Amid growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly lowering admission and hotel prices over recent months.
Starting in May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages, enabling guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately. These reduced prices, valid until September 24, mark a significant drop from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to ticket discounts, Disney is also working to decrease the overall cost of a trip to the Florida resort by reducing the rates for its most economical hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, depending on booking dates, reflecting discounts of up to 27% from standard rates.
The parks have rolled out new dining packages this summer, offering reductions of 20% to 30% on dining costs, according to a Bloomberg report. Families can purchase all-day meal passes priced at $30 for children and $95 for adults, which can be used for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney is also providing more quick meal selections, affordable children’s food, and more flexible dining policies.
Experts on Disney highlight the rising cost of dining within the parks as a key factor contributing to the decline in customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, noted that customer satisfaction ratings have fallen from 90% to 60% as Disney transitioned from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
While Testa praised the company’s efforts to cut costs, he advised that these measures may not genuinely reflect a commitment to affordability or enhancing guest satisfaction. He remarked, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”