so here's the thing:
i see both schools of thought. i've been going to WDW since 1987, and annually from 1993-to-2013. i've pretty much seen it all. it isn't debatable that the place just isn't the same. internal standards are lower, the corporate focus is different, and the value is worse. anyone who had been to this resort prior to the year 2000 can see that crystal clearly. that said, i get the notion that some people say, "hey, even with its shortcomings, i still enjoy it, so i'm not going to spend my time and energy complaining about it." like earlier posters have expressed, it is ultimately a value proposition. if the experience stops providing value, then you have a decision to make.
i just think it's hard to reconcile though when you see the potential of the place, and know that WDW only exists because of the incredibly high standard they set for themselves, and had no problem living up to, for the first 25 years of its existence. i mean, we're talking about costs, right? how about for DVC members, you got two FREE park passes on every stay until the year 2000. free. somehow, they still turned a profit.
i think it's also fair to criticize the business model. you keep opening up DVC resorts. you're creating more repeat customers that are paying even heftier prices that, eventually, will demand more out of the experience. maybe disney figures that once you sign up, they have your money for decades, but if the idea is to get and keep you on property, you're going to need continuous capital expenditures in the parks.
there's no easy answer, and i understand what's at the heart of the issue, because i go back and forth between the two sides internally. i'll be back soon enough when my wife and i take my son for the first time. and i do sincerely hope that it can be that annual getaway spot it was for my parents and me. we shall see.
