PLEASE SHARE -What is it like to resort park now?

[PrincessV]

This is weird. I'm planning on having a rental car for one night. Do I go to the front desk for a parking pass? If I don't have the pass on the dash, how will they know that rental is mine? To scan the band or talk to the guard? Maybe the gate will be up? Should I leave the car park in a garage at DS? I'll gladly pay the one night, but not more than that. So many questions and unknown.

I haven't received a paper parking pass in years, for any WDW resort. You just use your MB to scan in at the gate and get free parking at the parks. From what has been reported so far, no one knows how they decided to charge or not charge for parking, so, personally, I wouldn't volunteer that info - just wait and see if you actually are assessed any parking charges at all and then address it as needed.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Stayed at POR this weekend, no car, they asked me at check in if I had a car.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

I haven't received a paper parking pass in years, for any WDW resort. You just use your MB to scan in at the gate and get free parking at the parks. From what has been reported so far, no one knows how they decided to charge or not charge for parking, so, personally, I wouldn't volunteer that info - just wait and see if you actually are assessed any parking charges at all and then address it as needed.

Thought about this, too. If you bypass check in, how would they know. I don't know how I will handle it until I get there.

 

[twinklebug]

Thought about this, too. If you bypass check in, how would they know. I don't know how I will handle it until I get there.

There is currently no way they'd be able to match a car up with a guest staying in the hotel if they don't register it with the front desk or at the guard gate. The only thing Disney could do is to start towing overnight vehicles it doesn't see in the system, which I'm sure they won't.

 

[maxsmom]

Just back and did online check in, all rooms booked after cut off date. Here’s what happened:
2 nights all star sports, not charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in then used magic band after that.
6 nights at Contemporary, not charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in then used magic band after that or guard lifted the gate for us or guard scanned band.
1 night at pop, charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in, never used magic band to get into resort property.
So who knows what triggered it on that last night.

 

[dansdad]

Just back and did online check in, all rooms booked after cut off date. Here’s what happened:
2 nights all star sports, not charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in then used magic band after that.
6 nights at Contemporary, not charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in then used magic band after that or guard lifted the gate for us or guard scanned band.
1 night at pop, charged, on the way in stopped at guard gate and said we were checking in, never used magic band to get into resort property.
So who knows what triggered it on that last night.

It's comforting to know that their inconsistency is still in full bloom.

 

[yaya74]

Perhaps it is inconsistency, or perhaps, after receiving all the emails and phone calls complaining about the parking fee, Disney is not pushing this fee as hard as what it should be. With the extension of promotion and releases of new promotions, many think that WDW has a hard time filling the rooms.

 

[dansdad]

Perhaps it is inconsistency, or perhaps, after receiving all the emails and phone calls complaining about the parking fee, Disney is not pushing this fee as hard as what it should be. With the extension of promotion and releases of new promotions, many think that WDW has a hard time filling the rooms.

They've actually been running at a higher occupancy rate than last year. Discounted rooms have been harder to score this year because there's less of them.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I’ll be onsite parking at POR this November. Our room was booked just recently so fully anticipating on paying the fee however with that said, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for inconsistency. We usually do online check in and bypass the desk. Wishing this whole issue would just disappear.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Bump

 

[NicoleLarson]

Just returned from WL. We didn't get charged for parking, which shocked me. We told the gate attendant that we were checking in. At the check in desk, we weren't asked if we had a car though. Our reservation was booked at the last minute through Orbitz so I didn't put it in my MDE account and we are DVC members but we stayed in the lodge side NOT the DVC side, not sure if that made any difference.

 

[pepperandchips]

Just returned from a long weekend at Coronado Springs. We had a vehicle but we were not charged for parking.

I was asked by the gate attendant to present photo ID upon arrival. I also used my magic band to access the "check in lot" through the right hand "returning guest" lane (we needed to pick up luggage that had been stored with bell services). I was not asked about parking or a vehicle at the registration desk when we stopped by to inquire about getting into a room early.

Except for the main gate at the "check in" lot near El Centro, all of the other gate areas had one arm up and did not require a magic band scan for access - the resort is under a lot of construction and parking near the main building is impacted by tower construction, so I don't know if that's disrupting the assessment of parking fees or not. Plenty of available parking near our room.

 

[Christine]

I was at the Contemporary for 5 nights in late July/early August. I was charged each night for parking. My parents were not charged as they had a handicapped placard. I'm not sure how they knew all of this because it was never discussed.

We did front desk check in because we were arriving very early and had things to drop off so might as well. I was never asked if I had a car or not and neither were my parents. I guess they got it from the Magic Band scan at the gate. Not sure how they knew not to charge my parents.

 

[snappy]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experience with paying parking fees.

 

[Beer Me]

Part of me hopes the inconsistent enforcement is a sign that this is an experiment which is failing. I'm almost always a Disney apologist (or actually just very blase about most policy changes and fee increases) but this one really bothers me. Free parking was such a nice perk. We almost always drive the 14 hours to save money and this changes the math enough to make off site more attractive. And honestly it's more than the dollars. The more irrational side of me simply feels less welcome and appreciated staying at a Disney hotel because of this fee.

 

[snappy]

Yea it’s the principle of the thing. I decided to send an email about it. The “response” didn’t make me feel any better.

 

[snappy]

Not to mention many arguably nicer offsite options that are more reasonable even with their parking and it resort fees.

Comes down to how much you still value being in the Disney bubble, warts and all.

 

[cwis]

We don't have a car, but I thought it could help others that, when we checked in at POFQ, we were being asked if we had a vehicle.

For reference, CBR, CR and YC didn't ask on this multi-split-stay.

 

[snappy]

We don't have a car, but I thought it could help others that, when we checked in at POFQ, we were being asked if we had a vehicle.

For reference, CBR, CR and YC didn't ask on this multi-split-stay.

Thanks for sharing this info. Could save someone $$.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

My next report won't be for a few months for my upcoming December 2018 visit. But.....I do want to provide the context for my 2019 visit.

I called in and modified a reservation made well before the March cutoff. I told the CM what I was doing and they completely understood.

We modified my 1 day July 2019 reservation to a 7 day December 2019 with a military rate. The original confirmation number was preserved.

I look forward to my 'free parking" in December 2019!