Parking???

[Syndrome]

This is the one "issue" I have with Loews/Universal hotels. I just dont see why they have to charge so much $$$ to park. There parking is NOT limited........have you seen the size of the parking lot for RPH,PBH ???? I will agree that at HRH, the parking is more limited, but thats irrelevant. Its a resort.......they need to have a place for people to park!
I recently cancelled a 2 week stay in 2006 at HRH/RPH, just because of the parking fees! It is not the money........its the principal IMHO! We are dropping some serious coin to stay at these hotels AND go to the Universal theme parks. I just feel like i am getting nickled and dimed to death here!
BUT.......I Digress..........having said all this, AND after cancelling my previous stay, I must say that we left Orlando missing something our last trip! We missed the Universal Hotels........So much so, that I have to swallow my "principal" and pay the parking fees! We just liked the resorts too much to not go back! I still think that $12. is WAY too much to pay to park at a resort you are paying big $$$ to stay........but we are planning our 2008 trip to a Universal Resort again. In the end.........they are 4 star hotels and worth the extra $12 per night.........I just wish they would hide it in the rates.......it would make my "principal" feel better.
I wont even get into the $25, per night for a roll-away bed!!!
Later..........Syndrome

 

[damo]

You have to think of it differently. You are getting express pass access for nothing. I'll gladly pay the $12 for a night with a family of four if it means I get unlimited express lane access for two days.

Gotta look at the positives of staying onsite instead of the negatives.

 

[damo]

i think Disneybride2002 means parking.....i believe it's $12./nite

I wasn't sure because someone on the first page had already stated what the parking fee was.

 

[macraven]

at hrh, it is at the manager's discretion to waive the parking fee.
i have seen it done for guests that have stayed a full week.

they talked to the manager, complained about the additional fee and it was waived. these people were there for 8 nights and never moved their car once.
they used it to come from the airport and then use it to go back to the airport.

boy, was that rental a waste of money.....


so syndrome, it can be done. if you had kept that 2 week stay at hrh, it might have been possible to negotiate that parking charge down.



i already posted what it cost to park in chicago. want me to tell you what i paid for parking in DC?

 

[macraven]

parking at hrh is $12 per night.

always check your bill before you leave.
for some reason i have the parking fee on mine the last few times and i don't rent a car.

i informed the front desk of the error and they removed it completely.
so, check your final bill before you leave the hotel.

 

[Syndrome]

Na......we have stayed on site before and we LOVE it. Thats why we cant wait to go back.......parking fees aside!

You have to think of it differently. You are getting express pass access for nothing.

Imo, its not for free..........its marketing. If they didnt offer express, they wouldnt be able to command the rates(and Parking fees) they do........you ARE paying for express pass.

You have to pay to park at WDW Parks, likewise with Universal, Seaworld, Bush gardens etc......Thats a givin. But Not at the resorts........Except for ,Universal. Why ??? There is NO shortage of parking at UO like in some of the Big citys....... NYC,DC,etc.

i already posted what it cost to park in chicago. want me to tell you what i paid for parking in DC?

I have stayed at the Marriott in DC.......I know what it costs.......ouch! Likewise NYC,Chicago,etc......but they are places where parking is a premium! UO has NO parking shortages! Why they must nickle and dime you with it is beyond me.

Its just MY little pet peave with UO. Its the principal that bothers me. I am not one to ask for special treatment from a manager, so he will waive the parking fee. Thats not my style. I just have a problem with Loews charging everyone who stays at the resort a fee to park. Its not a park and ride or something! .........Well I guess, maybe it is!

Just my own opinion.......not looking to start a debate. Just hoping at least someone agrees with me!
Regardless..........We CANT wait to get back to RPH,HRH,PBH (havent figured out which yet), in Jan. 2008, despite the parking fee! We just missed it,to darn much!!!!

Later..........Syndrome

 

[2002Disneybride]

Sorry for the confusion! I wasn't sure if that was the standard rate!
What should we expect when we go to check in-should we park first and then check in?

 

[macraven]

i have rented a car and driven to hrh 4 times.
each time i parked the car and went in to check in. i left my stuff in the car until i knew i had the room. sometimes they are not ready when you check in.

i'd rather leave all my stuff in the car until my room was available.

but that's just me.

now i use town service to get to hrh. the service drops me off in the front, the valet dudes put my stuff on a cart and store it for me. they give you a rain check. then i check in.
once my room is ready, i have them bring the cart with my stuff to the room for me.

you can park your car in the circle are in the front of the hotel for a short time. go inside, check in then go back, unload the car take your items to the room then park car.
since there are two adults, one could check in the other wait in the car or go park it but leave the belongings with valet.

