This started out as a rumor and quickly became fact. Disney World has released a statement confirming they will soon begin charging for overnight parking at all of their resort hotels.
WDW News Today was the first place I saw this mentioned and they have the anticipated prices for overnight parking:
Standard overnight parking charges vary per resort category:
- Value Resorts: $13 per night
- Moderate Resorts: $19 per night
- Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: $24 a night
I’m not sure how long Disney World has been considering making this change. Maybe the continued increase of parking fees in Las Vegas gave them confidence.
The key detail you need to know is that parking charges will be assessed on any reservations made on or after March 21, 2018. So, if you’re contemplating a reservation, you can save some cash if you wrap your booking up in the next week.
A bright spot here is that DVC members are exempt from parking fees. Yay!
Don’t Frown, Charlie! Our DVC Membership Means Free Parking!
The Final Two Pennies
At first, I thought these fees weren’t that bad. Then, I started thinking about a typical week-long family vacation. At a moderate resort, that’s an extra $150 out of your pocket. We rarely rent a car when we stay at Disney World. Those trips have typically been very focused on the parks themselves. The Disney World transportation system is such that you’re unlikely to need a car, especially with key upcoming changes like the gondola system. Fold in services like the renowned Minnie Vans, and you’ll find plenty of reasons to leave the rental car behind.
Our next trip involves the Universal theme parks (ouch) so we actually are renting a car. We are staying offsite, but are also DVC members. So, we won’t be paying Disney parking money anytime soon. But, I am curious…..
Do you normally rent a car when you trek to Disney World? If so, why?
The post Disney World To Begin Charging For Overnight Parking At Their Hotels was published first on Pizza in Motion
13 comments
I love that DVC members get free parking, but it is ONLY if you are staying on points. If you grab a cheap AP discount for a last minute stay – you will pay for parking. We rent a car 80% of the time when we fly. We live in north alabama, so we drive down there occasionally. This is truly a bummer, though. This is equivalent of Southwest charging for bags. I hope that it will never come, but it probably will.
HawaiiDreaming, do you rent a car because you have other destinations besides Disney, or because you prefer that to Disney onsite transportation?
They just dont want you off property
Cliburn, harder to get at your wallet that way.
Just a little confused! If I fly down and take the free shuttle from the airport, there will not be any fees associated with parking….correct?
Paul, correct. If you use Magical Express you won’t pay a parking fee.
I agree with Cliburn that they don’t want you to leave. They don’t want to share your vacation dollars with Universal or Seaworld or the beach. I think too some of the resorts have real issues with parking. We are DVC at BWV and parking there can be a nightmare. I think this will drive more people to take the free bus and go without a car. We will still rent a car, but being DVC saves us from the fees……for now 🙂
Shaun, I think Magical Express takes too long. We generally get a car service with a free grocery stop, although we did try Amazon Prime Delivery last time instead of the grocery stop: https://pizzainmotion.boardingarea.com/2018/02/05/testing-amazon-prime-now-at-disney-world/
I do see BLT’s parking lot quite crowded. Good point that they may be trying to thin the herd as opposed to laying more asphalt.
I guess that Disney just has so much business that they chose this route as another way to get more money out of their customers. Another Disney enhancement. Sigh.
Christian, I don’t love the fee either. Do you normally rent a car?
Next will be resort fees. There appears to be no price ceiling for people visiting Disney. Disney is the definition of a tourist trap.
Jim, I don’t see resort fees as a likely next step (or in the short to mid-term future). Disney has the ultimate competitive “moat” with FastPass. If you want access to the best rides, you need to stay at their hotels. So, the price of a cheaper hotel nearby is less relevant for most folks.
[…] even Disney is getting in on the “game.” Ed over at Pizza in Motion reports that Disney World To Begin Charging For Overnight Parking At Their Hotels. (Side note: Be sure to register for ZorkFest, you’ll have an opportunity to learn from […]