This is a question that the company wrestles with in many different places---some changes can increase profits, both in the long and short term, but at the same time reduce the "greater good".
As an excellent example, see the recent dumbing-down of restaurant menus. This has clearly been good for the bottom line, and the restaurants are still packed to the gills. True, some of that patronage is from
DDP guests, but the dining plan has been slowly squeezed to wring extra profit out of it (no tip, no appetizer, seasonal pricing) *and* it contributes to Destination Disney---the idea that every minute and dollar that a guest spends on vacation should go to the Mouse from the moment they leave the airport to the moment they return.
I just finished reading Married to the Mouse, a look at WDW's creation and growth from an urban planning perspective. It pays particular attention to the unique advantages Disney derives from essentially having its own private government. It also explores some of the "not quite truths" told during the sales pitch to the Florida legislature in getting that government chartered---most definitely a hard sell. For example, there is good evidence that Walt knew that Epcot would
never have permanent residents, despite the "Epcot Project" film. After all, permanent residents are entitled to vote, and that's the last thing that Disney wants.
There's also a good quote from Eisner's biography on this subject of tension between profit and quality, as well.
With
DVC, it was originally sold precisely as the "anti-timeshare", and a lot of current Members are emotionally invested in that position. But, as Dean rightly points out, that seems to work well only in Orlando, where they have developed a world unto themselves. So far, every other development---including the Grand Californian---has had lukewarm success at best. But, the secret sauce in Orlando is that they control every blade of grass inside the boundaries of RCID. There are no private landowners, outside governments, etc. to intrude on the master plan. They won't be able to replicate that again, so they have to figure out some other plan to expand beyond RCID's boundary.
