You're right that some of the problems started with Iger in charge (but with Chapek in charge of the parks). I'm not an Iger lover either. I similarly don't give Josh D'maro a pass since a lot of this has occurred on his watch too. But I guess I haven't been an AP holder long enough to remember how long the war has been going on
I will say Disney had always seemed to be a value for your dollars vacation. Yes it is expensive and always becoming more expensive (at least since 1995), but in exchange for all of that money you're spending you got a high quality experience with great customer service and perks. I might be too young to remember exactly how it was before 2005, but since the pandemic started Disney under Chapek has continued to raise prices in excess of inflation while removing almost all perks and benefits to its guests. It is the first time I can remember so many things being cut around the same time while raising prices. Sure some perks have come and gone but in a 2 year span - I don't know if I can remember so many things being cut.
If you were a WDW resort guest in 2019 vs. 2021, you've lost all of these perks:
1. Fastpass+ no longer included and no resort stay advantage for
Genie+
2. Disney's Magical Express no longer included
3. Resort Airline Check-in / luggage checking no longer included / airport to resort baggage delivery
4. Resort package delivery no longer available at WDW (maybe this gets brought back eventually?)
5. Extra Magic Hours for morning/evening; (Now only 30 mins for morning and Deluxe guests only for evening)
6. New Annual Pass sales halted (except Pixie pass)
7. Daily Mousekeeping / Gift cards if you pass on Daily Mousekeeping
8. Free Magicbands for Resort stays and Annual Pass purchases/renewals
9. Resort transfer for refrigerated items
10. Dining Plan
11. Park Hopping anytime
There are probably ones I'm missing too - I know paid parking at the resorts is one, but that occurred in 2018.
To replace these perks - we've instead gotten things like:
1. Park Pass required to enter park - this made sense at the start of the pandemic, but as Disney has increased capacities, it doesn't continue to make sense and it penalizes Annual Passholders (5 Park Passes per person at a time, limits number of APs that can enter parks, etc)
2. Paid Individual Lightning Lane and Genie+
3. Park Hopping at 2pm (doesn't currently require a park pass, but there is a rumor it will?)
I think if 1 or 2 of the above perks were lost - it wouldn't sound so bad, but with all of that above, it again seems to be that Chapek and team are more concerned with squeezing every ounce of profit out of their guests and not worrying as much about the guest experience.
Even for new guests, the ones that spend a lot of money that they seem to covet - they have made things increasingly more and more confusing to the point that I think they're turning away guests because it is too complicated.
I do hope that in the next few years Disney will reconsider (whether due to lower demand or a change in focus) and maybe bring back some of the perks or create new ones.