Walt Disney World has recently been offering discounts on admission and hotel stays amid growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance.
Beginning in May, Disney introduced reduced three-day ticket packages for $89 per day, granting access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, though Magic Kingdom tickets remain separate. These lower prices are valid until September 24 and mark a notable reduction from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition, Disney is lowering the costs of its budget hotel options. Stays at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could start at around $100, depending on booking dates. These reductions represent discounts of up to 27% compared to regular rates.
This summer, Disney parks introduced new dining packages that can cut meal costs by 20% to 30%. The dining plan, which offers all-day meal passes at $30 for children and $95 for adults, allows guests to redeem meals and snacks throughout the parks. The resort is also providing more quick meal selections, affordable kid’s food options, and flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the decline in customer satisfaction partly to rising dining costs within the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared that customer satisfaction ratings plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals in many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged Disney’s new cost-saving measures, he cautioned that these efforts might not reflect a genuine commitment to enhancing affordability or guest experience. He noted, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”