Walt Disney World has been quietly lowering the cost of admission and hotel stays recently, in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a decline in park attendance.
In May, the theme park began offering discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets to Magic Kingdom must be purchased separately. These reduced prices will remain in effect until September 24 and represent a significant drop from the peak daily cost of $254 for a Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is aiming to ease the overall expense of a trip to its Florida resort by lowering rates for its most basic hotel accommodations. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be booked for as low as $100, depending on the timing of the reservation. This constitutes discounts of up to 27% compared to regular rates.
The parks have also initiated new dining packages this summer, which offer meal costs reduced by 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, applicable to select meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney World is reportedly providing more quick meal options, cheaper children’s food, and more flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the rising costs of dining within the parks to a decrease in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that satisfaction ratings plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining options to fixed-price meals at many popular locations.
While Testa acknowledged the merit in Disney’s cost-cutting approaches, he cautioned that these moves may not signal a genuine commitment to affordability or enhancing guest satisfaction. He highlighted that Disney has historically balanced positive ratings against revenue considerations.