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Wing Ding

9K views 121 replies 36 participants last post by  Nando 
#1 ·
If you are staying at the Gaylord, there is a $10 parking fee plus on top of your room cost. That parking fee has been negotiated down from $18.50/day to $10 a day. This fee is imposed by the Hotel Parking Management, not GWRRA. For those who are not staying on the property, maybe staying at a different hotel or camping, we wanted to give you the opportunity to have in and out parking privileges for a flat fee of $50 for the duration of the event. That means you could go in during the morning, go out on a ride, come back in and the cost is included within this parking pass for the five days. With their current parking fee structure, without either staying on the property or buying this parking pass, you would pay $10 each time you went in and parked each time - even if you parked, then brought your bike into the building for service and then went back out to park. We, GWRRA, felt that was unfair for anyone staying off property and negotiated this parking pass option. This negotiated price was done with our Members best interest in mind. This gives you, our Member, the best possible option under the circumstances. These $50 parking passes can be purchased at the Valet desk inside the lobby of the Gaylord. For those staying at the Gaylord, simply use your room key to gain access to the parking areas.
 
#4 ·
Or just hold the event at some county fairground where the parking would be plentiful, free, and the local community would even benefit financially from the event. That could be a win - win.

I've stayed at the Gaylord on company business and it is nice, but I'm not paying those kind of rates. I would like to go to Wing Ding once and see what it's like but even though only 200-250 miles from me, I'll pass I suppose.
 
#6 ·
I wonder what gets kicked back to the GWRRA in either freebies or cash. This type of thing is why members are leaving, the wrong folks(members) are being charged. It would seem to me that the cost for parking, police to secure the lots and protect our bikes would be included in the relatively high registration fee. After all the vendors have to pay a high premium to rent space and probably a portion of their take in addition to whatever taxes they pay to Texas.

Just the room rates are exorbitant! I mean is a bed and bath really worth what they are asking. And if you have to invest two, three days, or more to travel there you have already spent a good deal of money, Why doesn't GWRRA find ways to make it cheaper?
 
#8 ·
We stopped going to WD's years ago (except for a few years ago when it was in Madison). It was fun years ago when they didn't have all their rules that have to be followed.
 
#10 ·
We went to Madison also. (It was our first Wing Ding actually,) after buying our new F6B. Kind of like the Valkyries I owned previously I didn't really own a "real" Gold Wing and we felt somewhat out of place both due to our relatively younger ages, lack of matching apparel and stuffed animals on our bike. Truly the only reason I went was for the vendor area and that part of the event met all expectations.

Now that I have a full Wing things may be a bit different, but still the age gap, lack of matching clothing and stuffed animals remain.:wink2:
If another one was held closer to me or at a destination I was interested in I would go for a day for the vendor area but that's about it.
 
#11 ·
The best thing I've found about GWRRA is finding a good active local chapter. I do like many of the classes but GWRRA in and of itself has turned into nothing but a shill for WD and many other travel programs. Witness the articles in WING WORLD. If they lost those items the magazine would be half its size. They don't even break between the current WD running before promoting the next one.


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#14 ·
I agree about the proliferation of non motorcycle products in the vendor area, but I learned after being responsible for the vendor area for the Valkyrie Riders Cruiser Club, (VRCC) for many years the non motorcycle specific items are appreciated by the co-riders if they didn't have their own bike. I tried to keep them generally powersports related such as sunglasses, ear plugs, clothing, biker jewelry, etc. The Tupperware and other home goods that I saw at Wing Ding seemed out of place to me also.
Some folks might like wearing matching clothing I suppose, but as has been stated by others I have worn a uniform for over 25 years and don't feel the need to do that to "fit in". Not slamming the GWRRA in any way, it just didn't seem to be a good match for us.
 
#16 · (Edited)
This thread is about parking at Wing Ding...

