Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission and hotel prices in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance over recent months.
Since May, the park has introduced discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for as little as $89 per day, though tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately. These ticket prices, valid until September 24, show a significant reduction from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is also lowering the rates for its budget hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be as low as $100, depending on booking dates, reflecting discounts of up to 27% from standard rates as per a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, the parks have also rolled out new dining packages, reducing food costs by 20% to 30%. The meal plan allows families to buy all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for meals and snacks throughout the parks. Furthermore, Disney World is enhancing quick meal options, offering more affordable children’s food, and adopting more flexible restaurant policies.
Experts attribute the increase in food prices within the parks as a key reason behind declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, has noted that customer satisfaction ratings dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to more fixed-price meals at popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s cost-reduction measures, he warned that this trend may not genuinely reflect a commitment to making visits more affordable or enhancing guest satisfaction. He remarked, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”