Walt Disney World has been quietly lowering admission and hotel prices in response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance over recent months.
In May, the resort introduced discounted three-day ticket packages allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, while tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be bought separately. This price reduction comes after the peak cost for a daily Park Hopper pass reached $254.
Additionally, Disney is striving to make trips to the Florida resort more affordable by cutting prices on its budget hotel accommodations. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can now cost as little as $100, depending on booking dates, equating to discounts of up to 27% from typical rates, as reported by Bloomberg.
The parks have also rolled out new dining packages this summer, slashing meal costs by 20% to 30%. The dining plan allows families to purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable at various locations within the parks. Other enhancements reportedly include more quick-service meal options, lower-priced children’s meals, and more flexible dining policies.
Experts in the Disney community point to escalating food costs within the parks as a significant factor contributing to the decline in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that satisfaction ratings plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from an à la carte dining model to set-price meals at many of its popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s efforts to cut costs, he cautioned that these measures may not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or improving guest satisfaction. He observed that Disney has historically balanced positive customer feedback with revenue generation.