Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing the price of admission and hotel stays amid growing customer dissatisfaction and declining park attendance. In May, the resort began offering discounted three-day ticket packages, enabling guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom must be purchased separately.
These reduced prices, which will be available until September 24, represent a significant drop from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass. Alongside lowering ticket prices, Disney is also cutting costs on its most affordable hotel accommodations, with rates at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort starting at as low as $100 depending on booking dates. These reductions can amount to a 27% discount compared to regular rates, as reported by Bloomberg.
In addition, new dining packages introduced this summer aim to ease the expense of eating within the parks, offering discounts of 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for various meals and snacks. Disney World is also providing more quick meal options, cheaper food for children, and flexible dining policies.
Experts suggest that the increasing costs of dining within the parks have contributed significantly to customer dissatisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that satisfaction ratings have fallen from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed pricing at many popular restaurants. While he acknowledged the benefits of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, Testa warned that this might not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or improving guest satisfaction, stating, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”