In response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing the prices of admission and hotel stays over recent months.
Since May, Disney has rolled out discounted three-day ticket packages allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, while tickets for Magic Kingdom still need to be acquired separately. This current offer, which is available until September 24, marks a significant reduction from the previous peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is working to lower the overall cost of visiting the Florida resort by offering discounts on its budget hotel accommodations. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can start as low as $100, depending on the booking time, reflecting discounts of up to 27% on standard rates, according to Bloomberg.
This summer, the parks have also launched new dining packages that lower meal expenses at Disney 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 parks. Moreover, Disney World is reportedly providing more quick service meal options, cheaper children’s food, and flexible dining policies.
Industry experts point to the rising cost of food inside the parks as a key reason behind the decline in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that customer satisfaction ratings fell from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted many popular dining experiences from à la carte options to fixed-price meals.
While Testa commends Disney’s cost-reducing measures, he warns that this may not necessarily indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or enhancing guest satisfaction. “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he explained.