just remember if you are staying on property or are an annual pass holder parking is free. I don't think it is right but I'm pretty sure that the Six Flags near Chicago is at least $14 to park.

It was $15.00 to park at Six Flags Over Texas. and that was 2 summers ago. We never made it this year.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Just for info sake, Universal raised it's rates from $12 to $14 effective Saturday. It's what businesses do. Why always attack Disney?

[Hammer]

Just for info sake, Universal raised it's rates from $12 to $14 effective Saturday. It's what businesses do. Why always attack Disney?

I'm sure if this was a board dedicated to the Universal parks, you would see their fans complaining as well.

[Mousemates]

10-07-2009 08:56 PM Polynesian Dweller
There is nothing unusual or out of line with Disney charging for parking and in fact its a bargain, especially considering how many people get it without paying a parking fee at the gate at all.

10-10-2009 12:59 PM Polynesian Dweller
Amazing. If people were to believe what is said in threads like this one then Disney should never increase a price ever.

Today 08:16 AM Polynesian Dweller
Just for info sake, Universal raised it's rates from $12 to $14 effective Saturday. It's what businesses do. Why always attack Disney? Amazing.

I'm not quite sure whats so amazing about people voicing displeasure about price increases...I hear it all the time at the grocery store, at the mall, and (last year especially) at the fuel pump. Yes, businesses raise prices all the time, and people generally complain about it all the time...its simply what people do.

And while i can't speak for anyone but myself on this, i for one don't really have a genuine issue with manyof their price increases...i.e the yearly bumps on lodging, ticket prices, etc. As you have said those things are expected.

However, I think the thing that the reaction to this parking increase brings out is the fact that while folks will, to a certain degree, accept those types of ordinary increases, people genuinely resent what appears to be a WDW version of what the airlines have done in recent days ...(i.e. all the attempts to explore alternative revenue streams by doing stuff like tacking on hefty baggage fees etc). It comes off as being (at a minimum) tacky or perhaps even "pilferous" and can leave one feeling more like a victim than a guest.

This is especially true when you couple it with Disney beginning to directly charge for items that were once covered in their general overhead costs (I suppose the most recent examplewould be another parking issue..i.e. the decision to make DVCers pay for Valet parking).

To me (who spent several of my post college years doing bean counter duty at an Atlanta CPA firm) this kind of smacks of "accountants gone wild." :) People making decisions based solely on what will increase the profitability of their department or management area in the short term...without considering the cumulative impact (of say 10 departments squeezing an extra two dollars a day per guest) of a bunch of small increases on their customers. Customer goodwill and consumer loyalty can be lost, and once gone they are often difficult to regain.

Like I said, I don't begrudge the normal cost increases associated with inflation...so, I don't fit in with what some might perceive to be "innocent minds" who view WDW as some kind of "other worldly utopia" that is somehow divorced from economic reality. However, in a similar vein I'm not a corporate koolaid drinker who defends each attempt to extract more blood from the turnip.

finally I find little in this thread that I could call an outright attack on Disney. To me the word attack implies a desire to act harmfully to defeat an enemy. I think that for most of the folks who post here Disney is viewed more like an old friend we want to help, rather than an enemy we want to hurt or destroy...and thus the criticism here is meant to be constructive rather than destructive.

:soapbox: :twocents: :thumbsup:

[Ian]

To me (who spent several of my post college years doing bean counter duty at an Atlanta CPA firm) this kind of smacks of "accountants gone wild." :) People making decisions based solely on what will increase the profitability of their department or management area in the short term...without considering the cumulative impact (of say 10 departments squeezing an extra two dollars a day per guest) of a bunch of small increases on their customers. Customer goodwill and consumer loyalty can be lost, and once gone they are often difficult to regain.Since I know for a fact that virtually every individual theme park business unit operates fairly independently of one another, with little holistic oversight of the operation from above, I think you're probably correct.

