So who is NOT getting Heavensward?!

[T2teddy]

Two major differences here. Firstly, in WoW the cap is a hard cap. You literally don't even unlock the ability to level past your cap without the expansion. Secondly, in WoW, once the level cap is 'earned' by getting the expansion, you can still earn experience in earlier areas. It's not like all of your new levels had to be earned in expansion areas only.

In WoW prior to any expansion, it was not very likely that any player was going to reach current level cap before getting to the end content zone of the current expansion.

Also, while you 'could' gain exp in the 'old' areas, after an expansion, the exp given was so miniscule that it was just ridiculous to even try, instead of going to the new areas where exp was practically thrown at you in barrels. Plus the questing greens in new areas were equal to or better than the raiding gear from the previous expansion.

WoW also did not have a specific laid out storyline we HAD to follow like ARR does.
Those of us who are currently 50 have been so for ages and have done over 100 MSQ gaining NO EXP whatsoever throughout those, as well as Coils, hundreds of CT runs and roulettes with NO EXP.
It would be an insult to allow anyone to remain in the old content and suddenly begin leveling up on those same activities we got nada for, potentially placing them at level 60 before setting foot on Ishgardian soil where they could then faceroll all the new 51-57 zones which those-of-us-who entered-at-lowly-50 will struggle through.

NAY, I say, no exp gain for ARR level 50 content! We didn't get it so neither should anyone else!