So this questions pops up every now and then especially for return visitors. I'll give my standard answers. It depends on how you define your magic.
First, no mistake about it, perks are being removed. I will not sugar coat it. so the question becomes how do those perks effect ones visit.
Magic express has no bearing on my visit since I've never used it and probably never would and I always upgraded our bands so again the free ones had no value.
I'm a dvc member so I still get free parking but if I stayed off site I would have to pay to park somewhere. I don't do buses.
my magic comes from other areas. I usually stay at the BCV's. I love the walk back from Epcot, with the music in the background and hte lights. it relaxes my soul and makes me feel peaceful. Yes, I will pay an exorbitant amount of money for a week of that. I usually get up early before my family and walk around to the Broadwalk bakery, I get coffee and cinnamon rolls and sit with the ducks, again the quiet, listening to the horns from the boat soothes my soul. We loved waking up at AKL and seeing animals from the balcony of our window. those are the intangibles that are priceless to me (my real life in a high stress job is insane) and my family.
I love the cm's at the beach club, I've never encountered these horror stories or indifferent cm's folks here have.
So yes from a dollar perspective, there are cheaper options out there and always will be. I've mentioned on the other thread, I've stayed off site a number of times and we did not enjoy it. so for my family the question becomes, do we really "save" money if we stay some where else and don't enjoy it? I believe that falls under the heading of "penny wise/pound foolish".
Basically we don't go if we have to stay off site.