Was in Yosemite several years ago in February. It was fairly unusual in that there was essentially no snow anywhere at that time. Due to lack of time I had to stay on the roads, but there was not much of a crowd at that time. Talking to people that have visited there at other times, I realize just how lucky I was.
I recognize that there is a need to take the pressure off the resource, but it seems that there is a middle ground between removing the cables and having no limit to the people on the trail.
Possibly a lottery for a certain number of tickets each day along with a waiting list where you could apply for a ticket in a certain time slot, and work your way to the top. that way you could make a firm plan, or take your chances each day that you could get a ticket in the daily lottery.
This sort of thing is a problem in many National Parks, and it is difficulf to balance access to people that want to visit, with keeping the park experience at a decently natural level.