Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission and hotel prices in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance.
Starting in May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages allowing visitors to access Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day, although tickets for Magic Kingdom must be purchased separately. This represents a significant decline from the previous maximum price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass, with the discounts set to last until September 24.
Additionally, Disney is lowering costs for its budget hotel options. A stay at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be as low as $100 per night, depending on the booking period, which is up to a 27% reduction from regular rates.
Alongside ticket and hotel discounts, Disney has also launched new dining packages this summer. These packages offer meal options that can cut food costs by 20% to 30%, allowing families to purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for various meals and snacks within the parks. The introduction of more quick service meal options and child-friendly pricing adjustments has also been reported.
Experts attribute the decline in customer satisfaction to rising food prices inside the parks. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared that satisfaction ratings plummeted from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledges Disney’s initiatives to cut costs, he warns that these measures may not reflect a genuine commitment to improving affordability or enhancing guest satisfaction, noting Disney’s history of prioritizing revenue over customer experience.