Unfortunately, more and more hotels are starting to charge for parking. I stayed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2014 and parking was free for guests. I stayed there last month and there was a parking fee that the owners implemented for all their properties around the country and other places (in Vegas) were doing the same thing. Cashing in on everything. I think it's good that GWRRA negotiated the price down. This should at least trigger the thought of including these costs to a member when planning a Wing Ding. I'd bet the one in Billings was among the cheaper all around per participant. Although I have a BIG problem with them wanting $30-$35 to rent a wheel chair for a couple hours... I think that was the Billings Metra Center though, not GWRRA. So one year a more economy Wing Ding and the next a more grandiose Wing Ding. But get use to paying for parking at these places because they are all starting to charge.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Remy2008, this is good information but I am curious why it is not on the GWRRA National site http://gwrra.org/ or on the Wing Ding 39 http://wing-ding.org/39/ site. I would think this is something that the membership of GWRRA would like to know.

Looking at the Wheel Chair rental form from Ace Mobility of Texas http://wing-ding.org/pdf/ACE-Mobility-rental-form.pdf, the charge for a manual wheel chair is $30 for all day. $55 for three to five days. More reasonable than Metra Center but they don't charge for parking.

Reading your post, remy2008, it appears that you are part of the GWRRA leadership. Perhaps you can persuade the leadership group to pass this info to the general membership.
 
#19 ·
I'll add my two cents to the discussion by adding that I would have really liked to attend the Wing Ding, but having previously lived in South Texas for a number of years, I found it unbelievable that this rally would be held where it is at the time of year that it is. If going to a motorcycle rally meant traveling by air conditioned car and then staying indoors for the entire rally, then it might not matter. But I find it hard to believe that anyone WANTS to ride a motorcycle in Grapevine in August. I bought my Goldwing, my first, right around the time of the Wing Ding in Montana and would have liked to attend. I had thought about the 2017 Wing Ding until I found out where it was to be held. So instead I am planning on attending the Americade rally in June at Lake George, NY.

Again I will ask, why in the world would the GWRRA plan the Wing Ding this way? Makes zero sense to me. Final comment: when I bought my Wing I joined the local GWRRA and have found it to do something for me. I'm almost 74 and going to the monthly meetings makes me feel like a kid compared to the other folks there. I plan on taking some group rides with the local chapter this riding season, but if that is not to my liking I think my membership will not be renewed.
 
#20 ·
But I find it hard to believe that anyone WANTS to ride a motorcycle in Grapevine in August.
I'm with you Vito. I lived in Biloxi for seven years and have no real desire to go back that direction during that time of year.
 
#21 ·
I live a bit over an hour north of Grapevine so I plan to do a day or two @ Wing Ding. Afterwards, I'll be heading 2 hours north to my favorite August destination : https://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm
Water is 58° year around. Best way that I've found to "chill" during a Texas August. (Pun intended)
Air conditioning works great @ Winstar World Casino during August as well. And parking is free. Well, sorta. Depends how the machines treat ya I guess. Lol
 
#22 ·
I live in Texas. I ride in August. I had fun last year. I'll have fun this year. I'll pay the parking. I'll probably even stay at the Gaylord Texan, or maybe a Best Western, a Holiday Inn Express, or any of the countless other places right down the road from the Gaylord. Keep calm and carry on...
 
#24 · (Edited)
It's great if you are local...

If I still lived in the south as I had 30+ years ago, I'd be riding to Grapevine too. Super 8 or Comfort Inn would get my business instead of the overly priced Gaylord and I wouldn't have a problem with the $50 parking fee for the week.

BUT, being acclimated to colder climates and being well over 2000 miles away, I think I'll pass this time. Those of you that have the opportunity to go, by all means do so. The plethora of vendors all in one location is worth the price of admission and parking.
 
#25 ·
After seeing this thread yesterday just to determine if this is GWRRA bashing or fact I sent an e-mail to the president of GWRRA asking if it was true. (THIS IS IN NO WAY DOUBTING THE OP OR ANYBODY ELSE JUST VERIFICATION). The answer I received from them was verbatim with the politically correct information posted earlier.
 
