In response to increasing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly lowering admission and hotel prices over the past few months.
Starting in May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing guests to visit Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, entry to Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These reduced ticket rates, available until September 24, represent a significant decrease from the peak price of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition, Disney is working to make visits to its Florida resort more affordable by cutting rates for its budget hotel options. Stays at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be as low as $100 per night, depending on booking timing, which is a reduction of up to 27% from regular prices, as analyzed by Bloomberg.
The parks have also rolled out new dining packages this summer, which offer savings of 20% to 30% on food costs. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, usable for various meals and snacks within the parks. Additionally, Disney World has introduced more quick meal options, lower-priced food for kids, and more flexible dining policies.
Experts attribute the rising food costs inside the parks as one of the main factors contributing to declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which conducts annual surveys of Disney visitors, noted that satisfaction ratings have decreased from 90% to 60% as the company shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at numerous popular restaurants.
Testa commended Disney’s cost-cutting efforts but warned that these actions may not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or improving guest satisfaction.
“Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he stated.