Disney World Theme Park Parking Rises to $14/day
Parking at Disney’s theme parks has increased from $12 to $14 per day as of today.
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What most amazes me most is how one little sentence can create such intense dialogue. Can we all agree to disagree, then?
I received an e-mail from Henry Work and in the spirit of community, as well as one of the reasons I choose to return to WDW year after year, I think it best to share this with readers of the blog:
—– Original Message —–
From: “Henry Work”
To: Phillip
Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2009 6:10:09 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: TouringPlans.com Blog
Hey Phillip,
Just wanted to say I’m sorry we didn’t try to keep things more civil on the “Parking Increase” blog post. Thanks for your contributions, and I hope that you’ll help me in keeping the discussions on the blog vibrant yet civil. We’re trying to foster good, positive, and respectful conversations on the blog, something that I think is possible even as our community grows.
Thanks!
-Henry
Dear Henry,
I value the book, this website, the blog and my reputation. Thank you for your kind note and gentle reminders. You have nothing to apologize for. I re-read my posts and I can certainly understand how my choice of words could easily be taken in such a way as to offend readers, regardless of what they wrote. Two dollars or two million dollars, the ethics of community debate are the same. So regardless of the issue at hand (a parking fee increase) or my personal feelings about that and related subjects, I do apologize to all readers for my poor choice of words. I intend to take my own advice in the future and sit on a possible posting for a few hours to see if what I think sounds clever in the moment isn’t actually flippant, smarmy or disrespectful.
sincerely,
Phillip
Isn’t it nice to know that, rather than have a superstitious $13 parking fee, Disney decide to charge another buck, making a 16.67% rate increase? 🙂
Couldn’t the parking fee have been $12.95, thus avoiding the “beware of $13 Disney parking” comments, yet not charging everyone that extra dollar?
Hey folks,
Sorry that we didn’t step in before–just want to emphasize here that we want to keep the comments here as friendly as possible to each other!
As for my take on the increase, I think it’s another play to keep people on property bought into packages. Increased single day ticket pricing+parking influences people to stay on property and longer. Add in the deep discounts (extension of Free Dining+Buy 4/Get 7) lures more people on property.
Also, while the recent discounts suggest their projections are down a bit, these annual price increases seem to say that Disney ain’t too worried. And that they can continue driving people to stay on property, to buy packages, to use DME, EMH, etc.
EXACTLY!
Well, I’m done with this. Pointless to get personally attacked, though – I’m sorry – I thought the idea of a discussion board was to discuss things. I might point out that the 2009 Unofficial Guide – certainly the best, most knowledgeable guide out there – spends a full two pages “braying” about the “exceedingly expensive” aspects of WDW’s admission scheme. (And, of course, the “bad taste” comment came from the Guide, not me.) But if you want to believe it’s some sort of privilege to throw increasingly disproportionate amounts of money down the Mouse hole, so be it. If you honestly believe that WDW costs should consistently rise much faster than inflation, fine. If you think you can justify a 17% rise in parking fees in the middle of a recession, when many families can’t even afford food, go for it.
And – truth be told – I’m kind of a thrill ride junkie, and so, though you may believe the Six Flags comparison is “silly,” the last time I was in LA, I had a whole lot more fun (for a lot less money) on Magic Mountain’s brand-new coaster than on Disneyland’s only new major ride in fourteen years, the exceedingly dull Nemo submarines.
But hey, that’s just me.
I also thought this was a forum for discussion and not personal attacks. Some of the replies in this thread have so much anger in them – oddly directed anger, at that (‘How dare the common folk question the financial moves of a multi-national conglomerate!! Let’s not question the business, instead we’ll attack the people who question the business!’ Ahh, blind patriotism.).
“If you want to believe it’s some sort of privilege to throw increasingly disproportionate amounts of money down the Mouse hole, so be it.” Amen, brother.
We are a country (world?) full of sheep & the attitudes in this thread have only exemplified that. When you love something, you don’t have to love it blindly & never acknowledge its’ faults or motives. You know, it’s okay to question authority. It’s okay to be discontent. It’s okay to come to the site of a book that also openly questions the financial practices of Disney and do the same (did you guys read the UG?)!
