D23 2010 - "Gold" and "Silver" Memberships, Dontown Disney Discounts

[Exprcoofto]

D23 has decided to offer two levels of subscriptions for 2010. D23 Gold is unchanged from last years standard membership and stays at $74.99. The new D23 Silver is more than half the price at $34.99 but doesn't include the disney twenty-three magazine subscription.

D23 Silver will only include your starter package (Disney Undiscovered Calender, Member Certificate and Member Card) as well as a subscription to a bi-weekly email newsletter, access to special member events, access to special D23 merchandise, and discounts at Downtown Disney. Everything but the magazine.

Also new for 2010 is the 23 month Disney Undiscovered Calendar (Member Gift) which offers rare and never-before-seen images from Disney parks, animation, and live-action films. If you don't want to wait until March to receive your 2010 & 2011 calendar then you can renew your membership starting today. If you would like to renew your membership, visit the following page: Buy a D23 Membership Page

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I'm curious to see what those who didn't like the D23 program will think of this change.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

You beat me to the thread.

Honestly... As a person who is D64, I welcome this. They seem to realize that they do need to make it more accessible, and open to more demographics. Very pleased that they took this step.


However...what took them so long!? :lol: If they would have done this in March, wow! Would have saved a lot of heartache.

And...With the $34.99 deal, what's really being offered there? No magazine/Disney Propaganda Pamphlet lookaroun ), but you get that "gift", the certificate, shopping privileges and the in park events. That seems to be good for locals. Don't know about what a person that's NOT a local would do, however...which is still a issue I have with this whole program. That's personal, however. What matters is they seem to be listening, and really making this into a better venue. D64 is pleased.

Happy New Year! Good way to start it off, and continue to get better, Disney.

 

[DMC-12]

You beat me to the thread.

Honestly... As a person who is D64, I welcome this. They seem to realize that they do need to make it more accessible, and open to more demographics. Very pleased that they took this step.


However...what took them so long!? :lol: If they would have done this in March, wow! Would have saved a lot of heartache.

And...With the $34.99 deal, what's really being offered there? No magazine/Disney Propaganda Pamphlet lookaroun ), but you get that "gift", the certificate, shopping privileges and the in park events. That seems to be good for locals. Don't know about what a person that's NOT a local would do, however...which is still a issue I have with this whole program. That's personal, however. What matters is they seem to be listening, and really making this into a better venue. D64 is pleased.

Happy New Year! Good way to start it off, and continue to get better, Disney.

So for $35 you get the ability to buy from their SkyMall of overpriced crap? No thanks.

 

[Exprcoofto]

So for $35 you get the ability to buy from their SkyMall of overpriced crap? No thanks.

How about you look at the other stuff too.

I'm a D23 Member now and I do enjoy what I get, but I too feel there should be much more to the membership. However, it bugs the crap out of me when people just look at one flaw and say "nope". I hope you don't look at the parks like that. :lol:

 

[DMC-12]

How about you look at the other stuff too.

I am not local... so the park events do not interest me.

 

[Monty]

The website doesn't mention if you are able to downgrade your D23 Member level.

Since it gives the option to renew your membership at the Silver level and until now that level didn't exist, yes, you can "downgrade". Once you've renewed at the Gold level, you wouldn't be able to downgrade until your next renewal though.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I always found the magazine to be the most interesting part of the membership, so I guess I'll renew at the Gold Level. If I bought every magazine at Barnes and Noble, it would come out to be more than the difference in price between the two memberships, anyway.

 

[WDW Vacationer]

If I joined at the end of this year,will I get the calendar?

 

[Monty]

So for $35 you get the ability to buy from their SkyMall of overpriced crap? No thanks.

Respectfully, that's an overly-simplistic and unfair statement.

With my first year's membership I received a number of 'free' gifts that were certainly worth more than the difference between buying the magazines off-the-shelf [if buying them off the shelf were even an option for me]. I received a "Day One Charter Member" pin, a D23-exclusive lithograph, an admittedly uninspiring paper fan and one of six Walt Disney Archives Collection D23-exclusive Disneyland '59 patches. All that in addition to four very nice magazine editions [I also subscribe to Celebrations and Tales from the Laughing Place, which are both also excellent, but different publications], a membership certificate that looks very nice framed on my wall and a membership card.

I didn't go to the Expo, though I would have liked to. And I did avail myself of a few of the items that were available for sale only to members. Despite your cutesy reference to it as a "SkyMall of overpriced crap", the prices were on par for any Disney merchandise purchased on-line or in the parks.

IMO I got excellent value for my investment and have already renewed for another year.

 

[krankenstein]

Sounds good! :sohappy:

Now, am I personally completely satisfied with EVERYTHING about my D23 membership? Nope. Could they easily make me satisfied by creating a lounge in one of the parks that is only available to D23 members? Yep.

