Walt Disney World has recently began offering discounted admission and hotel accommodations amid rising customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance.
In May, the company introduced a promotional three-day ticket package priced at $89 per day, allowing visitors to experience Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom still need to be purchased separately. This reduction in ticket prices, available until September 24, marks a significant decline from the previous peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Alongside reduced ticket prices, Disney is also aiming to lower the overall cost of visiting its Florida resort by slashing rates on basic hotel stays. Nights 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% compared to standard prices, as noted by a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, new dining packages have been introduced that cut food costs by 20% to 30%. The dining plan, priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults, allows families to purchase all-day meal passes redeemable for various meals and snacks within the parks. Additionally, Disney World is offering more affordable meal options for children, quicker meal choices, and flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the decline in customer satisfaction, which dropped from 90% to 60%, in part to the rising expenses associated with dining inside the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, remarked that the transition from a la carte dining to fixed pricing at many popular restaurants has contributed to this dissatisfaction. While he acknowledged the potential benefits of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, Testa expressed skepticism about whether these moves truly reflect a commitment to affordability and guest satisfaction, stating, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”