Walt Disney World has been subtly lowering admission and hotel prices amid increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance. Since May, the resort has offered discounted three-day ticket packages for visitors to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom at a rate of $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These reduced ticket prices, available until September 24, mark a significant reduction from the previous peak of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass. Additionally, Disney is aiming to make trips to its Florida resort more affordable by slashing prices on its budget hotel options. For instance, a night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, depending on the booking dates. These reductions can reach up to 27% off standard rates.
This summer, the parks have also rolled out new dining packages that bring meal costs down by 20% to 30%. Families can now buy all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, which can be used for various meals and snacks throughout the park. Further, Disney is offering more quick-service meal options, cheaper children’s food, and greater restaurant policy flexibility.
Experts in the Disney domain attribute the rising food costs inside the parks as a critical factor in the declining customer satisfaction ratings. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted a drop in satisfaction from 90% to 60% as the resort shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the value of Disney’s cost-reducing measures, he warned that these changes may not indicate a genuine shift towards better affordability or guest satisfaction. “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he commented.