Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission and hotel prices in response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a decline in park attendance over recent months.
In May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages allowing visitors to experience Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for just $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately. This pricing represents a significant drop from the previous peak of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass. The lower ticket prices will be available until September 24.
Additionally, Disney is trying to lower the overall cost of a trip to its Florida resort by discounting its most affordable hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can now start as low as $100, depending on the booking date. These discounts can amount to as much as 27% off regular rates, as noted in a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, the parks have also rolled out new dining packages that offer 20% to 30% savings on dining expenses. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Additionally, Disney World is providing more quick meal options and introducing cheaper food for kids along with more flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the drop in customer satisfaction to the rising costs of dining within the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, indicated that satisfaction ratings have decreased from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining options to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledges the efforts to cut costs, he warns that these measures may not necessarily indicate a genuine commitment to making the experience more affordable or enhancing guest satisfaction. He stated, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”