Walt Disney World has been quietly implementing discounts on admission and hotel stays in response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance.
Since May, Disney has been offering discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing visitors to access Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately. These reduced prices, available until September 24, mark a significant decline from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition to lowering ticket prices, Disney is working to make trips to the Florida resort more affordable by slashing the rates of its budget hotel accommodations. Nightly stays at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music and Sports Resort can be as low as $100, depending on booking times, which represents discounts of up to 27% compared to regular rates, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
Furthermore, the parks have rolled out new dining packages this summer, which offer meals at reduced prices of 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable at participating dining locations throughout the parks. Disney World is also reportedly enhancing its food offerings, providing quicker meal options and more affordable children’s meals alongside flexible dining policies.
Experts indicate that rising food costs within the parks have contributed to customer dissatisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, shared that customer satisfaction ratings dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many of its popular restaurants.
While Testa commended Disney’s recent cost-cutting measures, he warned that this trend might not genuinely indicate a commitment to improving affordability or enhancing guest satisfaction. He noted, “Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue.”