While I agree that I find the nickel-and-diming for things that were always free in the past to be disappointing and nasty at Disney - despite the fact that I can afford it, I generally don't pay for any of the upcharge perks mostly on principle - it's also possible to go to Disney without all these add-ons and still have a good time. Yes, you may stand in some lines for 45 min to an hour, and yes, your fireworks view may be farther back in the crowd...but those things were true 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Long before there was even a 'fast pass', hour-long lines for popular rides was part of the Disney experience. And though there weren't 'reserved' fireworks viewing spots, if you weren't there staked out early, you could still end up off to the side or farther down Main Street. Most people today EXPECT the maximum experience and even when they really can't afford it, still spend for all the extras...fewer people seem willing to live more frugally (I grew up pretty poor, with 6 in a house with 1 bathroom, and 1 TV for the house - we got hand-down sneakers from older siblings and clothes from K Mart - nowadays, people in the lowest classes all still seem to have top-of-the line Brand name shoes, bags, multiple huge flat screen TVs, brand new iPhones every year, and 8 streaming services - which blows me away!).
I've got enough money to enjoy what I want in life, but I still do Disney frugally - somewhat. I was lucky and smart to buy into DVC in 1996 when it was still pretty cheap, and always invest in annual passes (despite how expensive they are, it still works out because of the number of days I'm at Disney a year). I calculated my DVC buy-in cost, spread over the 46 years, to be $543 a year. Dues/maintenance is currently around $1600, and the AP renewal is $960 with tax. So I'm all in for about $3,090 a year. I go to Disney 20 days a year (sometimes more), so my daily cost for Disney not including food is $154 - that's for a 1-bedroom villa on property and park hopping each day. I don't buy the
lightning lane stuff, no guides, no special event parties - pretty much none of the special upcharges for access. I still ride rides, see fireworks and shows, get free transportation, etc. And because my daily cost isn't bad, I usually splurge on food and drink, eating at higher end restaurants and visiting bars in the evenings for cocktails...my food cost averages out to around $120 per day per person. So still running around $274 a day for everything, including a lot of signature dining (I save a bit too with the AP and DVC discounts on food).
It's hard for people in current times to accept that other people may be getting something they're not - so they're not willing to skip all the extras and still have a good time. If you want to go to Disney and don't want to spend as much, try skipping some of the upcharge perks, or all of them. It's never going to be cheap going to Disney, but it can cut your overall bill by 40% or more, and you can still have a good time, visit all the parks, ride most or all of the rides, see shows and bands, resort-hop, etc.
I wish Disney would drop all the upcharge stuff personally - I just don't like it, even though I can afford it. I've been going to Disney every year of my life since I was 3, and while those with more money could always have nicer rooms, eat at better restaurants, etc - it didn't really change the park experience for everyone else. Now, most of these things DO impact everyone else's park experience - harder to get on rides, lesser viewing areas, parks closing early for special events they can't go to, and so on. But at the same time, you don't have to play the upcharge game - it's still possible to enjoy Disney for less money, even if it's not quite as good and cheap as it used to be.
