There are a few points that were brought up here and in other threads over the years that are valid:
- Cost
- "Complex Planning"
- Erosion of benefits
It's essentially those three things. Cost is something that is getting out of control. I'm planning another trip in march and that's only because I want to go one more time before my youngest of three kids turns 3. Then the vacation gets extremely expensive. Damn tickets cost a fortune.
The complexity is something I struggle with. I enjoy the planning process and while I understand the stress of picking a restaurant out 180 days in advance, it's not that big of a deal. You can always change it. I think people make too big a deal out of it. And for those that complain about doing planning at all, well that's just silly. If you wanted to do a European vacation, there is still alot of planning you have to do.
Erosion of benefits is something that is definitely seen. Nickle and diming, getting more expensive at the same time. It turns people off.
The Disney vacation is forcing families to go shorter durations or not at all.
Disney is big business and big business typically takes forever to shift strategies on pricing etc. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some steep-ish discounts for next year if they seen light bookings. No clue how soft they are for next year if at all.