This is provably false, at least insofar as other major entertainment/travel companies are concerned. I participate on Cruise Critic, which is, to the cruise industry, what the Dis is to WDW. There was a certain cruise line that decided to start charging a $2 surcharge for room service delivery that had previously been free of charge. The Cruise Critic Board lit up. The charge was reversed within two weeks. Another cruise line decided to change its corkage policy from $15 per bottle with unlimited bottles to $20 per bottle with a limit of one bottle per person per cruise. The change was to go into effect in two months time so as to provide some transition period. The Cruise Critic Board lit up. The policy was reversed without ever being implemented. Don't for a second think that a company like Disney does not react to the single biggest comments board that addresses its business.
But you can see, (I hope), how the things that you refer to in your second paragraph would cause many other people to report that Disney is dropping the ball. As you state, "for you" the magic is still there. For others, the things that you noted are clear manifestations of a lack of care on the part of a company that used to care. There is certainly no requirement that all people interpret what they see in the same manner. But for some of the cheerleaders on this Board who insist that nothing has changed and that the parks are every bit as clean as they have ever been, I would hope that they would read your post and take notice. (And take notice of what our hosts here on this Board have said on podcasts over and over and over again about cleanliness). It is one thing to notice that the parks are different, (read as "dirtier"), but not allow that to ruin your trip. It is quite another thing to pretend that nothing has changed.
I think too many people are looking at this as a black and white proposition. Or, as a "go or don't go" proposition. But consider this. Let's say that in the past, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the very best, WDW was a 10 and its closest competition was a 6. Now, WDW is an 8, and its closest competition is a 6.5. People are still going to go to WDW. They are still going to book one more trip. It is still going to be their vacation of choice. It is still the best in the business. But it just isn't what it used to be. There is room for this type of thinking. Which leads to...
This....
...and this.
When people vote with their wallets and come back time and time again, they are not necessarily saying that everything is perfect. They are saying that things are still worth paying for. But, at the same time, they can say that things aren't what they used to be.
