Walt Disney World has been slashing admission and hotel prices in response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and dwindling park attendance in recent months.
As part of this strategy, Disney initiated discounted three-day ticket packages in May, allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for as low as $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom still have to be purchased separately. This represents a significant decrease from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass, a move that will remain in effect until September 24.
Additionally, Disney aims to lower the overall expenses associated with visiting the Florida resort by offering discounts on its most affordable hotel rooms. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort may start at just $100, based on booking times. These reductions can yield up to a 27% discount from standard rates.
This summer, the parks have also launched new dining packages, which reportedly lower food costs by 20% to 30%. Families can now buy all-day meal passes for $30 for children and $95 for adults, covering certain meals and snacks throughout the parks. The resort is also expanding quick meal options, providing less expensive food choices for children, and introducing more flexible dining policies.
Industry experts point to rising food costs in the parks as a contributing factor to declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared insights indicating that customer satisfaction ratings dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many favored restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the effectiveness of Disney’s cost-reduction measures, he warned that these actions may not truly reflect an earnest commitment to affordability or guest satisfaction. He emphasized that Disney has historically been willing to trade off a degree of positive guest ratings for enhanced revenue.