Fee for handicapped parking at Grand Californian Hotel?

[AstroBlasters]

my initial point was that $28 seemed cheap compared to similar resorts run by Disney, and it was, because it was 10 years ago and now apparently it's $70.

DW is attending a conference in SF and the hotel is $90 a night for parking so in that sense, Disney is following the industry I guess. Demand is very elastic on base rate of rooms so hotels have to make money at the edges with other charges.

It’s going to be tough on Disney if the $250k+ and up crowd starts to take a financial hit…. they have put a lot of their revenue growth eggs in that narrowing basket.

 

[LAS2AMS]

It’s going to be tough on Disney if the $250k+ and up crowd starts to take a financial hit…. they have put a lot of their revenue growth eggs in that narrowing basket.

That thread is absurd. High income earners tend to be professionals focused on wealth grown/ management. Disney’s bread-and-butter is average, middle class fanatics who spend disproportionate amounts of income on everything Disney. You know, the MK/AP holders who spend over 100 days in the parks and gotta have LL so they can elegance their favorite attractions a few hundred extra times.

That said, GCH attracts a lot of celebrities and has (had) a dedicated, private check-in. They generally pay a VIP fee as opposed to all these charges. Must be nice!

 

[AstroBlasters]

That thread is absurd. High income earners tend to be professionals focused on wealth grown/ management. Disney’s bread-and-butter is average, middle class fanatics who spend disproportionate amounts of income on everything Disney. You know, the MK/AP holders who spend over 100 days in the parks and gotta have LL so they can elegance their favorite attractions a few hundred extra times.

That said, GCH attracts a lot of celebrities and has (had) a dedicated, private check-in. They generally pay a VIP fee as opposed to all these charges. Must be nice!

Your post is not based on facts.Here are some facts:

https://www.wsj.com/business/disney...6?st=VkeAxn&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

[LAS2AMS]

Your post is not based on facts.Here are some facts:

https://www.wsj.com/business/disney...6?st=VkeAxn&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

There’s a whole thread on that article. The person who inspired/ provided the data for the article is a forum user. The data set is inherently flawed as it uses BLS averages to draw a conclusion. NYT reported that in 2023, Millenials households spent a mean of $7K annually on travel - and typically, the more they spent, the more sacrifices they made elsewhere.

Ultimately, most people who spend big on Disney spend little elsewhere. For example, the average family spends nearly $600 per child on back-to-school clothing. Obviously that number was a lot lower when I was growing up in the 1990s, but my mom bought all our clothing from Mervyn’s — cheap stuff too, like $1 shirts and $5 jeans — and returned it when we outgrew it (they had a generous return policy). Her annual spend was probably no more than $20. People mocked me for being poor lol… all to save up for WDW trips.

 

[AstroBlasters]

There’s a whole thread on that article. The person who inspired/ provided the data for the article is a forum user. The data set is inherently flawed as it uses BLS averages to draw a conclusion. NYT reported that in 2023, Millenials households spent a mean of $7K annually on travel - and typically, the more they spent, the more sacrifices they made elsewhere.

Ultimately, most people who spend big on Disney spend little elsewhere. For example, the average family spends nearly $600 per child on back-to-school clothing. Obviously that number was a lot lower when I was growing up in the 1990s, but my mom bought all our clothing from Mervyn’s — cheap stuff too, like $1 shirts and $5 jeans — and returned it when we outgrew it (they had a generous return policy). Her annual spend was probably no more than $20. People mocked me for being poor lol… all to save up for WDW trips.

I don’t accept that it is flawed data. It may not be perfect, but it is useful data.

Either way, the thread is about the cost to park at Grand Californian. Some online forum a have misinformation that it is free if you are in a wheelchair and that is not the case.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I don’t accept that it is flawed data. It may not be perfect, but it is useful data.

Either way, the thread is about the cost to park at Grand Californian. Some online forum a have misinformation that it is free if you are in a wheelchair and that is not the case.

Then you’d have to ignore real world data and rely on BLS averages, which is foolhardy.

Free parking for persons with a handicap placard use to be widespread throughout Southern California. Including at DLR hotels (when they initially began charging for parking), but has mostly been rescinded in recent years due to widespread abuse.

When this thread was started 15 years ago, parking was free with a handicap placard. When they started assessing normal parking fees, valet was offered at self-parking rates but again, widespread abuse ended this.

 

[rafaelpalma]

I’ve stayed at the Grand Californian a few times, and they do have a separate handicapped parking area, which is free if you have a valid handicap placard. The $17 valet charge is for regular valet service, but I haven’t had to pay for parking when I used my placard. When you get there, just let them know, and they should guide you to the right spot.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I’ve stayed at the Grand Californian a few times, and they do have a separate handicapped parking area, which is free if you have a valid handicap placard. The $17 valet charge is for regular valet service, but I haven’t had to pay for parking when I used my placard. When you get there, just let them know, and they should guide you to the right spot.

The policy changed awhile ago - the parking fee is no longer waived. Self is $40, valet $70.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/

Hotel Disabled Parking
Guests with valid disabled parking placards or license plates may park in any available disabled-marked space—subject to space availability. Standard parking rates will apply.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’ve stayed at the Grand Californian a few times, and they do have a separate handicapped parking area, which is free if you have a valid handicap placard. The $17 valet charge is for regular valet service, but I haven’t had to pay for parking when I used my placard. When you get there, just let them know, and they should guide you to the right spot.

That is verifiably not true according to multiple Disney sites.

Hotel Disabled Parking
Guests with valid disabled parking placards or license plates may park in any available disabled-marked space—subject to space availability. Standard parking rates will apply.

If you have specific parking needs (e.g. additional space to lower a wheelchair ramp or lift) please notify a Cast Member for assistance.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/
Guests registered to stay at any of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels have access to exclusive self-parking. Additionally, guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa can also park using valet services. All three hotels have disabled parking available, however daily hotel guest parking rates will apply. Unfortunately, there are no free disability parking permits for guests at the Disneyland Resort Hotels, Downtown Disney District, or Theme Park Parking Areas/Structures. While there are no free valet services for disabled guests, as a registered guest, you may drop off party members at the entrance to the hotel who may need assistance or cannot walk from the self-parking area, before returning to self-parking for their hotel stay.
https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...isability-parking-permit-holders-walt-570316/

 

[AstroBlasters]

Then you’d have to ignore real world data and rely on BLS averages, which is foolhardy.

Free parking for persons with a handicap placard use to be widespread throughout Southern California. Including at DLR hotels (when they initially began charging for parking), but has mostly been rescinded in recent years due to widespread abuse.

When this thread was started 15 years ago, parking was free with a handicap placard. When they started assessing normal parking fees, valet was offered at self-parking rates but again, widespread abuse ended this.

I understand your point, but my real world experience with high income households and knowing Disney’s prices tells me that they are trying to squeeze the additional revenue at the top end of the income curve at the moment.

Now, with the park expansions at DLand FWD and WDW…. perhaps that additional park capacity with not as aggressive of price hikes over the next decade will change that…. but at the moment it seems they are trying to get the $250k and up crowd….