The parking in Orlando is as much as $20

Exactly. I just can't buy into the idea that a family that has dropped hundreds on airfare, hundreds more on accommodations, yet hundreds more on a car rental and spread still hundreds more around on food, gas and sundries is going to balk at the price of parking at WDW, turn around and go to Gatorland instead.

I don't think anyone has actually said that? It can (and does) give some a negative first thought/impression, and may affect some decisions immediately following that experience, as well as a return decision (even on that same trip, one day ticket sales are surprising, even for multi-day visits).

Obviously business isn't hurting for it, but it does happen. It's a legit reaction that guests have. Saying no one cares about the parking charge is as realistic as saying people turn away after paying for everything else.

Forgive me my hyperbole. :-)

I don't agree that the price of parking leaves a negative impression on the vast majority of driving, non-Disney resort visitors, nor do I think it affects purchasing decisions in the park. For the vast majority of such guests, that price exists in a "vacuum" -- they have no advance knowledge of the price. I just don't think that, having dropped thousands on the vacation, the tens at the parking kiosk are going to make an impression.

birdhombre said:

I think that's what Andy was getting at. If the parking fee went to $100 tomorrow, would people stop going? After all, they already spent $123456 on this trip so what's another $100?

Here's the rub on that though - resort guests don't pay to park. So this only affects people not staying at WDW...which, ironically, are the folks most likely to be price sensitive. If you're staying at the $49 per night Super 8 and filling the room with groceries, you're certainly aware of (and likely affected by) the $20 fee.

Plus, it's another card trying to stack the deck towards getting people on property. If WDW's cheapest room is $89 then suddenly they can compete with anything off property at $69 because of the $20 parking charge.

If all the world were Gonches, maybe #1 would be true. ;)

If all the world were Gonches...

*far away starry look in eyes*

Ahem.

It's not that that it's not thought about, it's that I'm not inherently adverse to the idea of parking fees (and like I said, it's an interesting thing to me that people are - I mean, I get that parking often incurs a charge. That's fine. I get it.) and it's considered as part of the cost of doing whatever I'm doing.

Your stacking the deck comment is interesting. Are the budget Disney resorts within $20 of the cheap off-site hotels? Maybe that is an angle that Disney is taking.

The actual number doesn't matter. Disney's cheapest room rate automatically competes with off property rates within $20 because of the parking fee...and likely a little bit further than that - If the price difference is $30, you're really only paying $10 per night more to be on property at a Disney-quality hotel than off property at a low end chain...or worse.

It's definitely part of Disney's strategy.