We started visiting the parks in 2005. They were a lot cheaper then and a lot less crowded.
I went to Disney for the first time in 1981, stayed off site. It was pretty inexpensive back then with only one park and we did other stuff in Orlando (Sea World, Florida Festival, some other circus type park). We went again in 1989 and only visited MK for one day while we were attending a wedding in Palm Beach. We went as a family of 6 for the first time in 2003 and stayed off site for 5 nights. It wasn't that expensive, relatively. We ate mostly quick service off site with only two table service on site, since we're not big eaters it didn't cost all that much. I went with one of my daughter's in 2006 for a volleyball tournament and we stayed at All Stars. It was only for 4 nights and it wasn't cheap, lol, but we also ate out every day for every meal. But cost is relative to what one can afford. We went again as a family of 6 in 2007 and stayed in a townhouse off site for 5 nights. We ate table service for dinner every night. But our townhouse was free. Airfare was the most expensive part of all these trips. All my girls have gone for their high school senior trips, 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2016 and it has cost approximately $850 for the 2009 trip to $1200 for the 2016 trip and they stayed at POR with their school for 3 nights.
We went as a family of 6 again in July 2016 (for a wedding) and stayed at the Contemporary Hospitality Suite, CL access. It was a very expensive trip for 4 nights/5 day park hoppers and 3 Table service dinners. My husband and I went in May 2017 and stayed at the Contemporary TPV for 3 nights. It was a very expensive trip for just the two of us.
I remember waiting in lines at MK in 1981. Long lines. Same with our 2003 trip until my husband discovered FP. Then we only waited in long lines most of the day, lol. By 2007, we rarely waited in lines with FP and a good touring plan/RD/etc. In 2016, we didn't wait longer than 20-30 minutes for any ride. In 2017, my husband and I didn't wait longer than 20 minutes for any ride. The parks were crowded, imo, in '81, 2003. 2007. Far less crowded in 2016 but that could be because we planned better. And in 2017, crowded or not, it was cake for us. I came home from every trip, except 2016 and 2017, exhausted.
My husband wants the two of us to go back May 2018. Asked him tonight if maybe he wants to do a Europe trip or Ireland or one of the Caribbean Islands. He said nope, we had fun and relaxed at the Contemporary, Disney World. We do a family vacation in OC, NJ for a week every Summer so we relax a lot there as a family, lol. But we eat in most of the time and I cook dinner half of the week so that's not really a vacation for me.
Everyone does Disney in a way that works for them. I would never go if I couldn't stay at a Deluxe, eat out mostly, and take a few hours break daily at the resort. I've done it otherwise and it was fun but exhausting. My daughters and I try to do a weekend in NYC every December but this year we can't because none of us can afford it. So we'll skip it this year and plan for next year.