In response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission and hotel prices over the last few months.
In May, the company began offering discounted three-day ticket packages that allow guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These lower ticket prices, available until September 24, represent a significant reduction from the previous peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is aiming to lessen the overall cost of visiting the Florida resort by offering discounts on its most affordable hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort might now cost as low as $100, depending on booking dates, which reflects up to a 27% discount off standard rates according to a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, new dining packages have also been introduced, providing discounts of 20% to 30% on dining costs at the parks. This plan allows families to purchase all-day meal passes priced at $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable at various dining locations. Furthermore, Disney is expanding quick-service meal options, offering more economical food for children, and implementing more flexible restaurant policies.
Experts attribute the rising costs of food within the parks as one of the reasons for declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, the president of TouringPlans.com, stated that customer satisfaction ratings fell from 90% to 60% at the same time Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s efforts to cut costs, he warned that these moves might not genuinely reflect a commitment to affordability or guest satisfaction. He noted that “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”