Also just returned from Disneyworld and here is my 2 cents....
We are DVC members so we stayed at the Boardwalk. Everything was pretty good, however, if we were not DVC members (since 2001) we would have been extremely disappointed had we paid over $500 per night for a resort that definitely needs A LOT more attention to detail if they want to remain as an upscale resort. Not bad, but not GREAT.
Parks were okay. But again, need much more attention to detail. Things we never saw 20 years ago are just normal these days. Lot's of full garbage bins, litter on the grounds (not much but noticeable), a lot of general wear and tear, food WAY BELOW the quality we should expect along with very mediocre service for some very expensive restaurants. Landscaping is good, but no where near as perfect as it all used to be.
All of the employees were extremely polite but they just didn't seem to have the work ethic required of a top quality vacation resort.
Crowds were not too bad, but it just seems like we waited longer for everything from rides to snacks to being seated for reservations. Disney
Genie+ just does not make the experience any better. At least the old pre-booking fastpass system let us plan our day so we are not walking in circles all day. I simply could not imagine being there if the parks were actually crowded.
Unless you get up 60 days in advance, dining reservations are difficult.
Maybe I was looking for things to nitpick as I can probably keep on going, but we do love the place....but it seems like we have to overlook some things and work harder to "feel the magic".
The Covid blame can only be used for just so long. As someone mentioned in a earlier post, once the magic is gone it's going to be very hard to get it back.
To new visitors and those who have only been a time or two, it probably does seem special. But as a DVC member that has gone twice a year since the kids were little, and now go with once a year with the family, and once a year with friends to do higher end dinners and enjoy the EPCOT festivals we definitely notice the decline of many things.
At this point, for now, I'm going along with the pandemic and the difficulty hiring employees rationale. To be honest, I don't care what the reasons are. CEO and management get paid a whole lot of money to figure that out. When our conversations include, "what would Walt think of this place right now" it should be concerning to management.
Fingers crossed for the future!