#27 ·
Thanks for the verification from the home office. Did you happen to ask Anita why she did not pass that information to the membership? It is not a show stopper for those that have made up their minds to go. But it would be nice if the general membership didn't get a surprise when they got there with an, "Oh by the way, you need to pay for parking for every day you are here."
 
#28 ·
I think it is nice GWRRA got a better rate. I also think they should look into this in future contracts, and have it in writing there will be no charge for ANY attendees for parking. I have been debating going to Texas in August. Now, I have another reason to not go. $50 to be able to attend, on top of the fees GWRRA charges? I enjoyed Billings, and the ride to and from. I have been to Texas.
 
#30 ·
I am new to this Board - came here because of a comment on the GWRRA Board. I am a Life Member - joined back in 1982. I have been to several WDs and was in Billings last year.

To me, WD is all about the ride - the trip to the location. Since I ahve never ridden in Texas, I was excited to go - registered almost immediately when I returned from Billings. We live in Michigan and have plotted our route, got our hotels and are ass set for this trip.

Then today, I got the post about the parking. I called the hotel and GWRRA - shared my disappointment. First because there was no mention of this when I registered. It is not the $50 - it is the fact that we are letting places take advantage of us buy charging us for every nickle and dime. We as a group will bring about $5 million of so to that area - and they want more.

When I talked with the hotel and GWRRA my comment was - either you change it - or, we are not coming. I am also writing a letter to both the hotel and GWRRA, copying the convention bureau - wonder how the other hotles will feel when they learn that Gaylor is driving fold away.
 
#31 ·
Hard to believe that free parking was not negotiated. The company I worked for 25 years had annual meetings and smaller regional meetings at various convention centers around the country. One of the things we never had to expense was parking. It was always waived.
 
#33 ·
Parking use to be free for people staying at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas too. Now it's $10 a day for those actually paying for a room.

Checked luggage use to be free too....
 
#40 ·
It sounds like another case of an organization NOT listening to its customers

My take is that the parking fees are not so much as expensive as they are insulting. My whole entire city is filled with state and private properties that provide free parking for motorcycles.


...and here is my whine: Conducting a rally during the school year means that only retirees would have the free time-frame to attend.

Many folks' lives revolve around the school year...Hellooooo! Even many grandparents have baby-sitting duties nowadays.


I hear negative things about GWRRA more often than one ought to.
 
#41 · (Edited)
I really don't get that first comment. They didn't implement the fees, the resort did. Maybe negotiating the fees down was the best they could do? I don't know. It's just people placing blame in the wrong direction. Like I said twice already, parking fees at these resorts just started in the last couple of years. I bet the resort didn't have them last time Wing Ding was there. You want to know what real gouging is, go to Disneyland. Or stay at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas... Disneyland without the rides.

People bitched and moaned about Wing Ding in July because it was too hot. So they moved it. Just can't win.

.

EDIT: I'm not trying to be a Fanboy here - not really defending GWRRA, I'm defending common sense.

.
 
#42 ·
But in due light of a lot of opinions here, common sense would not have accepted to conduct Wingding in a place that charges people for parking period. Plus, some folks ain't that happy about the locale either.

I understand 'It' is happening everywhere, particularly with them airlines.
But I think the consumer should fight back rather than complacently just accept the nickel-n-dime exertions.

IE: I go to a military commissary where they now charge 5 bucks for 'surcharge' (whatever that is) added to your grocery bill; and you have to pay the baggers because they only work for tips...where do you shop where the customer has to pay the employees?

Its ridiculous!

My advice is think 'Network': "I am mad as ****, and I am not gonna take it anymore"
 
#43 ·
I go to a military commissary where they now charge 5 bucks for 'surcharge' (whatever that is) added to your grocery bill; and you have to pay the baggers because they only work for tips...where do you shop where the customer has to pay the employees?

Its ridiculous!

My advice is think 'Network': "I am mad as ****, and I am not gonna take it anymore"
I think you mean mean 5%.
 
#46 ·
Wow...you pay to get into the rally and now you got to pay to park your bike too...don't think I would attend because of that... but the truth is if you've been to one Wing Ding, or any bike rally...you've been to them all.
 
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