Walt Disney World Resort Hotels To Begin Charging For Overnight Parking — Start Date And Prices
Disneyland has done it for quite a long time and it now seems as if Walt Disney World is going to follow up with charging resort hotel guests for overnight parking. This was a rumor that had been circulating for years, but it never ended up becoming a reality. Now, Disney is preparing to make the announcement that guests bringing their vehicles for overnight stays will indeed receive parking charges and it is starting very soon.
UPDATE #3 – March 15, 2018, at 9:00 p.m.
Just as quickly as they were taken down from WDW’s official website parking page, the prices are back up. It appears as if minds were not changed.
UPDATE #2 – March 15, 2018, at 8:00 p.m.
In an interesting turn of events, something has already changed in the idea that Walt Disney World is going to begin charging guests for overnight parking at resort hotels. On Thursday evening, the official website for WDW changed to no longer list pricing, but it has changed back to its original wording.
“Standard self-parking at Resort hotels is complimentary for Resort Guests. Valet parking is available at select Disney Deluxe Resorts for $25 per day.”
Not only does this go back on the new parking pricing for Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resorts, but it also reverts valet parking back to $25 from the new price of $33. Now, it is possible that Disney is merely waiting until the start date of March 21, 2018, to post it online.
Still, WDW Magic points out that all resort pages do have wording to state the parking prices for reservations made after March 21, 2018. It’s hard to think that Disney would go back on this after publicly announcing it, even with the insane amounts of criticism they have received.
For now, Disney has not officially stated that they are going back on beginning to charge overnight parking fees to guests at WDW Resort hotels. It’s only a matter of time until March 21 arrives, and all we can do is wait. Yes, Disney did an about-face on the removal of the Citrus Swirl, but these parking fees are a much bigger deal.
UPDATE #1 – March 14, 2018, at 11:45 a.m.
As expected, Disney released the confirmation that effective for reservations made March 21, 2018, and thereafter, there will be fees for standard overnight parking. The fee will be applied to their hotel folio upon checking out of their resort, as reported by My Mickey Vacation Travel.
Fees for each level of resort are near the bottom of this article.
Guests staying at campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will receive complimentary standard parking for one vehicle
——Begon original article
The official announcement is expected to come from Disney sometime on Wednesday or Thursday, but the news is already out there. According to WDWNT, the policy of charging resort guests overnight parking fees is going to begin as early as next week.
Along with this new policy, valet parking fees at Walt Disney World Resort hotels are also expected to be increased.
One thing of note is that the parking fees at resorts are only going to be in place for overnight stays. Paid parking is not something that will affect guests who are visiting the resorts for dining reservations, quick shopping visits, or anything else when not actually staying in a room there.
While Disney fans await the official announcement, the prices and start date have already made their way out.
The expected start date for overnight parking charges at Walt Disney World Resort hotels is March 21, 2018. One thing to note is that a Disney representative has confirmed that guests with existing reservations made prior to this date will not be impacted by the new policy.
An update:
According to a Disney rep, guests with reservations made prior to March 21 will not be charged for overnight parking. https://t.co/GFxRxrzc11
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 14, 2018
and worth noting, the rep would not 100% confirm that the change is coming – but the March 21 date is no coincidence. Also, no info. on parking rates. Expect something official later today or tomorrow.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 14, 2018
and as @WDWNT reported, official confirmation/announcement will be at noon today. Guests with existing reservations (made prior to March 21) will receive a notice of the change and will be notified the change does not impact them.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 14, 2018
Again, the exact details will come from Disney once they make the official announcement to the general public, but with Disney reps saying something, it is coming. Chip and Co. was advised of the rates for overnight parking and they will vary depending on the level of the resort you’re staying in.
- Value Resorts – $13 per night
- Moderate Resorts – $19 per night
- Deluxe Resorts – $24 per night
Valet parking rates are expected to increase from $25 to $33 once the other changes are put into place. For Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members staying in Deluxe Villas, it has been reported that there will be no charges for overnight parking.
As guests can see on the official website of Disneyland, overnight parking fees for resort hotel guests are standard. They’ve been in place for years for anyone staying in one of the three on-property resort locations.
Walt Disney World is simply catching up with the times at this point as overnight parking fees is something that has long been expected, but never come about. Now, guests will need to prepare for and adjust their budgets to include a little extra cost if they’re planning on staying on property at WDW. Subtle changes could come to the details once Disney makes the official announcement, but it appears as if it is definitely coming.