Yes, me too. Every time I hear a rumor that the reservation system might be ended, I get obsessive about tracking down the facts behind the rumor. So far, no credible facts or sources.
Those who stay in qualifying hotels can use the reservation system and schedule way ahead for their hotels, dining and park reservations. It is a whole trip package. If scheduling weeks or months in advance, they can be pretty sure they will get access to any park they want. Those reservations are not even counted against their allocated passholder reservations.
But, for a local who lives very close by and goes home after a day at the parks, it means we are always limited to the number of reservations in our pass and cannot refresh them until we have attended the park. So, if I have 3 days, I cannot pick out 3 days several months in the future. Like one each in summer, late fall and next January. When events or concerts come up, I cannot do that. If I reserve way in advance, I cannot go until the first day comes and I attend the park. All the in-between time is dead. So, I have to keep my reservations for the immediate future -- because anything else shuts me out of the parks for a huge percentage of the year. I have to hope other ticketed guests and passholders staying on property have left some reservations for very short term scheduling -- like same day or in a few days. Disney allows every other type of guest to effectively block out the local passholder seeking to make use of their annual pass.
I have heard Chapek is a huge bean counter. He loves data and numbers. So, he loves reservations because the reservations produces a data rich environment for him. He is tone deaf to what reservations and Genie Plus or ILL do to the park experience. He does not care. Supposedly the data helps with staffing the parks, evening out the crowds and telling them when the passholders attend. But, the social effect is not equally important to them. So, he gets his data by having the reservation system.
People are aware of Chapek's comment about the long distance guest being more profitable than passholders. But they are not aware of the immense hurdles the reservation system has imposed on the local passholders who are blocked out so often and cannot plan far in advance because it eats the paltry few days they can hold as a reservation. It is apparent Disney very much dislikes local guests with annual passes. If they could think of another roadblock, he would implement it. There is a reason the Pixie is $399. With just 3 days, limited to weekdays, no holidays and short terms park availability, it is nearly worthless compared to how I was able to use annual passes prior to the reservation system.
Also, if you think we have it bad, park access is supposed to be part of the compensation package for Disney employees. They have been almost completely locked out. Their "bucket" is so restricted there is a rumor it only has 10 spots per day! But, with Disney stock tanking, $114.29 as I write this, Chapek is not going to change his behavior in favor of what he perceives as less profitable guests.