Walt Disney World has been offering discounts on admission and hotel stays in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and decreasing park attendance.
Starting in May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages for visitors to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although access to Magic Kingdom must be purchased separately. These reduced ticket prices, which are available until September 24, mark a significant drop from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is working to lower the overall cost of visiting the resort by reducing rates for its budget hotel accommodations. For instance, a night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, based on booking dates, reflecting discounts of up to 27% from typical prices, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
This summer, the parks have also launched new dining packages that decrease food costs by 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for meals and snacks throughout the parks. Furthermore, Disney is offering more quick meal options, kid-friendly food at lower prices, and more flexible dining policies.
Industry analysts highlight the rising cost of dining within the parks as a key factor in dwindling customer satisfaction. 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 at many of its most popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledges the potential benefits of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he warns that such actions may not necessarily indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or improving guest experiences. He noted that the company has historically been willing to trade off positive guest ratings for increased revenue.