Walt Disney World is responding to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance by quietly slashing the prices of admission and hotel accommodations over the last few months.
In May, Disney introduced a promotional three-day ticket package allowing guests to explore Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets for the Magic Kingdom remain separate.
These reduced ticket rates, available until September 24, mark a significant drop from the previous peak of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is working to cut the overall costs for visitors by lowering prices on its most affordable hotel rooms. Stays at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be as low as $100, depending on booking dates. This represents discounts as high as 27% off standard prices, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
The parks have also rolled out new dining packages this summer that offer meal costs reductions of 20% to 30%. Families can now purchase all-day meal passes priced at $30 per child and $95 per adult, usable for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Furthermore, Disney World is providing additional quick meal options, cheaper food for kids, and more flexible dining policies.
Experts in the Disney industry highlight the rising food costs within the parks as a key factor contributing to decreasing customer satisfaction.
Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, a platform that conducts annual surveys of Disney visitors, noted a drop in customer satisfaction ratings from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals in many popular restaurants.
While Testa has commended Disney’s cost-reduction efforts, he warns that this may not indicate 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 stated.