Walt Disney World is implementing ticket and hotel stay discounts in response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a noticeable drop in park attendance. Over recent months, the park has quietly lowered prices to attract visitors.
In May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages allowing access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day; however, tickets for Magic Kingdom are sold separately. This price reduction is a significant decline from the previous peak of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is working to lower the overall cost of visiting its Florida resort by offering discounts on its budget-friendly hotel options. Rates at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can drop to as low as $100 per night, depending on booking dates, representing a discount of up to 27% from standard rates.
The parks also launched new dining packages this summer, currently reducing meal costs by 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults, redeemable for various meals and snacks in the parks. Disney World’s efforts also include expanding quick meal choices and providing more affordable food options for children alongside flexible dining policies.
Industry experts attribute the decline in customer satisfaction partly to rising food costs within the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys Disney guests annually, noted that satisfaction ratings plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to fixed-price meal offerings at many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the positive aspects of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he expressed concern that these actions may not indicate a genuine commitment to making visits more affordable or enhancing guest satisfaction. “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he stated.