Are there any positives about the parks now?
Yes, but expectations have to be realistic and factor in everything going on right now. We just returned from a 5 day trip, and yes, there were some negatives, but there were so many overriding positives, that is was worth every penny and as a family, it was definitely a vacation we will not forget and will always be thankful for.
Just some of my two cents:
We have been to Disney multiple times. With all going on right now - no shows, characters, or parades, the focus seems to be strictly on the rides at most all of the parks (other than Epcot). For all of us that have been multiple times and/or researched when and what FPs to get, using EMH to our advantage, and when/what order to ride rides to maximize time, this is all out of the window right now and everyone is on even-footing. I think a lot of people are upset because they are using their gauge of success based upon the number and amount of rides they were able to ride pre-pandemic and when FPs and EMH were available and are unaccustomed to waiting in longer lines and see this as a failure or let-down compared to past vacations. We figured this out very quickly the first day at the park and realized that we had to pivot and pick a few of the headliners that we as a family wanted to ride and concentrate on riding those rides, waiting if need be. Two years ago, I never would have waited over 45 minutes to ride a ride - we would have showed up at EMH rope drop and knocked out tons of headliners by 11:00 and had a few FPs in our pocket for later in the day when we came back to the park and been very happy. This trip, I found myself lucky to knock out 2 to 3 headliners by lunchtime, and we found ourselves waiting in longer lines on multiple occasions. By no means do I say all of this to let Disney off of the hook on pricing and the lack of FPs or EMH - I do see this as a slap in the face and something I hope Disney reevaluates and does not let this become the new Disney normal. However, this is the reality of how things presently are and expectations need to be realistic and tempered in light of this.
I also think a lot of people don't really factor in the heat, especially this time of year like they should. It is scorching hot right now, and it is all fine and dandy to go in with a plan of doing XYZ while sitting in the comfort of the AC making those plans and it is something else once that sun really starts to set in around 10:00 am. We always took breaks and got out of the parks by lunch (even when we go in December). To each their own, but I think it is asking for misery to continue to push without taking a break, especially without a lot of the indoor shows and most of the ride lines now spilling out of the indoor ques in to the sun.
Walking around the resort, we overheard multiple people and families complaining. I certainly get it, and I can complain about some things as well, but I always wondered when I overheard others complaining: what were their expectations and were they even realistic with all that is going on right now? Sorry for the long-winded post - just some thoughts and observations.