Things are getting very complex at WDW. There still isn’t a theme park in the country that can hold a candle to WDW in terms of quality, service, and theming, including Universal, but it’s obvious that the product is declining (tacky IP additions/grueling standby lines/too much pre-planning/upcharge evens in lieu of regular operating hours) while the cost is increasing. Things will only get more pricy if paid FP becomes a thing.
This fall will be the first time my family has gone to Orlando without going to WDW. We’ll be doing a three-day on-site stay at Legoland, visiting the Kennedy Space Center, and maybe even a couple days at Universal (never thought I’d say that voluntarily). It will be a nice, low stress vacation.
This was all decided before the price increases, but that just justifies the decision. WDW is just becoming too challenging logistically with young kids. Too much stress to maximize EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of your vacation... Disneyland is still great but not always in the budget for us.