Walt Disney World has been responding to growing customer dissatisfaction and decreasing park attendance by implementing discounts on admission and hotel stays in recent months.
Starting in May, Disney began offering three-day ticket packages that allow access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom remain available for purchase separately. This reduction marks a significant drop from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
The lower ticket prices will be available until September 24. In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is also trying to make trips to its Florida resort more affordable by slashing the prices of its budget hotel accommodations. Stays at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be priced as low as $100 per night, depending on booking dates, amounting to discounts of up to 27% based on a Bloomberg analysis.
Furthermore, the parks have rolled out new dining packages this summer, which cut the cost of meals by 20% to 30%. The dining plan allows guests to buy all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, applicable for a selection of meals and snacks within the parks. There are also more quick meal options, lower-priced food for children, and increased flexibility in restaurant policies being offered.
Experts point to rising food costs within the parks as a significant contributor to declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared that customer satisfaction ratings have dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the benefits of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he warned that these strategies may not necessarily indicate a genuine dedication to affordability or guest satisfaction. He noted that Disney has historically been willing to compromise some customer ratings for increased revenue.