I don't think people care nearly as much as the microcosm of this board thinks they do. For some that can still afford to go, they will probably shell out the money without without thinking much about it. Or they will complain about it on this board and then still choose to shell out the money regardless. A few will decide to drop out of the rat race and Disney will not miss them. For others, it's a once and done trip that they will budget for, bring their kids for, and then walk away. This won't really affect that for them other than possibly staying at a cheaper hotel, or staying off property rather than on. Others will just decide to go somewhere else. And Disney won't care either way. It has been 50 years.
In the long run, this might affect people buying into DVC, or centering their entire family around Disney vacations. Maybe the next generation won't be as into it anymore as we are. But that's still a decade away.
The average person isn't nearly as emotionally invested in this as we, the people on this board, are. They won't lose any sleep over choosing not to go to Disney world in the future, and honestly Disney world won't lose any sleep not having them. Does it mean a little John or Susan microwave not knowing the reality of a Disney trip, maybe. But if they don't know what they're missing, I doubt they're crying to their parents about it every night. If they care that much when they get older they can pay for it themselves.
The park might have changed from what Walt originally envisioned, but it is almost 3/4 of a century old. It would have to change to stay relevant. And it is also a publicly traded company, which means really it lost its heart a long time ago.
This really isn't just a Disney thing. Outside of the more affluent neighborhoods, even before this world pandemic, how many of your children's friends took a week long summer vacation every year? How many of your coworkers would take 2 weeks off a year to go somewhere with their family? The 50's family idea of an annual family vacation is starting to die out. Or at least it seems to be in my area because I'm about the only person in my building that seems to still go on a vacation every year. My kids are the only ones of their friends that go on a vacation every year. Even before this, families started losing the ability to go on family vacations a long time ago. This is not a nail in a coffin. It's another increment down a slope that's been building for a long time.
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