5. The characters have evolved
Take a look at the photo above, which shows Mickey Mouse at Disneyland on its opening day. 
Now, of course, Mickey looks much more like his cartoon self, and can even talkwhen he meets-and-greets guests at the Magic Kingdom.
4. The shops are more generic
Disneyland's Main Street, USA once featured all manner of specialist shops, including the Intimate Apparel Store and Grandma's Baby Shop. The same was true of the stores at Walt Disney World's hotels when it first opened in 1971. Over time, these have gradually been replaced with larger stores that offer a more generic range of Disney merchandise.
3. The "Disney Look" has been relaxed
Disneyland was famously strict about the appearance of its Cast Members, dictating rules on clothing, jewelery and facial hair and banishing less photogenic staff to backroom, "off-stage" roles. Nowadays, the rules are slightlymore relaxed. It wasn’t until 2012 that male Cast Members were allowed to have facial hair. Though facial hair is permitted within certain guidelines, it must be fully grown in. If a Cast Member decides he wants to grow a mustache, he must take vacation time to do so, which is exactly what many people did when the new rules were passed.
2. Alcohol isn't completely banned
One of the big innovations at Disneyland was not to offer alcoholic beverages for sale, eliminating a potential source of profit but helping to generate a family-friendly atmosphere. Nowadays, alcohol sales are still carefully controlled. However, at some Disney parks - notably Epcot's World Showcase - a huge variety of beers, wines and spirits are on offer.
1. Smoking is severely restricted
The opposite trend has occurred with smoking. While alcohol was banned from Disneyland in 1955, smoking was almost positively encouraged - the park even had its own Tobacco Shop. Attitudes to smoking have changed, and so has Disney's policy. Disneyland stopped selling cigarettes altogether in 1999, indoor smoking is banned and there are a few small locations where outdoor smoking is permitted.
For better or worse?
Have the changes to Disney's theme parks improved them, or detracted from them? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
Comments
I was planning on purchasing an annual pass since I only live a short 6 hours away, but with all the bad things I have been reading up on with the Fast Pass Plus, I have changed my mind. What is the point of taking at whim trips to the parks when you cannot ride all the rides.
You stated Mickey still wanders the park. I wish this was true. When I was a kid all the characters could be seen walking around. Now you need a fast pass to see them. I don't know if they can't do this any more because the maximum number of guests have been raised over the years and that the parks are just too crowded or if disney just thinks it easier to provide a more uniform experience for every guest the way they do it now. The best way to see characters today is go to a character meal. Maybe limiting guest exposure sells more character meals.
Most are not good. The huge price hikes (even in the last 10 years) do NOT match the plummeting economy. Disney parks are more and more becoming a place for the elite rich, and not your average middle class family. I know this would have disappointed Walt to say the least. It makes me sad too.
Things had change over the years. For instances, the new "Carsland" and walking down Radiator Springs is new. I like the newer rides like "Ariel's Under The Sea Adventure", "Radiator Racers", etc. Hope you're doing well.
As for 2 tiers of Disney guest, as a DVC member I paid about a $35,000 entry fee and pay about $2,00 a year dues. Any benefit I get from that is well paid for. Loyalty programs are everywhere from airlines to credit cards. We go to WDW at least twice a year, we spend thousands of dollars there. Any frequent Disney flyer miles we accumulate we pay for.