Walt Disney World is responding to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance by offering discounted admission prices and hotel rates.
Since May, Disney has introduced reduced three-day ticket packages priced at $89 per day, allowing visitors access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, although tickets for Magic Kingdom are sold separately. These discounted prices are available until September 24 and mark a significant decrease from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is making efforts to lower the overall cost of visiting the resort by slashing prices on affordable hotel options. Nightly rates at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, depending on the booking timing, representing discounts of up to 27% based on analysis from Bloomberg.
Furthermore, new dining packages have been launched this summer, allowing families to save 20% to 30% on food costs. The dining plan offers all-day meal passes priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults, which can be used for selected meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney is also enhancing quick meal selections, providing more budget-friendly options for children, and implementing flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the decline in customer satisfaction partly to rising food prices within the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys thousands of Disney visitors annually, noted a drop in customer satisfaction ratings from 90% to 60% coinciding with Disney’s shift from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at major restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s recent cost-cutting moves, he warned that they may not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or improving guest satisfaction, suggesting Disney has historically prioritized revenue over favorable customer feedback.