Starting today, visitors who make a new reservation at a Walt Disney World property, such as the BoardWalk Inn, will have to pay for overnight parking. (DISNEY/DISNEY)
Walt Disney World is no longer the happiest place on Earth for guests with cars.
Starting today, visitors who book a new reservation at any of the 30-odd Disney Resort hotels in Orlando must pay for overnight self-parking. Previously, parking at the properties was gratis. (Note: Guests who reserved a room before today still enjoy the perk.)
Prices vary per resort category. The fee is $13 per night at Value resorts, $19 at Moderate resorts and $24 at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts.
[There goes tradition: Las Vegas Strip casinos start charging for parking]
Some free parking is still available. For example, the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort grants guests one free spot. Visitors with disabilities (valid permit required) and Disney Vacation Club members staying at a DVC Deluxe Villa are also exempt. Members who use vacation points for their accommodations will not have to pay, either. In addition, resort guests still receive complimentary parking at the theme parks, and short-term visitors don’t pay a nickel or dime to self-park and spend the day goofing around at any of the Disney Resort hotels.
To further pinch pockets, the company last month raised fees on theme park ticket prices at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. The additional expenses range from $2 for a single-day value ticket for the Magic Kingdom at Disney World to $11 for a single-day peak ticket at Disneyland.
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