Disney really has created a religion (and good for them! It took a couple generations growing up in these parks, but they are unquestionably media/marketing genuises.), and I do love being an occasional baptism in the Pixie Dust just as much as the next gal, but there are folks swimming in it who really believe the Mouse can do no wrong – the loyalty is disconcerting. When someone makes a remark about WDW, they are not making it about you and you do not have to respond as if your family has been defamed. It’s just another business, thickly coated in happy memories and sweet dreams, but a business all the same!
Lisa: “Disney IS justified. It’s all in how you look at it.”
Well, here’s how I look at it: In a year with a negative rate of inflation and the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, WDW has raised its parking fees by a chunky 17%. I bet the cost of asphalt (not to mention the wages of parking attendants) hasn’t gone up that much. But hey, Disney is a corporation which just dropped a skillion dollars acquiring Marvel Comics, many of its recent films have tanked (G-Force, anyone?), and the parks are its cash cow, patronized in part by Disney cheerleaders who think their favorite theme park is justified, no matter what. Therefore, Disney’s going for an “all-the-market-can-bear strategy that’s become substantially more aggressive (some say close to gouging).” Those, incidentally, are the words of the 2009 Unofficial Guide, not mine.
I enjoy Disney, but I’m not a fanatic. So where else can I find happiness under $100 a day? In December, I’ll be going on a Caribbean cruise on a premium line (not Disney, though, which routinely charges high rates), all entertainment and gourmet meals included, for maybe $70 a day total. That’s in part because cruise lines have brought prices down during the recession. Disney, meanwhile, has raised the price on a one-day, one-park base ticket by over 10% over the last economically miserable two years – as usual about three times the general rate of inflation. So let’s just say the parking fee adds insult to injury.
Congrats on your bargain package, Lisa. But not all of us want to devote that much time or money to Disney. I, for one, haven’t ridden Expedition Everest, and wouldn’t mind going back to DAK for a day on my way to the cruise. But that would cost me over a hundred bucks, just to park, get in, and eat a turkey leg. Now, you may think that’s a bargain, but I’ll pass.`To quote the Unofficial Guide again, “No matter how you shake it up, the runaway price hikes leave a bad taste in your mouth.” At least in mine.
Bad taste in your mouth? So brush your teeth and stay home.
Look, if all some people want to do is gripe and still keep going to WDW, that makes them look foolish from every angle.
The day I choose to spend my time and money at any place of business I feel is ripping me off or not providing value for my dollar or boiling me like a frog is the day I need my head examined, not Disney’s.
And the day I think my problems with Disney (of which I have none) will be solved by griping on a non-Disney blog is day one of my check-in to the Funny Farm.
My parents used to frequent a restaurant where they constantly complained about the quality of the food. I asked dad why he kept going and he replied, “At least the portions are large.” I had to laugh out loud. And so did he as he heard himself. They’ve never been back since. I encourage those whining about price increases to take their own advice and stay home until Disney decides to “return to 1992 prices” or offer the same experiences as a trip to Six Flags or whatever other silly comparisons have been made.
One has to wonder why people why feel so horribly ripped off choose to visit a planning site for a place they obviously dislike. You don’t see me on the Unofficial Guide to Gatorland chatboard braying, “I’ll give your guys 20 or 30 more family vacations, and then I’ll really be dissatisfied and maybe do something about it!”
Actually, I find it quite disheartening that people find it necessary to “bash Disney” for a parking increase…of only $2. Like Kurt said earlier…..”where else for $12 (now $14) could our family park the car, take a monorail or ferry ride, or take a bus to another park all in a clean and safe environment.”