They are close.... very close....

 

[marni1971]

That seems to be good for locals. Don't know about what a person that's NOT a local would do, however...which is still a issue I have with this whole program.

Personally? Still nothing.

You can find out far more interesting info and get far more exclusive park related media just by hanging around the right places on the web :

 

[MissM]

I suppose it's nice they offered another option that's not as expensive but the whole thing is just silly in the first place. (In my opinion.)

I would never spend $75 for a magazine subscription - ever. And I would never spend $35 for a calendar either. I'm already an AP so I already get a discount in Downtown Disney. And I already get "special events" for AP holders. The D23 Epxo in California is of no interest to me as it's 3,000 miles away. Anything closer would still COST MONEY in addition to paying for the right to pay more money.

So...it's still a pass for me. I don't need some silly certificate saying I'm a Disney fan and I certainly don't need another $35 or $75 annual expense. I already pay more than enough for my AP which at least gives me real and usable benefits. D23 does not.

 

[gibsonc]

Well I joined D23 on day 1, it was expensive, especially with international shipping added on top, but being a Disney fan I decided it was worth seeing how it turned out.

I guess it was okay, I got some nice things, the Mickey Putting a smile on the world print is nice, its framed and looks great here at home.

The magazines are nicely put together but I generally have heard or read about anything thats in them.

I would have loved to have gone to some of the special events and the expo, and nearly did, but realistically for the events I can't just fly 4000 miles across the world with a months notice to attend. And I was a little disappointed that the member discount for the expo was pretty small actually, with still a reasonably expensive ticket to buy.

So with that I can't justify a second year at $75 plus $60 shipping!!.

If I was in a decent traveling distance of WDW or Disneyland and could make a couple of the events and got free shipping like US residents then maybe, but for someone outside the US it just doesn't add up.

 

[drew81]

Sounds good! :sohappy:

Now, am I personally completely satisfied with EVERYTHING about my D23 membership? Nope. Could they easily make me satisfied by creating a lounge in one of the parks that is only available to D23 members? Yep.

They are close.... very close....

Wouldn't this be wonderful? I wish they would have a lounge at each of the parks.

 

[Monty]

Well I joined D23 on day 1, it was expensive, especially with international shipping added on top, but being a Disney fan I decided it was worth seeing how it turned out.

I guess it was okay, I got some nice things, the Mickey Putting a smile on the world print is nice, its framed and looks great here at home.

The magazines are nicely put together but I generally have heard or read about anything thats in them.

I would have loved to have gone to some of the special events and the expo, and nearly did, but realistically for the events I can't just fly 4000 miles across the world with a months notice to attend. And I was a little disappointed that the member discount for the expo was pretty small actually, with still a reasonably expensive ticket to buy.

So with that I can't justify a second year at $75 plus $60 shipping!!.

If I was in a decent traveling distance of WDW or Disneyland and could make a couple of the events and got free shipping like US residents then maybe, but for someone outside the US it just doesn't add up.

Initially International shipping was $60 for anyone outside the U.S. I agree that's too much. After much complaining, they cut shipping in half for Canadian orders, which makes it more palatable for me.

I wish they could review shipping costs to the UK so you could continue... Even at $29.95 to Canada it's a bit of a slap in the face given it's free in the U.S.

 

[Exprcoofto]

Since it gives the option to renew your membership at the Silver level and until now that level didn't exist, yes, you can "downgrade". Once you've renewed at the Gold level, you wouldn't be able to downgrade until your next renewal though.

Ah, thanks for clarifying that!

If I joined at the end of this year,will I get the calendar?

If you've already gotten all of your starter package, then I'd say no. If you haven't then I'm not sure. You might, but if they go by the activation date, most likely not.

 

[disneysroyal411]

I wish that they would have a a subscription for just the magazine! That'd be great so now my step mom's gonna have to sign up for the gold, O well!:ROFLOL:

 

[WDW Vacationer]

Ah, thanks for clarifying that!


If you've already gotten all of your starter package, then I'd say no. If you haven't then I'm not sure. You might, but if they go by the activation date, most likely not.

No,just the card. It won't come with the magazine in spring?

 

[Exprcoofto]

No,just the card. It won't come with the magazine in spring?

Oh no, I'm saying that if you haven't gotten everything yet then you may get it now rather then in the spring with the next issue.

I have a question myself- If I renew my membership (Gold) do I get sent everything that it lists on the page again? Or will I still have to wait for the next issue to get my Calendar?

 

[sueuk]

Sounds good! :sohappy:

Now, am I personally completely satisfied with EVERYTHING about my D23 membership? Nope. Could they easily make me satisfied by creating a lounge in one of the parks that is only available to D23 members? Yep.

They are close.... very close....

I had high hopes when D23 'sponsored' One Man's Dream ....it may yet happen