I have been a member since '92 also, and I think things have mostly gotten better. Better benefits such as the discount on the AP and the option of utilizing
DDP come to mind right off the bat. The addition of BWV, BCV, VWL, SSV and AKL have made my membership much more valuable to me. Sure the peach towels and placemats are long gone, but everything I bought and paid for is still there. As far as CM's go, I have rarely encountered a rude one, and I have enjoyed my encounters at check in and throughout the resort. I have always been made to feel welcome, and usually feel that a good effort has been put forth to get me a villa closely matching my requests. It may be because after dozens of visits, I still get that goofy excited look when I check in

Sometimes members are so stressed at check in, that they may convey a less than friendly attitude to the CM'S and human nature being what it is, may get some of that attitude back.
I would have to agree that housekeeping has slipped and my pet peeve is that check in is now AFTER 4PM instead of at 4PM. But I agree with the previous posters that is very difficult to hire quality people in that area, and I am inclined to think that this problem is throughout WDW and indeed, most of the US. As far as saying that costs have gone up at WDW, everything has gone up in cost and to expect costs at WDW to stay the same is just not realistic. Expenses are astronomical and it has to be passed on to the consumers - us.
All in all, I am still very pleased with my membership and seriously contemplating yet another Add On, this time at AKV