I understand…$14 for parking, the ticket to get into the park, etc. etc. But as I mentioned…it is what it is! Become an AP or stay on property. Heck, book a package instead of doing it piece meal. There ARE ways to actually have a great time with the meals, tickets, rooms and parking all included. STAY ON PROPERTY! I AM saving about $600 over last years trip because I booked a package deal at an awesome rate. I’m staying on property (7 nights), I don’t have to park anywhere but the POP resort (at no fee I might add!), I have the Disney Dining Plan so basically ALL my meals (counter service and sit down’s…and there are alot) are paid for PLUS I get 2 snacks a day thrown in for me and my daughter (7 days worth)…my room is paid for 7 nights, AND the park tickets (8 days worth)…All this for UNDER $1400!!! that is TOTAL – not per person. That’s alot of fun! for 2 people..averages out to about $70 something dollars a day per person…give or take a few bucks (don’t have a calculator! LOL)
My point being …..STAY ON PROPERTY AND DO SOME RESEARCH – and stop griping about a $2 parking increase…Disney IS justified. It’s all in how you look at it.
Besides – where on this planet can you find that much happiness with so much to do and see and enjoy for under $100 a day or so..come on! Probably costs most people that in gas every week or so…And if the $2 increase in parking is that huge of a deal…get a piggy bank! You can probably get it saved up in about a week or so !! LOL
POP Century 11/21 – 11/28, 2009 – Hang on Mickey…we’re coming!!!
Yes, Sara, the Six Flags daily parking fee is a dollar higher than WDW’s. On the other hand, an annual pass to my local SIx Flags park, with no blackout dates, costs just $49 and is also good for admission to all the other Six Flags parks in the nation. Add unlimited parking at all SF properties and it still comes to less than than a hundred bucks. What truly gets me is how Disney routinely raises admission prices – come low inflation rates, recession, whatever – even in years when no E-ticket attractions are added. I just pulled out my 1992 Unofficial Guide. A one-day one-park ticket cost $35 back then. The consumer price index has risen approximately 50% in the last 17 years. Meanwhile, the price of a WDW ticket has gone up by a staggering 143% – almost THREE TIMES the rate of inflation. (The only notable additions to the Magic Kingdom since then? Buzz Lightyear, PhilharMagic, and Winnie the Pooh.) Thanks, Disney!
I agree with you Philip…and FYI for you folks..I actually am paying LESS this year for my trip than last year..it’s all in what you purchase. A bit of research or a lucky PIN code helps loads!
So I assume that you’ll never, ever go to WDW again, Brian since you believe Disney is boiling you alive, right?
My grocery bill has increased ever since I can remember. I haven’t stopped eating. My health care expenses have risen astronomically. That doesn’t stop me from seeking medical care. I can’t think of a single thing that is cheaper now then it was when I was a child. I haven’t chosen to stop living.
Seriously, folks. What is it about some people who choose to visit a WDW information site for resort guests (many whom are frequent guests) that brings out this faux ‘outrage’ whenever there’s a price increase? Do you people give an earful to the gas station attendant? The grocery store manager? The CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield?
It costs more for me to vacation at WDW this year than it did last year. Than it did when I first visited way back in the last century. That hasn’t stopped me from saving up and choosing to spend my vacation money at WDW, year after year. And if I honestly felt the price exceeded the value, I’d write directly to Disney and stop going altogether.
Thank you, Phillip!
I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but yes, there has in fact been a lot of “faux” outrage out there about the prices of gas and health care. And just to put things in perspective, I’ll go back to the admission charges back in 1992, which is the date of an old Unofficial Guide I have. Since then, the basic price of a one-day ticket has risen roughly half again as much as the price of a gallon of gas.
Just saying.
About a week ago we went to see the new Tinkerbell movie in the MK. We are AP so we decided to spend a little time in the Contempary for a nice lunch and not worry about getting to the park early. We rode the monorail around and could have stopped at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian instead. While it does seem like another increase, I thought to myself, where else for $12 (now $14) could our family park the car, take a monorail or ferry ride, or take a bus to another park all in a clean and safe environment. We had a great day for the price of gas and a meal. Not bad.
Remember the old story about how to boil a frog? Just put it in a pot of water at room temperature, then turn up the heat a little at a time. Pretty soon that water’s rolling and the frog never knew what hit it.
“Walt Disney World: Boiling your frog, one degree at a time.”
Geeze, I wish I could find parking that cheap around here. Come visit the “free” tourist spots here in Washington, DC and (unless you slum it and park at a Metro lot where it is only about $5/day + $5 for a special card that is required if you actually want to be able to leave the parking lot), parking is around $20+/day, if you can find it.
