Originally Posted By GMouse I've been going to Disney World for the past 15 years. A friend recently asked me about special preferred parking called "AAA Diamond Preferred Parking" at WDW. I've never known WDW to have preferred parking. People are selling these passes on Ebay. Is this real, did I just over look it all these years? If so, can you give me any info about it?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The AAA parking is real, and the passes are real; they're given out when booking select vacation packages through the club.
Originally Posted By Daannzzz We used it a couple weeks ago. We arrived at the MK at 4:00 for the Halloween party and got sent to a nice spot right close to the TTC.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm not sure how I feel about this. If they are forcing people to pay $14 to park for a day, I don't think that they should have to park any further away than nessecary. With the reserved spots up front, that pushes everybody else further away. I visited Six Flags Great America just outside Chicago this summer, and they had a similar parking routine. You can pay $15 for general parking, or $25 for preferred. For general parking, you get the privelage of parking out in the boonies, with no tram service. For the preferred parking, you got to park in the front half of the parking lot, also with no trams. It just seemed like a really tacky way to make money off of people coming to the park. I'm really concerned that this is going to start at Disney parks too. I know that right now they're being a little more subtle about it, but it's another one of those little things that just detracts from the overall experience. I know that they have deals worked out with AAA, but they don't have to put their other customers at a disadvantage because of it. How difficult would it be for them to just give free parking? I doubt that most people would mind parking with everybody else, especially if they got it for free. I realize that it seems like a small thing, but it's just one of those little things that adds up over time to leave a really bad taste in your mouth.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Don't let those reserved spots fool you. For example, at MK the handicap parking area is a gazillion miles away from the entrance. It is much less walking to park in the regular spot and take the tram in even if it is at the end of the line. Sometimes what appears to be good really is just smoke and mirrors.
Originally Posted By dizneed This AAA Diamond "preferred Parking" has been offered for at least 2 years, but there are black out dates. Diamond parking at EPCOT ends up being quite close to the entrance, where as with the MK, AK, & DHS it's questionable whether it's worth it with the trams taking you right to the entrance. It also gave us a 10% discount at World of Disney in July.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost True but most of the parking places at Epcot are fairly close to the entrance anyway. I don't ever remember taking a tram to the entrance in all the years I have been going there.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I visited Six Flags Great America just outside Chicago this summer, and they had a similar parking routine. You can pay $15 for general parking, or $25 for preferred. For general parking, you get the privelage of parking out in the boonies, with no tram service. For the preferred parking, you got to park in the front half of the parking lot, also with no trams. It just seemed like a really tacky way to make money off of people coming to the park -- this is why I keep telling people the prices don't shock me @ WDW for most anything- because here in Chicagoland - prices are so much worse for everything
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<How difficult would it be for them to just give free parking?>> Why should they give it away when people are willing to pay? I think most visitors know going in that WDW is a tourist destination where everything cost money. <<I realize that it seems like a small thing, but it's just one of those little things that adds up over time to leave a really bad taste in your mouth.>> Stay on-site and you'll never have to worry about it...or stay off-site, and think about how much less your vacation cost overall anyway.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "Why should they give it away when people are willing to pay?" I don't mean to give free parking to everybody, just the AAA members who are currently getting the Diamond parking. If it's free anyway, why do they need the extra level of privelage above that?
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Nothing is free!!! If you don't pay it for parking you will pay it for admission prices. One way or the other they will get the money they are looking for. Besides that...has anyone stopped to figure out what it costs to maintain those lots, keep security, power the lights at night, run the trams and have CM's directing traffic. In my opinion, no one is forcing anyone to go to Disney. It is really a small price to pay for all day parking, so to put it bluntly just pay the fee and then go in and have a great time. It is such a minor amount when you figure the overall cost of a Disney trip. As stated, stay on site and don't pay for parking or stay off-site and the savings will pay for parking plus buy a lot of Mickey Bars. No problem!
Originally Posted By dizneed >>I don't mean to give free parking to everybody, just the AAA members who are currently getting the Diamond parking. If it's free anyway, why do they need the extra level of privelage above that?<< You still have to pay the 14.00$ for parking, it's just that the AAA Diamond parking sends you to the "front of the line" so to speak.
Originally Posted By hightp We were given a AAA parking pass 2 years ago when we booked our trip throuh them. To tell you the truth, it didn't save any time when we used it. In the AK, it appeared as though we were getting a good spot, but had to walk rather than take a tram, so the savings in time was about nil.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad I am one of the few who really don't care where I park. (especially if a tram is running). Course when I go to a store I park way out too. Its easier to me to just park where there are lots of spots and I am rarely in a hurry. Although inside the parks I haven't mastered the relaxed touring plan very well yet. I know it is crazy but we play little games and poke fun at each other while we walk to the car so it is really no big deal if we are a ways out
