In response to growing customer dissatisfaction and a drop in park attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission prices and hotel rates over the past few months.
Beginning in May, Disney introduced discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing visitors to experience Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets for Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These reduced ticket prices, available until September 24, mark a significant decrease from the previous high of $254 for a daily Park Hopper pass.
In addition, Disney is aiming to lower the overall cost of vacations at its Florida resort by offering discounts on its most affordable hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort can be priced as low as $100, depending on the booking date, representing discounts of up to 27% compared to standard rates, as analyzed by Bloomberg.
This summer, the parks have also rolled out new dining packages that make eating at Disney more budget-friendly, with prices reduced by 20% to 30%. Families can purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, which can be used for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Additionally, Disney World is providing more quick-service meal options, affordable food for children, and more flexible dining policies.
Disney experts link the rising costs of dining within the parks to declining customer satisfaction levels. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which conducts annual surveys of thousands of Disney guests, noted that satisfaction ratings dropped from 90% to 60% as Disney shifted from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at popular restaurants.
While Testa acknowledged the merits of Disney’s cost-cutting measures, he warned that these changes may not signify 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,” Testa stated.