Walt Disney World has been responding to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance by discreetly reducing ticket and hotel accommodation prices over recent months.
In May, the theme park began offering discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing visitors to explore Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, entry to the Magic Kingdom still requires a separate ticket purchase.
These price reductions, available until September 24, represent a notable decrease from the previous peak of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to lower ticket prices, Disney is working to make trips to its Florida resort more affordable by reducing rates for its most budget-friendly hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be as low as $100, depending on booking dates. This represents discounts of up to 27% off standard rates, according to an analysis by Bloomberg.
The parks have also launched new dining packages this summer, promising a 20% to 30% reduction in meal costs for guests. Families can purchase all-day meal passes priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults, which include select meals and snacks throughout the parks. Additionally, Disney World is expanding quick meal options, offering more affordable meals for children, and implementing flexible dining policies.
Experts in the Disney sphere attribute the decline in customer satisfaction partly to the rising costs of dining within the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that satisfaction ratings have dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s efforts to cut costs, he expressed concern that these measures may not signify a genuine commitment to enhancing affordability or guest satisfaction. He remarked, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”