I'll give you #2, but argue the rest.
Bring it on, to survive in my Spirited family you have to be very good at the art of the argument!
1. DLR relies significantly more on locals than WDW.
And where did I ever say that wasn't the case? Some WDW fans seen to view DL as 'the local amusement park' and that is the misinformation I am trying to shout down. Right now, it is a 55/45 split according to the good folks at TDA. The DLR's current Prez told me it was 65/35 just prior to DCA opening, so things have changed quite a bit over the past 11 years. And one could argue that DCA was quite successful in drawing more tourists.
But, again, DLR exists in one of the largest urban areas in the USA. And what is defined as a 'local now includes parts of Mexico and north to Santa Barbara and east to the Coachella Valley. That would be akin to calling almost every Floridian a 'local and adding Freeport and Nassau to the mix too. Instead, WDW locals are from just Central FLA.
2. Agree completely. Nostalgia blocks people from having objective opinions.
Yes, it does.
And whenever someone gives me the 'you recall things with rose-colored glasses' load of BS to tell me that WDW hasn't really changed much over the decades, I see and hear proof that my memories are what I have always maintained.
I recently saw some very kewl home videos (that aren't for sale on a Disney Lifestyler's site) from December of 1990 and there were things that I didn't even realize about how much better the resort was back then.
3. Real estate and timeshares may have been the focus of the last ten years of construction at WDW, but only because there was huge demand for it and there was already incredible amounts of entertainment available at WDW. Our family likes the varied recreational options and takes advantage of them each trip. There's no way anyone could ever do everything there is to do at WDW in one week. That is NOT the case at ANY of the other Disney properties. The argument that Disney should be expanding the parks in WDW and that it's the fan community's fault that they're not doing much of it may have some merit, but that argument is far, far outweighed by the overarching reality that WDW already has a gazillion entertainment options available. WDW does not need expansion.
I just stand by my opinion that fewer folks take advantage of the many varied recreation options at WDW than did in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Look, they just ripped up one golf course (for Golden Oak) and one tennis center that wasn't replaced (for the BLT) and closed off a spa and tennis facilities at another for two years (at the GF) so they could add more ill-conceived, ill-placed timeshares. Yet, you don't hear one complaint about those things because people are busy 'riding the rides' 16 hours a day.
And I don't agree about demand fueling these projects either. No one was begging for Disney to deannex more greenspace and put in McMansions. No one was saying that Disney lacked enough DVC capacity or hotel capacity and needed more. It was all pure greed. That's what drives the company and its leaders today. No vision at all.
4. The Walmart comparisons may have had a flicker of originality when they were first made, but are just tired and devoid of meaning now. The MK has NOT devolved into Six Flags.
WDW has become a Walmarted shadow of its self. You may not like that, realize it or agree ... but I can point out umpteen ways in which it is true. I never said the MK was Six Flags, although I have never set foot in one of their theme parks so I don't know how they are today (I've heard some good things about Magic Mountain). But the MK has become a very weak park when compared with what it was 20 years ago and what the other MK-style parks are today. I did raise some ire here when I said that Busch Gardens Williamsburg was better than the MK when you compare it based on Disney's own 'keys' (because nowhere does it say exposed rolley coaster track automatically places you below any park that doesn't have it!) but I said it because it is true today.
People visit WDW largely for the parks. Without them, none of the other stuff would exist. I may go visit AoA to check it out and have some gelato (if they haven't stopped selling it by then), but 99.9% of other guests won't. They don't care ... just like they don't care about the BLT ... or Flamingo Crossing.