 

[macraven]

Na......we have stayed on site before and we LOVE it. Thats why we cant wait to go back.......parking fees aside!


Imo, its not for free..........its marketing. If they didnt offer express, they wouldnt be able to command the rates(and Parking fees) they do........you ARE paying for express pass.

You have to pay to park at WDW Parks, likewise with Universal, Seaworld, Bush gardens etc......Thats a givin. But Not at the resorts........Except for ,Universal. Why ??? There is NO shortage of parking at UO like in some of the Big citys....... NYC,DC,etc.


I have stayed at the Marriott in DC.......I know what it costs.......ouch! Likewise NYC,Chicago,etc......but they are places where parking is a premium! UO has NO parking shortages! Why they must nickle and dime you with it is beyond me.

Its just MY little pet peave with UO. Its the principal that bothers me. I am not one to ask for special treatment from a manager, so he will waive the parking fee. Thats not my style. I just have a problem with Loews charging everyone who stays at the resort a fee to park. Its not a park and ride or something! .........Well I guess, maybe it is!

Just my own opinion.......not looking to start a debate. Just hoping at least someone agrees with me!
Regardless..........We CANT wait to get back to RPH,HRH,PBH (havent figured out which yet), in Jan. 2008, despite the parking fee! We just missed it,to darn much!!!!

Later..........Syndrome

if you stay at hrh, talk to carlton. he'd much rather have a happy guest than a guest that is upset with the hotel.

 

[2002Disneybride]

From DH- (who thinks the 12 parking fee is insane)

Is there anywhere else we can park? (I am not that cheap) BUt I just wanted to ask!

 

[damo]

From DH- (who thinks the 12 parking fee is insane)

Is there anywhere else we can park? (I am not that cheap) BUt I just wanted to ask!

Nope.

 

[damo]

Na......we have stayed on site before and we LOVE it. Thats why we cant wait to go back.......parking fees aside!


Imo, its not for free..........its marketing. If they didnt offer express, they wouldnt be able to command the rates(and Parking fees) they do........you ARE paying for express pass.

You have to pay to park at WDW Parks, likewise with Universal, Seaworld, Bush gardens etc......Thats a givin. But Not at the resorts........Except for ,Universal. Why ??? There is NO shortage of parking at UO like in some of the Big citys....... NYC,DC,etc.


I have stayed at the Marriott in DC.......I know what it costs.......ouch! Likewise NYC,Chicago,etc......but they are places where parking is a premium! UO has NO parking shortages! Why they must nickle and dime you with it is beyond me.

Its just MY little pet peave with UO. Its the principal that bothers me. I am not one to ask for special treatment from a manager, so he will waive the parking fee. Thats not my style. I just have a problem with Loews charging everyone who stays at the resort a fee to park. Its not a park and ride or something! .........Well I guess, maybe it is!

Just my own opinion.......not looking to start a debate. Just hoping at least someone agrees with me!
Regardless..........We CANT wait to get back to RPH,HRH,PBH (havent figured out which yet), in Jan. 2008, despite the parking fee! We just missed it,to darn much!!!!

Later..........Syndrome

I think express is a perk. Sure it draws in people but Universal's hotels are cheaper than the comparable Disney hotels and all you get there is free parking. Take the going express fee, multiply it by four (or even by two for that matter) and then subtract it from the hotel rate. Now compare it to the Yacht and Beach Club, Poly or Grand Floridian rate. Universal will come out way ahead every time.

Even just take the rates without subtracting the express fee and the rates are still lower than the deluxe Disney Hotels. I also think that the Loews First benefits and the upgrading outweighs the parking charges. I think you are getting more bang for your buck staying at the Universal hotels than the other hotels in Orlando.

The parking fee really doesn't bother me after I paid it all over North America and even at Disneyland (although there they call it a resort fee).

It is just weird that people complain about that parking fee and compare it to Disney but don't take into consideration the ticket prices and the hotel rates and benefits that are much better than at Disney.

 

[macraven]

damo, maybe you know the answer to this about the disney parking.
when i have rented a car, the parking has been free when i have stayed at a disney resort.

but, my question is about the disney guest that parks at a disney hotel.

i met a friend for lunch at epcot last year. this friend lives in buena vista .

he told me off site people have to pay to park at the on site disney hotels if they are going to epcot for lunch. so, he parked at the hotel and caught the boat from either boardwalk or the stop after the swan to get to epcot.

i didn't know that. so, if a local wants to go to the food and wine or dinner at epcot, they have to pay to park at the disney hotel? i know they have to pay $11 or 12 to park in the epcot parking lot but didn't know about the hotel charge. was this guy pulling my leg or what?

come to think of it, if a local did not have the disney ap, they would have to pay the parking fee to park at epcot if they were going to have dinner there for the evening, right? if that is true, then it really is the same difference for parking at the UO hotels then.

