I put the brakes on an add-on.
We have just enough points for yearly or 2 years on, 1 year off, trips. However, we wanted to start expanding our points in anticipation of the family growing and multigenerational trips and an increase in our visits in retirement, etc. Disney was the ""long-term family plan" for vacations. I'll admit, we've been contemplating add-on's for a long time and have decided against it many times for various reasons. The difference is, all the other times we just decided we could wait a little longer. We just didn't quite need the points yet. I didn't want to be stuck with points to rent all the time, etc. This time, it's that we don't know if we will ever want any more at all.
This isn't about DVC. It's about Disney as a whole. I haven't travelled during covid, but over the last few years I've just noticed things not as clean or kept up as well, the food quality has declined, the crowds for special events are insane (these used to be more limited and worth the price as far as I can tell), the
MDE app kind of sucks, making reservations for all of it is a PITA, and I absolutely hate the FP system.
No annual pass was my biggest recent complaint (hoping just temporary), but the removal of DME, luggage check-in, etc though is the last straw. We have 2 young adult daughters (one just 18) and had been planning on letting them use the points on their own / with friends for the next few years as it is hard at the moment for us all to get a lot of time off to travel together. So, we figured as we were building up our points, the girls could just use them for long weekends, etc. With no APs and no "free" / easy / safe trans.... just forget it.
I will also say that even merchandise quality is in serious decline. I spent quite a bit of $$ with my 30% discount for Christmas gifts and was disappointed in all but a few items. Some examples:
Several pairs of leggings for me and my DDs: One came with a hole in it, all are so thin...when you bend (even just bending at the knees) they become see-through.
Some PJs (female): Very thin, not very soft, I have seen better at Target.
PJ bottoms for DH: The pocket inside on one side was sewn incorrectly and is not as deep - unusable. It's weird.
Of course, none of these things were really noticed until washed and worn. Also, I purchased them really early (like maybe October) so, basically we got stuck with it all.
Anyway, that was more of a side-rant! lol
But the magic and quality seems to be fading. I don't want it to be true. I really don't. But Disney seems to be costing more yet cheaping out on all the little things that made it special.
If APs don't return, we will definitely give off-site a shot and re-evaluate. We will probably keep our small contract no matter what for any discounts and for a few nights whenever we can at Boardwalk. It actually gets us 5-6 nights in a standard studio, but long term 1 studio isn't going to cut it. So, maybe we get 2 nights in a 2 bedroom for our Epcot / HS days and that's all we get onsite.