Everyone in charge of these business units is responsible for their own P&L, so they all explore different avenues to increase revenue streams (how much pressure some of these units should really be under to show a profit is debatable, IMO, but that's a story for another time). So they all make these decisions completely independently of one another and no one ever considers what the overall impact is on the guest.

I mean heck if I run parking and I'm increasing costs by a measly two bucks I'm thinking, "What the heck! It's only $2!!", but I'm not thinking about the fact that the admission guys just jacked up those prices, the food people raised their prices again, the valet parking costs, went up, and so on and so on and so on.

It's funny ... it reminds me a bit of something I heard Don Rickles say once about Las Vegas. He said something to the effect of, "When Vegas first was born, the casino owners understood that, if you took good care of the guests they'd ultimately lose more at the tables, you'd make more money, and yet the guests would still go away happy and eager to come back for more. You made everyone feel like a high roller and there were lots of places in the casino that didn't exist to make a profit. They were just there to make people feel good about their visit and keep them coming back. But then the big corporations moved in and took over and suddenly everything had to make a profit. The shows had to make money, and the restaurants all had to make money, and the entertainers all had to make money, and the parking guys had to make money ... everyone had to make money. The buffets that were $2.99 all you can eat suddenly overnight became $19.99 all you can eat. And the food wasn't half as good. And guess what? Now people didn't have as much money to gamble, so they lost less at the tables and they all left feeling like they'd been nickeled and dimed to death. That's when Vegas stopped being Vegas, if you ask me."

I see this as exactly what's happening to Disney. Magic making has been replaced by profit making.

[MNNHFLTX]

Of course it's to increase revenue. But has everyone forgotten: Disney is a business. It has been since Walt and Roy founded it in 1923. Businesses exist to create profits. If they don't they go out of business or are bought out by someone.

So why complain if a business explores a profit stream that is still a bargain and it is. Or is Disney not supposed to be a normal business? There will be price increases that is what businesses do and as with all optional expenses we can choose to pay it or not. Nobody forces us to go to Disney and spend money.Exactly. It's good ol' capitalism at it's finest. I don't like the price increase either, but as long as people are willing to pay it, it's what Disney will do--just like any other business.

[Polynesian Dweller]

I see this as exactly what's happening to Disney. Magic making has been replaced by profit making.

Disney has always been about profit making, right from 1923 to today. Disneyland was about profit making from day one and throughout Walt's remaining lifetime he changed things there all with the thoughts of generating revenue.

Even his move to Florida was profit motivated. He felt he hadn't bought enough land in California and so couldn't control the area around his theme parks. That was about profit making. Some of it was about his dreams, but think, Epcot was originally to be a city not a theme park, and that was all about profit. Walt was very good at selling the idea of magic, but that was what he was selling to make profit.

Lets be clear, Disney has been a business since 1923 when it was formed and as with every business it has existed to make profits. If it hadn't it would have failed even before Disneyland was built (and almost did). Business is about profit and that is capitalism.

[MarkC]

I guess I've never felt you should have to pay to park your car as a customer, but Disney is far from the only one doing this. I've seen motels that charge $35 for parking in their lot when you stay there. The Washington Nationals (of all teams) charge $40 for a close lot, which is more than most of the tickets to see the games! But if people keep paying it they will keep charging it. That is capitalism in it's true form. Mark

[Ian]

Disney has always been about profit making, right from 1923 to today. Disneyland was about profit making from day one and throughout Walt's remaining lifetime he changed things there all with the thoughts of generating revenue.

Even his move to Florida was profit motivated. He felt he hadn't bought enough land in California and so couldn't control the area around his theme parks. That was about profit making. Some of it was about his dreams, but think, Epcot was originally to be a city not a theme park, and that was all about profit. Walt was very good at selling the idea of magic, but that was what he was selling to make profit.

Lets be clear, Disney has been a business since 1923 when it was formed and as with every business it has existed to make profits. If it hadn't it would have failed even before Disneyland was built (and almost did). Business is about profit and that is capitalism.I'm not going to 100% refute what you say here, because there's definitely an element of truth to it. Walt was interested, to some degree, in making profits.

