Are you 23?

[fl_actuary]

I don't know why everyone is getting worked up over this. If you can afford the $75 then join. After a year if it sucks, cancel.

But be sure to hold onto everything just in case it becomes a collectible.

If you can't afford it, don't join. Wait until you know more and determine if it is a good value.

 

[Monty]

I'm still stunned. I can't believe how many of you help to confirm to Disney that you will just throw money at them for any garbage they present to you. What do you get for $75 I can not get without a membership? A certificate, a tiny discount off admission to an expo, and the exclusive right to spend even more money on even more crap like an $849 pen.
What 23 SHOULD have been is reflected by what us fans really wanted. Things like "Celebration 25" officially sponsored by Disney. A fan community with forums, news and rumors. The "official" version of sites like this one. Instead it is a total scam of Disney begging for your money and you happily giving it to them.

If you live in the contiguous U.S., that might be the case, but there's a whole world out here beyond your borders that can't get the magazine without D23 membership [or quarterly trips to the U.S. ]. And for people who would buy the magazine who do live there, the cost for the certificate, tiny discount and collectible gift drops to less than $12, not exactly bank-breaking.

From what I understand this is the only time the mag will be available to the public. But that could be wrong.

I'm trying to figure out if I should splurge and join. I'm moving to FL in August so if there are events I'd be there but I'm not cool with having to pay more just to go to the events. I know that this is the case for the Expo but will it be the case for all events?

Also, is the only place you can buy the membership disneyshopping.com?

My understanding is Barnes & Noble has exclusive distribution on the magazine outside the parks. Memberships can be purchased on-line or at contiguous U.S. Disney stores and parks.

 

[kymie]

If you live in the UK and want to join D23, add on to the subscription fee an extra $55 for shipping. Im not sure I'll be joining!

 

[jakeman]

So, reading on the D23 website about the Expo this September in Anaheim, there is a glimmer of hope that this D23 element might be worthwhile. But you don't have to be a D23 member to go the Expo, just that D23 members get a six dollar discount off of tickets. Six bucks. Whoopee!

Otherwise, the D23 rollout seems to rank right up there with some of the all-time huge failures and flops in modern Disney history. Such as:

• Light Magic in May, 1997
  
• Imagination! pavilion at Epcot in 1999
  
• Disney's California Adventure, a few days after the grand opening, February, 2001

Really, D23 seems to have fallen flat on its face. For the life of me I can't figure out why Disney thought this would work, and why they thought we would all jump at the chance to spend 75 bucks to buy expensive stuff no one needs, or that can already be purchased by the general public without a D23 membership.

It's just baffling how they bungled this one so badly.

Yep after 24 hours we can definitely declare this a failure. We shouldn't give it time to expand or, heaven forbid, experience for ourselves. We should just look at some pictures online, read what other people are saying and then call it a day.

 

[Master Yoda]

Yep after 24 hours we can definitely declare this a failure. We shouldn't give it time to expand or, heaven forbid, experience for ourselves. We should just look at some pictures online, read what other people are saying and then call it a day.

 

[Ausdaddy]

Yep after 24 hours we can definitely declare this a failure. We shouldn't give it time to expand or, heaven forbid, experience for ourselves. We should just look at some pictures online, read what other people are saying and then call it a day.

Well, based on Jim Hill's article today, there is a four year commitment to this enterprise. I don't understand the decision to have the D23 Expo in Anaheim for four years in a row. I love DLR, just can't go out there very often.

 

[MousDad]

What 23 SHOULD have been is reflected by what us fans really wanted. Things like "Celebration 25" officially sponsored by Disney. A fan community with forums, news and rumors. The "official" version of sites like this one. Instead it is a total scam of Disney begging for your money and you happily giving it to them.

I'd pay a whole lot more than $75 to see 74, Lutz, Yee, Hill, Lee, leemac, et al. duke it out on an official WDW discussion forum.

 

[Master Yoda]

I'd pay a whole lot more than $75 to see 74, Lutz, Yee, Hill, Lee, leemac, et al. duke it out on an official WDW discussion forum.

Forum nothing.....I want them in the octagon!:lol:

 

[Monty]

I'm happy they didn't include forums. WDWMagic provides everything I want in that regard and Disney couldn't replicate it if they tried. And as sad a commentary it is on people, if Disney did try, there would be a flock of people who would jump ship regardless how bad the quality was. I would stay here and support Steve, but would enough?

 

[hrcollectibles]

I don't know why everyone is getting worked up over this. If you can afford the $75 then join. After a year if it sucks, cancel.

But be sure to hold onto everything just in case it becomes a collectible.

If you can't afford it, don't join. Wait until you know more and determine if it is a good value.

Generally if something is marketed as a collectible it usually is not.. IE Beanie Babies. We have no way of knowing how many copies they printed of this premier issue. If it were limited to say 500 - 1000 then yeah it would probably retain value. But it is more than likely they printed thousands upon thousands. And please do not take me as quoting you as being disrespectful.

 

[jakeman]

I'm happy they didn't include forums. WDWMagic provides everything I want in that regard and Disney couldn't replicate it if they tried. And as sad a commentary it is on people, if Disney did try, there would be a flock of people who would jump ship regardless how bad the quality was. I would stay here and support Steve, but would enough?

