There are many reasons that you might not be able to use it. Illness is one very good one. You're sick and do not have the energy to "hit" the parks. I personally many times have gone planning to go for four days, but, something came up at home or I just got tired and decided to only go three. Weather... Disney may stay open, but, that doesn't mean that everyone would be crazy enough to go to a theme park, when half the stuff will be closed. It may be possible, but, that doesn't mean that everyone is that excited by a bunch of scenes and robots that they would go out in bad weather, cold or otherwise. Actually it was a very smart move on their part to have no expiration. You have a day coming, you will have way more incentive if all you have to do is add two days instead of pay for three. That day you are there you will buy meals, snacks, probably gifts for others pay for an extra night in a room. And Disney will get to keep the proceeds from the unused day, if it is never used and that is quite often. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So who's stupid now?
If you pay the long price for an airline ticket you certainly can get refunded or credited, that you take a chance on, but, if you know you are only going to stay for 3 days, then you wouldn't buy a four day ticket. An airline ticket is usually purchased because you have a need. You don't buy it so you can use it whenever you want, you can with a Disney ticket. So talk about basics... that would be one. You don't mind, fine with me, I don't care if you get taken either. However, my point is I used it as incentive to go there. Not because I didn't like Disney, but, financially, I might be better off this month then next and having that paid for few days helps with the cash flow. That's on my end. For Disney, they get the cash to use for bonuses or repairs or light bills, whatever. They have it and at that point have not given their end of the bargain. Theme Parks that are open 365 day per year, have no reason to deny access because an unused day is not brand new. They commit to letting you go in any day of the year and whether you go or not will still have incurred the same expense to run the park whether you're there or you are not. In other words it cost them nothing to have you use it later.
I know what it has done to my opinion and drive to go there. It has killed it. I live within a days car trip to WDW and looked forward to going whenever the feeling hit me and as long as I had those unused days staring me in the face I would go and spend more money then I should. Now, I don't have that feeling of urgency or any need to be loyal to Disney. In a way it is a favor because now even though I go less often so I save buckets of money, I can, like I did last time, go down there and never set foot in WDW. You know what... Universal has a lot of really nice things to see and I know that a two day "hopper" ticket from them will let me see everything I wanted to see. So over a 10 day ticket that doesn't expire Disney has lost any number of possible hotel rooms, meals and other things. And really have gained almost nothing for denying me that option. I didn't pay for more days now then what I know I'll need. If I want to stay in the area longer, there are hundreds of things to do in Central Florida that do not require a 5 foot mouse to enjoy. And I'm just one person, multiply that by the number of people that will curtail some travel because of that decision.