However ... and I say this has someone who has read virtually every printed word on the life of Walt Disney, including every single biography (authorized and unauthorized) and nearly all of his readily available personal writings ... profit motive existed in Walt's world solely to fund the creation of his next ideas and to continue to bring great and innovative products out to his guests.

He believed that if you gave your customers the very, very best every single time they interacted with you then the money would follow. And he would then use that money not to line his own pockets (he was actually a relatively frugal man and didn't really start to enjoy the fruits of his labor until very late in his life), but to pour back into his company and develop his next great "innovention."

That mentality is very different from the mentality of the Walt Disney Company today. I'm not saying I don't understand why ... after all this is 2009 and not 1939 ... I'm just saying that it's not entirely correct to compare Walt's modest interest in profit motive with today's WDC's interest. Maximizing revenue, at all costs, is solely what Disney is about today.

[SillySymphony]

Having a little extra time on my hands during a recent trip, I started chatting with one of the handlers for our groups. He mentioned that during the busiest times of the year, the gate actually covered the cost of utilities and salaries for the day... Hmmm... maybe I should put up a parking lot (with a nod to Joni Mitchell)

[Altair]

They did finally repaint the Handiacap/AAA lot blue line. It was getting so faded you could barely see it.:secret:

[starflyer59]

This really hurts the locals or disney fans who live within driving distance. Lately we have been just doing day trips and having to pay the $12 bucks to park. Now it's $14.

People who are local (and just doing a day trip) do not have the option of disney transportation unless you park at DTD and catch the bus to the park.

We have several friends that are annual pass holders and they park at DTD and just catch disney transportation to the parks.

Disney has to be pulling in millions and millions just on parking fee?

It's all depressing. We love Disney but the only thing Disney loves about me is my wallet and it is pretty much empty.

Thanks again Disney for putting the dream a little more out of reach with each price increase.

[LoriSan]

We have several friends that are annual pass holders and they park at DTD and just catch disney transportation to the parks.





AP holders get free parking at WDW

[BMan62]

People who are local (and just doing a day trip) do not have the option of disney transportation unless you park at DTD and catch the bus to the park.

We have several friends that are annual pass holders and they park at DTD and just catch disney transportation to the parks.

Very interesting in that to go to a park from DTD, they would have to go to a resort first, and vice versa to return to DTD.

Most people don't want those hassles.

[MNNHFLTX]

AP holders get free parking at WDWThis is true, unless they have the Florida Resident Seasonal Pass (which does not include free parking).

[magicofdisney]

Very interesting in that to go to a park from DTD, they would have to go to a resort first, and vice versa to return to DTD.

Most people don't want those hassles.
The increased parking fees are making it less of a hassle.

Besides, if you jump on the Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian bus, you're just a monorail ride away from MK.

[starflyer59]

AP holders get free parking at WDW


Oops. Sorry. I meant to say that they have seasonal passes.

[DigitalDaredevil]

Parking is a great way to boost profits and recoup losses. It's part of doing business. None of us like it but we continue to pay it.
I live in Ohio and spend about 9-10 days in the park a year. It's a no brainer for me to get an AP. I prefer to park at the parks. I find it convenient.
Sooner or later there will be a breaking point.
Disney has been constantly doing things to cut down on expenses and create more income. The DDP looks good on paper, but I have noticed a difference in the quality and portions of a lot of the food.
It is just the natural businessman's mentality to increase dividends and cut costs. I certainly see that there are not as many workers in the parks as there were 14 years ago.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

Even Universal is 15 dollars or so, and you even have to pay that fee if you just want to go to City Walk. On the plus side with Disney, you only pay for the 4 main parks for parking. The water parks and down town disney are all free.


As far as I know that only applies if you're going to CityWalk prior to 6 p.m. and it's a valid business decision. If they offered free parking to CityWalk when the parks were still open for quite a bit, logic would denote that half the people driving through would lie and say they're going to CityWalk. When I was living in Orlando I know that if you went after a certain time parking was free.