Heck, when I was down in Virginia Beach a weekend ago, it cost $7 to park in the public parking garage for one hour because it was a “special day”.
I’d much rather have Disney raise parking fees than some of the other things they could increase the charge on. There are many options for people who don’t want to pay those fees. Buy an AP, buy DVC, stay on property, stay off property at a place that has a hotel shuttle, take a taxi, or take the Lynx bus system, just to name a few.
PHILLIP! I agree totally! And that’s all I am going to say for fear of being noodle whipped! LOL
So, if you truly think $14/day to park is ‘outlandish’ or ‘nickel and diming guests to death’ or whatever, the solution is simple.
Don’t go. Seriously. Don’t go.
Draw your line in the sand right there and live up to your principles. That 5-day vacation you were going to take might now cost you an extra $10, assuming you were staying off-site. So seriously, if that $10 is your breaking point, if you don’t believe any business has the right to ever charge more for a product, if you’ll pay $5 for a cup of coffe because it has whipped creame and caramel drizzle while driving your SUV to work alone instead of carpooling or taking the bus and buy lunch out instead of packing a sandwich and accept that both political parties have literally handed billions to already bloated, ineffectual businesses while allowing the middle class to continue to sink…OK, then fine. Make this $2 parking increase your last straw.
…or simply place it in context and plan accordingly.
Your call.
Universal: $12/day for cars
Sea World: $12/day for cars, or buy online ahead of time for $11.26/day for cars
Busch Gardens: $12/day for cars
But I wonder if this won’t be like gas stations – if one park raises parking prices, it will probably be likely that the others will, too.
Six Flags in our area has their parking at $15/day, and that was buying in advance online.
I was wondering how Disney pays for all the buses, Magical Express, monorails, road improvements, etc. I bet the parking fee covers a lot of it.
BTW – How much is the parking fee at Universal, SW, and Busch Gardens?
I hear ya!
“Well they probably could charge up to $20 a day parking and people would pay it…so for only a $2 increase…can’t really complain.”
I think I missed the logic – one ‘can’t complain’ because they increased the price by 17%, when they ‘could’ have increased it by 70%? Now, I’m an AP holder, too, but for those who aren’t – and those folks way outnumber the AP-holders – when a park charges a $75/day entry fee and then adds an additional parking fee…it’s ridiculous. Reminds me of the [surely misquoted] quote from the UG: “Did Walt really mean for it to be unaffordable for the average family?” I remember, when I was a CP 8 years ago, I just didn’t understand how families could do it. The annual price increases just make me sad, mostly because I don’t see any sort of increased magic for the guests, and it seems we continually are hearing more and more about a loss of magic for the CMs. Hence my original comment – I really do wonder how much of that revenue goes in the cast members’ pockets.
My point was…stay on property. Then you don’t have to worry about the parking fees.
Didn’t mean for you to misunderstand.
It’s Disney’s point, too! 🙂 “Stay on property. Or, find more affordable accomodations elsewhere and we’ll punish you with exorbitant parking fees.” I just don’t like that atttitude; ditto the ‘it’s not /that/ bad.” $90 for one day at one park – that’s rough. (Not that $2 less was great, but I almost feel like they’re just nibbling away at the hand that feeds them…)
I do agree that it hurts each time Disney increases a price here and there. However, then I try to put things into perspective. I would rather they increased a ticket price and kept things clean, painted, and in working order than come to a worn out Magic Kingdom. There is something decidedly “un-magical” about paint peeling off of Cinderella’s castle.
Yet another example of Disney nickle and diming guests.
Well they probably could charge up to $20 a day parking and people would pay it…so for only a $2 increase…can’t really complain.
But then again – I stay ON property! LOL (POP here I come!)
Fits right into the next big promotion “Come Be Broke With Us!” All the characters are going to dress like Hobos and panhandle from the guests.
Another reason to buy an annual pass!
Wow. This is going to generate some revenue. Think they increased the parking attendants’ pay by $2/hr? [insert hearty laughter!]