Facing increasing customer dissatisfaction and declining park attendance, Walt Disney World has quietly reduced the cost of admission and hotel stays in recent months.
In May, Disney began offering discounted three-day ticket packages allowing customers to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, though tickets to Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These lower ticket prices, which are available through September 24, represent a significant decrease from the peak $254 price tag for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is also cutting the cost of its more affordable hotel accommodations. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can cost as little as $100, depending on booking times. These reductions represent up to a 27% discount on standard rates, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
New dining packages introduced this summer aim to lower the cost of eating at Disney by 20% to 30%. The dining plan offers all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney World is also providing more quick meal options, cheaper food for kids, and more flexible restaurant policies.
The increased cost of dining inside parks has been cited as a significant factor in declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys thousands of Disney customers annually, told Bloomberg that customer satisfaction ratings dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many of its popular restaurants.
While Testa praised Disney’s cost-cutting strategies, he cautioned that this trend might not necessarily indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or guest satisfaction. “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he told Bloomberg.