Awhile back in this thread (and in other threads), the cryogenic cranium
made some very good points about differentiating between what "I" like and what the overall trend is.
That's why describing how we feel when we walk down Main Street, and using that to say the Magic is as strong as ever doesn't really carry much weight. Sure, it carries a lot of weight when we decide whether to vacation in WDW or Borabora, but not in these debates.
The car 3'ers (there's that nasty label again...) make a very good point when they say we have to look at the total gains and takeaway's, and not just what we care about. For example, I never used EE, and probably never would have, but I have to admit that it still must be recognized when we discuss overall mgmt decisions. Same with the Mickey head butter that used to be falling out of the sky at WDW.
However, when I say that the Magic hasn't faded (or at least hasn't faded enough to move me to car 2), I'm not basing that only on what I like; I truly am taking into consideration other things that have happened. Its just that I'm also trying to consider what impact these things (and others) have had on ALL WDW guests, not just our fun-loving little community here on the R&N board, or even on the DIS.
So while I understand the lack of Mickey head butter can be a significant hit to a Disney afficianado, how big a hit is it in the big picture?
EE has to be seen as a bigger hit, but still, in the big picture, how many WDW guests miss it? Is it a takeaway? ABSOLUTELY! But is it a bigger takeaway than FastPass is a gain? Not even close.
So when I say I am in car 1, I am not ignoring the impact on others, but rather am trying to keep things in perspective, and consider the true big picture that includes ALL WDW guests, not just my friends here on the DIS.
I don't like the direction some of the decisions are taking, I just don't think enough damage has been done to truly fade the Magic. That doesn't mean I won't care until its too late. On the contrary, I let Disney know about things I don't agree with. If they were my decisions to make, I'm sure I'd be doing some things differently. But in my truly best effort to remain objective, I don't see the overall damage that some here see. So, I'm in car 1.25. I see zero to minimal Magic being faded, but I do see the possibility that current mgmt could do some real damage in the future, if trends continue as they have been.