So, Disney charges resort guests overnight parking if you drive. But how does this work, exactly?
We are driving down, and DS and DIL are flying. We now know we will all be staying at the same resort. But what if I allow my son to take our van one night to Disney Springs? When he comes back, will they mistakenly thing that he is parking a separate vehicle and charge his room? Could we end up double charged?
They were charging based upon if reservation used DME. I have heard that people that used ride sharing to the resort had to have CM remove parking charges. It’s possible you might not be charged at all if DME is used on reservation if you have the same reservation number.
Okay. I will have to follow up at the front desk probably. We have three resort reservations (three rooms), only one vehicle, and only one time (to the airport) using DME. My DS and DIL will be arriving to Disney property with us since we will be doing three nights at Universal first, so won’t be using DME then. I guess we are weirdos when it comes to Disney!
Not weird at all! I think they will charge you two vehicles unless you notify them or have them remove charges at the end. I have heard they are very understanding/accommodating with parking fees. This was pre- COVID so things might have changed. Please update us after your trip how the interaction goes so we can let future guests know.
I don’t see how. The parking charge was on our room, Sept 2019. We never got a piece of paper to put on our dash as we used to previous trips. We did have to use our magic bands to activate the gate to let us into the resort.
If your magic band was linked to your vehicle, then yes, you might get double charged. Your magic band is linked to your room. As is your vehicle - per your report. There’s nothing Disney related on your vehicle.
We seldom dealt with a gate person. Pull up, present magic band, enter. We did have a glitch on a couple magic bands near the end of our trip. Waited. Guard guy came out. Let us in.
eta: if they’ve changed that routine and now have some sort of tracking on guest vehicles, that’s a different story.
Right. That was actually why I was concerned. The vehicle itself would seem to have no direct play into how they decide to charge you. If @thekid is correct, then when we arrive, we will show up, and I’ll “scan in” with my MagicBand to park. Fine. But even though our party of 7 people has three rooms on three separate confirmation numbers, none of us are arriving using MDE. So, will Disney assume that there are three vehicles and start charging us for three vehicles (one vehicle per room?).
Even if they don’t do that, and instead they use the MagicBand as a means to determine things, then when I arrive, they will assume that I have a vehicle. But what happens, then, when my son uses our vehicle to go to Disney Springs? When he returns, he would use his MagicBand, and now the system would think HIS room has a vehicle as well. In this case, we might be charged for two vehicles instead of just the one…one for my room, and one for his. I could just give him one of my MagicBands to scan entry with upon his return…but if it doesn’t work, will the guard require any kind of identification? If so, we’re in the same boat because he clearly isn’t me! (Except over the phone! 
)
Regardless of how it all works, we’ll probably need to take a trip to the front desk and speak with a CM to make sure it is all billed properly.
They usually ask up front if you’re driving and it becomes part of your room bill. Over Christmas 2018 we flew in but my MIL met us at Port Orleans; she drove up from Ft. Myers (a day after we arrived). We went to the front desk to tell them and get a car window tag. They were really mad cuz their system had NO way to add in a parking charge after check-in and they don’t have you put a car window tag in anymore. We apologized telling them that it was never certain she was going to meet up w/ us, it was all dependent on how she was feeling (going through kemo). We had a lovely December week w/ MIL and DS! And NO parking charge LOL.
Of course, we don’t even check in at the front desk anymore. Straight to the room!
Why would they assume you have a vehicle? Just because you don’t use ME wouldn’t have anything to do with generating parking fees.
Living in GA, I always drive my own vehicle to WDW.
When I first arrive at the security gate is when I’ve always let them know I will be parking. Last fall staying at CSR, I never even went to the front desk while checking, did it on-line and went straight to the room.
This had been a big topic on Backside of Magic and on trip reports.
That’s wild that they just assume you parked if you didn’t use DME…theoretically you could never pas through a parking gate and they’d charge you? Crazy!
I have heard on multiple trip reports of people being surprised by the fee on the bill. It’s typically people who ride share to resort or directly to the park.
oh no, we had already checked in virtually the day before… MIL came a day later… that’s when we went to the front desk.
Or call.
Hmm. Didn’t I just read something about how Disney is now offering chat directly with the hotel staff from within MDE now? Although…this seems like the kind of situation that is most easily handled in person.
I was thinking that about chat as well. I think the new preferred order is the app, chat, possibly call, and then in person.