Disney is cutting prices on theme park packages after facing backlash for “insensitive” comments from its bosses in August.
In August, CFO Hugh Johnston blamed poor Americans for Disney’s falling profits. He said they had reduced visits due to lack of money.
He new discount initiative – ‘Stay, play and save up to $200 a night’ – aims to encourage low-income families to return to Disney World in Florida for your vacation.
The promotion offers up to $200 per night in hotel and park tickets when booked starting October 2.
But fans have two main complaints: The prices are still “35 percent too expensive” and most of the cut-price deals are sold out anyway.
Disney has introduced a series of discounts for 2025 after the negative reaction to its prices
To unlock the offer, guests must stay a minimum of three nights along with a two-day theme park ticket package.
The discount will be available for most stays between February 26 and June 30, 2025.
Additionally, a hosting-only offering has been announced for early 2025.
This is for those who just They want to book a hotel but not visit the theme park, perhaps because they already have tickets or simply want to soak up the atmosphere.
This room only offer includes a 20 percent discount from January 1 to February 20 and 25 percent from February 23 to April 30.
Popular hotels like Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will also offer 15 percent off stays most nights from February 23 to April 30, 2025.
Some fans were unhappy with the promotion, complaining that prices were still sky-high and many rooms appeared to already be booked.
‘The majority of Value Resorts were already booked in the first three weeks of May 2025.
“Either the availability of rooms for this promotion was very limited or many people had already taken advantage of the offer,” commented one consumer. commented on the Disney Tourism Blog.
“While it’s nice, it’s still about 35 percent higher than rates should be at this point in the global economy,” another added.
Disney’s All-Star Resorts and Pop Century Resort are also offering 10 percent off stays in the same period.
Disney is also expanding its special offers to Florida residents and annual passholders.
The discounts appear to be something of an olive branch for low-income families who have felt left behind by rising costs at Disney parks.
“The economic landscape has changed and families are feeling the pressure,” said theme park analyst Sarah Jenkins. said Inside The Magic blog.
“This move reflects Disney’s understanding that they must be more inclusive and accessible, especially to low-income guests who may have felt ignored.”
It is the latest in a series of measures that Disney has been forced to adopt after criticism of its prices.
In May, Disney World began offering cheaper prices for a one-day ticket to the park, which had peaked at $254.
Customers complained that the parks have gone from being “the happiest place on earth” to a source of rising costs and customer service frustrations.
“I think Disney has lost our family forever,” Lindsey Robertson, a mother of two in Dallas, told Bloomberg.
Disney has introduced a set of measures after criticism of its prices
“We have had back-to-back negative experiences with staff, the queues are out of control and the cost has become insurmountable.”
The cost of a high-end trip to Florida parks has now skyrocketed to around $40,000 for a family of four, the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, the number of four- or five-star reviews on Yelp fell from nearly 52 percent in 2019 to 33 percent in 2022.
In 2023, more than 40 percent of critics gave theme parks only one or two stars.