 

[bg4]

$12 per night parking is a bit much but

I have said this before. You think that disney doesn't include this fee in its rate?

Disney, being as it owns everything (as opposed to Universal which does not own the three hotels) can include it all in their nightly rate. It just seems better at disney not having to pay for parking.

Would it make you feel better at Universal Resorts if the nightly rate was increased by $12 so you didnt realize you were charged it? probably would.

Now I cannot prove it but my guess is that if you add the $12 to Universal resorts it is still less expensive than a comparable disney resort.

 

[macraven]

bg4, i agree, you have that right.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Here's me and my 2 cents

-At disney if you are going to a theme park whether it be to eat at Epcot or spend the day you need park admission as well as paying for parking (if you are not a resort guest)...
-At Universal if you are going to a theme park or to eat you still have to have park admission as well as paying for parking

I can understand Loews charging for parking where it is limited such as New York, DC, Boston, etc... cities... where space is at a premium... but do not find it necessary for them to charge the parking fee elsewhere.

In my opinion Universal needs to give the express pass for resort guests, because they need to "draw" guests to stay on property..

Again, this is just me and my two cents

 

[damo]

damo, maybe you know the answer to this about the disney parking.
when i have rented a car, the parking has been free when i have stayed at a disney resort.

but, my question is about the disney guest that parks at a disney hotel.

i met a friend for lunch at epcot last year. this friend lives in buena vista .

he told me off site people have to pay to park at the on site disney hotels if they are going to epcot for lunch. so, he parked at the hotel and caught the boat from either boardwalk or the stop after the swan to get to epcot.

i didn't know that. so, if a local wants to go to the food and wine or dinner at epcot, they have to pay to park at the disney hotel? i know they have to pay $11 or 12 to park in the epcot parking lot but didn't know about the hotel charge. was this guy pulling my leg or what?

come to think of it, if a local did not have the disney ap, they would have to pay the parking fee to park at epcot if they were going to have dinner there for the evening, right? if that is true, then it really is the same difference for parking at the UO hotels then.

I'm pretty sure you have to pay otherwise people would just park at the hotels and take the bus to the parks for free. That is one reason why you can't take a bus anymore from DTD to any of the parks directly. When we went to AK last year for a day and got charged $10 at the gate to get dropped off by taxi, we decided that going back we would go straight to DTD. Well, you couldn't do that. We had to go first to AKL and then take a bus to DTD. Then we got a cab back to Universal. It was much cheaper that was but took a while. It let us explore AKL though, which we had never seen before.

 

[bubba's mom]

When we visit Disney, we stay in the cheapy All Stars. I just can't justify staying at a moderate or deluxe and paying all that money when all we do is sleep and shower in the room.
I must admit, i wasn't thrilled at paying $200/nite for a hotel room (that we are hardly IN), but i knew the FOTL was worth it....staying onsite i how i feel i pay for my FOTL privledge.
Oh, and we don't pay to park....we always get a towncar from MCO to take us to UO and we pick up (or get picked up by) Budget from the Holiday Inn Universal to get us to Ocala for the rest of the week before we drive from Ocala back to MCO to go home.
I agree with the dollar amount tho.....why $12? Why not $6? Why not $15? Of all the amounts, they have $12.....and don't you pay tax on top of that too? (can't remember)
I agree it seems you're nickeled and dimed, but in todays day and age, you pay for convenience.......

 

[damo]

When we visit Disney, we stay in the cheapy All Stars. I just can't justify staying at a moderate or deluxe and paying all that money when all we do is sleep and shower in the room.
I must admit, i wasn't thrilled at paying $200/nite for a hotel room (that we are hardly IN), but i knew the FOTL was worth it....staying onsite i how i feel i pay for my FOTL privledge.
Oh, and we don't pay to park....we always get a towncar from MCO to take us to UO and we pick up (or get picked up by) Budget from the Holiday Inn Universal to get us to Ocala for the rest of the week before we drive from Ocala back to MCO to go home.
I agree with the dollar amount tho.....why $12? Why not $6? Why not $15? Of all the amounts, they have $12.....and don't you pay tax on top of that too? (can't remember)
I agree it seems you're nickeled and dimed, but in todays day and age, you pay for convenience.......

I think it started at $5 or $6 and then they have gradually increased it. Loews can't earn money through the parks like Disney by increasing ticket prices so they have to rely on increasing their rates at the hotels.

 

[bubba's mom]

I think it started at $5 or $6 and then they have gradually increased it.

I'll say!