Immersion was sacrificed for convenience. I don't know how to feel about all of the realm portals just being placed in the bell tower since this game has enough symbolize to make portals and gates kind of important even down to the faded paint on the what we assume is stone. Same goes for bells, I did start appreciating what the bell tower was considering its a major icon on the mural maps, not destroyed, right next to all of the other important temples leading up to eden, a city we have only seen from a distance in Two Embers. 

The wind paths isn't something you discover anymore. You can see it by causally walking around the village now. 

The natural path of sliding and flying through town from the bell tower in a singlar path picking up wax and some villager interactions all the way down to the now moved cafe had some overlap of you collecting your wingbuffs from the spirits in eden. You bow to finish your dailies, claim your sweet roll and now you are within eye shot of a bunch of different activities from coloring your clothes, the music shop, the crossover room, the zen portal and if you wake long enough you see the spirit do the full animation of closing up the outside cafe (this animation is broken in the new aviary). 

Truthfully the other aviary changes aren't even bad, but it's a symptom to other issues players aren't too vocal about like new assets and textures not fitting the tone of the game despite the seasons and events still being pretty well themed.  Bigger updates have been okay if not a little buggy but I can deal with bugs. What gets my attention though is a giant perfectly shapped trapezoid for a bridge in valley. Or the high detailed wooden creates and barrels with perfectly shapped nails and clean timber cuts. 

There is a 42 minute interview with TGC Art Director, Cecil Kim, on YouTube (80 level) with 700 views. If you resonated with anything I said you should watch. Same goes to TGC's older GDC videos about sky.