I'm not so sure. I would think a forum such as that would be heavily moderated and the types of discussions that take place here would not be allowed on an offical board.

If anything Disney is very protective of their image (even if the current image is not something that you agree with). I can't see them allowing anything that could potentially suly that with the average guest.

 

[tomman710]

I think this has been stated already but am I missing something? I don't get all the fuss about the price? If you bought all the magazines at face value you'd spend around 65 bucks so the membership is really only $10.

Why isn't a membership worth $10? You don't know what they have in store for us, nobody knows what the surprise collectible from the Archives is yet do they? There could be all kinds of other surprises, you just don't know ... for $10 I think its worth finding out.

Now if you had no intention of ever getting the magazine then it might be another story but if you plan on buying the magazine anyway then its just plain idiotic to not go ahead and sign up the extra $10 bucks for the membership.

I'm sure the renewal price will be less next year ... now if it goes up then I may have an issue but for me right now the price is minimal.

 

[MousDad]

:lol: I'm sorry, but I keep having these funny images in my head of an official Walt Disney discussion forum with Marty Sklar as the moderator.

"We are not a bunch of young marketing whizzes..."

 

[Master Yoda]

Generally if something is marketed as a collectible it usually is not.. IE Beanie Babies. We have no way of knowing how many copies they printed of this premier issue. If it were limited to say 500 - 1000 then yeah it would probably retain value. But it is more than likely they printed thousands upon thousands. And please do not take me as quoting you as being disrespectful.

So very true. For an item to be a "valuable" collectible you need a very limited supply and a pretty healthy demand. While demand seems to be pretty constant if not a little better supply for most things labeled as "collectible" is pretty high now that everyone collects things. The reason a carded vintage Luke Sky Walker figure from 1978 goes for $600 and POTF carded Luke goes for only $8 is simply that there are a bunch more of POTF Luke figures out there and they are not in high demand. If Disney prints a bazillion D23 First issue magazines and everyone and there brother locks an issue or two away they will more than likely never be worth more than the cover price.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think this has been stated already but am I missing something? I don't get all the fuss about the price?

The "fuss" about the price comes from the outrageous shipping cost that increase the membership price by some 66% for anyone outside the US. As already stated, the WDCC costs 2/3 the price without the shipping nonsense. Plus I can get a discount on the magazine if I don't join and just use an irewards members card.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

:lol: I'm sorry, but I keep having these funny images in my head of an official Walt Disney discussion forum with Marty Sklar as the moderator.

"We are not a bunch of young marketing whizzes..."

Oh, that would rock.


I dunno....If they really wanted to make D23 a easily accessible Fan Club they should have lowered the price on membership. Right now, it just seems like a pay-for-entry mall.:shrug:

 

[Einselen]

Again how many pages is the first publication of D23?

 

[wdwmemories]

This seems like a cool idea, but the $75 price tag seems high to me...

 

[Phonedave]

So very true. For an item to be a "valuable" collectible you need a very limited supply and a pretty healthy demand. While demand seems to be pretty constant if not a little better supply for most things labeled as "collectible" is pretty high now that everyone collects things. The reason a carded vintage Luke Sky Walker figure from 1978 goes for $600 and POTF carded Luke goes for only $8 is simply that there are a bunch more of POTF Luke figures out there and they are not in high demand. If Disney prints a bazillion D23 First issue magazines and everyone and there brother locks an issue or two away they will more than likely never be worth more than the cover price.

I used to collect comics "way back in the day". When Superman died EVERYBODY bought multiple copies of that issue. About 2 months after it came off the stands, the guides had it listed at $40 - $50. I watched some kid try to sell it to the owner of the local comic shop. The guy offered the kid about $2 for it. The kid says "but the guide says it goes for $40". He said sure, thats what I may sell it for, but I have 100 of them in back already, $2 is all I am going to buy another for. Kid got a quick lesson in supply/demand/pricing that day.

And no, the kid was not me I never collected Superman. Never liked that comic.

-dave

 

[WDWRLD]

I think this has been stated already but am I missing something? I don't get all the fuss about the price? If you bought all the magazines at face value you'd spend around 65 bucks so the membership is really only $10.

Why isn't a membership worth $10? You don't know what they have in store for us, nobody knows what the surprise collectible from the Archives is yet do they? There could be all kinds of other surprises, you just don't know ... for $10 I think its worth finding out.

Now if you had no intention of ever getting the magazine then it might be another story but if you plan on buying the magazine anyway then its just plain idiotic to not go ahead and sign up the extra $10 bucks for the membership.

I'm sure the renewal price will be less next year ... now if it goes up then I may have an issue but for me right now the price is minimal.

Yea...and we had the Disney Magazine which I had just renewed when they called it quits. They did give transfer my subscription to some other magazine that I had absolutely had no intrest in without any choice of mine. That at one time was a perk of the magic Kingdom Club which I paid for....see where im going with this. Looks like a reincarniation of this past club....only you dont get discounts and costs alot more to join...that is if you are a fan....arent you.