Walt Disney World has been offering discounts on admission and hotel stays in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance. Over the past several months, the company introduced discounted three-day ticket packages allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom still require separate purchase.
These lower ticket prices, available until September 24, mark a significant decrease from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Disney is also working to make trips to its Florida resort more affordable by offering reductions on its budget hotel rates. For instance, a night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, depending on booking dates, indicating discounts of up to 27%, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
In addition to ticket and lodging discounts, the parks have rolled out new dining packages this summer, cutting the cost of meals by 20% to 30%. The dining plan allows families to buy all-day meal passes at $30 for children and $95 for adults, usable for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney World is also expanding quick meal options, offering cheaper meals for kids and introducing more flexible restaurant policies.
Experts note that increased meal costs in the parks have contributed to declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared that satisfaction ratings fell from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many of its popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the effectiveness of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he warned that these changes might not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or customer satisfaction. He remarked that Disney has historically been willing to exchange positive ratings for revenue.