That is why we waited until DD was 10 (now 11) to go to Disney. When I was pregnant I read an article about a guy trying to convince his wife that they needed to go back to Disney so that their youngest could 'experience Disney'. So he asked his daughter over dinner about her favorite part of their Disney trip, "The Hotel Pool." When we've met families who've been to Disney, I ask the kids that question. It is shocking how many times it is the pool. Not always, but often.
This is what we discovered the first time we were heading to Orlando. We were only going to be there for four days and the kids wanted to do SeaWorld, so I didn't plan on doing the Disney parks, just visit some of the resorts, hit the Boardwalk while the magician was there, ride the monorail, stuff like that. I was regularly reamed out by people scolding me for this choice, saying I "must" take my kids to the parks, that I was robbing them by not doing it, yadda yadda -- these were not Disney boards. they were timeshare boards or more general travel boards. But half the time when I got yelled at that way, other parents would post exactly what you're saying here; that when they actually asked their kids what they wanted to do, even after the kids had experienced the park, some of those kids liked the hotel pool better than they did Disney.
Plus I noticed long time back that the most rabid Disney haters I know were all dragged to Disney as kids by commando parents determined to get their money's worth.
That said, I think just about anyone can enjoy the Disney Parks if someone "in the know," who also knows them well, designs their visit for them. But for some kids, that means only partial days in the parks, more time at places like Tom Sawyer's Island and less time standing in line. And while every skeptic I've taken to the parks has enjoyed their visit, that doesn't mean they wouldn't have been just as happy doing something else that was a heck of a lot cheaper. The advantage of Disney is that you could find something there for everyone to enjoy, meaning it's a good place for large vacationing groups. But it can be the wrong choice if someone's primary goal is simply to please their kids with a special vacation.
It took careful planning to get them to all their favorite characters and on their most desired thrill rides and get everything done in a few short days. It was my hobby... so fun! Lots of planning ahead so the trip could feel spontaneous and was a success with no feeling of sacrifice.
This is how I feel, and I'm not sure I'm going to do the parks next time. We're not going until January 2022, so maybe I'll be happier about it then, but usually I enjoy the planning and right now there's just no way. But if the new system comes out soon enough and is working smoothly enough and I can find enough reviews to feel I know how it works before we go, I may get more enthused. Or not.
And food prices...don't get me started. We are going this Wednesday and for the first time EVER, we only have 1 ADR for our 5 day trip. I told my daughter I'm done paying $120 for the 2 of us to eat lack-luster and mostly bad, food.
People used to insist that Disney prices were high but that you got better quality food there than you did in the other parks.
That wasn't true even the first time we went, which was more than a decade back, at least comparing like for like (Disney does offer more sit down restaurants). The counter service plan at SeaWorld when we went was surprisingly varied, and the preparation consistently good. With Disney food, the quality is not so consistent. I've gotten stuff at Disney that literally no one in my party was willing to consume. At this point I don't buy food at Disney except with my Disney Rewards Card, which I view as a sunk cost anyhow, so if the food is bad somehow it's easier to shrug off. I know I'm paying for theming more than for good food at Disney restaurants, paying for the "experience," but even looked at that way I think a lot of it is overpriced. I don't consider myself a food snob -- matter of fact I've always favored peasant food -- but I do know when something has been over cooked or under cooked, or has been sitting under a heating lamp for entirely too long, or is stale, or made with bagged eggs instead of fresh --or tastes nothing like what it's supposed to be (Sunshine Seasons creme brulee, I'm looking at you!). It has long seemed to me that Disney dining is a bigger gamble than visiting the parks.
I'm okay with walking away from an annual WDW vacation and creating new memories and traditions. My wallet thanks me. 
