Walt Disney World has implemented discounts on admission and hotel stays in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and decreasing park attendance over the past few months.
In May, the company introduced reduced three-day ticket packages allowing access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom are sold separately.
These lower ticket prices, available until September 24, mark a significant decrease from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is making efforts to lower the overall expense of a trip to its Florida resort by slashing prices for its most affordable hotel accommodations. A stay at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be booked for as low as $100 per night, depending on the booking period. These discounts can be as high as 27% compared to regular rates, based on a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, the parks have also launched new dining packages that offer 20% to 30% off meal costs. Families can buy all-day meal passes for $30 for children and $95 for adults, redeemable for various meals and snacks in the parks. Moreover, Disney is reportedly adding more quick-service options, introducing lower-priced meals for children, and implementing more flexible dining policies.
Industry experts highlight rising food prices within the parks as a contributing factor to falling customer satisfaction ratings.
Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys thousands of Disney visitors each year, noted a drop in customer satisfaction from 90% to 60% coinciding with Disney’s shift from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular dining locations.
While Testa appreciates Disney’s cost-reduction measures, he warns that this trend might not signify 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 remarked.