To address growing customer dissatisfaction and a decrease in park attendance, Walt Disney World has been subtly reducing prices for admission and hotel stays over recent months.
In May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, while tickets for Magic Kingdom are sold separately. These reduced prices, available until September 24, mark a significant drop from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
Additionally, Disney is working to lower the overall cost of a visit to the Florida resort by offering discounts on its most affordable hotel options. Rates for a night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can start as low as $100, depending on booking dates, amounting to potential savings of up to 27% compared to regular rates, as reported by Bloomberg.
This summer, the parks have also launched new dining packages designed to cut the cost of meals by 20% to 30%. Families can buy all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, valid for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Furthermore, there are more quick meal options, affordable kids’ food, and more flexible restaurant policies.
Experts on Disney believe rising dining costs in the parks have contributed to a drop in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys thousands of Disney visitors each year, noted a decline in satisfaction ratings from 90% to 60% after Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s price reduction efforts, he warned that this trend may not necessarily indicate a genuine commitment to enhancing affordability or guest satisfaction, stating, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”