This is a more big-picture aside, but...
This whole discussion reminds me a little bit of Stormalong Bay back in the dim history of time when (IIRC) it was the only pool not eligible for pool hopping. It's a nice pool, and it has some cool features, but at least in my experience it is not all that and a bag of chips. It's a pool with a decent slide, some sand at the zero-entry bit, and a lazy "river" that's probably not 100 feet from one end to the other.
There are plenty of perfectly fine pools at WDW. There are also some very nice pool complexes at n
on-Disney resorts that are arguably as much or more fun than SAB. But, the fact that it was
exclusive made it much more desirable, and suddenly it was the Best. Pool. In. The. World---not just Disney World, mind you. Only the few worthy guests at BCV could swim there. (Well, those folks plus the unwashed masses who rented hotel rooms at YC/BC, but still.)
Now that many of the WDW pools are ineligible, it's much less of a big deal. Sure, it's still (arguably) the best WDW pool, but it doesn't garner nearly the attention it did back in the day. I suspect that's at least in part because it is now just one of many exclusive you-can't-hop-there pools. Heck, there's even a Value Pool complex you can't hop to. The nerve! Many of these other pools are quite nice in their own regard.
Similarly, TotW is the one place anywhere on property where only the True Members can pay $20 for a watered-down cocktail. There are many (many!) other places where one can do that. Some of them even have impressive views of theme park fireworks, and one has nice views of MK itself--and you can walk there from BLT without leaving cover.
But, those places are not
exclusive. And this place is. It's very exclusive nature is part of what makes it such a "big deal." Viewed objectively, it's not that big of a deal. Anyone who has seen the fireworks from there (or California Grill) can tell you that while it is a neat experience, it's probably not the view most people would prefer most of the time because the aerial shots are well to the side of the castle. Particularly with the more recent shows, the castle is a big part of the experience. The villains vibe will probably amp up the TotW experience a notch, sure. Enough to send me into mourning? Probably not.
That's not to say that folks aren't upset. It's a thing some people used to be able to do, and they can't do it anymore. That's a bummer, for sure. But, given all of the many other things one can do on while at the Vacation Kingdom, maybe it will turn out to be less of a big deal than it feels like right now.